With an average programming experience of 10 years, Nexedi staff covers the full spectrum of innovative Open Source / Libre software technologies, from coding of Linux kernel modules to architecturing of concurrent persistent object network architectures. An overview of our unique skills is provided here.

Nexedi welcomes intellectually challenging research or development projects based or published under Open Source / Libre Software licenses.

Python: rapid software development

Nexedi uses extensively the python object language. We found that python provides an optimal compromise in terms of clean language design, coding speed, maintenability, platform availability and community support. Python can easily be extended in C or C++ to customise its semantics or implement highly optimised, yet scriptable, libraries.

More information about python can be found here . Examples of great software written in python can be found here . Examples of python uses in business can be found here .

Zope: transactionnal web development

Nexedi uses Zope for transactionnal Web application development and persistent object storage. Zope component architecture favours code share and reuse. Zope is based on python: the same language can be used both for scripting and for core component development, thus dramaticaly reducing training and industrialisation costs.

Zope can easily scale to support 100s of simultaneous users inputing data or 1000s of simultaneous users accessing data. Together with ERP5, Zope provides one of the fastest development environments for custom enterpise applications.

Nexedi has designed, coded and implemented ERP5 first production site in about 4 men year, which is orders of magnitude faster than legacy ERP systems.

Qt: multi-platform GUI development

Nexedi uses Qt for multi-platform GUI development. The combination of Python and Qt, PyQt allows to accelerate the development of GUI applications for MacOS, Windows, Linux, Sharp Zaurus, etc.

Qt not only provides GUI abstraction but complete operating system abstraction and support for XML, database access, file access, etc. Qt is so efficient and well integrated with underlying operating system that it has been chosen as the foundation for Apple MacOS X's Safari browser.

Qt can be programmed in C++ or, for even faster application development, in python. The initial version of Umigumi was written in 1 day using PyQt. Prototypes of GUI applications can be developped with PyQt in a matter of days.

OpenBrick: rapid embedded development

Nexedi is the leader of the OpenBrick project. OpenBrick is an open platform which is used to create network appliances, WiFi access points, multimedia gateways, thin clients, data acquisition device, etc. With umibuilder technology, custom embedded GNU/Linux distributions can be compiled in a matter of minutes.

For example, Nexedi intercontinental peer to peer TV streaming technology, TVBrick was prototyped with the OpenBrick platform in a couple of days.

GRUB: modular multi-platform bootloader

Nexedi uses GNU GRUB as its primary bootloader for embedded systems. GRUB is a multi-platform modular bootloader published under GPL Libre Software license.

GNU/Linux has become the industry standard for consumer electronics operating systems. However, until now, bootloader of CE device were far from standardised, written in assembly and difficult to maintain, thus raising costs for a generic software component with no economic rationale behind.

With GRUB 2, industry can now benefit at the bootloader layer from the same high level of standardisation, modularity, multi-platformness and quality as it benefits already with the Linux kernel.

PEWIT: next generation WiFi QOS

Nexedi has contributed for 2 years to the advances of WiFi technologies through custom development based on the OpenBrick platform. All technologies developped by Nexedi are tested on WiFi networks.

Our latest technology, PEWIT , was sponsored by TGC . PEWIT allows to provide outdoor wireless Internet access with garanteed bandwidth QOS (uplink and downlink).

Mandrakelinux: lean enterprise Linux

Nexedi contributes to the Mandrakelinux GNU/Linux distribution. We view Mandrakelinux as a perfect balance in terms of ease of use, stability, new technology delivery and open community development.

Nexedi uses on an everyday basis technologies packaged by Mandrakelinux: samba, shorewall, mailman, mysql, apache, bind, postfix, courier, squid, fetchmail, hylafax, cups, kdevelop, OpenOffice, kde, kontact, konqueror, kolab, scribus, blender, gimp, etc.

Custom Distribution Development - Nexedi develops custom GNU/Linux distributions based on Mandrakelinux. Our custom distributions can be executed off a USB flash key, a live CD or a standard hard disk. All our custom distributions are based on on Mandrakelinux. Thanks to umibuildertechnology, maintenance of custom solutions requires very little time and knowledge.