02 · Software & Engineering

We build software. Then we keep it running.

Web applications, internal systems, APIs, automation and the infrastructure underneath. Designed on the assumption that something will go wrong one day, so that when it does, it is noticed and fixable.

Software & Engineering

Software and systems, built to be operated.

Custom applications, APIs, automation and the infrastructure underneath them, for people who need them to keep working long after launch day.

  • Custom software

    Web applications, internal tools, SaaS platforms, business systems and mobile apps.

    • Web applications
    • Internal tools
    • SaaS platforms
    • Business systems
    • Mobile applications
  • Backend & APIs

    The part users never see: APIs, data, identity and the integrations that hold a product together.

    • API design and implementation
    • Databases and data modelling
    • Authentication
    • Authorisation
    • Third-party integrations
    • Data processing
  • Systems & infrastructure

    Architecture, cloud, containers and networking for software that has to keep running.

    • System architecture
    • Distributed systems
    • Cloud infrastructure
    • Containers
    • Deployment pipelines
    • Networking
  • Automation

    The repetitive work between your systems, done by software on a schedule instead of by a person with a spreadsheet.

    • Internal workflows
    • Data processing jobs
    • Business automation
    • Integrations between tools
    • Scheduled systems
  • AI-assisted software

    AI where it earns its place: document processing, automation and features that genuinely benefit from a model.

    • AI integration into existing products
    • Document processing
    • AI-enabled workflows
    • Application features built on models

    AI is a tool we use where it fits. We will tell you when a plain rule or a database query does the job better.

The layers of a system we build, top to bottom
  1. Clients
    • Web app
    • Mobile app
    • Internal tools
  2. API
    • Authentication
    • Authorisation
    • Validation
    • Rate limits
  3. Services
    • Business logic
    • Background jobs
    • Integrations
    • AI features
  4. Data
    • Databases
    • Queues
    • File storage
    • Backups
  5. Operations
    • Deployment
    • Monitoring
    • Logging
    • Cloud & containers

What we build

Types of system, not a gallery of logos. Ask about something like yours and we'll tell you straight whether it's work we do.

  • SaaS platforms
  • Internal business systems
  • APIs
  • Mobile applications
  • Payment systems
  • Dashboards
  • Automation systems
  • Data processing pipelines
  • Cloud infrastructure
  • Security tooling
  • Technical prototypes
  • Custom integrations
  • Specialised software

Built to be operated

The unglamorous parts are part of the build.

A demo only has to work once. Software a business depends on has to keep working when the database grows, the traffic spikes and the person who wrote it is on holiday.

  • Authentication and authorisation designed in, not added after launch
  • Databases with migrations, and backups you can actually restore from
  • Deployments that can be repeated and rolled back
  • Logging and monitoring, so problems are noticed before customers report them
  • Documentation and a handover, so the system does not depend on one person's memory

How we work

The same stages, scaled to the job.

A QR menu passes through some of these in an afternoon. A custom platform spends weeks in each. Nobody gets a methodology they don't need.

  1. Understand

    Figure out what you actually need, which is not always what was first asked for.

  2. Assess

    Look at what exists: the system, the constraints, the infrastructure, the risks.

  3. Design

    Choose an approach that fits the problem and the budget.

  4. Build / Configure

    Implement, install, configure or engineer it.

  5. Test

    Verify it works. For anything security-sensitive, test how it fails too.

  6. Handover

    Document it and explain it, so it is yours and not a mystery.

  7. Maintain

    Ongoing support or recurring health checks, where they make sense.

Which stages a job typically needs (illustrative: every job is scoped on its own)
Job Understand Assess Design Build / Configure Test Handover Maintain
OS installationYesNoNoYesYesYesNo
QR menuYesNoSometimesYesYesYesSometimes
CCTV installationYesYesYesYesYesYesSometimes
Office networkYesYesYesYesYesYesSometimes
Vibe code reviewYesYesSometimesSometimesYesYesNo
Custom platformYesYesYesYesYesYesYes

Technical range

From the ONT to distributed systems.

The same people configure routers and design APIs. That range is the point: most real problems cross more than one layer, and someone has to see all of them.

  • Software

    • Go
    • TypeScript
    • Python
    • APIs
    • Databases
    • Web applications
    • Mobile
  • Systems

    • Linux
    • Networking
    • Containers
    • Cloud
    • Distributed systems
    • Architecture
  • Infrastructure

    • Deployment
    • DNS
    • Domains
    • Backups
    • Automation
    • Observability
  • Security

    • Application security
    • API security
    • Penetration testing
    • Offensive security
    • Security research
  • Hardware & on-site

    • Networking
    • ONT & router configuration
    • CCTV
    • Computer setup

Contact

Have something to build?

You don't need to know which service you need. Describe what's going on, and working out the rest is our job.

  • IT problems
  • Software ideas
  • Infrastructure
  • Networking
  • Security
  • Consulting
  • System reviews
  • Strange technical problems

contact@skullsolutions.com