We build, connect, deploy and support the technology behind HSJ-managed projects.
Our work spans software development, web platforms, third-party integrations, infrastructure and technical support. Some projects start with a new build. Others start with an existing platform, a difficult integration or a problem that needs to be understood before it can be fixed.
Build technology that works, can be maintained and makes sense for the environment around it.
A new build, an existing platform and a production issue all look different from the outside. The job is the same: understand the environment, choose an approach that can be supported, and leave the system in a state another engineer can follow.
That is why we do not treat launch as the finish line, and why we would rather improve what is already there than replace it for the sake of a clean repository. The work has to survive contact with real users, real integrations and real change.
Software, integrations, infrastructure and engineering support are how that focus is organised.
Our team builds and maintains web applications, custom functionality, content management systems and internal tools across HSJ-managed projects.
That can involve developing something new, extending an existing platform or working within a system that has already been in production for years.
We work across established platforms such as Silverstripe and WordPress alongside custom PHP development and other technologies where the project requires it.
We don’t believe every problem needs a completely custom solution. Where an established platform does the job well, we’ll use it. Where something needs to be developed specifically for the project, we’ll build it. And where an existing system can be improved rather than replaced, we’ll work with what’s already there.
The goal isn’t to write more code. It’s to build the right solution.
What this includes
They connect to payment providers, booking systems, CRMs, email platforms, business applications, analytics tools and other third-party services.
Making those systems work together is a significant part of what we do. Our team develops and maintains integrations using APIs, webhooks and other methods of exchanging information between platforms.
Connecting two systems is only the beginning. We also need to understand what happens when something fails, which platform owns the data, how transactions can be traced, what gets logged and how an integration will be supported when one of the platforms inevitably changes.
A good integration shouldn’t just work when everything goes right. It should also give us enough information to understand what happened when something goes wrong.
What this includes
The environment underneath them affects performance, reliability, security and how easily changes can be deployed.
Our team works across the infrastructure supporting HSJ-managed applications and websites, connecting development with the environments where that technology ultimately runs.
That includes development and staging environments, deployment processes, Linux-based infrastructure, cloud services, DNS, caching, monitoring and application performance.
It also means considering infrastructure during development rather than treating hosting as something that gets thought about once the build is finished.
Because we work closely with HSJ Host, our developers have visibility across both the application and the environment supporting it. When something isn’t behaving as expected, we’re able to look beyond the code and consider the wider technical environment.
What this includes
Sometimes an issue needs someone to inspect the application, follow the data, review an integration or understand exactly what the code is doing.
That’s where development-level support comes in. Our team provides technical escalation across HSJ-managed projects when an issue requires deeper investigation.
That might involve tracking down an intermittent bug, investigating why two systems aren’t communicating correctly, reviewing unexpected application behaviour, resolving a deployment problem or maintaining functionality that has been operating for years.
Because we work across both new and existing projects, support also feeds back into development. Problems found in production help us identify where systems can be improved, simplified or made more resilient.
What this includes
Writing code is rarely the first step. The work has to still make sense after launch, after the next change, and after someone else has to pick it up.
We start by understanding what needs to happen, what already exists and what other systems or people will be affected by the change.
Sometimes the original request is exactly what needs to be built. Sometimes understanding the problem reveals a considerably simpler solution. We’d rather work that out before development starts.
Technology changes. Businesses change. Requirements definitely change. We try to avoid building systems that only make sense for the requirement that exists today.
That means thinking about maintainability, integrations, deployment, documentation and future changes while something is being developed rather than treating them as problems for later. We aren’t interested in creating unnecessary complexity. The simpler solution is often the better one.
Development and production should not be the same environment. Where appropriate, changes move through development and staging so functionality can be reviewed and tested before reaching the people who rely on it.
The exact process changes depending on the project. The principle doesn’t. Changes should be understood before they reach production.
Starting again is easy to recommend. It’s not always the right answer. Many of the systems we work with have been operating for years and contain functionality, integrations and business processes that can’t simply be replaced overnight.
Sometimes that means improving something incrementally. Sometimes a component needs replacing. And sometimes the existing platform has reached the point where rebuilding makes more sense. The decision should be based on the system and the business, not a preference for starting with a blank repository.
Our typical process looks something like this.
Our stack changes depending on the requirements of each project.
Across our development and technical environments, the team works with platforms and technologies including Silverstripe, WordPress, PHP, JavaScript, Linux, cPanel, Cloudflare, Stripe, Microsoft services, REST APIs, databases and cloud infrastructure.
We also regularly work with third-party platforms outside our standard environment where a project requires an integration or existing system to be maintained.
Technology is a toolkit. Knowing which tool to use, and when not to introduce another one, is the more important part.
Getting something into production isn’t the finish line.
Websites, applications and integrations need updates. Third-party platforms change. Business requirements evolve. Problems appear that nobody could reasonably reproduce during development.
Our team remains involved across the lifecycle of the technology we work with. That continuity gives us context when something needs to change and means the knowledge developed during a project doesn’t necessarily disappear when the initial build is complete.
It also connects development with the broader hosting and support capability available through HSJ Host.
HSJ Dev operates primarily behind the scenes as the development and technical capability supporting HSJ Host and HSJ-managed projects.
HSJ Host remains the primary customer-facing business for websites, hosting, domains, VPS and ongoing customer support.
Our developers may work directly with clients, designers, agencies and other technical teams where a project requires it, but broader customer relationships and commercial services are generally managed through HSJ Host.
That gives clients a clear point of contact while allowing our technical team to focus on building and supporting the technology behind their projects.
Website development, hosting and technical support live on HSJ Host.
Our engineering team works behind those services. HSJ Host keeps the relationship in one place.