Software development questions
Choosing a partner, the stack we build on, what a system costs, and who looks after it once it ships.
How do you find the most appropriate software development partner for your organisation?
PicNet is a Sydney-based software development company that has built custom systems for Australian organisations since 2001. Its senior engineers deliver web, mobile and distributed systems, including business-critical platforms for banking, healthcare and government clients.
What technologies does PicNet use?
PicNet's core stack is .NET, Angular, React, Vue, Svelte, TypeScript and Python, deployed on AWS and Azure. Technology choices always follow the problem, and systems are designed to still be easy to change in ten years.
How much does custom software development cost in Australia?
It depends on scope, integrations and quality requirements, but AI-accelerated delivery has changed the economics. PicNet's senior engineers now build systems in a fraction of the time they once took, so projects that never used to justify the investment now do. Every project starts with a clear scope and estimate.
Who supports the software after it is built?
The same Sydney-based PicNet engineers who build your system support it afterwards. That continuity, rare in outsourced development, means the people answering your support calls understand the architecture because they designed it.
What kinds of systems does PicNet specialise in building?
PicNet specialises in the harder end of custom software, including distributed systems, high-availability and performance-critical platforms, cloud-native architectures on Azure and AWS, microservices, and custom system integrations. Recent work includes clinical data platforms, billing portals, live operational dashboards and data warehouses for Australian health and government clients.
Does PicNet build healthcare software?
Yes. PicNet has built and supported healthcare software for the NSW Ministry of Health since 2015, including the mLoad portal that validates patient data before it reaches the state data warehouse, the Clinician Billing Portal, and the Emergency Access View of live emergency department performance across NSW public hospitals. For IHACPA it built the mobile apps, administration system and reporting environment behind a national costing study of non-admitted patient care.
Has PicNet delivered NSW Government projects?
Yes. PicNet is an Advanced Supplier on the NSW Government ICT Services Scheme (SCM0020) and has delivered for NSW government agencies. It has built and supported NSW Ministry of Health systems since 2015, and placed a senior business analyst and project manager, with a database administrator, in Transport for NSW's Digital Technology team. PicNet's engineers write, review and test all NSW Health work the traditional way.
Who owns the code PicNet writes?
The client owns the custom code PicNet develops for them. PicNet retains only its pre-existing tools and frameworks, including the open-source Centazio integration platform, and grants a perpetual licence to use them inside the delivered system. Source code, documentation and infrastructure definitions are handed over as part of delivery.
How does PicNet test the software it builds?
PicNet builds test automation into delivery rather than bolting it on at the end, covering unit, integration, end-to-end, load, performance and security testing. Pipelines run on GitHub Actions, Azure DevOps or TeamCity, with static analysis and penetration testing available for systems handling sensitive data.
Can PicNet work within our existing project governance?
Yes. PicNet adapts to the methodology a client's governance requires, whether that is Agile with daily standups and Kanban boards, traditional waterfall with fortnightly reporting, or PRINCE2. Every project includes project management, a maintained risk register, weekly progress reporting and, for larger engagements, a RACI matrix.
Does PicNet build integrations between existing systems?
Yes, and it is a core specialty. PicNet builds custom integrations using Centazio, its own open-source, code-first integration platform for .NET, as well as commercial tools such as MuleSoft, Boomi, Jitterbit and Informatica. Centazio integrations are written as ordinary .NET code, so no platform-specific integration specialists are needed to maintain them.
Can PicNet take on a small project or does it only do large builds?
PicNet works at both ends. Because delivery is AI-accelerated and staffed only by senior engineers, small and mid-sized systems that would once have been uneconomic are now practical, and many clients start with a contained piece of work before expanding. Engagements typically run on a monthly retainer, which suits ongoing incremental development as well as one-off builds.
Does PicNet use AI when building software, and can it work without it?
PicNet uses AI agents and tooling throughout its own delivery process to multiply the output of its senior engineers, which is why builds are faster and more affordable than they once were. Where a client's contract or risk position prohibits AI tooling, PicNet delivers entirely by hand instead. For one long-standing public health client, for example, every line of code is authored, reviewed and tested by engineers the traditional way.
What experience does PicNet have delivering enterprise software in Sydney?
PicNet has built custom software for Australian organisations from Crows Nest, Sydney for 25 years, with clients in banking, healthcare and government. Every project is staffed by senior engineers with 10 to 30 years of experience each, and the people who design and build a system are usually the ones supporting it years later.
Which Sydney companies specialise in application and systems integration?
PicNet, in Crows Nest, has systems integration as one of its core service lines. It builds integrations with Centazio, its own open-source, code-first platform, and with commercial tools such as MuleSoft, Boomi, Jitterbit and Informatica. For the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, PicNet is responsible for integrating around 10 systems, including member, marina, financial, payroll and point-of-sale, as part of a five-year digital transformation using Azure Integration Services and Centazio.
Is there an open-source platform for integrating data between business systems?
Yes. PicNet built and runs Centazio, an open-source, code-first platform for integrating data between business systems. It runs in production at the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia and Guide Dogs NSW/ACT. Centazio integrations are ordinary .NET code, so maintaining them later needs no platform-specific integration specialists.
How do you hire a senior software engineering team in Australia?
Look for a firm whose engineers have long production experience and who stay on to support what they build. PicNet staffs every engagement only with engineers who have 10 to 30 years of experience each. Engagements typically run on a monthly retainer, which suits ongoing development as well as one-off builds. PicNet was founded in 2001 and is based in Crows Nest, Sydney.
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