Atheron Network Labs is based in Kelowna, British Columbia. We build software for clients in the Okanagan, across Canada, in the United States and worldwide. This article is for the first group: businesses in the valley that want software built and would rather deal with someone nearby.
What we build
We are the software studio of Atheron Network Inc. The work falls into four areas.
- Custom web and mobile apps. A customer portal, a booking tool, a staff app, a public site that does more than show a phone number.
- AI and automation. Taking a task your team repeats by hand and making a machine do the dull part.
- Blockchain and Web3. For businesses that need it, built by people who have done it.
- APIs, integrations and compliance software. Making the systems you already pay for talk to each other, and meeting the rules you have to meet.
We work in five languages, so a business that serves customers in more than one language does not need a second supplier for that.
Why local matters, and why it sometimes does not
Being in Kelowna means we can meet you in person. You can show us the room where the problem happens, the spreadsheet that holds the business together, the counter where staff type the same thing twice. Seeing the work beats reading a description of it. Early conversations go faster, and fewer things get lost.
It also means we are in your time zone and reachable during your working day.
We should be plain about the limit. Good software does not need to be built in the same postal code. Much of our work is done online, and we meet online whenever that suits you better. If you are in Penticton or Vernon and would rather not drive, a video call works. If you want to come to Kelowna for the kickoff and do the rest remotely, that works too. Local is a convenience we offer, not a condition.
How a project starts
Most projects begin with a conversation about what you are trying to change. We ask what the task is today, who does it, where it goes wrong and what it costs you when it does. From that we write down a scope: what the software will do, what it will not do, and what has to be true for it to work.
You can get a first price range before you ever talk to us. Our estimator gives a range in minutes from our current rate card. It shows the build cost, the monthly costs, effort by role, the number of weeks and every assumption behind the figures. We do not print prices in articles because rates change, and the estimator always shows the current ones.
Three ways to work
We offer three arrangements, and you pick the one that fits the job.
- A fixed price for a defined scope. You know the cost before we start. This suits a project with a clear end.
- A team by the month. You get people working on your product for as long as you need them. This suits a product that keeps growing.
- A monthly block of hours with a promised response time. This suits a business that has software in production and wants someone to call when it needs changing or fixing.
Each has a trade-off. A fixed price needs a scope that stays fixed, so if you expect to change your mind often, a monthly team is more honest. A block of hours is the cheapest way to keep a system healthy, but it is not the way to build a new one.
What to bring to a first meeting
You do not need a specification. Bring the problem as you see it. Useful things to have on hand:
- The tools you use now, even if that is paper and a whiteboard.
- The person who does the task today, or at least their account of it.
- Any rules you have to follow, such as privacy or industry compliance.
- A sense of what a good result would look like in a year.
From there we can tell you whether software is the right answer. Sometimes it is not, and we will say so.
Open now
We are open for projects. If you run a business in Kelowna or anywhere in the Okanagan and want to talk about software, start with the estimator to see a range, then get in touch through aton-network.org. We will meet you wherever is easiest, including across the table.
