If you are a Flex or Flash developer, maybe I don't have to explain who they are. Maybe you are even using one of their tools: FDT, the most advanced ActionScript IDE out there.

The Powerflasher GmbH is located in Aachen, Germany. Since 1997 they develop online and offline multimedia applications like RIAs, games or WBTs. The team of 30 specialists, primarily focussing on the Flash Platform, provides services for creative and technologically innovative content.

But what is the link between Spicefactory and Powerflasher?

History

As you might already have noticed while browsing this site, Spicefactory is basically just me, Jens Halm, an independent consultant based in Cologne, Germany. Since 2004 I was continually involved in several Powerflasher projects as a contractor. Not only is it fun to work with them, but even more importantly they happen to do a lot of those kind of large and complex applications, that really drive the necessity to stop reinventing the wheel with every new project and look for useful and robust frameworks to build upon. In early 2004 I started with the development of Parsley, and in spring 2007 Cinnamon followed. So some modules of these frameworks have been used in production environments for more than three years. And while I was the creator and lead developer for these frameworks, they had a nice viral effect inside Powerflasher, with an increasing number of their developers using them as an architectural basis for their applications. So when I decided to take the next step and release these frameworks as Open Source, they already had built a lot of experience from real world projects around them to step in and offer to act as a partner for the releases.

Cooperation on Open Source

Firstly Powerflasher provides part of the required infrastructure, hosting the Subversion source repository and Jira issue tracker for all Spicefactory projects. Furthermore, complementing my own consulting offerings, they will offer services around these frameworks, ranging from training courses for Spicefactory frameworks and Flex/Flash development in general to consulting services.

If you want to know more about these services you can contact me here or visit the Powerflasher website.