New software, a system that has been running for years, or AI for work your team still does by hand: at Lobster Development one team is responsible for all of it, from the application to the server.
Software development
We build custom software with Java, Node.js and PHP, and we build it so that it can be maintained for years, by us or by another team.
More on software developmentWhat we do
- This covers backends and web applications, integrations between your systems, and websites on a CMS.
- Tests in the CI/CD pipeline, documentation and runbooks are part of it from the first deployment.
For example
Online portal for company data. A new frontend and a data pipeline that merges company data from several sources.
AI & automation
We use AI for tasks your team repeats every week: translating content, questions that keep coming up, support, or reports from your data.
More on AI and automationWhat we do
- We measure how long the task takes today, and again afterwards. If the new way saves no time, we take it out again.
- Nothing goes live until a person has approved it.
- Often a script or an integration is enough, without any AI. Then that is what we build.
For example
Website platform of a European hosting group. The AI translates all CMS content into the configured languages, with a glossary and tone of voice rules, and creates new pages from an instruction. An editor approves each language.
Lobster Legacy Care
From code to kernel.
We take over your legacy system as a whole, from the application down to the server. The same team looks after the code and the server, and the response times are in the contract.
More on Lobster Legacy CareWhat we do
- We install patches in agreed maintenance windows. If something breaks, an engineer is working on it within the agreed response time.
- We recommend starting with a Legacy Check. It costs a fixed EUR 3,900, and you have the report after ten days.
For example
Tracking platform of an online service. We run and maintain the platform, and we migrated it while it was running.
More services
- Linux operationsWe run and monitor your servers on Ubuntu, Debian or AlmaLinux and install updates in agreed windows. We also test that the backups can be restored.
- Software takeoverYour developer is gone or the agency stopped answering. We take the software over, and after 30 days it is documented and monitored.
- ModernisationWe plan upgrades and migrations as single changes, and each one has a way back.
- Cloud & hostingHosting on our own platform in the EU, with backups we test by restoring them.
- Technical SEO & monitoringWe check whether search engines index your whole website and how fast it loads, and we monitor uptime and Search Console.
Frequently asked questions
How does working together start?
For new software, with a meeting. We work out what the software should do and who will use it. We also look at the systems it has to talk to. For an existing system we start with the Legacy Check. It costs EUR 3,900, and the report is with you after ten days.
Legacy CheckWhat does a project cost?
We split every project into packages. Each package has a fixed price, and the assumptions behind it are written into the quote. For maintenance and operations you pay a fixed monthly amount, from EUR 790 on the Basic service level and from EUR 1,690 on Business.
Service levelsWhich technologies do you work with?
We build in Java, Node.js and PHP, for example with NestJS, Next.js, Laravel or Symfony, and we build websites on Payload CMS or WordPress. The data sits in PostgreSQL, MySQL/MariaDB or MongoDB, and the servers run Ubuntu, Debian or AlmaLinux. We do not do Windows Server, .NET Framework or desktop software.
Software developmentDo you also take over software someone else built?
Yes. The takeover takes 30 days. In that time we take over access and inventory and set up monitoring. We also write the runbooks and a report on the risks. Then the service level starts.
Software takeoverDo you also work inside our own team?
Yes. If you like, we work in your GitLab, and our merge requests go through your review just like your own team's.
Where do our systems and data run?
On our own platform in the EU or on your own servers. We look after both, from the application down to the operating system.
Cloud & hostingWhich data goes to an AI model?
Only the data you have agreed to. We choose the model and the provider together with you before we start. If the data should not go to any provider, we run the model locally. A person looks at whatever a model produces before anyone works with it.
AI & automationHow quickly do you respond to an incident?
That depends on the service level. For a P1 incident an engineer starts working on it within 4 hours on Basic and within 1 hour on Business, in each case within service hours. On 24/7 Critical we respond at night and at weekends too.
Service levelsWhere to start
To start, a short message is enough: what you want to build, or which system you run. We come back with a proposal. For an existing system that is often the Legacy Check at a fixed EUR 3,900, with the report after ten days. A short meeting at our office in Graz works too.