Code Optimization For Resolving Speed Issues

Companies dealing with huge amounts of data could save money by fine tuning their custom software to increase processing speed, according to a Bermuda-based technology specialist.

Dmitry Mnushkin, President of Treefrog Consulting Ltd said an algorithm review and code optimization can be the most effective means of resolving speed issues.

“Many companies write custom software to solve their various business needs. Often times this software works well for what it was designed to do but changing business requirements strain its capabilities and cause performance degradation.

“Businesses will typically solve this by purchasing faster hardware. Although this is generally guaranteed to boost speed, the level of speed increase is typically limited to two or three times while the associated cost may well run into the hundreds of thousands, and sometimes millions of dollars,” said Mr Mnushkin.

“An algorithm review and code optimization can see improvements of five or ten times the original speed. These improvements can be achieved within a week or two of investigation and critical code rewriting.

“Such improvements can delay the need for new hardware by years, although coupling them with new hardware can double or triple the combined benefit,” added Mr Mnushkin, whose clients include TransRe, CatCo and Weston Insurance.

Mr Mnushkin, who is based at nineteen, 19 Queen Street, Hamilton, is part of a team of five optimization experts, including computer engineers and PhDs in algorithm optimization, that will conduct a ‘deep dive’ into problem areas and he is so confident of success that clients will not be asked to pay anything unless speed is doubled.

“There is a temptation to believe that calling in our optimisation team is an admission that internal developers are not up to snuff. This cannot be further from the truth,” he said.

“Computer science is a broad and deep field with many areas of potential specialisation. To use a medical analogy, although your general practitioner serves 95 percent of your needs, it’s the knee specialist you go to when there’s a knee problem.”

The team would also sign binding non-disclosure agreements, guaranteeing the safety of a client’s intellectual property.

Mr Mnushkin added: “We understand that sharing core algorithms with a third party is a trust issue. We guard our client’s IP rigorously, signing any NDA’s required to satisfy security requirements and always working with client code exclusively on client-supplied machines.

“The approach we employ can be used for any company that handles large amounts of data, from reinsurance companies to trading companies and it could save a small fortune.”

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