We champion Project Haystack!?
Published on 03 Apr 2023 by Emma Eynon
![We champion Project Haystack!?](/coldFeet/OH6rog/article-assets/2023-04-03/images/haystack-champions-thumbnail.webp)
Our background
Fantom Factory is a unique digital company in the thick of the Smart Buildings industry.
We come from a pure IT background and provide 2 main arms of services:
- Full stack software and web development
- eLearning courses especially designed for SkySpark and Project Haystack
We entered the industry as IT providers with a specialist knowledge of Fantom development. It just so happens that the SkySpark data analytics platform is completely written in - (you guessed it) - Fantom!
This means that over the last several years, we have developed an intimate knowledge of SkySpark and various OEM platforms. Through specialist SkySpark development projects we also accumulated an excellent understanding of Project Haystack.
Using Project Haystack
Our Technical Director, Steve Eynon, believes passionately in the power of Project Haystack. So much so, that we have adopted it as part of our software development practices too.
After all, everything comes down to DATA - even programming!
Not only do we use a Project Haystack methodology in everything we produce, but we also advocate it to all the clients we work with too.
Why do we love it so much?
It is a very pure standard with a lot of thought and design behind it. Using any data modelling standard is all well and good but less thought is given to how you can work with your data models once they're constructed.
Project Haystack have dedicated time and effort into accommodating this with dedicated communication protocols so that you can transfer and convert your data once it has been modelled.
The unique way it applies data tagging feels fresh, different, and simple to apply whilst still retaining a rich depth of semantic meaning.
We love how Project Haystack has a collaborative spirit behind it, with public forums and shared information between the community members.
"Project Haystack is an approach to working with, and understanding, data. It does this in a very effective and forward thinking way. Right now it is designed for use in a buildings environment but we feel it could grow to be employed in all kinds of industries - just like software development!" -- Steve Eynon
For us (at Fantom Factory) it offers templates of data structures which save us a great deal of time in software development. Instead, we can spend our efforts on the actual programming bits!
Haystack Essentials
Our understanding of Project Haystack tagging combined with our unique eLearning course offerings is what led the Project Haystack organisation to commission us to produce Haystack Essentials.
All of the syllabus and material was created by Fantom Factory to help anyone new to start their Project Haystack journey - from the very beginning!
Look - we made a video!
Watch our new video to find out "Why we champion Project Haystack"
Let's talk Haystack!
We usually sponsor Project Haystack events and attend them (around the world) wherever we can! This year, we'll be promoting our Haystack Essentials training at the US Haystack Connects event in June 2023. Come and find us if you'll be there too!
We don't bite!
Don't forget - you can always contact us for a video call to find out more too!
Fantom Factory - official trainers of Project Haystack