Alastair Brown
Director, Senior Software Engineer
About New Media Aid
I’m Alastair Brown, a senior software engineer with over 25 years’ experience building bespoke software for SMEs — secure web applications, Android field apps, integrations and long-lived business systems that support real operational workflows.
New Media Aid was founded in 2000. Since then I’ve delivered everything from greenfield builds to complex legacy modernisation — typically for organisations that have outgrown SaaS tools, spreadsheets and manual workarounds, and need a system that fits their business exactly.
Senior-led delivery (without the “agency overhead”)
Many agencies sell a senior developer in the pitch, then deliver via juniors. I work hands-on. Modern AI-assisted tools help accelerate the mechanical work (scaffolding, tests, refactoring), while senior engineering ensures architecture, performance and security are designed correctly from day one.
What happens if you’re unavailable long-term?
All systems I build use standard .NET, SQL Server and widely adopted technologies. Clients retain full ownership of source code and data. Solutions are designed to be portable and maintainable — no proprietary platforms or licence lock-in.
Projects are structured and documented so another experienced developer can take over if ever needed. In practice, you’re never dependent on a single person — while still benefiting from working directly with one.
My background
I studied Computer Science at university in the 1990s and began my career at Fujitsu, a global provider of large-scale enterprise systems (and no — I didn’t work on the Post Office IT system!). I then moved into a startup environment and later worked at Virgin (Leicester Square HQ), helping build one of their early online flight booking systems.
These roles gave me a grounding in complex workflows, performance-critical software, and the realities of production systems — the kind of experience that matters when your software runs day-to-day operations.
Where bespoke beats SaaS
If requirements are straightforward and you don’t need integrations, a SaaS platform can be the right choice. I’ll happily say so. The real problems start when a business has:
- industry-specific workflows and approvals
- compliance-heavy processes and audit needs
- legacy systems that must remain running while you modernise
- multiple SaaS tools stitched together with exports and spreadsheets
- a need for practical automation (including AI) without added risk
That’s where I add value — designing and building joined-up systems that fit your operation exactly, reduce admin time, improve reporting and keep data consistent.
What I typically deliver
- Bespoke web apps in ASP.NET Core (7/8/9) and Razor Pages
- Android field apps for inspections, job updates, data capture and offline workflows
- SQL Server design & performance tuning (schema, indexing, query optimisation)
- Legacy modernisation (WebForms/.NET 4.x to modern .NET patterns)
- Secure APIs & integrations (identity, messaging, payments, third-party systems)
- Practical AI integration where it genuinely reduces effort or improves decisions
I take on a deliberately limited number of projects at a time so I can stay closely involved in the day-to-day technical decisions. Where needed (UX, infrastructure, specialist testing), I collaborate with a small, trusted network — but you still deal with me directly.
If you need more than a template…
Whether you’re planning a new system, replacing SaaS workarounds, rescuing a legacy app, or exploring safe automation and AI — I can help you design and deliver a stable, fast, future-proof solution tailored to your business.