"You can fire up a machine pretty fast compared to other solutions we tried, where you have a lot more knobs to turn and buttons to change to configure the system."
Aaltra is a software company in Melle, Belgium, specializing in IoT user experience design and primarily develops mobile apps for iOS using Flutter and back-end systems using the .NET framework.
Aaltra must cater to iOS demands and perform back-end development tasks.
To support their developers with these demands, Aaltra provides their team of developers with Mac Pro machines equipped with Parallels Desktop Pro Edition.
The powerful combination of Parallels Desktop Pro software and Mac Pro hardware provides cross-platform capabilities.
It enables developers to quickly and easily switch between projects while eliminating the need for separate Windows machines.
The ChallengeEnable full-scale cross-platform development
About half of the development team, specifically those working on back-end development, require a Windows environment for some applications and tasks, such as Visual Studio for .NET development and maintenance of legacy projects.
They also wanted to be able to run SQL Server on M Chip Macs.
The SolutionThe best of both worlds: Mac and Windows development environments on a single machine
Aaltra opted for the Pro edition of Parallels Desktop for Mac to fully utilize its developer-focused tools like Visual Studio.
They could use their M chip Macs to run SQL Server on Linux inside Docker on Mac and then use Rosetta to run it in Intel mode.
They leverage the exceptional versatility of Parallels Desktop to run legacy Windows-only software like their building management software.
Aaltra CEO Pieter-Paulus Vertongen finds Parallels Desktop extremely helpful for onboarding new members and veterans.
"If you have a new employee that doesn't know their way around a Mac, you don't have to explain anything to them; they just go to the website, download it, there's an easy wizard to install Parallels and the operating system.”
Parallels Desktop's intuitive nature is particularly valued by Aaltra leadership.
Its user-friendliness and ease allow new developers to swiftly set up a virtual machine, install Windows, and begin development work with minimal intervention.
The shared folder functionality facilitates easy file transfer and access between Mac and Windows environments, contributing to smoother workflows for tasks like trace analysis.
Aaltra Digital Architect and senior technical lead Wouter Demuynck shares his thoughts, saying, "[my team] also really likes its simplicity.”
He explained how “we can do the technical things, but we don't want to be bothered by spending time doing that when we just need a machine to develop on."
The ResultsStable, optimal performance, enhanced security, and cost savings
Aaltra enjoys many benefits from utilizing Parallels Desktop in its development process, like the stability of using Windows applications on a Mac.
Developers spend less time managing their devices, as they are more stable, have a longer lifespan, and require fewer installations than Windows machines.
Of course, this also lowers overhead — the company still has systems from 2019 functioning well, ultimately reducing costs.
The smooth switching and the native look and feel are essential for addressing hotfixes and working on projects that heavily depend on the .NET framework and require a Windows environment.
“It’s very easy to switch projects. Within five minutes, the developer [can] start investigating the issue. There’s a clear efficiency gain there as well,” the Aaltra leadership reports.
Pieter-Paulus and Wouter both praised Parallels Desktop's performance (especially on the Apple M1 chip Macs) as a deciding factor in their choice.
The superior speed and performance compared to the alternatives were crucial for their organization.
Finally, the enhanced security of the isolation capabilities of Parallels Desktop allows developers to contain potential risks and maintain a secure Mac environment.
It’s particularly valuable when working with sensitive customer data or accessing external networks via VPN.
Some of the benefits experienced:
- Effortless onboarding: New users can immediately start cross-platform development tasks on their Mac Pros equipped with Parallels Desktop; no lengthy set-up is required.
- Speed and simplicity: The Aaltra developer teams appreciate how quickly and efficiently they can start working with a high-performance solution.
- Enhanced security: Developers can easily set up and maintain individual secure environments when working with sensitive customer data.
"They say, OK, I want Windows [on my Mac Pro]. We give them the license key; you don't have to do anything else; they are up and running."
