Windows Expert Needed for Contract Project

I am aware that there is an operating system called “Windows” by some company called “Microsoft”. A lot of people seem to like it, apparently, and since it supports Java it is possible to run that most amazing network management application platform, OpenNMS, on the beast.

In fact, a large number of people hitting the OpenNMS project website do so while searching with the term Windows.

The problem is that while OpenNMS runs on Windows, we don’t have any in-house windows expertise and our implementation could use some improvement.

Specifically:

1) Currently OpenNMS is started via a bat file and thus the window must remain open for OpenNMS to run. We’d love to have this run as a service by default.

2) Upgrades are truly painful. With Linux we have packaging systems that can remove old files, add new ones and keep track of configuration files. I assume this is possible with this Windows thing.

3) While OpenNMS is written mainly in Java, there is a small part that is in C. We have packaged up at least one DLL to handle the C portion of the application but occasionally, and for reasons that border on the truly random, users have problems executing it. We’d love to have that fixed.

I get to associate on a daily basis with experts in Linux and open source software, and I’m looking for someone of similar caliber in the Windows space. Someone for whom navigating the eccentricities of that operating system come as second nature, and someone who can improve our Windows installer and packaging to make it truly easy to install and maintain.

Of course I don’t expect this person to do this out of the goodness of their own heart. There is money involved – honest to goodness, folding money. I want to contract this particular task as a fixed price project, although I am hoping to literally be overcome with sweat at the abilities of the person we hire for this, and I hope it is the start of a long and fruitful relationship.

So, got what it takes? If not, know someone who’s got what it takes?

If so, let me know, and thanks in advance.