As we wrap up 2025, it feels like the perfect moment to pause and reflect on what has been an extraordinary year for RJJ Software. Building on the momentum from 2024, this year has seen us reach new heights across every aspect of our business; from international expansion and prestigious awards to significant milestones in our open source work and podcast production.
Awards and Recognition
This year brought recognition that truly humbled us. We’re proud to have received three significant awards that reflect the breadth of our work and values.
In July, Jamie Taylor was awarded his fourth consecutive Microsoft MVP award, a recognition that speaks to his continued contributions to the .NET community through The Modern .NET Show, OwaspHeaders.Core, and his ongoing engagement with developers worldwide.
September saw us win the Education Award at the West and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce’s Raising The Bar Awards. This award recognised our commitment to nurturing the next generation of technologists through our work with educational institutions and our dedication to knowledge sharing.
Then in November, we were recognised as Best Strategic SME Tech Consultancy 2025 in SME News’ Business Elite Awards. This award celebrates our evolution from traditional software development to strategic technology consulting and fractional CTO services; helping growing companies make better technology decisions without the full-time executive commitment.
Going Global: The UAE Trade Mission
One of the year’s highlights was our participation in the West and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce trade mission to the United Arab Emirates in February. This initiative, following the Chamber’s successful New York City mission, provided an invaluable platform to explore new markets and forge meaningful connections with UAE-based companies.
The experience reinforced our belief that technology consultancy transcends borders. The conversations we had and the relationships we built during the mission have opened doors to international collaboration opportunities that we’re excited to explore further.
Open Source: OwaspHeaders.Core Reaches New Milestones
Our open source security middleware, OwaspHeaders.Core, had a stellar year. We shipped two significant features and reached a major milestone.
In August, we released version 9.8 with comprehensive logging support, bringing enterprise-grade logging capabilities that make it easier than ever to monitor and troubleshoot security header application in ASP.NET Core applications.
October brought version 9.9 with Clear-Site-Data header support, adding fine-grained cache clearing capabilities to the middleware.
We then released version 10.0 with full support for .NET 10, ensuring that developers using the latest framework can continue to benefit from OWASP-recommended security headers with minimal effort.
Perhaps most excitingly, OwaspHeaders.Core surpassed 1.6 million downloads this year. What started as a simple solution to a common problem has grown into a trusted security tool used by thousands of ASP.NET Core applications worldwide. We’ve also published comprehensive documentation and even LLM-friendly documentation to help developers integrate the middleware into their projects.
The Modern .NET Show: Season 8 and Beyond
The Modern .NET Show continued to go from strength to strength in 2025. In September, we launched Season 8, which has focused on themes of compassion and friendliness whilst covering cutting-edge topics including MCP, AI, OpenAPI, and a particularly important CVE that developers needed to know about.
The show exceeded 1.25 million total downloads this year, a testament to the incredible .NET community and the guests who generously share their expertise with our listeners. We also published a case study documenting how we produce and power the podcast, showcasing the custom automations, in-house AI tech stack, and production workflows that we use to deliver polished episodes on a consistent fortnightly schedule.
Client Work: Diverse Industries, Consistent Excellence
2025 saw us work with seven clients across a remarkable variety of industries and time zones. From online gaming to air traffic control, international shipping and logistics to cybersecurity, bespoke retail experiences to enterprise-level hardware metrics and reporting; each engagement brought unique challenges that allowed us to apply our technology-agnostic approach to real-world problems.
We also provided pro-bono advisory services to three additional clients, helping them navigate their technology strategy decisions. This work reflects our belief that good technology advice should be accessible to those who need it most, regardless of their budget constraints.
One particularly satisfying engagement resulted in a case study that demonstrates the value of strategic technology consultation. When a small business faced an unbudgeted £25,000 hardware replacement due to Windows 11 compatibility issues, our systematic investigation discovered that their Intel processors contained firmware-based TPM functionality that was simply disabled by default. Within two hours, we transformed their entire fleet from “obsolete” to “Windows 11 ready” without purchasing any new hardware. It’s a perfect example of how deeper investigation of system capabilities can deliver value far beyond reactive problem-solving.
Thought Leadership: 48 Blog Posts and Counting
Content creation has been a significant focus this year. We published 48 blog posts covering everything from AI implementation strategies and developer experience to security best practices and podcasting guidance.
Some highlights from our blog include:
- Our Continual Professional Development series, featuring deep dives into books like “The Rules of Programming”, “Managing Humans”, “Extreme Ownership”, and “The Infinite Game”
- The Podcaster Questions series, sharing lessons learned from producing The Modern .NET Show
- Technical security content including coverage of CVE-2025-55315 (Funky Chunks), SBOMs, and attestations
- Practical guidance on DORA metrics, engineering dashboards, and framework upgrades
We also published 8 news articles and 2 detailed case studies, ensuring that our website remains a valuable resource for decision makers and lead developers alike.
Community Engagement: Education and Speaking
Our commitment to education took several forms this year. In July, we worked with Greenhead College in Huddersfield during their “Step Into Your Future” week, delivering engaging AI talks and mentorship to first-year students. Seeing young people’s enthusiasm for technology reminded us why we do this work.
In November, Jamie presented a refreshed version of his “Empathy, Sympathy, and Compassion” talk at Umbraco in the City. Drawing from psychology, and philosophy, and his experience in the tech industry, the talk challenges developers to prioritise user needs through compassionate development practices. The Umbraco community’s warmth and friendliness made it the perfect venue to spark conversations about how we can do better as an industry.
ℹ️ Note
Whilst the talk wasn’t recorded, the slide deck is available here.
Jamie also continues to volunteer as a facilitator at Andy’s Man Club, supporting men who have experienced trauma by providing a safe space to share their experiences and connect with others. This vital work remains close to our hearts.
Looking Ahead to 2026
As we close the book on 2025, we’re already excited about what 2026 will bring. The relationships we’ve built, the milestones we’ve achieved, and the lessons we’ve learned have positioned us well for continued growth.
We’re committed to continuing our mission of helping growing companies make better technology decisions. Whether through fractional CTO services, technology due diligence, architecture reviews, or strategic workshops, we’re here to help businesses realise their digital potential.
Thank You
None of this would be possible without the support of our clients, partners, and the wider technology community. To everyone who has listened to The Modern .NET Show, downloaded OwaspHeaders.Core, read our blog posts, or trusted us with their technology challenges: thank you.
Here’s to an even better 2026.
RJJ Software is a UK-based strategic technology consultancy specialising in technology leadership and advisory services. Led by Jamie Taylor, Microsoft MVP for Developer Technologies, we help growing businesses make better technology decisions through fractional CTO services, technology due diligence, and strategic consulting. Get in touch or use the form blow to discuss how we can help your organisation.