Solution Designer And Architect
Midwest
This was the most exciting and innovative time in my career.I had the opportunity to work with an incredible un-IBM team of misfits and visionaries in the mid 90s that ditched the traditional suits, dove into new technology, and created new business solutions by working closely with customers and understanding their business processes. One of the most exciting project was the Nationwide Insurance 'office of the future', which we did with the Hawthorne/Yorktown IBM research division (home of IBM Watson). I also created scripted presentations based my personal client-server prototypes and shared this with the global IBM client-server practice. I developed 20+ visioning prototypes that actually worked against mainframes, midrange, DBs, image systems, fax, and multimedia components.Most memorable Day #1: Presenting my prototypes in Brussels at the IBM ERP conference and being voted top presenter. Also, hearing myself translated into multiple languages while I was presenting and feeling my brain split into three thought processes: presenting, watching the audience, and listening to the translations.Most memorable Day #2: Developing a complex client server call center prototype for Huntington Banks that integrated ERP, Imaging, Fax, Telephony, and Database. I took an all-nighter to complete the final prototype and included coding blind while the mainframe was down from 3-6am. I finished as my final build as coworker was doing the kickoff to the audience, and the live demo was great!Most memorable day #3:Leading development of a C++ call center app for Ford Primus to increase lease renewal, and waking up every 30 minutes at night to the beep when the compile finished. We demoed a live call to a VP, who heard the customer go from hating the dealer to agreeing to come back to another Ford dealer to test drive a new vehicle.