KEN ROCKSON

 

Telephone: (425) 277-8200

E-mail: ken@rockson.com

 

This document may be viewed at www.rockson.com/resume.html

 

Computer Programmer, Systems Analyst, Consultant, Software Developer with 22 years experience!

 

Languages: Visual BASIC, QICware Clipper, dBASE, DataFlex 2.3 & 3.xx, PowerFlex, Ingres, Fox, Access, C, AccPac, HTML, CGI, Perl, Pascal, COBOL, and FORTRAN.

 

Systems: Windows, UNIX, Qantel, MS-DOS, CP/M, Symbol, Percon, TEC, Microcom, Psion and Zebra.

 

 

 

RESUME

 

 

2000 to 2002: Airshow Inc.

 

                Airshow produces switches, monitors, entertainment systems and touch-screen controls for private and commercial jets. Contracting through TEKsystems as a Programmer/Analyst working predominately in Visual Basic I have re-written their touch-screen software and helped redesign the hardware including picture-in-picture video displays and serial I/O routines.  I designed and wrote a tool to create touch-screen panels featuring drag-and-drop, rubber band, computer-generated custom controls, a text object system to describe control function, recoloring and shading routines and much more.  Wrote Agile tools using the Agile SDK to extract files and generate web pages and PDF files.  Wrote 2D layout tool that generated 3D SolidWorks models via the SolidWorks API.  Wrote scheduling program that takes an Excel spreadsheet and turns it into a shared networked database application including user-configurable searches, views and reports.

 

 

1998 to 2000: Sage Systems

 

                Sage Systems manages time share condominiums, plans, resorts, etc. They also create customized software for resort developers and maintain dial-in and network access to their computers. Since the summer of 1998, I’ve been their Senior Programmer/Systems Analyst working on year 2000 issues, designing and implementing systems interfaces, some systems administration including Perl routines, doing data conversions and assisting the other programmers. This task has also involved technical support on-site and via computer and telephone.

 

 

1990 to Present: Contract Programming & Consulting

 

                Through my companies, Animation Station and Custom Computer Software, I have been developing and writing the accounting, human relations, voicemail, automatic identification (barcode, etc.) and database applications for such diverse companies as IBM, Northern Telecom, Reliance Electric, Beck Electric (Noma), Coja Leatherline/C-Style International, Hillcrest Hospital, Air Canada, Colonial Cookies, Butler Metal Products, Hypergrowth International, Huparallations International, Richardson Greenshields, Seneca College, Watts Communications, Canadian Tire, Universal Telecommunications, Bank Brothers, Thompson Lightstone and Automated Identification Systems.

 

Some of my projects while contracting: 

   

    ·  A/R Package. The Invoice Machine is available in stores in Canada and the United States. Does

        hourly billing, invoices, accounts, statements, etc. The Food Processor is a similar product for the

        restaurant industry with a slant toward take-out and delivery.

    ·  Human Resource. Huparallations Silent Partner ¾ used worldwide by several large companies and

        taught at Seneca College as part of their Huparallations course.  This software supports Human

        Parallel Communication (Huparallations), developed by Tom Davis of The Davis Group.  It

        coordinates the evaluation process for employees, managers and supervisors. While there, I trained

        the sales and office staff in installation and basic troubleshooting techniques for DOS and Windows

        and provided high-level technical support.

    ·  Fulfillment Software.  Wrote software in Visual BASIC which used SQL to query a shared Access

        database to generate reader-response-type forms on high-speed Lexmark production laser printers. 

        Responses would be entered with redundant checks via a graphical interface.  Requested brochures

        would be custom printed, separated and sorted for mailing in batches.

    ·  Process Control. Inventory Machine ¾ manufacturing inventory, order entry and production

        control software which works with AccPac accounting software and EDS ASSET (EDI software).

        Installation of this software typically involves extensive consulting with upper and middle

        management  during the setup phase, training of staff at all levels, and technical support on the wide

        variety of components involved.

    ·  Voicemail software. Rhet Butler ¾ used by over 20,000 people daily for long distance "gateway"

        service. Program written in C for multi-user Centrex access via Rhetorex voicemail cards.

    ·  Northern Telecom Product Label Printing System ¾ a complex Windows-based database which

        directly drives networked Zebra thermal transfer printers and features FTP TCP/IP access.

    ·  Air Canada Job Control System, dynamically organizes initiatives.

    ·  Hillcrest Hospital Admissions Program.

    ·  Space Wumpus for Major BBS and Tanks A Lot for Major BBS World Group are multi-user,

        multi-player shoot-em-ups.

 

 

1980 to 1990: Freelance Programming & Consulting

 

Types of clients and contracts taken on:

 

                ·  Jerrod Medical Systems and CTM/Databyte ¾ medical software including OHIP rate tables,

                    automatic data submission, billing and full accounting.

                ·  Hypergrowth International ¾ writing AccPac modules, general consulting, database and

                    interface programming.

                ·  Softcom Systems ¾ writing multi-user point of purchase software, writing multi-user contact

                    management and sales software for a major computer distributor, evaluating computer

                    products, technical support.

 

 

1987 to 1990: Softcom Marketing

 

                Sales, technical support and database programming for a software distributor. Some of the

product lines supported were Ashton-Tate (dBASE), Epyx, Infocom, Electronic Arts, Computer

Associates (AccPac), SuperCalc.

 

 

1983 to 1987: The Software Shop

 

                ·  Advanced from Service Manager to Sales Manager, managing a 24-person sales team in

                    Canada's largest Atari dealership.

                ·  Wrote point of sale system, including automated purchase orders, for a 16-user Televideo

                    CP/M network. 

                ·  Wrote computer animations which ran on monitors mounted around store. There were some                          character animations, but most were fractals and similar mathematics-based animations.

                ·  Designed and built Colecovision Challenge booth at CNE. People would play Mattel, Atari and                                    Coleco video games then press one of three buttons for their favourite. Votes were instantly                                     tabulated and transmitted to moving LED display.

 

 

 

1982 to 1983: Hollywood Marketing

 

                ·  Was Atari computer and video game systems service technician.

                ·  Helped form the Toronto Atari Federation, a large Atari users group.

                ·  Some sales work.

 

 

1981 to 1982: The Letterbox

 

                ·  Apprentice typesetter working on several books and magazines including The Financial Post,

                    The Easter Seal Society's Horizons magazine, Rehab Digest and Business Yellow Pages. 

                ·  Wrote program to drive Addressograph-Multigraph typesetting equipment from CP/M

                    database to produce "yellow pages" style telephone books.

 

 

1980 to 1992: The Animation Station BBS

 

                The Animation Station BBS was a hobby bulletin board system which was up almost non-stop for twelve years. While communications is my specialty, I learned a lot by writing and running it. The system featured on-line graphics, games, and help. Here’s some of what I did:

 

                ·  Wrote (most from scratch) and operated several bulletin board systems including four on the

                    Atari 800 in BASIC and 6502 Assembly Language, three multi-user boards on a Televideo

                    network in C and Z80 Assembly Language, three (two multi-user) on the Atari ST in MCL

                    and on FoReM, and two for the IBM-PC in Clipper and C.

                ·  Most of these bulletin board programs featured a downwardly-compatible scripting language.

                    This allowed me to change languages and even hardware platforms while keeping the look and

                    feel virtually identical for the existing users (similar to what JAVA and HTML do on the

                    Internet World Wide Web today).

                ·  Users were encouraged to add to an on-line adventure game, the Animation Station

                    Adventure ("if life gives you a headache, try A.S.A."), using simple script commands.

                ·  The Holodeck was a large text adventure where users write as they play using hot-key menus ¾ even to making and using items to create puzzles and quests. 

                ·  Chat-O-Matic was an artificial intelligence system operator who could answer simple

                    questions about the operation of the BBS and the meaning of life or just dish out abuse.  To the

                    best of my knowledge, the hundreds of similar programs out there are based upon my original

                    concept.

                ·  The Space Ship O' Death was a multi-player game where users would try to find guns,

                    ammunition, and shields then blow each other away for points.  Text version of Quake.

 

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