July 2008-today:
Development of iPhone and iPad applications. Such as Global.AQ
April 2007 - today: IceCell ehf
IceCell is a new GSM operator in the icelandic market which has received its license in 2007. I'm leading this company as CEO. The company will start its commercial operations during 2010 with attractive and innovative GSM 2.5G services in Iceland.
2001 - today: Fink Consulting GmbH , Global Networks Switzerland AG & BebbiCell AG
Currently I'm running Fink Consulting GmbH which is doing consulting, development and outsourcing work for various customers. Major customers are Global Networks Switzerland AG for which I've developed a GSM SMSC and parts of a MSC and a MMSC. I also developed the original SMS service SMSRelay which has been taken over by Global Networks Switzerland AG. BebbiCell AG is a new VoIP and GSM operator evolving out of all those services developed.
Fink Consulting GmbH is also a reseller for various telecommunication products and does contracting work for many companies. As such we are currently involved in projects developing for the iPhone I also worked as a consultant on various projects on SMS and MMS around the world, especially in the area of SMS Hubbing and Anti Spoofing/Spamming solutions.
2000 - 2001: Cisco Systems San Jose
Cisco Systems has hired me as a escallation engineer for voice field trials with speciality in the field of signalling (SS7, Q.931, H.323). My current job is to support early field trial customers. Trials often make use of non released new products or 3rd party products to interact with which means my troubleshooting skills are most wanted here. It was planned to relocate me to San Jose California as soon as possible. Due to private circumstances this has never occured.
1994 - 2000: World Online S.A. (formerly known as Ping Net GmbH)
Invention of the company Ping Net GmbH which now have become World Online Switzerland. The mother company, the Dutch World Online International went public on 17. March 2000. Ping Net was the first ISP focused on affordable Internet access for private individuals and small to medium size companies. 3rd swiss internet provider in total (by now we got over 200 in our small country), first internet provider of Liechtenstein. Ping Net started very small and quickly grew over the years. Services where offered based on Unix platforms (initially A/UX, later Linux) while being administered from a Macintosh 4th Dimension Database automatically over tcp socket connections. Dial-In routers where added and the second points of presence was opened in Lausanne in November 1994 and a new backbone was added in December using BGP4. Until 1998, Ping Net then grew to a few dozen people, 14 technical locations 2 office locations, a solid ATM backbone and was licensed as telecommunications carriers (deregulation in Switzerland occurred on 1.1.1998). Besides offering standard Internet dial-up, websites and permanent internet connections, Ping Net was always inventing various value added services like virtual private dial-up networks, virtual private networks using Frame Relay or ATM, Private and public telephony over the same wire, Integration of the Short Message System (SMS), sophisticated volume based or minute based billing via e-mail. The basic principle of Ping Net was to automate everything as far as possible. Ping Net then was bought by World Online International, a large ISP in the Netherlands to make its swiss branch out of it. The head count was jumping up to far over 50 people and 3 office locations and a large technical expansion together with a large marketing campaign.
My position in Ping Net before the takeover was the technical general manager, while my partner was more the administrative general manager. As being taken over and head count was expanding largely, we all had to specialize ourselves as you couldn't do everything again as we did in the past. So lots of knowledge had to be transferred to new heads and I took the opportunity to come back to my roots, which is software development. The Research & Development team was named which I currently manage. My previous partner was becoming COO and and a new CEO was added from above. The main objectives of the R&D department is to develop new products, services and software. Once a product has been invented, properly tested and implemented, it is taken over by the operating group who will run it on a day to day basis. Also a main objective is to further develop the new administrative software for the World Online Group which is based on the sophisticated Ping Net billing software but was rewritten from scratch to be better suited for the new needs of a much larger telecommunications carrier. This software (called WOLcano) is now being used by other World Online countries and is evolving rapidly over time. Lots of areas do intercept with the networking department. As networking is at the core of the business, most of the R&D department (of course including myself) has deep knowledge about networks and protocols and all the applications behind them. Since Ping Net has become a licensed carrier, a new telephony infrastructure has been put in place based on a Cisco Virtual Switch Controler. This infrastructure today serves as platform for the interconnection with Swisscom and other carriers. It has many advantages over traditional approaches and serves us very well. Currently we run Voice over IP for our Office in Geneva, Lausanne and Zurich, Voice over ATM for calls from the old Zurich PBX and Voice over Frame Relay for calls going to the Call Center. Customers being hooked up for voice use either Voice over IP or Voice over Framerelay based on Cisco 3810's 2600's or 5300's to connect to the central hub location. Ping Net switches a dozen million minutes every month with this infrastructure and is present in two countries, Switzerland and Liechtenstein with those services. The R&D department is also in charge of new challenges like WAP (Wireless Application protocol) and evaluation of new technologies such as UMTS (next generation GSM offering high bandwidth wireless IP) which will bring new appealing possibilities to the customers.
1998 Ideous Technologies AG (intermediate work)
Wrote a Microsoft Exchange module for Account Geneous, a product by Ideous. Added Microsoft Exchange Gateway to the manageable products and ported security library and remote administration server software to other Unix platforms. Account Geneous is a software Package to manage users on lots of servers. Its used mainly by multinationals to install/remove users on a company wide list of servers so when they join/leave the company the servers are automatically up to date. Project was done using C++ on Windows NT and C on Unix.
1997 Web Database System for DataStore AG (intermediate work)
Creating an automated pricing update by retrieving prices automatically from a website, analyzing differences, updating database and producing an on-line interactive website for their customers for ordering products.
1995 Database front ends for DataQuest AG(intermediate work)
Arrived goods are scanned with a barcode and transmitted over a wireless link to a Macintosh which automatically books arrived products into the stock and checks corresponding orders for completeness. Another system which replaced the traditional cash register. Automatic on-line and offline system to pay products out of the shop (scanned with barcode) with cash, credit card or other means and payment of invoices by cash in the shop, return bookings etc. Integrated completely to existing invoicing system.
1994 Developed InterFinder, a software to connect a Telefinder BBS to the internet.
InterFinder is a Gateway of the BBS's e-mail system with the internet. The Product was bought by Spider Island software, the developers of Telefinder and was successfully sold a few dozen times. This was leading to the idea to become an Internet Service Provider as it was fun writing software for the internet (even there was no web and only two other ISP's at that time). Product runs on MacOS and was written in C and C++.
1993-1994 Projectleader for Picture Archival System for EMPA (Federal Institute for Material Research)
The database allows to do complex searches on pictures which are scanned in and archived automatically. Database keeps track of all reported damages at buildings so a solid information basis is keept for court cases and other disputes. Project was based on 4th Dimension with some external modules done in C/C++ for picture compression and storage handling.
1991-1993 Supporter for relational database system 4th Dimension and Mac Telecom Products
Supported 4th Dimension RDBMS and Telecommunications products for Macintosh (TCP/IP, IBM Mainframes etc) at ALSYD SA, Biel/Bienne. I already knew 4th Dimension inside out, but I learned a lot about telecommunications, Main product lines where the Cayman Gatorbox (MacIP gateway and AppleTalk + IP Router), Andrew AS/400 and IBM 3270 terminal emulation products as well as X.400 gateways. Operated my first BBS on a private basis. Developed Picture combination software for large phone book publisher for printout of "Good to print" form with data stored in Database, loaded in via EPS files and data received on-line from AS/400
1989-1991 MOR Informatik, Zurich
Operating System Supporter for CAD Systems based on DEC/VMS and Ultrix. Developer of Software installation and configuration Tools. Gained lots of experience in System administration, clustering, DECnet and Ultrix. Lots of DCL scripts for system administration.
1988-1989 Microframe (my first startup company)
Database Project for Musikhaus Pan AG Zürich. Full blown invocing system (still in use today). Hardware Project speeding up AppleTalk from 250k to 1M. Database Project for creating phone books automatically from a Macintosh and automatically including pictures and styles (yes those days phone books where done with lots and lots of manual work!). Based on 4th Dimension. Many small project like custom contact databases etc. Ported OCR (optical character recognition) software from Atari ST to MacOS. Lot of file format conversion stuff.
1987-1988 Junior Programmer / Analyst at CONNEX AG, Zurich
Oerlikon. Adaption on Software based on Business Basic for customer needs. Small to medium subprojects. Migration from Business Basic to C and Unix.Wrote filetransfer software for interconnecting old IBM S/1 system with new PC based hardware by using serial communications. Also some UUCP experience and use of my first modem with a fantastic speed of 1200bps.
Other Education:
Brainbench
I have completed certification in Telecommunications Industry Knowledge with a Weighted score of 4.55 on a scale of 1 to 5. I scored higher than 99% of all previous examinees at that time. My public Transcript can be found at http://www.brainbench.com/transcript.jsp?pid=1782094.
I have completed certification in C with a Weighted score of 4.08 on a scale of 1 to 5. I scored higher than 92% of all previous examinees at that time. My public Transcript can be found at http://www.brainbench.com/transcript.jsp?pid=1782094.
Training Courses
2000: Achieved Certification as Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE) #806199257700976
1997: Cisco Systems, San Jose: MSSC Multiband Switch Service
1993: 4th Dimension. Advanced Programming Course
1992: Paris: Cayman Systems Inc, Training for Gatorbox TCP/IP
1990: Training at Digital Equipment: DEC/VMS Systemadmin. II
1983: Licensed as Radio Amateur (HAM Radio)
1976: Since childness I was playing with electronics
Schools:
1985-1987: Studies in Electrical Engineering at ETH Zurich
1981-1985 Tagesgymnasium Juventus. Matura Typus C
1972-1978 Primary School Fribourg & Tafers
1978-1981 Progymnasium Ste. Croix Fribourg
Hobbies:
As my work is my passion, there is not much time for hobbies. But when I got some time, I play guitar or chess and travel around the globe. While being a teenager, I had the pleasure to travel with my dads youth orchestra to many countries (UK, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany and twice Canada) and with 12 years, I was invited to the US for 10 weeks by a friend of my mother. Traveling has been my "hobby" ever since. From time to time I also use my HAM Radio , mostly Packet Radio. My callsigns are HB9DWF and TF3EN.
Skills:
Analytical way of thinking Exact & precise Ability to quickly adapt to new situations Out of the box thinker Highly communicative Visionary & inventive Decisive Keeping a good balance between theory and practice. Goal oriented Ability to motivate and drive people
Languages:
I fluently speak and write German, English and French. I'm learning Spanish at the moment.
Knowledge Areas:
Programming languages: Strong knowledge in C and C++, especially on MacOS and Unix.
Strong knowledge in the database language 4th Dimension, Strong knowledge of Shell scripts (sh, bash, csh), Pascal, Business Basic Some knowledge in Java, Frontier, Perl, SQL and various other funny languages.
Operating Systems: MacOS 1.1 - 9.0, MacOS X, Unix (especially Linux on Intel, Alpha, Sparc and PPC, A/UX, AIX, Ultrix, Solaris, HP/UX and MkLinux/PPC) DOS/Windows 95/98/NT, EPOC Cisco IOS
Network Protocols: deep knowledge in:
AppleTalk, IP (including IPv6), Voice over IP, X.25, AX.25 EIGRP, RIP, OSPF, BGP4, AURP, ARAP, PPP, ISDN, SS7, SGCP, ATM, CSD, Ethernet Family, VLAN, VPDN, Frame Relay, GSM, UMTS
Wireless LAN/WAN Technologies
IPSEC some knowledge in:
IBM SNA, DECNET, H323, NetBEUI Applications
Apache Sendmail 4th Dimension RDBMS Bind
Internet: HTML, WAP/WML, HTTP, FTP, Telnet, News, Gopher and about everything you can imagine on the internet... Internet Registry Procedures (RIPE) Internet Security Mechanisms (PGP, Encrypted VLANs, PKIs). Encryption (SSH, SSL, IDEA, DES)
Most Successful Projects:
Installation of the first Virtual Switch Controller from Cisco Systems world wide. Problem analysis, bug reporting, conformance tests, dial plan tools development. Put in service interconnection with other carriers Development of extremely flexible billing systems for Internet Services. completely automated online registration allowing customers to sign up and connect within minutes while no user interaction is needed. Automatic installation of complete websites and registration of domains as well. System used today by Ping Net, Worldonline Switzerland and UK.
E-Mail to SMS, Pager and Fax Gateway. SMS to E-Mail Gateway. Registrationssystem for arriving goods at Dataquest AG.Registration by using radio controlled barcode readers and automatic update on existing IT system. Development and sale of "InterFinder", a e-mail gateway for a popular and revolutionary BBS package at the time being, called Telefinder. Compatibility and interworking tests of ISDN devices for the magazine MacWorld Switzerland. Picture archival system for EMPA, the federal institute for material research. WOLcano, the next generation ISP billing system
Various:
Personality type according to MBTI (Meyers-Briggs): ENTJ