After 'taking a break' (some 10 years) from the 'developer' industry and the activities described below, I find myself being drawn back into it and discover that I've become somewhat 'rusty'. Hence my joining Access World Forums. It's a new experience from the lonely times of developing in isolation and I love the helpful attitudes of its members and the spirit of interaction. Thank you guys!
I'm from Johannesburg, South Africa and my background began in engineering and Industrial Instrumentation & Process Control. I then joined IBM as a customer engineer and later, after obtaining a marketing qualification moved into IBM marketing. I initially worked in the mainframe environment and later took over the IBM Copier marketing for South Africa, making it to IBM's '100% Club' every year (feel like I'm writing a CV!)
After 7-8 years with IBM I left to start my own business as a computer / office products dealer. Through a referral from IBM shortly thereafter I was asked to develop a system for a non-profit organisation to manage their fundraising. That was 1986/7 before the 'Windows era' in dawned in South Africa. The acronym 'DBMS' was largely still unknown then and I ventured into the world of database management systems using DOS. If 'success' is measured by achievement rather than financial gain then it was a great success. I developed systems in this industry for the next 15 years or so - systems ranging from fortune telling, to accounting and (of course) fundraising management.
With the advent of Windows I developed, among others, an airline chartering quotation system (using Access) and a remote scheduling & control system for networks (using a myriad of other application development tools).
I'm from Johannesburg, South Africa and my background began in engineering and Industrial Instrumentation & Process Control. I then joined IBM as a customer engineer and later, after obtaining a marketing qualification moved into IBM marketing. I initially worked in the mainframe environment and later took over the IBM Copier marketing for South Africa, making it to IBM's '100% Club' every year (feel like I'm writing a CV!)
After 7-8 years with IBM I left to start my own business as a computer / office products dealer. Through a referral from IBM shortly thereafter I was asked to develop a system for a non-profit organisation to manage their fundraising. That was 1986/7 before the 'Windows era' in dawned in South Africa. The acronym 'DBMS' was largely still unknown then and I ventured into the world of database management systems using DOS. If 'success' is measured by achievement rather than financial gain then it was a great success. I developed systems in this industry for the next 15 years or so - systems ranging from fortune telling, to accounting and (of course) fundraising management.
With the advent of Windows I developed, among others, an airline chartering quotation system (using Access) and a remote scheduling & control system for networks (using a myriad of other application development tools).
