The people of MCW share a mastery of the critical skills, underlying concepts, and best practices required to deliver high-value software solutions. Time and again, we have consistently demonstrated the intensity, focus, commitment, and creativity required to achieve project success. Our consultants are leading experts on the software development process and on Microsoft programming and database technologies.
Kent Alstad
Kent, based in Vancouver BC, began developing Microsoft Windows applications using VB and VC with the 1.0 version and has been using them as his primary development environments ever since. As a developer and architect Kent created the internal development tool ‘CodeDoctor’ for Eclipse Software, which was later acquired by Discovery Software. This VB add-in tool is used by the development staff of Eclipse/Discovery to speed VB project development as well as to implement and review VB coding standards. Kent was the originator, developer, and Product Manager of the www.Process-Web.net on-line product definition tool. Process-Web is a Windows2000 DNA application built using Visual InterDev, Visual Basic and MS SQL 2000. Kent served as Discovery's CTO for almost two years. Kent is a popular speaker on the topics of software process control and requirements definition. He has been instrumental in the design and development of multi-tiered solutions for a number of companies including the Vancouver Port Authority, ADP, and Lucent Technologies.
Andy Baron
Andy, based in Singer Island, Florida, specializes in Visual Basic, C#, and T-SQL programming; database and domain model design; the .NET Framework; and creation of effective user interfaces. Andy is a Contributing Editor for Advisor Media and for Pinnacle Publications, a writer for SQL Server Magazine, and co-author of several technical books. Since 1995, Andy has been selected each year as a Microsoft MVP for his contributions to Microsoft's online support, and Andy was among the first crop of .NET MVPs. Andy also speaks regularly at industry conferences, and he has written and presented highly successful courseware for AppDev, covering VB6, SQL Server, ASP.NET, VB.NET, and ADO.NET.
Mary Chipman
Mary, based in Singer Island, Florida, began her software career over 10 years ago as an in-house developer for Morgan Stanley in New York City. As Special Projects Coordinator for the Equity Research Department, she designed and implemented a global document processing and printing system to coordinate global publication of research reports in New York, London, Tokyo and Hong Kong. Since leaving Morgan Stanley, she has worked as a developer, trainer and writer specializing in VB, SQL Server, Access and Office. Mary has spoken frequently at industry conferences, including Tech-Ed, the Advisor DevCon conferences, and the Informant Group conferences. Mary is the co-author of the Microsoft Access Developer's Guide to SQL Server (Sams), SQL Server 7.0 - In Record Time (Sybex), and the Access and SQL Server Developer's Handbook (Sybex). She is Contributing Editor for the Access/Visual Basic/SQL Server Advisor magazine and the SmartAccess newsletter and has written numerous articles for other industry publications. She has been awarded MVP designation by Microsoft since 1995 for her assistance on the Microsoft public newsgroups. Mary has co-authored courseware for AppDev’s, instructor-led seminars and e-learning products for SQL Server 2000, Access-SQL Server development, Visual Basic-SQL Server 2000 development, ASP.NET, .NET Security, and Visual Basic .NET.
Ken Getz
Ken, based in Los Angeles, CA, is a developer, writer, and trainer who divides his between developing applications; writing books, articles, and courseware; and training, both in training classes and at industry conferences. He has written several technical books for developers, including the best-selling Access Developer’s Handbook series (Sybex) and VBA Developer’s Handbook series (Sybex). Ken is co-author of ASP.NET Developer’s Jumpstart (Addison-Wesley), and is working on several upcoming books on .NET development, including VB.NET Developer’s Jumpstart for Addison-Wesley. Along with co-authors Andy Baron and Mary Chipman, Ken co-authored AppDev’s ASP.NET, ADO.NET, and VB.NET courseware, and appears in the video training for these courses, as well. (He also co-wrote and appears in video training for AppDev’s VB6, VB5, Access 2000, and Access 97 courses.) You’ll find Ken’s articles published regularly in industry journals: he is a technical editor for Advisor Publications’ VB.NET Technical Journal and Access/VB/SQL Advisor Magazine; and he’s contributor for Informant Publication Group’s asp.netPRO magazine. Ken speaks regularly at a large number of industry events, including many local user groups, VSLive!/VBITS, Microsoft’s Tech-Ed, Informant Publications Group’s Microsoft Office and ASP.NET development conferences, DevConnections’ VB.NET and ASP.NET conferences, and Microsoft’s DevDays. He's been a Microsoft MVP (for providing online support) since the inception of the program, in 1994.
Lee Purvis
Lee, based in Vancouver BC, has almost twenty years experience in the high-tech industry with significant achievements in all areas of company operations including executive management, project management, process improvement, quality systems, IT infrastructure, software development and system architecture. Before joining MCW, Lee was CEO of Discovery Software – a full-service software development and consulting company. In his role as CEO, Lee had executive responsibility for all aspects of project execution and delivery with a critical focus on client relations. In his two years as CEO at Discovery, Lee orchestrated 3x revenue growth making Discovery one of BC’s fastest growing high technology companies. Lee recently captured one of the coveted positions in Business in Vancouver's "Top 40 Under 40" list, which recognizes outstanding business achievements by young entrepreneurs under the age of forty.
Brian Randell
Brian has been actively working in the computer industry for over eleven years. As a ‘COM Guy’ for DevelopMentor, Brian teaches the Visual Basic-based curriculum including Essential Visual Basic, Essential COM(+): for VB programmers, and Guerrilla VB. As a researcher with DevelopMentor, Brian is exploring how to live the COM(+) lifestyle while programming databases and other technolgies. Before joining MCW Technologies, Brian worked as the Advanced Technologies Manager for M1 Software, a Santa Monica-based Microsoft Solution Provider Partner. While working there, Brian worked closely with Microsoft on a variety of projects including creating a sample web commerce site for the first ActiveX SDK put out by the MSDN team. In addition, Brian worked with the local Microsoft office in creating presentations & seminars on Exchange Server, Proxy Server, and internet based development with IIS, Visual InterDev, and SQL Server. Brian graduated from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. While attaining his degree, Brian worked for Interface Management Services in Claremont, California. It was there that Brian worked from the ground up starting in Operations on HP 3000 Business Systems through the testing & documentation department to eventually be the Development Manager for PC Systems. Clients that Brian worked with included the YMCA’s of Metropolitan Los Angeles, Security Pacific Investments (now part of Bank of America), and the Claremont Graduate University.