John Dennis

8-1 Pioneer Lane, Auburn, MA 01501  ·  (508) 832-0614  ·  jdennis@sharpeye.com

Summary:

Senior software engineer, technical project lead with broad business exposure, 19 years experience.

Qualifications:

·  Self-motivated, requires minimal supervision; with unique ability to identify tasks, predict schedule, meet dates & goals, write clean code, grasp “big picture” business goals, attend to details, communicate effectively, and self-teach.

·  User testing revealed 94% rated functionality I contributed to "extremely useful," & 94% were "extremely satisfied."

·  Defined industry standards that achieved near 100% adoption.

·  Led project team that delivered software ahead of schedule beating all, competing products to market.

·  Achieved performance improvements of 200% - 300% while maintaining robustness.

·  Successfully advocated issues demonstrating a proven ability to lead, negotiate and reach compromise in a political forum.

·  Cited in the acknowledgements of several textbooks and specifications, published article, taught at major conference.

·  Architect of software designs portable across operating systems & architectures; resulted in 35% cost savings.

·  Bug rates on average 30% below that of peer developers.

·  Autonomous development & deployment of tools & procedures that shorted delivery cycle by 25%.

·  Recognized ability to conceptualize system design & throughput issues through the spectrum of application to hardware.

Technical Skill Set:

·  Windows (Win32/WinNT) application & system

·  UNIX (Linux) application & system

·  C, C++, Visual C++

·  MFC, COM

·  Java

·  XML, HTML

·  GUI (AWT, Swing, MFC, GTK, Motif)

·  X Windows, X server internals

·  Multimedia, Video

·  2D/3D graphics (Java 2D, GDI, DirectX, OpenGL, X)

·  Client/server, TCP/IP, sockets

·  Multi-threading

·  Embedded systems

·  Specification writing & API design

·  Protocol design & implementation

·  Object oriented design

·  Device drivers, device interfaces

·  Scripts (Perl, Python, Korn, Borne, C)

·  Performance, profiling tools, benchmarking

·  Architecture

Managerial Skill Set:

· Project Planning, scheduling, task assignment

· Excellent written and oral communication skills

· Liaison successfully with customers, vendors & internally

· Contracts & licenses

· Finance, budget, accounting

· Team building

Senior software engineer, Ucentric Systems, maynard, ma, may 2001 – July 2002

Ucentric Systems innovated in home delivery of digital video and music entertainment utilizing a media server, embedded network clients to distribute video & PVR functionality.

-  Linux

-  Java

-  C

-  XML

-  X Window (Xfree86)

-  Video (PVR)

-  GUI (AWT, X)

-  Set top box

-  Open Source

-  Drivers

-  Client/Server

-  Socket Messaging

-  Embedded System

-  Hardware control

-  Network distributed

·  Server was Linux, clients were embedded Linux.

·  Designed & implemented an EPG (Electronic Program Guide) in Java and C that was integrated with PVR (Personal Video Recording) controls that I also implemented. The EPG & PVR were on-screen television interfaces blended with video, targeted to the consumer set-top box market.

·  Wrote in Java and C client/server inter-process communication based on XML socket messaging and JSP’s for TV EPG.

·  Coded low level rendering support for television EPG & PVR GUI in set-top box and embedded video client at the hardware level utilizing both video & graphic devices (Xfree86 driver)

·  User testing revealed 94% of respondents rated the PVR functionality "extremely useful," 94% were "extremely satisfied."

·  Solved software and hardware issues to support on screen blending of video and graphics ahead of schedule.

·  Met 100% of milestone dates.

Consultant, SHARP EYE INC., waltham, ma, July 1996 – June 2001

Established Sharp Eye Inc. successfully marketed my services as a contract software engineer. Refined and built on my lead skills in selling services, client negotiation, legal aspects of software contracts and licenses, financial issues & accounting, network & system administration, and general management of a small business. Projects included:


Curl Corporation (contract, Cambridge, MA, November 2000 – April 2001)

Curl is a web content language moving the server centric approach to client centric for a richer interactive experience.

-  Object Oriented

-  Web Content Language

-  2D/3D Graphics

-  Windows NT

-  Linux

·  Learned, in only a few days, new object-orientated language for web content, then designed & developed software in it.

·  Designed & implemented automated test suite to exercise the 2D/3D graphics subsystem of the language.

·  Met all milestone targets on time.

·  The suite greatly contributed to the pace of development and ability to easily deploy robust releases on time.

3Dfx Interactive (contract, San Jose, CA, August 1999 – November 2000)

3Dfx is a major vendor of PC graphics boards, often first in class. Acquired by Nvidia in 2001.

-  Win32/WinNT

-  Linux

-  C++/MFC GUI

-  C

-  Perl

-  Code generation

-  NT Drivers

-  Hardware control

-  Multi-threading

-  2D/3D Graphics

·  Remote team member sought out for expertise on OpenGL implementations on next generation hardware in Windows & Linux environment for top tier vendor with major market share.

·  Redesigned image pipeline for improved efficiency, hardware acceleration, 300% performance improvement.

·  Designed and implemented Win32 application with numerous GUI elements using Visual C++ and MFC.

·  Principal consultant on Win32 interface, dynamic API loading, multi-thread safe design.

·  Designed and implemented application in perl to automatically generate human readable C source code for API elements, data stream protocol generator & parser, and API logging from an abstract API specification.

·  Designed and implemented configuration subsystem for platform independence. Win32 based on windows registry.

·  Designed build system for cross platform builds on Windows & Linux, accommodating Visual C++.

Matrox Graphics (contract, Dorval, Canada, March 1998 – August 1999)

Matrox is a leader and innovator in state-of-the-art technologies for Graphics, Video editing & Image processing.

-  Win32/WinNT

-  MFC/C++ GUI

-  C

-  COM

-  Multi-threading

-  Performance tuning

-  Win98/WinNT Drivers

-  OpenGL

-  Hardware control

-  GUI

·  Principle developer sought for OpenGL implementation experience on award-winning hardware for Windows.

·  Designed & implemented Win32 GUI application using Visual C++ and MFC to control subsystem.

·  Designed & implemented state management, data pipeline to hardware.

·  Device interface was asynchronous DMA protocol based, utilized embedded micro-coded firmware.

·  Use Microsoft COM based interface for resource management.

·  Implement thread safe synchronization and locking.

·  Analyzed & solved performance bottlenecks using various performance tools (e.g. Intel’s Vtune).

·  Benchmarked performance with industry standard (SPEC) benchmarks that I helped author.

·  Designed & implemented texture data cache for optimal performance.

·  Designed & implemented micro code cache and loading.

·  Brought product into conformance with industry standard test suite.

·  Interfaced successfully with remote development team.

·  Worked at driver level on Windows 9x and NT.

Dome Imaging (contract, Waltham, MA, October 1997 – March 1998)

Dome produces first in class high resolution imaging solutions for medical & scientific markets.

-  C

-  UNIX

-  Medical Imaging

-  X Windows

-  Unix Drivers

-  Hardware control

-  Installation

 

 

 

·  Designed & implemented kernel level driver for device on Digital UNIX.

·  Implemented X Windows Server on Digital UNIX, implemented company proprietary API.

·  Implemented installation scripts for kernel driver and X Windows server.

Avicenna (contract, Cambridge, MA, September 1997 – October 1997)

Avicenna provides client/server medical applications for physician offices and hospitals.

-  Client/Server

-  C++

-  GUI

-  Protocol

-  SQL Database

-  Win32

-  UNIX

 

 

 

·  Evaluated at the source level: GUI implementation, client/server protocol, and SQL queries (Oracle).

Intelligraphics (contract, Dallas, TX, July 1996 – August 1997)

Intelligraphics provides custom software development services to manufacturers of intelligent systems.

-  OpenGL

-  2D Graphics

-  Device Drivers

-  Windows NT

-  Benchmarking

·  Sought as OpenGL implementation expert.

·  Implemented various driver components at the NT kernel level.

·  Authored article on industry benchmarking.


Architect & Project Lead, maynard, ma, Digital equipment corporation (DEC), February 1992 - July 1996

Digital Equipment Corporation defined the mini-computer market, setting the standards for a generation.

-  Architect & Project Lead

-  OpenGL

-  Windows NT

-  UNIX

-  VMS

-  Company representative

-  Multiple Devices

-  C/C++

-  Perl

-  X Windows

·  Architect & technical project lead of five-member team for DEC's implementation of OpenGL, which distinguished itself as the first shipping implementation of this world-renowned industry standard.

·  Oversaw the development and release of the product on three operating systems (UNIX, VMS, NT), two Windows systems (X, Win32), multiple platforms, and multiple graphics boards.

·  Served four years as original member of the OpenGL Architectural Review Board, which consisted of SGI, DEC, Microsoft, IBM, & Intel, that defined OpenGL and its conformance requirements. Successfully lobbied for modifications favorable to DEC demonstrating the ability to negotiate and reach consensus in both a technical & political forum.

·  Directed engineering efforts that resulted in performance improvements of up to 200%.

·  Liaison with groups in software engineering, hardware engineering, marketing, technical writing, sales and customers.

·  Performed project planning, bug tracking, performance analysis, conformance assurance, integration, release to manufacturing, and authored major portions of the product documentation.

·  Contributed design and code to two industry standard benchmarks (now part of SPEC).

·  Developed internal tools to track performance & conformance (perl, MS Access, MS Excel).

·  Selected to team teach the OpenGL course at SIGGRAPH '94 (major industry conference).

·  Served as X Windows System multi-buffering architect.

·  Contributed to technical specifications, protocol specifications, and code for the X Windows system.

·  Served as consultant for advanced rendering algorithms within Digital.

·  On my own initiative, made Internet email and other TCP/IP based networking services functional.

·  On my own initiative, set up internal web site for project on Apache server (at the time web sites were avant-garde).

·  Received exemplary performance reviews.

Project Lead, needham, mA, Stellar Computer, August 1988 - February 1992

Stellar was distinguished by innovative, high-performance, multi-processor custom silicon workstations featuring parallel processing, sophisticated compilers, revolutionary computer graphics, and trend setting scientific visualization.

-  Architect/Project Lead

-  C

-  Fortran

-  UNIX

-  2D/3D Graphics

-  X Windows

-  Multiprocessing

-  Standards

-  GUI

 

·  Promoted to project lead of PEX (PHIGS Extension to X), responsible for four engineers. The product was a robust, high- performance implementation distinguished by providing access to proprietary features not available from the competition.

·  Directed architectural design, performed scheduling, liaison, task identification/assignment, bug tracking & implemented.

·  Proposed the Advanced Rendering Extension for PEX, served as its architect, and oversaw its implementation at Stardent.

·  Served on the PEX Architectural Team and several other PEX committees defining an open industry standard.

·  Nominated for Chief PEX Architect within the standard committee.

·  Contributed to X Windows client & server implementation, wrote X Windows & Motif application code.

·  Complimented with outstanding performance reviews.

Senior Software Engineer, Nashua, nh, calcomp, April 1987 - August 1988

Calcomp Display Division produced display products for the workstation, PC, and aviation markets.

·  Implemented 3D graphics for embedded avionics display, invented a new proprietary clipping algorithm for polygon sets.

Senior Software Engineer, lowel, ma, Wang, November 1985 - April 1987

Wang Laboratories produced industry leading office automation products.

·  Implemented GUI 2D rendering library in Motorola 68000 assembler for advanced GUI workstation.

Senior Software Engineer, wilmington, ma, compugraphic, September 1983 - November 1985

Compugraphic (now Agfa) is the industry leader in typesetting and publication technology.

·  Developed avant-garde WYSIWYG publishing application in object orientated language, implemented GUI & pagination.

Education:

Institution

Major

Degree

G.P.A.

Honors

Rutgers University

Computer Science

B.S.

3.36/4.0

 

Montclair University

Art

B.A.

3.65/4.0

Magna Cum Laude

Rochester Institute of Technology

Photographic Illustration

A.A.S.

3.85/4.0

Highest Honors