James McCurdy

354 Salem Street

Andover, MA 01810

978-973-1734

jmccurdy@FaceToFaceSoftware.com

I am a highly skilled and dedicated professional with over 30 years of experience in the development and management of high-technology software products.  One of my core competencies is an ability to maintain a focus on each project's big picture, including management of the development process, and the overall project goals, while developing software and systems as an individual contributor.  My technical strengths include all phases of software design and development on PC platforms.  In addition to my extensive product development background.  I am extremely customer focused, have strong market analysis skills, and broad-based executive management skills.

Recent Experience

Face To Face Software, Inc, Andover, MA

President and Principal Developer

August 1997 - ongoing

A consulting company specializing in contract software development for the web or the desktop.

I founded Face To Face Software August 1997 in an effort to further my career interests in new and emerging technologies, while seeking out clients whose product needs matched my development experience.  I currently specialize in development projects for Silverlight, .NET, ASP.NET, and WPF platforms.  I have been able to negotiate several long-term development contracts, as summarized below:

Clients

McPivot, Andover, MA

January 2011 - ongoing

A community based web site offering free access to historical baseball databases and images.

Currently in the process of developing a unique Web application for presenting custom queries and visualization of baseball data as far back as the 1800's. The application is presented as a complete Silverlight web site using.NET, and C# technologies.  In the process of developing McPivot, I have become extremely proficient in all aspects of Silverlight's PivotViewer controls and SDK, including custom integrated just-in-time SQL query features.

VX Software, Seattle, WA

December 2010 - January 2011

A software consulting group.

Developed a series of Silverlight based custom charting controls.

DiscountPayroll.net, Andover, MA

December 2010 - January 2011

A small business focused on online payroll processing.

Developed an ASP.NET based web site, with backend integration to the Intuit Online Payroll system.

Wells Fargo, Seattle, WA

September 2010 - December 2010

A multi-national financial company.

Developed an executive dashboard in Silverlight and WPF that also included a WCF based auto-update service.  Also developed an animated iPad emulator in Silverlight.

Mantis Technology Group, Kirkland, WA

June 2010 - September 2010

A software consulting group.

Developed a dual stream video player base on Silverlight's Media Framework.  The application was developed for the Microsoft Academy team for use in a presentation and training environment, where two encoded or real-time video streams would be played side-by-side in a single, adaptive, smooth-streaming player.

The Trump Network, Rowley, MA

November 2009 - May 2010

A multi-level network marketing company specializing in the sale of nutritional products.

Developed several Silverlight applications, including a sales dashboard, a video player, and an animated content presenter.

YinYangMoney, Andover, MA

April 2008 - June 2010

A startup venture focused on financial and lifestyle planning applications.  YinYangMoney is currently looking for a sponsor or small funding partner.

Developed a unique Web application for personal financial and lifestyle planning. The application is presented as a complete Silverlight web site using.NET, and C# technologies. In the process of developing YinYangMoney, I became extremely proficient in all aspects of Silverlight development.

Thomson Grass Valley, Woburn, MA

July 2005 - December 2008

A digital video technology company specializing in the development of applications and hardware products, targeted at television stations transitioning broadcast news to digital video capture, editing, and play-out.

Developed an external control interface for a major Japanese customer.  Developed a background web service for processing video sequences and clips.  Also made various improvements to the flagship AuroraEdit MPEG video editor.

3Guppies.com (formerly Mixxer), Seattle, WA

June 2006 - November 2007

Developer of online and mobile technologies for ringtone and photo content.

Developed online ringtone clipping capabilities, online photo cropping capabilities, and a Facebook application that allows Face book users to select, crop and "mobilize" their photos.

AG Interactive (AmericanGreetings.com), Cleveland, OH

June 2005 - January 2008

The electronic division of the greeting card company.  A startup company specializing in the development of online electronic cards and personal card printing software.

Developed an online photo editor that includes capabilities to remove red-eye, crop, resize, sharpen, brighten, color correct, and included many special effects.  Also developed a web installer for the Kiwee division's IE toolbar.

Viewcast.com (Multimedia Access), Dallas, TX

January 1998 - August 1998

Developer of PC based video teleconferencing hardware and software.

My primary responsibility has been to extend the existing MMAC product line, which includes ISDN and direct connect video teleconferencing, with a standards compliant capability to connect video conferences users using any existing IP network connecting video servers.  My work has culminated in the development of an ATL/COM component that captures audio and video data from the hardware, packetizes the captured data, and transmits it reliably over an open IP socket connection.  I have also assisted in the productization of a direct-connect Mac client application connected to other PC based video clients and servers.

Monaco Systems, Andover, MA

August 1998 - January 1999, August 1997 - January 1998

Developer of high end color imaging and correction software for the publishing industry.

For a company whose primary focus is Macintosh development, my role was to startup a small two person PC development group that would eventually grow to rival its Macintosh counterpart.  I completed two color image editing applications in parallel with the Macintosh development of the same products.  This effort allowed Monaco to deliver both applications simultaneously on Mac and PC to such high profile OEM customers as Epson America and Polaroid.  The applications development environment was Windows 95 and NT, and included the use of ActiveX and COM programming, lots of user interface design and development, and the creation of a color gamut viewer using Apple's Quickdraw 3D.  Both projects were completed on schedule, on budget, and out-performing the original specifications.

Other Experience

AG Interactive (AmericanGreetings.com), Cleveland, OH

Director of New Product Development

June 2000 - March 2005

The electronic division of the greeting card company.  A startup company specializing in the development of online electronic cards and personal card printing software.

Responsible for planning and development of the company's Create & Print personal card printing software.

Thomson Grass Valley (Vibrint division), Woburn, MA

Director of Advanced Development

March 1999 - June 2000

A digital video technology company specializing in the development of applications and hardware products, targeted at television stations transitioning broadcast news to digital video capture, editing, and play-out.

Responsible for planning and development of the company's low-resolution video editing applications, as well as integration efforts with 3^rd party newsroom computer systems and video input devices.  These efforts provide customers with integrated solutions in a multi-vendor workgroup environment.  Have also built the project plans for the company's current efforts to develop a Journalist Suite of products that allow Vibrint video products to run without specialized hardware.  Prototyped Internet streaming technologies in an effort to help offer broadcast customers an ability to publish video news stories directly to the Web.  The development environment at Vibrint is heavily dependent on COM, MFC, and ActiveX technologies.  Vibrint was acquired by Grass Valley in May of 2000, and later by Thomson in 2001.

Powerhouse Entertainment, Inc., Dallas, TX

Director of Development, February 1995

Vice President of Research and Development, February 1996

November 1994 - July 1997

Developer and publisher of Windows-based CDROM games, specializing in live-action video games and children's animated storybooks.

As a founding member of the Powerhouse team, and as Vice President of Research and Development, I led a development team focused on a number of customer segments in the interactive entertainment business.  I was responsible for all software development at Powerhouse and worked closely with our Los Angeles-based production teams in the design and development of an aggressive lineup of CDROM titles.  I was also personally responsible for developing the underlying technology at the heart of the company's live action video games "Jungle Book", "Pinocchio", and "Collision".  The FastLANE video technology, which I developed, enables the creative team to build interactive scripts and movie footage, and to assemble the video content into compelling interactive games, with exceptional quality and performance.  I was also been instrumental in forging an innovative Interactive StoryBook Engine for the children's CDROM market, which brings classic stories to life with a large collection of animated clickables.  Under my direction, our team at Powerhouse developed 6 animated storybooks for Golden Book Interactive and 2 live-action children's adventure games for IBM within a span of 24 months.

Micrografx, Inc., Richardson TX

Director of Consumer Products, October 1993

Senior Software Engineer, March 1991

March 1991 - November 1994

Leader in the development and distribution of Windows based graphics applications.

Initially, as a Senior Software Engineer following the acquisition of Astral, I was responsible for several new product releases of our Picture Publisher image editor, as well as, the design and development of the consumer oriented PhotoMagic product.  During several product release cycles, I played the role of both lead developer and project coordinator.  Later, as Director of Consumer Products, I managed all aspects of product development within the group and was responsible for the design and development of the company's first two consumer titles "Crayola Art Studio" and "Crayola Amazing Art Adventure".  On a technical level, I was personally responsible for the product design and for the majority of the code development in the Crayola products. In this role I also helped to solidify the relationships with clients like Hallmark and Binney & Smith (Crayola), and managed the development of the Hallmark Card Studio product.  I satisfied these highly brand-conscious customers by providing them with several awarding winning and highly profitable products.  In addition to my product development responsibilities, I became a member of the executive team and was an active spokesman on technical subjects pertaining to the company and the industry as a whole.

Astral Development Corp., Londonderry, NH

Director of Advanced Development

August 1988 - March 1991

Innovators in the design, development, and manufacture of high quality image processing software for the Microsoft Windows and Apple Macintosh desktop publishing market.

I was responsible for establishing the concept and technical foundation of Astral's primary product "Picture Publisher" and developed a large portion of the software code base.  I was the first technical hire made by the founding Astral team, and spearheaded the innovative design of Picture Publisher while working around serious limitation in the first versions of Microsoft Windows 2.0.  I held the position of Director of Title Development, and served as the Lead Developer for our imaging applications.  I had a great deal of customer contact while at Astral, and my attention to their needs is one reason why Picture Publisher was awarded the Publish magazine's reader's choice awards for three consecutive years.  The application also won a Byte magazine technical excellence award and several InfoWorld usability face-offs with Adobe PhotoShop.   I developed a reputation for developing solid applications with easy to use interfaces, and was responsible for timely product delivery during 6 release cycles. Astral and "Picture Publisher" were acquired by Micrografx of Richardson, TX in March 1991.

Kodak Electronic Publishing (Atex Division), Bedford, MA

Manager of Imaging Systems

August 1987 - August 1988

High-technology newspaper publishing division of the film and camera giant.

As Manager of Imaging Systems of Kodak's Atex Publishing division, I led the design and development of the imaging component to a large UNIX based electronic newspaper publishing system.  I directed a team of 8 individuals and built a network database approach to document imaging under tight deadlines.  My growing expertise in the imaging field enabled Atex to offer its customers a full turnkey solution versus utilizing third-party systems.

ImagiTex, Inc., Nashua, NH

Manager of Applications Development, July 1986

Senior Software Engineer, July 1983

July 1983 - August 1987

High-technology innovators in the design and manufacture of high quality scanners and image processing systems for the electronic publishing marketplace.

I held several positions at ImagiTex including Manager of Application Development.  While directing the applications software group, I led the design of the company's image-editing software applications, as well as, its page layout application and underlying systems support.  I also led a group of software engineers responsible for the architecture, design, and development of these applications to satisfy the target customer base of graphic arts and newspaper clients.  I developed technologies to print and halftone digital images in an image database, and to process them in a variety of ways, including color correction, size and scale, and shape masking. I developed extensive experience in dealing with graphic arts customers throughout North America, and was recognized as an innovator in the area of image processing for electronic/desktop publishing.

MITRE Corp., Bedford, MA

Member of Technical Staff

June 1977 - August 1983

Defense contractors and pioneers in the development of flight systems, radar systems, and the first local area network hardware, specializing in superior engineering expertise in Air Force and government projects.

I served as a software developer to many of the nation's top technical systems designers, and was exposed to large project management and the value of innovation.  I supported the Bureau of Labor Statistics with its first interactive database system in an age of batch processing.  My exposure to hardware and software of all types earned me a role as a member of the technical staff, and was sought out for programming service and debugging large systems. I proceeded to earn a role in the company's office automation pilot program, which gave me a unique opportunity to develop distributed word applications in the early days of Local Area Networking where MITRE was a pioneer.  I developed my first graphical software product, a slide presentation product utilizing the company's large distributed DEC and IBM display systems.

Education

Boston College - Boston, MA

Bachelor of Science, Mathematics, 1977, Minor in Educational Psychology

Northeastern University - Boston, MA

Master's Degree program (50% complete), 1982, Computer Engineering

Product Awards and Recognition

• Newsweek Magazine Editor's Choice Award 1996 - "Right's Animal Farm"

• Newsweek Magazine Editor's Choice Award 1996 - "The Jungle Book"

• PC Magazine - 4 stars 1996 - "The Jungle Book"

• The Family Channel Seal of Quality 1996 - "The Sailor Dog"

• HomePC Magazine - 3 stars (out of 4) 1996 - "The Sailor Dog"

• PC Magazine's Best of 1994 - "Crayola Amazing Art Adventure" and "Crayola Art Studio"

• Australian Good Toy Guide Toy of the Year 1994 - "Crayola Amazing Art Adventure"

• Windows Magazine's WIN100 1995 - "Picture Publisher"

• Home Office Computing Magazine Editor's Pick 1994 - "Picture Publisher"

• Computer Artist Magazine's Product of the Year 1994 - "Picture Publisher"

• Australian Personal Computer Magazine's Best of 1994 - "Picture Publisher"

• Advanced Communications Technologies Product of the Year 1994 - "Picture Publisher"

• Publish Magazine Reader's Choice - Best Image Editor 1991 - "Picture Publisher"

• Publish Magazine Reader's Choice - Best Image Editor 1990 - "Picture Publisher"

• Publish Magazine Reader's Choice - Best Image Editor 1989 - "Picture Publisher"

Product Development

Online applications

• McPivot data visualization of historical baseball databases

• DiscountPayroll.net online payroll application

• YinYangMoney financial and lifestyle planning

• Create & Print printable greeting cards for American Greetings and Bluemountain

• 3Guppies Facebook photo editing and sharing

• 3Guppies ringtone and photo clipping

Graphics applications

• Picture Publisher photo editing, versions 1.0-4.0

• Aurora Edit video editing contributor

• PrestoProof color image correction

• MonacoScan color image correction

• WorkFoneVBX IP telephony

Personal Productivity titles

• PhotoMagic photo editing for novices

• Hallmark Card Studio printable greeting cards

Children's creativity titles

• Crayola Art Studio children's creativity

• Crayola Amazing Art Adventure children's creativity

Live-action video adventure games

• The Jungle Book live-action video game

• The Adventures of Pinocchio live-action video game

Interactive and animated storybooks

• The Sailor Dog

• Right's Animal Farm

• The Adventures of Goat

• The House That Had Enough

• The Little Red Caboose

• The Magic Paintbox

Live-action video games

• Collision live-action video game

Technology Development

• Numerous graphical user interfaces

• Custom controls

• Video processing and streaming

• Photo editing and composition

• 2D animation

• Image special effect plug-ins

• Image transformations and transitions

• Image scanning and compression

• Image reproduction and halftoning

• Image palette optimization

Skills

• Extensive object oriented C# and C++ development skills.

• Expert with languages: C#, C++, C, JavaScript, ASP.NET, HTML.

• Expert with API's: Silverlight, WPF, .NET, COM, MFC, ATL, WTL, WIN32.

• Strong graphics software design and development skills.

• Strong SDLC (Software Development Life Cycle) skills; planning, analysis, design, implementation, maintenance.

• Strong written and verbal communications skills.

• Extremely customer focused, with strong market analysis skills.

• Able to manage the development process, while developing software as an individual contributor.

• Able to bring creative and technical teams together, and innovative across both disciplines.

• Able to deliver easy-to-use applications.

• Able to apply innovative solutions to complex problems.

• Able to translate research into applicable action plans.

• Able to define short and long range goals for new and existing markets.

• Able to maintain and work within a budget.

• Able to supply enthusiasm in leadership roles.

• Able to perform forecasting and strategic planning by identifying strengths and deficiencies.

• Able to work with sales and marketing, and customers services, to meet time and budget expectations.

• Will maintain a people-oriented approach to daily operations and generate high levels of customer satisfaction.

• Will offer a personal commitment to any project and will assure success through a sense of ownership.