Updated December 6, 2007

I have been doing some exciting work designing and writing code for web and desktop applications. Some of my recent clients or employers have been finetune,  Green This Life, Neural Audio, Gryphon Networks, engineSF and buyerInside. Although I have spent much of the last decade in senior management of startup web companies, I have not lost touch with the engineer inside that set my career in motion.

If you have a project that requires an experienced programmer, chief architect,  strategist, senior staff or executive staff member, strategist, technologist, project manager or business development executive and want to make things happen, contact me immediately. I have several projects underway but some are wrapping up.

There's no way to say this without sounding arrogant, or at the least very proud, but I have a proven track record of delivering technologies that redefine the software industry. From my early career working on systems levels development tools where I delivered the world's first solid library for writing swappable TSRs* to pioneering object oriented libraries to implementing the world's first self-updating platform uniformly used by a major software vendor, I have brought exceptional value to customers and extreme competitive advantage to my employers. The trend continues to this day with exciting work I am doing on web 2.0 applications.

I am platform and programming language agnostic, although I will admit to having a strong bias towards using Mac OS X to develop my code and favor Linux, OS X Server or FreeBSD as a server platform. When I develop native Windows applications or Windows .NET Server-side functionality I do so on a Mac running Windows, although I have many native Windows machines in my lab for compatibility testing. Whether it is C++, PHP, Python, C# or Java/J2EE, I have expertise in bringing web sites, multimedia, native desktop software and web services using an SOA and/or delivered as SAAS. On the database side I favor MySQL but have done plenty of development using Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, Sybase and others.

If you use a computer, you have probably been running software I have written for decades. A good percentage of people stay protected from Internet security risks by LiveUpdate, a component I invented in 1995 while working as Architect of Shared Technology Group for software giant Symantec Corporation. Some of my early assembly language code for accessing peripherals such as input devices such as the mouse, outputting to printing devices, or putting the pedal to the metal to enhance graphics or spreadsheet performance, my code is integrated into many best selling products and operating systems. I suspect just about every computer running Windows and many running Apple operating systems have pieces of code I have written, in some cases two decades ago, still in use today. I am very proud of this and feel a great responsibility to make sure my code is well designed, well coded, and thoroughly tested so it stands the test of time.

For the time being I am self-employed and available to discuss any project. My specialty above all else is communication between the key functional areas and customers to drive alignment on the right way to deliver a software component. I love challenges and favor tasks that involve high levels of difficulty, disruptive technologies, and aggressive timeframes. Click here for a more traditional look at my background.

I live in the MetroWest area of Massachusetts. I relocated here after two decades on the west coast including Los Angeles, San Jose/Santa Cruz/Silicon Valley, Portland, Oregon and Seattle, WA. I have gone wherever the most exciting work has been. While located in one region, I do work for partners and employers throughout the US and all over the world. I am self-motivated and driven to provide excellent service. At this point in my life having just turned 45 my mobile days are over as the kids and step kids become young adults. I expect the New England region to be my permanent home but expect about 35% of my work will continue to involve west coast partners.

I do not narrowly define my interests and work in a variety of market segments and vertical markets. Currently one project involves revolutionizing the ecommerce industry, another creating the next generation of Internet-based music consumption and all the social networking aspects that go with the music scene, and another project I am helping build and launch a website dedicated to helping people life a "greener" life. I don't build weapons or instruments of hate and I do not work on products in the grey areas of legality, but other then that I am open minded and truly excited by fresh ideas. In recent months I help roll out some excellent J2EE-based web services to help marketing departments comply with the emerging laws and customs around how potential customers can be contacted.

I have developed some of my own products that I will soon be selling on this site. These are products that emerged out of needs I discovered while working on various projects. The most immediate product is my new simple content anagement system for web sites.

If you haven't read this site in detail, you may have missed a few of my special interests and projects. I love music. I love building web sites for music, writing music-related software, and working on technology related to music and video. I can help you setup everything from a simple home recording studio to building a collaborative live Internet jam session application.

I spent several years raising guide dogs for the wonderful organization Guide Dogs for the Blind. My late wife Cyndi got us involved in this program and just thinking about the wonderful experience brings tears of joy to my eyes. I have written much about this experience elsewhere on the web. This experience also helped me understand some opportunities and challenges for disabled people related to using the web I can help create web sites and applications that can tap the great power and intellect of the under-utilized disabled community.

I am a father of a teenager. I am an active parent who was President of the home and school club (PTA-like organization). I lost my wife to illness in 2005 and became a single father of a teenager. Some beautiful things have happened in my life, and being a parent tops the list. I am also lucky enough to have found love again. Believe me, the quality of your life experiences build character and help you find the right path in other aspects of your life such as business. I would love to discuss my thoughts n this with you sometime. But for now suffice to say that I have lived and loved much in my 45 years that make me a better person, a better businessman, a better member of the global community.

I also have developed an expertise at building recording studios. For as little as $1000, I can help you set up a recording studio to capture your talent. This is a great way to encourage your kids to stick to their music studies. I can also help schools, religious institutions, clubs, or businesses setup audio and video production facilities. In the last 4 months I have built two home studios.

Over the last few years, the power of home computers and the quality of music recording software/hardware has grown immensely. It is now possible to record professional quality audio in your own home or office. It is easier then you probably think to do this. If you have musical talent, have kids with talent, need to record audio or video for business or recreational purposes, contact me.

What a great holiday present a home recording studio would make for the musician in your life!

I haven't posted my phone numbers on this site to avoid spam calls, but email me and I will be happy to give you all the information you need.

I apologize for the long rambling nature. It is not that I lack focus in writing concise documents. I am an expert at brief, effective, unambiguous documentation. In this case I felt I had much to say. Anyone who has made it this far in the document is someone I would like to meet to discuss how we can find a win-win business relationship. A business partner and friend recently told me this site is very personal. Yes it is. I am an extroverted person and I want you to know and respect me. I believe disclosing details of my motivations and background foster positive business relationships.

Some of my accomplishments can be found here at Rich's Accomplishments. Examples of recent work can be found here at Rich's recent projects. Information on my self-published software can be found .Rent a CTO page.