Frank Wales

frank@limov.com

1978-1980 Started programming for fun 1981-1982 Wrote articles for computing magazines 1981-1983 Studied Computer Science full-time 1982 Discovered Unix, e-mail and Usenet 1982 Helped found HPCC 1983-1990 Developed embedded & mobile systems for Zengrange 1990-1991 Co-founded Grep 1991-1993 Director, Greplite 1991- Director, ArcGlade 1995-1999 Co-founder, director, Limitless 2000- Director, Limitless Innovations 2003 Diploma in Music 2004 BSc (Hons) Science

Frank's roles have gone from embedded and distributed software development and Unix systems administration, to Internet-based development and technical design, to technical consulting and advice to businesses.

Co-founding the user group HPCC eventually led to his first job at Zengrange, writing embedded and mobile systems, and creating tools for other developers.

He finished his time with Zengrange by working at HP's calculator development labs in Oregon to develop the cross-over product for their next-generation top-end scientific calculator, the HP-48SX.

Throughout his career, Frank has also generally been responsible for the organisation and running of business-critical computer systems, usually involving Unix and TCP/IP networks. His experience in providing advice and support in distributed computing and network management was recognised by Hewlett-Packard's professional services organisation, with whose major clients he consulted regarding their business-critical operations.

He was co-founder of Limitless, one of Britain's longest-established Internet businesses, and its managing director from 1995 to 1999.

Qualifications

BSc (Hons) Science, Open University, UK (2004)

Diploma in Music, Open University, UK (2003)

His honours degree is based on both the formal education in computer science he got after programming for years for fun while studying medicine, and his more recent studies on molecular biology and graph theory.

Related activities

He spoke at NetWorld+Interop in 1996 on Internet service provider business strategies. He has given Internet-related interviews to BBC radio and television. He is named as co-inventor on the patent for an Internet-based distributed communications system.

Frank takes the time consider the bigger picture behind software development and consulting through his regular participation in the Psychology of Programming Interest Group, and contributes the light-hearted Doddery fodder column to the group's newsletter.

In print

2002: Frank co-edited and contributed to RCL 20, and designed and produced it with Paola Kathuria. The book celebrates 20 years of HPCC, the Handheld and Portable Computer Club in the UK that Frank co-founded in 1982.    RCL 20: People, Dreams & HP Calculators, W.A.C. Mier-Jedrzejowicz Ph.D. & Frank Wales (Eds), 2002, ISBN: 0-9510733-3-8

1994: Frank was invited to speak, and chair a session, at a NATO advanced research workshop on software development environments; his wishlist for software development environments is published in the workshop proceedings: User-Centered Requirements for Software Engineering Environments, Springer-Verlag, 1994 (Amazon or Springer-Verlag).

Experience

Co-owner, Limitless Innovations (2000-present)

Online systems design and development, technical and business consulting.

Main projects:

• BBC: Theme IdeaTorrent (2009-)
• Harbury Media Ltd: the-racehorse.com web site (2006-)
• Totally Essential: Web site development (2000-2009)
• BBC: TweetStore (2009)
• Harbury Media Ltd: the-racehorse.com stallion statistics database (2008-2009)
• BBC: RSSCatcher (2007-2008)
• BBC: BBC 2007 Innovation Lab (2007)
• BBC: BBC 2006 Innovation Lab (2006)
• Cardata: Intranet (2001-2005)
• Oxford University Press: Oxford English Dictionary web site redesign (2003)
• Berry Bros. & Rudd: Consultancy (2002-2003)

Co-founder, Limitless Technical Dimensions Ltd (1995-1999)
Managing director, involved in new business generation, client liaison, proposal writing, sales. Main client-facing roles were technical and strategic consulting, back-end software design and development, implementation of web sites and related services. Helped specify and operate Limitless's web hosting environment and Internet connectivity. Specified and built several internal and back-office systems.

Some projects in which Frank had a major role:

• Oxford University Press: General & technical consultancy (1997-2000)
• Institute of Physics Publishing: Web site development (1998-2000)
• Oxford University Press: OED Online Tour (1999-2000)
• Limitless: Web site (1995-1999)
• Cybersport: New product development (1996-1999)
• An international telecoms company: UK ISP telephone survey & business intelligence (1997-1998)
• An international telecoms company: European ISP web-based survey (1997-1998)
• Sainsbury's: Wine Direct web site (1995-1997)
• Cybersport: Proof of concept (1996)
• Berry Bros. & Rudd: Web site (1995)

Co-owner, ArcGlade Services Ltd (1991-1999)
Software development and systems administration consultant and developer. Responsible for specifying, procuring and maintaining internal computer systems and networking.

Client projects include:

• Hewlett-Packard: Technical consultancy (1995-1996)
• Charity Commission: System administration (1991-1993)
• Disney: System administration (1994-1995)
• Nat West Markets: System administration (1993-1994)
• Orbitel Mobile Communications: Software development (1991)

Director, Greplite Ltd (1991-1993)

• extended the HP-41 emulator to host custom application packages for engineering companies in the oil industry

Software technology developer, Grep Ltd (1990-1991)

• developed new, patentable and licensable software technologies, including alert monitoring and integration software, and spectrophotometric analysis software
• jointly responsible for the company's computer infrastructure.

Software designer, developer, consultant, Zengrange Ltd, Leeds (1983-1990)

• responsible for software design or implementation for fifteen different products or systems
• jointly responsible for managing and developing the company's computing infrastructure, and its communications with the outside world
• appointed as company's internal software resource for solving technical problems on any project shortly before leaving the company

More information is available on projects for Zengrange:

• HP-41 Emulator for HP-48 (1989-1990)
• Technical services (1984-1990)