Welcome to our blog!
This blog is intended as a place to write about the interesting things we’ve all seen over the years as it relates to software. We want to explore how software is changing how we live our lives, how we work, and how the complexities of software change has introduced brand new challenges in bringing new ideas or new products to market. The tie that binds the three of us together is our experience working at MKS where we all believe there are better ways to build products and to deliver value to the business faster and better!
The main focus of our blogging will be around software innovation as it relates to organizations that rely on application development and IT teams to support the business. For example, a bank that has some fresh ideas on how to offer new programs, a pharmaceutical that is racing to be first to market, or consumer goods that are looking for advances in inventory or distribution management. At first glance, these businesses may seem unrelated to software, but in fact it’s the innovation in software that makes the difference in bringing these products to market.
Let us introduce ourselves:
Geek #1
Marty is a senior product manager that has brought various products to the marketplace with the majority of his career working on the IBMi/iSeries/AS400 platform. This platform is known for stability even as it goes though it’s modernization refresh. Speaking of modernization, Marty with 25+ years experience in this market is now a product owner! He is fully engaged in Agile, working on the most advanced platforms, working in the cloud and uncovering new ways of doing things. As software changes, so do we all!
Geek #2
Lance is happiest when he is knee deep in understanding customer problems and working on the technical details on how to solve them. With 15 years experience working directly with customers he has seen firsthand how software is rapidly changing how we do almost everything. Among the three of us, Lance is our level set – the guy who embraces change strategically for the customers we work with. How can we do better? What makes sense and works best within the existing infrastructure? How can we implement for greater returns in the future, without hurting short term results.
The Gal
Kathy is the optimistic, energetic, idea gal that comes from the sales and marketing side of business. 15 years ago when she started working in the technology field, software was a necessary evil, a cost center, an unknown with lots of risk. The sales and marketing around it was all based on fear, the anxiety, the "What keeps you up at night?" scenario. Today, it's so much more exciting – software is the way of the future, it's how people innovate, it's the differentiator between legacy systems of yesterday and the new frontier. Kathy works with customers that understand technology is a business enabler, that app dev teams don't belong in the basement, but work hand in hand with the business to deliver value faster and better!
We want to hear from you! Please post your comments on how software is changing the way you do business and the challenges you are facing.
Until next time,
Kathy
