Brian Blank

Cary, NC 27519 Telephone: (919) 267-4292 Email: bblank@vvisions.net

Summary:
20+ years of experience in the design and implementation of n-tier PC and Web based systems. Specialist in the design of fast, user-friendly interfaces. Clients include companies in the automotive, transportation, shipping, insurance, medical, publishing and utility industries. Currently developing secure corporate Web applications using Flex RIA interfaces with J2EE backends. Strong graphics background. Excellent communication skills.

Technical Skills:
Flex Technologies Java Technologies Web Technologies Languages Databases Operating Systems Application Servers Graphics Flex Builder (3.0), Flash Builder (Flex 4.5), ActionScript, Cairngorm, Mate, BlazeDS, FlexUnit Eclipse, J2EE, JDK 1.6, Servlets, JSP, JMS, RMI, EJB, JNDI, JUnit, Architecture and Design Patterns, SOA, Struts Framework, Spring Framework, Hibernate, i18n (internationalization) HTML, DHTML, XHTML, XML, XSL, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, AJAX, WSDL Java, ActionScript, HTML, JavaScript, SQL, UML, XML DB2, Oracle, MS SQL Server, MySQL, MS Access Linux, UNIX, Windows WebLogic, Tomcat Adobe PhotoShop

Education:
B.A. in Computer Science Magna Cum Laude from Hunter College, NYC, NY in 1990

Experience: Amdocs, Morrisville, NC

Senior Flex Developer For DexOnes key sales tracking and customer relations management system: Migrated the entire codebase to follow Adobe standards and established Cairngorm as the framework used for new functionality which stabilized the system for ongoing development. Planned and implemented the migration to Flash Builder 4.5 for all developers. Provided training and wrote the developer standards manual currently used by Amdocs Flex developers. Optimized much of the core functionality and implemented an improved look and feel. Designed / implemented a custom approach to integrating external applications into Flex applications. Successfully integrated: o o A custom Google Maps interface with maps that are auto-updated when users apply a search filter or sort the results. DexOnes Client Defector Survey to support their No Client Left Behind strategy.

10/10 Present

Ensured the delivery of integrated calendar components used to schedule and manage sales rep appointments. Developed business strategies, cost / benefit analysis and ways to improve communication that helped to put Amdocs in a better position to compete for future projects within DexOne. For DexOne managers and sales reps: Developed a desktop business lookup tool in Flex 4.6 that searches a customer database based on multiple criteria. Selected results display customer details with a link to the customer relations management system, Google search results for the business name, Google Maps pinned on the customer's location and desktop search results that include all Outlook appointments, email and files that contain the customer's business name. The user interface is visually engaging with resizable panels, custom state transitions and the ability to pin selections and include them with new search results. This application allows sales reps to quickly prepare prior to contacting their clients with comprehensive information that gives them a competitive edge.

Brian Blank
BMW, Woodcliff Lake, NJ
Senior J2EE Developer/Analyst

page 2 5/00 11/09

Based on my initial work with the companys internal portal, designed and developed BAANS (BMW Application Access and Navigation Services) which replaced over 75 megabytes of static html and images (and an expensive outside vendor) with a very small, dynamically generated navigation and content system. The concept and success of the initial implementation led to my development of a J2EE version as a US market enterprise solution. The success of this version then led to BAANS approval as the basis for BMWs global S-Gate portal system which is still used today. This effort saved the company millions of dollars in development costs and helped position key managers for larger projects. Also designed and developed the administration system for BAANS that allows links to new apps to be added to portals via a fully internationalized interface with numerous configuration options that control how the apps url is displayed (new window, full or partial frame, etc.). New application links can be added or modified in less than a minute and are immediately available to users via a refresh call to the Weblogic cluster. Developed the enrollment and cancellation process for the company vehicle version of the BMW Assist program (equivalent of OnStar). Enrollment and cancellation requests are prepared, validated and sent as JMS messages during a triggered batch process that generates and emails a results report (including details of any failures) to key administrators. Developed the front-end for BMWs Incentives system, which manages all aspects of the companys vehicle incentive programs. This included the development of implementation mechanics for new enterprise rules regarding the layout and appearance of screen objects that became the standard used by multiple development teams. As a member of an international team, played a key role in the development of BMWs mission critical Online Ordering Overseas (OOO) system, a collection of applications that manage all aspects of vehicle supply management: order entry/modification, inquiries, locators, transfers, summaries and analysis. OOO allows dealers and subsidiaries throughout the world to provide more options to customers, slash the time it takes to deliver cars, and greatly reduce overstock. For OOO, developed / implemented: Original Release: The entire front-end for two of the most used applications within OOO: Vehicle Locator and Multiple Vehicle Inquiry. Vehicle Locator allows dealers and subsidiaries to apply fine grain filters to locate cars within the pipeline while Multiple Vehicle Inquiry provides detailed information for up to 10 specified chassis numbers. Several custom tags and various solutions to complex front-end requirements such as state management between applications. A common, centralized confirmation page that dynamically configures itself to display in any number of permutations. This page replaced 41 existing reports (over multiple applications), required a tiny fraction of the original code and was trivial to learn and maintain. Web interfaces for most applications within the system. A generic solution to generating filtered HTML reports from any web page. On demand reports are available to every screen in the system through a shared template that only requires exclusion markers within each screen's code to filter out unwanted objects (such as buttons). This solution replaced the need to programmatically create several dozen required reports and prevented a budget and timeline crisis. Real time on-the-fly PDF reports using Jasper Reports (open source tool). Security documentation, development / execution of security related test plans and results analysis. Presentation Layer documentation. Sequence diagrams for all applications within OOO.

Brian Blank
Later Releases (as a lead developer): The majority of a new framework that allowed for very rapid front-end development.

page 3

Refactored and centralized large amounts of redundant code that had become difficult to maintain and extend. This was particularly true of the systems forms, actions and associated helper screens. Created a master form and action class to dramatically reduce the amount of code and allow a wider range of extended functionality to be added from a common code base. A web standards approach to web interfaces that follows established best practices. Replaced all <table> markup with <div> tags and made layouts style sheet driven, theme based and skinnable. Moved all validation to the server and reduced existing JavaScript to a minimum. As a result, 60 percent less markup is passed through the network than the original release with significant performance and scalability benefits along with much greater code extensibility and portability. A generic and portable approach to the management of screen object display attributes over hundreds of user contexts that replaced the difficult to read and maintain hard coded version. My solution was to create a regular expression-like notation that allowed complex rules to be created that could be evaluated in any context by a rule manager class. These rules were written to a spreadsheet where each worksheet contains the rules for a given application. The spreadsheet looks like (and serves as) a report but it is also the actual input file that is read in on system startup and stored in a singleton application scope hashmap. Developed a dynamic, custom JUnit test that generated spreadsheets showing the display attributes and rules for all major screens over hundreds of profile configurations and context settings to verify that the rules would be correctly applied without the need to hire testers for full regression analysis. Also developed a maintenance app prototype using Flex 3 with Mate to allow an overseas manager to maintain the rules without the spreadsheet. Several new applications, numerous updates and additional features as new markets were added.

Con Edison, New York, NY

Senior Web Developer/Analyst

6/99 4/00

Developed the companys high profile Emergency Operating System (EMOPSYS) using Visual InterDev 6.0, ASP, DHTML, SQL Server 6.5, ADO and Crystal Reports. This Intranet application manages the accounts of customers for whom any loss of power is considered unacceptable. Features include extensive user-defined filtering, customizable exports to Excel and several report options. EMOPSYS displays and navigates more like a traditional desktop application because its design is based on the inter-window communications capabilities of frames and document-owned inline frames. This approach greatly reduces the number of database requests by only updating screen elements that change (most Web applications will reload an entire page when only a small section or single value has changed). The core mechanics are contained in shared generic modules (all data handling routines, validation, etc. for the entire application are centralized in single modules) while fields, variables, values, etc. are supplied through templates that are filled in and supplied as include files. This approach allows for very rapid extensibility. Since these generic modules have already been debugged and the templates follow a standard, systems based on this flexible model can be developed, tested and moved to production in a fraction of the time required by traditional methods. Developed the Crew Management System (CMS), which has given Con Edison the ability to quickly assemble and manage all aspects of recovery crews during and following a severe storm or other crisis. The model described above has been extended and enhanced to meet the diverse requirements of CMS. Features include a sophisticated work hours scheduling module, hotel-lodging assignment and tracking (with expense reporting, etc.), key contact management, damage assessment, storm data archiving and retrieval, numerous maintenance features and report options.

Brian Blank
Franklin Health, Upper Saddle River, NJ
Senior Web Developer

page 4 12/97 - 2/99

Designed and developed the Personal Path Patient Care Management System (PPPCMS) as an IIS Extranet application using Visual Basic 6.0 Web Classes and Business Objects, ASP, DHTML, SQL Server 6.5, ADO, MTS and Crystal Reports. This system manages most aspects of complex patient care and features a streamlined, visually appealing interface, intuitive ease of use and rapid extensibility. Designed to scale from 100 initial users to more than 2000, the programming model for this system was carefully planned to utilize generic modules that are easily modified and extended. This approach gave the company the ability to quickly develop additional systems as their business expands. Additional accomplishments include: Developed a full-featured prototype for PPPCMS in VB 6.0 that served as the blueprint for the Web version. This prototype is currently used nationwide as a training system for new users. Created a training manual for the prototype with a corresponding HTML on-line version. Created a drill down HTML help file detailing PPPCMS database tables, stored procedures, user defined types, rules and conventions. Developed the Oxford Case Finder System, an Intranet application that analyzes a daily feed of prospect information and allows field nurses to quickly evaluate and process candidates for the companys complex care program. Developed an Intranet billing summary application that produces Web reports, Excel spreadsheets and a National Standards formatted file for uploading to a mainframe. Developed new techniques for data persistence and dynamically updating formatted information windows. Created custom interface elements such as a DHTML tab control and navigation bar.

United Parcel Service, Mahwah, NJ

Senior Visual Basic Developer/Analyst

6/97 - 12/97

Led the development of the core revenue components of the Customer Action Response System (CAReS). CAReS is the largest client/server system ever developed in-house at UPS and is used internationally by more than 12,000 operators. The system was developed using Visual Basic 4.0 with Access 7.0 to AS/400 to mainframe connectivity. Redesigned existing code into a class module implementation that cut the amount in half and greatly improved performance and maintainability. Developed numerous modules to add/improve functionality. Updated code throughout the entire system to reflect proper and consistent variable naming conventions and standards. Co-developed the UPS Pop Reader E-Mail system that features an intuitive interface and the ability to view complex documents.

New York Life Insurance Company, New York, NY

Senior Visual Basic Developer/Analyst

4/96 - 6/97

Developed e-mail based policy viewers using advanced COM techniques in Visual Basic 4.0 / 5.0. These applications run stand-alone or as COM servers embedded into client applications while sharing other embedded COM objects themselves. The success of this reusable component model has restructured the companys future development plans. Additional accomplishments include: Developed a corporate e-mail based bulletin board system using VB 4.0 that became one of the most widely used applications within the company. Developed an e-mail based report server that was shared by a wide range of applications. Written using VB 4.0 and ReportEase, this COM server featured several user defined options and conditional sub-reporting. Developed a data dictionary application using VB 4.0 and Access 7.0 featuring point and click drill up/down lists that cross-reference all of the relationships throughout all of the applications developed by the IS team. This tool substantially improved development time and accuracy. Setup Windows NT 4.0 Server and assisted in building a website to display project related information using Internet Information Server, custom ActiveX controls (created in VB 5.0) and an SQL Server 6.5 database.

Brian Blank
The Port Authority Of NY & NJ, New York, NY
Senior Systems Designer/Analyst

page 5 6/89 - 4/96

Managed all aspects of several major projects, which involved learning a number of businesses, designing complex specifications, coding under high-pressure deadlines, training staff and preparing and giving presentations. Accomplishments include: Designed and developed the CONfirm! Mini-Profile System using VB 3.0 and Access 2.0. This system tracks minority owned firms via point and click user defined queries generated by a sophisticated string manipulation routine that builds the SQL statements along with a user-friendly dialog describing the query. With its extensive query capabilities and highly customized interface, this system became the model for PC development standards and Visual Basic training for in-house staff. Designed and developed the ECO Rideshare System using VB 3.0 and Access 2.0. This system tracks car pooling at various facilities and features automatic scheduling and user defined performance reports. Led the design, development and installation of the Tenant Alteration Management System (TAMS) on a DEC server using Pathworks. This system was written using Paradox 4.5 and tracks all phases and aspects of the engineering and construction process for tenants in the World Trade Center complex. TAMS includes a powerful ad hoc query engine and many advanced features unavailable on the market at that time. As a result of TAMS success, managed a team of consultants to develop the Aviation Tenant Alteration Management System (ATAMS) which still tracks all aspects of construction at JFK, La Guardia and Newark airports. Received both the CFO and CIO awards for excellence. After the explosion at the World Trade Center, designed and developed the Garage Parking Information Management System (GPIMS) using Paradox 4.5. Originally designed as a temporary system, GPIMS was so well received that it was expanded into a sophisticated network application. Designed and developed the Port Authority's Professional, Technical and Advisory Vendor Database using Paradox 4.0. This application tracks consulting companies, the skills they offer, their distribution, performance ratings and other statistics. Worked on the design, development, installation, testing and support of the two largest mainframe systems ever installed at the Port Authority: The Maintenance Management Information System (MMIS) and PATH's Vehicle Maintenance and Material Management System (VM/MMS). Developed PC based data collection applications for both systems (using dBASE 4.0) and PL/I and COBOL programs to translate the collected data to VSAM files. For VM/MMS, developed an interface to the Port Authority's General Ledger accounting system and dozens of maintenance programs. Received a team award and several letters of appreciation from customers.