What I do.
This site defines what Calkins Computer Consulting/Bill Calkins does. Mainly, I help people and businesses use their investments in technology to save time and money. I love technology and coffee, too.
I've been in the business for 30 years and find the tech fascinating. I enjoy learning new programming languages (currently Swift) and architectures (MVC, MVC-N, and MVVM). I'm trying to wrap my brain around SwiftUI, async/await, and Reactive programming.
My most recent work was consulting with Guitar Center to build an internal iOS application that allowed store associates to sell gear. The app used SwiftUI, MVVM, and async/await to perform its tasks. The app utilized tap-to-pay (TTP) and barcode scanning to make the customer experience effortless. The app used AWS APIs and custom Point of Sale (POS) data that furnished XML requests and responses. I implemented a task cancellation strategy in the network layer. I also improved the logging by implementing unified logging.
I worked previously at Bryte on a small team of mobile, embedded, and cloud engineers worldwide to create a revolutionary IoT device (Bryte Balance Smart Bed). The iOS app is written in SwiftUI, Combine, and Swift’s Modern Concurrency (async/await). It uses Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and MQTT to talk to the Bryte Balance Smart Bed.
I've worked extensively with mobile applications (mainly iOS), MS.NET, and Java/JBoss to build web solutions. I utilized SwiftUI/Combine to create an app that used functional/reactive programming to allow agents to sell independently. I also helped lead the My Amfam app, which has a 4.8 rating in the Apple App Store. Writing iOS apps for the enterprise is a challenge. Bridging the slow-moving world of the enterprise to the fast-moving consumer world can be challenging at times but rewarding.
Being technical is only half the battle. Being able to work with people and not have them feel intimidated by technology is the other half. If a person is comfortable with a tool, they will not use it confidently and become useful.
At home, I have a thirteen-year-old son that keeps me busy. Watching him grow into an outstanding person is the main joy in my life. He amazes me daily. Luckily, I have a fantastic wife too. She is a great Mom and the energy inside of her lights up a room.