James Cowan

I am a software developer. I work in a variety of programming languages. I mainly use the Java J2EE programming environment; in the past I have been a C/C++ developer. I also work with Web programming languages including Javascript and Actionscript/Flex.

Services

I have three main areas of technical expertise.

I enjoy gathering requirements and writing specifications; I tend to employ specification techniques that are closely integrated with the development process.

I am an experienced web developer and have a good grasp of the tools, techniques and varied skills needed to develop a web site; I am particularly interested in Ajax style applications and know Javascript well.

I also specialise in distributed systems and Internet protocols. I have practical knowledge of messaging systems (JMS and Tibco Rendezvous), REST/SOAP, CORBA and socket level development. I have a research background in network management and Internet protocols.

Approach

Software projects are not easy; my approach is to keep things simple and to use techniques that enable rapid development.

Reviews

I prefer to use open source software packages; not only are they free but the best ones have a large community of users who test and support the software extensively. For software and book reviews click here.

CV

I have worked for a wide range of organisations: for financial services companies (Deutsche Bank, HSBC and RBS) and NGOs (Commonwealth Secretariat, Crown Agents and World Bank) and small software consultancies and startups. In the 1990s I was a Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Computer Science, University College London, where I worked in the communications and distributed systems research group. For more details see CV.

Contact

Here are my contact details.