Snakes in the Office
December 11, 2008
Not really; but there was a toy snake that everyone wanted to get their hands on at the LUCRUM office. You might be reading this and thinking, “what in the world?” Well its really not that crazy. Last Friday LUCRUM had their annual Christmas party hosted in the Bostick Center. We have food, drinks, friends, and a great gift exchange. This years White Elephant gift exchange was intense. Of course some people ended up with the annual regifts like Melissa Park’s Monkeys, Joe Thomas’ tomato and egg plant plates, and Jill Cole’s 1980s style picture frames. Some received the old balls gifts like Eric Duell’s half drank bottle of Hot Damn and Jesse Mathews’ power pack of Energy magazines. Then there was the power play gift; the radio controlled snake! As soon as the first person could steal, the snake was it. The next person; yep, the snake was it again! I think about 6 different people had Sammy the snake (hope you all enjoyed him). But at the end of the day, Dennis Foster became the proud owner of Sammy. Dennis, take good care of him. The rest of you, enjoy the pictures!
Merry Christmas!
Patrick Ryan Joins LUCRUM
October 7, 2008
LUCRUM is excited to announce that Patrick Ryan has joined the firm as a Senior Recruiter. Patrick is a seasoned veteran of the staffing industry, and is a consumate professional. Patrick will support and grow the staff supplementation arm of LUCRUM through the utilization of the vast network of Information Technology professionals he has come to know over the past 11 years. Other responsibilities will include working with the sales staff and introducing them to connections he has made in the community throughout his career.
Patrick is a graduate of The Ohio State University, and an avid fan of the Buckeyes. He is also very active in the local community. He is a volunteer for the American Red Cross, Camping Director for the IHM Pack 694 Cub Scouts and consistently donates blood every 8 weeks through the Hoxworth Blood Center. In addition, he belongs and has served as President to service organizations such as The Knights of Columbus and The Ancient Order of Hibernians. Each group is responsible for community service projects, raising money for disaster relief and the Hibernians have a special interest in supporting Irish cultural activities here in Cincinnati.
HOT JOB!
September 25, 2008
Developer (Skills in Oracle, Java, SQL, PL/SQL)
Location: Downtown Cincinnati, OH
Our client is a leading energy company focused on electric power and gas distribution operations, and other energy services in the Americas. This client is starting a new program where they will reach directly into the homes and businesses of their customers to smooth out the energy demand curve.
We are seeking seasoned IT developers with skills in PL/SQL, SQL, Oracle, and Java to join our successful team of consultants. We are interested in candidates who would like to work on an hourly basis as independent contractors as well as candidates who would like to work as a salaried LÛCRUM employee.
To apply and be given immediate consideration, please email your resume to luzzel@lucruminc.com. I hope to hear from you ASAP! Thank you!
PC?
September 22, 2008
Microsoft recently launched the second phase of it’s new “Windows Not Walls” ad campaign. The first phase, featuring Jerry Seinfeld and Bill Gates engaging in strange conversations, was wisely pulled from the air waves early. It was widely panned for its high price tag, being difficult to understand, and not mentioning a product. It did get people talking, but not really in the way one would hope spending 300 Million Dollars would.
Now, Phase 2 is much different, and in my opinion much more effective. These ads take the “I’m A PC” theme that Apple has so brilliantly created, and turn it upside down. They feature real people - some of them famous and some just regular folks - stating “I am a PC, and I _____” (fill in the blank with some trait or task associated with the speaker.)
I found the ads to be pretty engaging. I am a big believer in story telling as a vehicle for Marketing, and each speaker conveys a concise and unique story about themselves and their relationship to Microsoft. As a viewer, I was intrigued to see who was next and what they did? I was interested. The ad did a great job of making the point that Microsoft has relevance to real people doing real things. It was sort of the antithesis of the Seinfeld ads.
Another positive feature of the ads was the focus on the user. The ads don’t speak to features and functions, but rather to the real world applications and desired outcomes and of using technology. It is a shift in tone, and one that Microsoft should embrace wholeheartedly . This should go way beyond ads, and should be at the heart of every action the company takes. “How does this help make people’s lives better?” This should be the mantra that the firm embraces in all its decisions and actions.
It will be interesting to see if the story told in the ads matches the real world story that people experience with Microsoft. With competition coming from every angle, ads alone will not suffice. Still, the campaign is a step in the right direction.
For the record… I’m a Mac / PC / Ubuntu Linux Mutt who views the OS as increasingly irrelevant in a web based world - all good and well until a hurricane blows through Ohio, knocks out power, renders the web inaccessible, and makes television ads unavailable, at which time I am a human being.
What do you think of the new ads?
Loading ...My Definition of Architecture
September 17, 2008
What is an architecture? Well, let’s dissect that and see what we come up with. For starters, it is needed before we solve business problems, before we design and build systems and applications and before we put ‘things’ into production. If you build and deploy applications without an architecture, prepare for a long entrenched battle that threads through the realms of data, information, technology, and infrastructure. Saying that, I realize that most organizations do not have a formal architecture, but rather have general principles, standards and practices. This is one reason that IT is so challenging. Meeting agile business needs requires a dependable foundation of decisions.
An architecture is something that is addressed at the enterprise level. It is something that exists across the organization that enables an infrastructure (be it data, information, technology or infrastructure) to work together. So, in simple terms, an architecture is an enterprise wide agreed upon set of standards or direction. This implies that there is an overarching group that has responsibility across business and technical domains. And in turn this is enabled and actualized because someone, somewhere both understood and was able to sell the value of having a solid foundation.
Drilling down a bit further, the ‘agreed upon set of standards or direction’ really boils down to be a set of decisions. These decisions are made at all architectural levels; data, infrastructure, technology and information (to name a few important ones). These standards are in fact agreed upon rules of engagement that must exist. Further, these rules are derived only after a decomposition of systems (existing and non-existing) into its individual units. This decomposition is complete when each design orientation is at its most granular level. This is different for the different architectures.
The idea of an architecture is to break systems down to the specialist levels, so that these specialists can address the system (application) within their specific domain. Meaning, developers can receive requirements and think them through in the context of their specific architecture. And data folks can work from a common set of dependable rules of engagement that when followed across the enterprise provides them with a solid foundation on which to build, knowing that integration points, naming standards, metadata nomenclatures, taxonomies, etc. are there to rely on. The application folks can depend upon the architecture for proper building techniques, technology strategy, supporting documentation and so on. The information folks rely on the horizontal assurance that the right levels of metadata is in place and they anticipate the use of data to be consistent and so on.
So, an architecture is really a set of decisions that must be made across the enterprise, hopefully before the release of chaos (in the form of applications and system) at the most granular of forms so that it helps to manage this chaos from the bottom up as opposed to the top down. Managing from the bottom up is done via principles and standards, methodologies and best practices, governance and stewardship. Managing top down is just that, a downward spiral that is manifested by political infighting, protectionism, stagnation and a complete stoppage of the value chain (IT no longer can meet scope, costs, and schedules).
Happy architecting!
~ Scott Felten
Celebrating 50 Years of Computing Innovation, Achievement and Leadership
September 10, 2008
Even before the arrival of UC’s first computer in 1958, UC alumni, faculty and staff had already distinguished themselves in the new world of computing. From the arts and entertainment, to medicine, business and science, UC has had a positive impact on the computing world.
The goal of this conference is to highlight these achievements and to recognize those who have played a vital role in advancing the field of computing in their respective disciplines. The conference will serve as a way for alumni to reconnect with UC, students to learn more about computing history, and faculty in all areas to see how computers have enhanced their own field of study.
The celebration kickoff begins Monday, November 10, with a reception and dinner at the Kingsgate Marriott Conference Hotel, featuring the Keynote Address delivered by Robyn Render. Tuesday, November 11, features a number of presentations by UC faculty, staff, and alumni, followed by a wine and cheese reception at the Cincinnati Observatory Center.
Listen in as Russ McMahon talks about why this history is so important to our community. Sponsorships are still available for the conference. For more information contact Russ McMahon at russ.mcmahon@uc.edu or visit http://www.uc.edu/conferencing/Details.asp?ConferenceID=304
As the Seasons Change….New Career Opportunities Await!
September 3, 2008
Greetings! At LUCRUM, we have a number of exciting new opportunities. We have positions for consultants, for contract roles, for contract to hire, and for perm positions. If you are an IT professional looking for a new opportunity, please send me an email (luzzel@lucruminc.com). If you feel that any of the below positions are what you have been looking for, terrific - I want to hear from you right away! If you possess different skills, that is also terrific - please email me - we get new positions every single day and I truly look forward to finding the right opportunity for you!
* PL/SQL Developer (Downtown Cincinnati, OH). We are looking to hire someone on a permanent basis or on a long-term contract basis for this role. We are seeking technical, hands-on developers with experience in business process analysis and meeting facilitation. This person must be a PL/SQL developer with experience with Oracle. ASP.NET, Java and Lodestar experience are helpful.
* C# Developer (Columbus, OH). We are looking for permanent employees for our client and for 6 month contract employees. This position is seeking developers with experience in C#, SQL server, asp.net 2 framework, and with the ability to interface with the customer.
* Help Desk Support (Columbus, OH). This is a permanent position for our client.
* Software Quality Assurance (Columbus, OH). We are seeking candidates for a 3 month contract and for perm placement for our client. We need someone with quality assurance/software testing background - no specific automated QA tools necessary!
* SQL Analyst/Crystal Report Writer (Greater Cincinnati, OH area). This is a permanent placement opportunity with one of our clients. The client offers a unique, fun, and exciting work environment. The following skills are required: SQL 2000/2005 analyst experience, experience with Crystal Reports 9 and 10, excellent technical writing skills, and ASP.NET experience.
* Oracle 10g PL/SQL Backend Developer (Downtown, Cincinnati, OH). This is a 6 month contract-to-hire role with another of our valued clients. We need a pure backend developer for this one. Extensive experience with stored procedures, triggers, tuning, and tables is essential.
* Oracle 11g Senior DBA/Architect (Knoxville, TN). This is a 2 month contract role. Our client has a need for an expert, sr. level developer/architect to take over an implementation of an Oracle 11g system. Our client is currently experiencing some stabilization issues and needs an expert to help them resolve these issues. The system will incorporate Sterling Commerce WMS (Warehouse Management System). The successful candidate will need to: install (complete an install, since installation has begun), run, and provide short-term support.
* Enterprise Architect (Downtown, Cincinnati, OH). This position is a three month contract-to-hire role. This client has issues with a brittle data infrastructure and siloed IT group. This person will work on development of a data strategy to address these issues. This person will lead the initiative for both the production of the enterprise wide data strategy and its socialization and impact on existing strategies. Also, this role will involve working with the IT group to both produce the corporate level data strategy and to provide leadership and direction for the development of the master data management, metadata, business intelligence and database consolidation.
* Data Modeling (Downtown, Cincinnati, OH). We are seeking someone for a permanent placement or contract to hire role for this position. The requirements are data modeling with a slant or experience in an SOA. Masterdata management is helpful. Industry knowledge is not needed!
If you have any interest or know of anyone with any interest, please email me at luzzel@lucruminc.com. Please attach a resume and let me know what position you are interested in by putting the title in the subject line. Thank you very much! I am looking forward to hearing from you!
Crossing the Finish Line
August 19, 2008
I hate running for exercise. Just the thought makes me shudder. All the aches and pains that come the day after I can do without. I have no motivation to put my fragile body through that! 2008 Reggae Run The other day fellow LUCRUM employees Steve McWhorter and Julie Grant were talking about training for the Reggae Run and I volunteered to train for it as well.
What was I thinking? I hate running! So this weekend I started my training. I started “wogging”, a combination of walking and jogging. I wogged 4 miles on Saturday and about 3 miles Sunday. It was too much for my out of shape self because I hurt my foot and could barely walk the last 1/2 mile on Sunday. My training is already off to a bad start…curse those Oreo cookies I ate last week! I’m probably carrying around another 5 pounds because of that cookie binge.
During my “wogging” on Saturday I came up with the perfect motivation to keep me running and participating in future marathons. (Okay, the Reggae Run is not your typical marathon, but to me, 5K might as well be). A close friend of ours has an inoperable brain tumor that is slowly growing and at only 34 years of age, its a scary reality for him and his wife to face. Saturday, as I’m sweating and cursing with the hot sunshine on my face, I think, “I’ll do it for Johnny 5. I’ll run my butt off and send all this positive energy his way in hopes it will help him through this ordeal.” I’m the last person to believe in all that mumbo-jumbo…healing crystals, your individual chi, feng-shui…yada yada, but for Johnny, I’d do anything to help him get better.
When I first met him 7 years ago, I nicknamed him Johnny 5 after that cute little robot from that 80’s movie Short Circuit. That was Johnny, the sweet guy in the group. It’s like in every group of friends you have the Jock, the Ladies Man (sometimes more than one), the Comedian, the Leader, and the Quiet One. That was Johnny, the Quiet One. All my girlfriends loved him because he was so easy to make blush and the easiest one to talk to about anything. He was like your little brother that you wanted to protect from all the “Cougars” out there.
Another friend just recently convinced me to run in the United Air Force Marathon held in Dayton on September 19. I’m only doing the 5k portion but it’s so soon, I know I won’t be ready. When I’m embarrassing myself by crawling to the finish line on my hands and knees, at least it won’t be front of friends and family from Cincinnati.
So when I’m huffing and puffing next to my fellow LUCRUM employees in the Reggae Run I’ll keep thinking of Johnny and what he’s going through. I’ll make it to that damn finish line no matter what! Even if I’m the very last runner I’ll pass the finish line with my hands raised like an Olympian. I now have huge motivation for the worse exercise known to man (in my opinon), but best of all I have the perfect inspiration. If you have anyone who might motivate you to do the same, join us on October 4th, 2008 or be there on the sidelines to cheer us on. I’ll be wearing a t-shirt that says, “4 Johnny 5“.
LUCRUM Radio - Episode 7: Pat Crowley
August 13, 2008
Once upon a time, I was a Political Science undergrad at Wright State University. I spent countless hours reading, researching, and studying politics. Although I ultimately chose to pursue a
career in Marketing, I am still fascinated by the political process. So when I got the chance to interview Pat Crowley, political reporter for the Cincinnati Enquirer, I was elated.
This episode of LUCRUM radio was particularly interesting and enjoyable for me, and Pat shares some great insight about how he does his job. He talks about the changing dynamic between the media and the consumer created by technology. He also discusses how technology has changed the way in which he does his job. Pat also addresses some of the ways that technology is shaping the future of the political process - very timely in this Presidential election year.
My favorite part was where Pat describes Kentucky politics as a “Contact Sport.” Pat was so much fun to talk to, and I think that comes across in the podcast. Thanks to him for sharing his thoughts and taking the time to participate in LUCRUM Radio.
Kentucky Enquirer | nky NKY Politics Blog | nky.com
LUCRUM Radio: Episode 5, Craig Jolley Part 2
August 1, 2008
Listen as Craig Jolley, Web Marketing Manager with National City Mortgage, and I continue our discussion of emerging technology and how it will impact the future of business.
Craig has some great takes on how the “journey is as important as the destination” in terms of making technology that has an impact. He shares his thoughts on where technology has come from and where it is headed.
Thanks for Craig for taking time to speak with me, and for sharing his insights.
Enjoy!
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