Raymond Deal
Sr. Software Developer/Project Manager

I am an accomplished Software Developer with over 14 years experience specializing in Windows and Web based application development using various languages, tools, and technologies. I have a proven track record of successfully creating new software, migrating databases, and maintaining existing applications.

In addition to my development experience, I have over 8 years experience with client/server databases, creating SQL scripts and stored procedures. This experience was essential to my many reports, data migration projects, and database upgrades.

Currently, I'm self-employed and working as a consultant for large South Florida companies in the Real Estate, Mortgage, Call Center, and Telecom industries. With my consulting background, I have learned to work and communicate well with other people and teams in a corporate environment. I am able to complete projects within a given budget in an efficient and timely manner.

Professional Bio

My software development career started three months after getting out of the military in 1992. I was hired by a company called Direct Link Software as a forms design specialist designing and implementing tax forms for their DOS based "TurboTax ProSeries" software. After proving myself, I was promoted to junior programmer a month later. My key role as the junior programmer was creating the Error Reporting Class and the Installation modules using Clipper 5.x. I also played a key role on QA team as a level III support person. My career was moving fast, it seemed like nothing could stop my progress. A few months later, the company was bought by another software company called ChipSoft, in turn they merged with Intuit, the current owner of "TurboTax".

Even though we lost our jobs after the ChipSoft buyout, it was a blessing in disguise. Within weeks of getting laid off, I was able to find work as a consultant making twice as much, and working on many software projects with different companies. Even though I wasn't working on nationally known software, I was learning more about developing. I knew so much about the language I was using that I was able to develop and sell a mouseable event driven menu system. If you know Clipper 5.x, then you know that was not an easy task for any software developer.

As demand for new DOS applications fades fast in the mid 1990's, I decided to move into the Windows development platform using Delphi, instead of the delayed ridden CA Visual Objects (Clipper replacement for Windows). At that time, Delphi was the best Windows based application development language. The timing couldn't have been better, the demand for upgrading DOS applications to Windows was on the rise, and the demand for maintaining legacy applications was great too. I found myself doing both.

As the 90's came to an end, and the demand for Windows application development was on the decline, I found myself at a cross road again. Due to all the different languages and tools that are available for website development, the decision to move from Windows to Web based development was more complicated than DOS to Windows. Luckily, I had an opportunity to create a data driven dynamic website using a language of my choice. I decided to try ASP and VBScript, and as it turns out, that was probably the best decision of my career. It opened a new set of doors, and the excitement I have for programming couldn't have been greater.

As my experience for website development was increasing, so was my opportunities and professional relationships. During the year 2000 and 2001, I was working as a team lead website developer at a company called DemandStar. As it turns out, DemandStar was in negotiations with Onvia, months later we were bought out, and the company was on the move to Seattle. Thankfully, DemandStar gave us a nice severance package, and it gave me a chance to go out on my own.

Since then, I have been working as a consultant, and as of December 2003, I have successfully ran a small computer consultant company called Data Technologies Inc. Only negative thing I can say about running a company is that I find myself doing more than just development, including daily operational processes related to my company, and projects that customers need that are not development related.  On the positive side, getting involved on all aspects of a project gives me a better understanding of what it takes to complete one.