Personal details

Tim L. - Remote

Tim L.

Timezone: London (UTC+1)

Summary

My business, Tigra Astronomy, specializes in producing software, instruments and automation systems for astronomers. The majority of our work is hardware/software interface and observatory automation and we specialise in ASCOM drivers using C# and .net but we also do many other things.

I've used C# and .Net almost exclusively for more than 10 years ever since it was first introduced in 2001. In total, I have more than 30 years' experience of software development, spanning embedded systems, telephony, communications, web/ecommerce, astronomy and things too numerous to list.

I'm dedicated to the concept of continuous self-improvement and I try to adopt modern, agile practices and our internal processes are based around Atlassian Jira, Stash and Fisheye; Git with GitFlow; and TeamCity continuous integration and build. We unit test using the MSpec framework and FakeItEasy.

We can mentor you through developing a software development process, as well as with specific projects in C# and .Net languages.

Work Experience

Software Architect
TiGra Astronomy | Jan 2009 - Present
TiGra Astronomy produces software that helps to automate telescopes, observatory buildings and other astronomy-related equipment. Our software is in use in observatories around the world, including the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, NASA and other professional and amateur installations. We helped to commission the largest operational optical telescope in the British Isles. We actively support the ASCOM Initiative, a loose collaboration of developers who promote standards and produce interfacing software within the astronomy sector.
Small Business Technology Specialist
TiGra Networks | Nov 2005 - Present
TiGra Networks specialises in providing and managing IT and Communications Technology for small and medium businesses. We'll get involved in any computer-related task or problem and our Managed IT Plans are designed to provide worry-free, secure, reliable computer networks for businesses of any size. Our particular speciality is Microsoft Small Business Server for businesses with 5 to 75 computers. I'm responsible for most of the technical functions at TiGra, from building computers to installing, configuring, monitoring and troubleshooting software and networks. I also act as a business IT advisor. I am a Microsoft Certified Professional and an accredited Microsoft Small Business Specialist and in 2007-2010 I was awarded the prestigious "Microsoft Most Valuable Professional" award for my work with Windows Small Business Server. TiGra Networks is a Microsoft Partner and has a strong focus on providing business solutions founded on Microsoft software.