(Last updated: January 6 2008) (CV på norsk)
Name:Bjørn Hell Larsen
Address: Øvre Strandgate 39, 4005
Stavanger, Norway
Born: July 8th 1960 in Bodø
Raised in
Bodø and Stavanger
Citizenship: Norwegian
Married since 1983, two children
2006-: Senior Consultant at Rubik Solutions AS, part of the Rubik Group AS. Consultant, lead developer, architect and advisor on HP Openview ServiceCenter and HP UCMDB for StatoilHydro, Rubik's largest customer.
2002-2006: Senior Systems Developer/Architect/Integrator at Oberon IT AS, earlier the Stavanger office of Manamind AS. Same responsibilities as earlier, with focus on development and systems integration.
1999-2002: Senior Systems Architect i Manamind AS, earlier InfoStream ASA (after a fusion with Intervett AS). Development, specifications, systems architecture, sales support, technical project management, product development.
1997-1999: Senior Partner at Intervett AS. Project management, contracts, sales, development, coaching.
1996-1997: Product Manager, Product Department of Statoil Data. Product development, project management.
1993-1997: Advisor, Corporate IT, Statoil Data. Project management, establishment of corporate standards and guidelines. Responsible for Statoil's Internet strategy.
1991-1993: Senior engineer, Statoil Data operations. Participated in the establishment of Statoil's national and global internal TCP/IP networks, mail systems, DNS, file servers etc.
1990-1991: Part-time work for the software company TeXcel AS in Oslo. Sales, development of SGML-based applications.
1987-1991: Senior engineer, University of Oslo (UiO) centre for IT services (USIT). Manager for the systems programmer group, responsible for systems programming, installation and configuration of the systems owned by the University.
1986-1987: "Sivilarbeider" at Norwegian Social Science Data Services. Programming and statistical analysis services for staff at the Social Sciences faculty at the University of Oslo.
1983-1987: Freelance journalist in Norwegian IT/technical publications such as Datatid, Teknisk Ukeblad, Computerworld. Wrote about technology that was new and hot at the time, such as PostScript, X Window System, Inmos Transputer.
1981-1986: Employed at the University of Oslo centre for IT services. Application development, maintenance of operating systems and standard software (compilers, tools, etc.).
1979-1980: Employed at the supermarket "Mattorget", Stavanger.
These are some larger projects where I have played a major role.
HP UCMDB implementation (2007) Participant in the implementation project for HP UCMDB/MAM 6.6 at StatoilHydro. Took part in application and infrastructure mapping. Implemented round-trip-safe integration between UCMDB and the ServiceCenter 6.2 CMDB using Connect-IT, Java, Web Services and Jython. Appointed permanent status as systems responsible for the UCMDB solution as that was moved into production.
ServiceCenter 6.1 to 6.2 upgrade (2007) Tehnical architect/developer for StatoilHydro's upgrade project from ServiceCenter 6.1 to 6.2.
Self-service intranet portal (2007) Statoil decided to move away from ESS in favor of a wholly integrated portal implemented in SAP EP. We designed and implemented a middleware component that provides call functionallity (with backend linked incident and request handling) to the SAP EP frontend. Technologies: WebSphere, Java, Web Services using AXIS, SC6.1. My roles: technical architect and lead developer.
ServiceCenter 5.1 to 6.1 upgrade (2006) Technical architect/developer for Statoil's upgrade project from ServiceCenter 5.1 to ServiceCenter 6.1. Overall responsibibility for technical architecture. Did significant technical work myself, especially in the areas of CMDB, ESS, Connect-IT and backend integrations, database conversion and performance improvements.
Miranda*Response (2004-2006) Web system for issue tracking and customer reporting/dialogue. Intially developed for the customer Eye-share, but also sold to other customers. Based on Plone/Zope/Python.
www.lyse.no and Din Lyse Side. (2001-2006) Web site for Lyse Energi AS, with modules for customer self service. Includes integration against various backoffice systems at Lyse and at Telenor (IS Customer, Siebel, NRDB, Telenor OTL-API, Telenor Recharge Gateway) using various integration technologies and products (Perl, Apache, Java, COM, Oracle, XML, SOAP, TCP sockets, HTTP/HTTPS).
System for subscription handling and usage reporting for telephony services at Lyse (2001-2006) Modules for importing usage data (CDR) from various sources to a common database. Web interface for subscription administration. Included integration against Telenor and Lyse backoffice systems (see above).
Netfact Survey Server (1999-2001) System for fully automated definition, performance and reporting of web-based market research. Developed using Java/SilverStream Application Server and Sybase Adaptive Server Enterprise.
Noraqua Servicebase (1999-2000) System for data entry, analysis and reporting of empirical data on fish farming. Implemented using Java/SilverStream Application Server and MS SQL.
www.olf.no (1999) The Norwegian Oil Industry Association launched a new web site autumn 1999. This was based on the CMS InfoPublish, developed in Perl/CGI/SQL by Infostream.
www.statoil.no, www.statoil.se, www.statoil.dk (1998) Following www.statoil.com phase II, new web sites was created for the Statoil downstream organizations. These were based on the .com solution, but with a new design delivered by Leo Burnett Norway.
www.statoil.com, phase II (1998) The second version of the Statoil web was implemented by Intervett AS, and I was the main developer on the project, developed in Lotus Domino.
www.statoil.com, phase I (1996) The first version of the Statoil web (www.statoil.com) was implemented by New Media Science. I was Statoil's technical representative in the project, nominated by Statoil Corporate IT.
FUNKIS (1994-1995) "Felles Unix-konfigurasjon i Statoil" - The Statoil Common Unix Configuration Project, establishing common standards for the installation, configuration and management of Unix systems within the Statoil Group.
Palantir (1990-1991) University of Oslo's system for Unix system monitoring, keeping track of a large number of Unix computers. This project was a joint effort between UiO and Digital who both provided development resources. Programmed in C, Perl and assembly, with specially designed communication protocols.
PRISS (1989-1991) University of Oslo's Print Spooling System, operating all printers connected to the UiO network, making print services available from all platforms to all printers. System is still in use. Programmed in Perl, C and BLISS, with specially designed communication protocols over TCP.
Ongoing: Read whatever I get my hands on in way of technical litterature, both with computer science and most other areas, such as languages, psychology, history, philosophy, physics, cosmology etc.
1981-1990: Studies at the University of Oslo - computer science, mathematics, sociology. Never completed a formal degree.
1976-1979: Examen Artium at the St. Svithun Gymnas, Stavanger.
Trade Union work: Department representative for NTL - Norsk Tjenestemannslag - at the University of Oslo 1987-1989. Member of the board of NTL dept. 30 in 1990.
Organizational work: Leader for various special interest groups in Decus, the organization for users of Digital systems in 1986-1990. In a period leader for the European SIG for Unix/Ultrix. Member of the board for the Norwegian Unix User Group (NUUG) 1990-1991.
Usenet: Established the Norwegian Usenet hierarchy (no.*) in 1990, and served as administrator of this hierarchy until 1997.
Member of the board of JavaBIN Stavanger: Founding member of the Java interest group JavaBIN Stavanger, member of the board in 2003.
I have worked for many years in the operational parts of large IT organizations and with corporate IT, but have spent most of the last ten years working with web-based application development. My particular interest and competence is within the area of systems integration - connecting different products and technologies into a functioning whole and synchronizing and transforming data between different systems.
I am well experienced with modern development methodologies such as Agile Programming and Extreme Programming, and the use of design patterns and other best practice-based methods of software development.
Over the years, I've worked professionally with a lot of different programming languages. In addition, I've learned a number of others out of personal interest. I list here only the languages I consider to be relevant today (leaving out, for instance, Simula, BLISS-32 and PDP-10 assembly) and that I know well enough that I'd be able to develop and maintain applications in them: AWK, Bourne Shell, C, C++, C Shell, Common Lisp, FORTRAN, Java, Javascript, Lotusscript, Pascal, Perl, PHP, Postscript, Python.
AJAX and other forms for dynamic Javascript. JDK with associated build tools etc. J2EE, EJB, JSP, JDBC, Servlets, Portlets etc.; Tomcat, JBoss and Websphere, Lotus Notes/Domino. Apache, CGI, mod_*. The standard Unix development environment, make, lex, yacc, CVS, prof, nroff, subversion etc. SQL, MySQL, Sybase, Oracle, MS SQL, Informix. SOAP, WSDL, Web Services. Zope, Plone, Archetypes.
Unix: I've worked with most commercially available and freeware Unix variants, including AIX, HP-UX, ConvexOS, Ultrix, OSF/1, Solaris, SunOS, SYSVR3, SYSVR4 and 4.3BSD, FreeBSD, Linux.
Windows. I prefer to use Linux as my desktop OS, but also have long experience with the use of and development for the Windows platform. I have no deep knowledge of Microsoft's proprietary development tools and platforms (VS, ASP, .NET, C# etc.), and have no real desire to develop such knowledge. Most technologies I've worked with deploy and run on both Unix and Windows platforms, and I'd like to keep things that way.
In addition, I've worked with a number of operating systems that aren't really relevant any more, such as MacOS, VAX/VMS, Sintran, TOPS-20, TOPS-10, NOS, NOS/VE, MVS and VM.
HTML/CSS: Through my work with web site development, I've gained a good knowledge of standards such as HTML and CSS; and how the current web browsers support these. I'm still predominantly a low-level, server-side developer, but my interest for client side technologies and their importance for the usability of web-based solutions keeps growing.
Photoshop, graphical design, digital photo processing: I have been an amateur photographer since the 70's, and have quite recently gone from film to digital equipment. I use Photoshop extensively for processing my photographs and have rudimentary but sufficient skills for simple graphical design work for web sites.
SGML, XML: I worked with SGML-based systems in the 80's, developing DTD's and doing development and support on SGML parsers. The past years I've worked extensively with XML for data exchange between various systems and with XSLT for XML transformation.
Mail standards, SMTP, RFC822, MIME: I've worked with Internet-based email-systems since '86. Implementation, configuration and extension of mail server software etc. Prior to '86 I spent a few years working with X.400 implementations, and will be very happy if I never see a X.400 system ever again.
Telephony infrastructure-related technologies. Good knowledge of data formats for call data (CDR, TAP2, TAP3), issues regarding the taxation and invoicing of telephony services and integration against back office systems for subscription handling (Telenor OTL-API), prepaid subscription handling (Telenor Recharge Gateway) number portation (NRDB), and tools and protocols for SMS-based services (Kannel, UCP, EMI2).
TCP/IP and other basic Internet standards - RIP, ARP, BOOTP, SMTP, FTP, NNTP, HTTP etc.: Written a large number of client and server applications supporting Internet protocols in different settings and for a wide range of platforms.
Typography and book design: Professional and personal interest for computer-based typography, book design and production. Experience with DTP systems such as Pagemaker and Quark Xpress. Very familiar with PostScript programming and use and development of TeX/LaTeX.
Lecturing/Presentations: I have been lecturing, doing presentations and worked as an instructor for many years, and enjoy talking to a crowd. I'm good at assessing my audience, and have good pedagogical skills.
Language skills: I'm fluent in written and spoken English and Norwegian. I'd really like to brush up on my highschool-level German and French, but have not yet had occation to do so.
Keeping up-to-date: I've always been interested in trends and developments within my areas of expertise. Even though my professional career started in the 80's, I've never stopped learning.
I consider these my main personal traits:
Good pedagogical skills.
My writing is usually good, at times brilliant.
Not too fond of routine chores. As any good programmer, I prefer automating them.
I tend to stick with my priciples, but am loyal to team decisions.
I spend most of my off-work time with my family.
I'm fond of good food and like cooking and serving grand meals.
I read a lot, attempting to consume a fair mix of classics and contemporary mainstream litterature, but have a particular fondness for Science Fiction and Fantasy. When I don't read fiction, I spend a fair amount of time on nonfiction, in particular popular science and history.
I'm fond of music of most types. I'm a passable, currently nonpracticing, tenor, and play the clarinet in a local amateur marching band (Jernbanens Musikkorps Stavanger).
My family and I live in a wooden house built in 1867 (located in "Old Stavanger", one of the local tourist attractions) and own an even older farm house that we use as holiday retreat. This involves a continous stream of fairly demanding DIY projects.
When I've got nothing else to do (hah!) I tend to spend time with one of the family's many motorcycles, either tinkering with it or riding it.
The easiest way to reach me is by email at blarsen@nonews.net, at mobile phone +47 400 00 256, or by snail
mail to my private address (see the top of this document).