Consultancy

In 1981 I bought  a Sinclair ZX81 with 1kb Ram and not long after I bought an expansion 16kb ram pack. This opened up a world of possibilities to me on how computers and technology could be used to help with everyday tasks.

Not long after, with the arrival of home computers like the ZX Spectrum, BBC Micro, Acorn Electron, Oric, Vic 20, Commodore 64 and access to an IBM PC, the world of spreadsheets, databases, word processors, bulletin boards (early internet access), graphical and photo packages and programming languages opened up to me . The late 1980s and early 1990s would be an exciting time to develop my IT skills; I would be one of a few who at work, knew how this new technology, that was arriving monthly, worked.

I also got heavily into AI back in the days when it was used basically for text adventures and for basic entertainment. Pre-programmed options based on your input made it feel like the computer understood and interpreted your requests, but of course it didn't. It did instil in me a lifelong fascination with AI, and I watched and helped it develop over the years, at which point, only a few years ago, we saw it explode into the latest 'must have'. I admit the pace has suddenly accelerated at a phenomenal rate, and I utilise it heavily for daily tasks, but I still look back fondly at the starting point back in the 1980s.

With every passing year came faster processors, bigger memory, new ways to store data and graphical interfaces being developed so using computers became more intuitive for the masses... oh, and of course the games market which started in 1981 and developed at a phenomenal pace. I now revisit my old 8 bit games often, with fond memories and renewed feelings of nostalgia. Game emulators for all the original home computers (as well as new games being written daily for these old platforms) have brought this 8 bit joy to new generations.

So, I feel privileged to have been there from the beginning when technology was cheap enough and accessible to the mass home market. I was one of the first people to use desktop accessible computers and technology at work and this has given me a wealth of knowledge and experience of how to plan, purchase, implement and deploy technological solutions across a wide range of business and domestic settings.

I have worked in Credit Control, Business System Analysis, Project Management, Process Improvement, IT Development/ Support, Office Management and Crime Prevention/ Enforcement, within varied and dynamic businesses and organisations, both in the private and public sectors.