Louis J. Erickson Jr.
Co-Founder
Louis is a serial entrepreneur that has built and grown several technology companies and departments, starting with Bit-Wizards’ Custom Software Engineering department. From there, Louis fostered the Bit-Wizards’ Digital Marketing department, the Bit-Wizards' Managed IT Services department, and finally, co-parenting communication service, TalkingParents.
Biography
Louis is a serial entrepreneur that has built and grown several technology companies and departments, starting with Bit-Wizards’ Custom Software Engineering department. From there, Louis fostered the Bit-Wizards’ Digital Marketing department, the Bit-Wizards' Managed IT Services department, and finally, co-parenting communication service, TalkingParents.
Through Louis’ leadership, the company has grown each year. Bit-Wizards has been recognized by Inc. Magazine as one of the fastest growing private companies in America for several years. Louis is most proud that Bit-Wizards has been named to Florida Trend magazine’s list of Florida’s Best Companies to Work for twelve consecutive years, not just making the list, but ranking in the top ten eleven times! Bit-Wizards was also selected as one of fifty “Florida Companies to Watch” by GrowFL, the Florida Economic Gardening Institute at the University of Central Florida, and ACG Florida.
Louis is involved in the local business community. He sits on the Okaloosa County Economic Development Policy Board and the Career Source of Okaloosa Walton Board. Louis is involved with several other technical, economic development, and entrepreneurial groups. He is also a proud sponsor of many charities through his support of the Be The Magic Foundation, which he co-founded.
Louis holds a B.S. in computer science with minors in both math and physics from Troy State University. He has a passion for bodybuilding, sailing, and is a skilled poker player. He also enjoys Latin dancing, skiing, and traveling with his beautiful wife, Tabitha. Louis met Tabi in 2001 after relocating Bit-Wizards to Florida, a decision Louis believes to be one of the best he ever made. For even if his business had failed miserably, he believes that it would have still been one of the best decisions of his life because, otherwise, he may have never met his wonderful wife.
Operating Systems
- Win Server 2008/2003
- Win 7/Vista/XP
- Win 98/95/ME
- Win Mobile 6/5
- Win CE 4/3
- MS-DOS
- UNIX
Languages & Databases
- Visual C++
- C#
- Visual Basic
- Visual Basic.NET
- HTML/XML
- COM/DCOM
- MFC
- ATL
- PASCAL
- FORTRAN
- COBOL
- Oracle
- SQL Server
- PL *SQL
- Transact-SQL
- ADO.NET
- ODBC
- LINQ
- MS Access
Software & Technology
- .NET
- Visual Studio .NET
- Infragistics
- Active Reports
- MS Office
- Enterprise Manager
- Query Analyzer
- Visio
- SQL Mgmt Studio
- Ontime
- IE/Firefox/Safari
- ErWin
- Objective Toolkit & Grid
- Visual Source Safe
- IIS
- Telerik
- Component Art
- Kentico CMS
- WPF/WCF/WWF
- Source Offsite
- TOAD
- embedded Tools
- MS Project
- Crystal Reports
Work Experience
- Bit-Wizards Information Technology, Inc. Fort Walton Beach, Florida. Jan 00–Present
- Primary decision maker involved in all aspects of running a small business: human resources, marketing, financial, receivables, payables, and all other functions to keep Bit-Wizards thriving.
- Macrotect
- Built a web based application using Visual Studio 2008 ASP.NET C# and SQL Server 2005 to collect retirement plan demographic data securely for multiple businesses that outsourced the management of that activity to Macrotect. The application was called Census Centurion.
- Cook-Hurlbert, Inc.
- Designed and developed .NET WinForms components written in C# that were instantiated by COM objects written in C++.
- Motorola
- Debugged and enhanced a Visual Basic 6.0 application with an Oracle 8.i back end.
- Viva Group International
- Designed and developed a multifaceted production tracking system in a 4 man development team. The product includes a SQL Server 2000 backend, a WinForms client application written in Visual Studio .NET using C#, and a WebForms viewer application written in ASP.NET using C#. Third party components such as Active Reports and Infragistics were incorporated throughout the application and integration to an existing AS400 system was also enabled utilizing XML. This application included a small utility to facilitate replication for disconnected users.
- Synchronicity, Inc
- Created a Visual Basic COM Add-in for Project 2000/2002 called PluginSync. PluginSync stored application specific data in the custom document properties, created customizable columns for tasks that were used to make tasks for import and export, and then imported or exported task to a proprietary project management tool called Project Sync through a proprietary document control system called DesignSync.
- Compass Marketing, Inc.
- Reworked a Visual Basic 6 client application with an Access backend database. Upgraded the Access database to SQL Server 2000 and added more referential integrity and other data validation mechanisms. Fixed application flaws throughout the VB front end. Compass Marketing was not able to fund a complete rewrite so the application is flawed, but Compass Marketing raved about the speed and quantity of fixes I was able to provide.
- Melior Systems, Inc.
- Designed and Developed a Windows Pocket PC 2002 tour guide application for the Compaq iPaq 3870. This project was completed using eMbedded Visual C++ 3.0, the Pocket PC 2002 SDK, SQL Server 2000, SQL Server CE 1.0, ADOCE 3.1, and third party tools to interpret and RF signal and play .mp3 files. I implemented a combination of Merge Replication and Remote Data Access to synchronize data between SQL Server CE and SQL Server 2000.
- Cook-Hurlbert, Inc.
- Designed and Developed a Windows based two tier Electric and Gas Feature Configuration Tool. This project was completed alone using Visual Basic 6.0 for the GUI, Visual C++ 6.0 to build COM Components, ADO for database access, and Oracle 8.1 for data storage.
- Cook-Hurlbert, Inc.
- Designed and Developed a Windows based three tier Electric and Gas Utilities Design Tool in a 13-member development team using Visual C++ 6.0, Objective Grid, and Objective Toolkit for the four client GUIs, ATL COM for the middle tier business objects, ADO for database access, and Oracle 8.1 for data storage.
- Xerox Omnifax, Inc.
- Debugged and refined a Windows based client/server Repair Scheduler and Parts Manager in a 2-member development team using Visual C++ 6.0, OO4O, Win32, and Oracle 8.1. This system includes Server applications, a Windows CE client, and some web interfaces.
- Macmillan Publishing, Inc.
- Technical Editor for a variety of technical books published by Macmillan.
- Eureka Software Solutions, Inc. Austin, Texas. Jan 98–Jan 00
- Designed and Developed a Windows based three tier Point of Sale and Inventory Control software in a 3-member development team using Visual C++ 6.0, Objective Grid, and Objective Toolkit for the two client GUIs and ATL COM for the middle tier business objects, ADO for database access, and MS SQL Server 7.0 for data storage.
- Designed and Developed a Windows based client/server Tour Information Management System in a 4-member development team using Visual C++ 6.0, Obj. Grid, Obj. Toolkit, ODBC, MS SQL 6.5
- Developed a Windows NT Service that implemented several custom COM interfaces in a 3-member development team using Visual C++ 5.0, Objective Grid, and Objective Toolkit. This application was modeled using Visual Case 1.0 and takes advantage of the NT Event Viewer.
- Designed a Windows based Client/Server Fuel Cell Test Software system in a 2-member development team using Visual C++ 5.0, Objective Grid, and Objective Toolkit.
- Designed a Windows based Client/Server Audiometric Management Software system in a 2-member development team using Visual C++ 5.0, ODBC, and Access 97.
- Delta Research Division Niceville, Florida. Jan 96–Dec 97
- Developed a Windows based Client/Server Housing Information Management System in an 18-member development team using Visual C++ 5.0, ODBC 3.0, and ORACLE 7.3 with IDEF1X RDBMS modeling standards.
- Lead Software Designer for the largest and most complex module in the project using Booche Object Oriented Design Methodology. Complied with Windows User Interface Guideline, SEI Capability Maturity Model, MIL-STD-498 and IEEE software development standards.
- McDonnell Douglas Services Khamis Mushayt, Saudi Arabia. Jun 95–Dec 95
- Developed Windows based applications for the 55th Squadron of the Royal Saudi Air Force including a Stan/Eval testing program and a database to track the pilots’ progress and produce required reports.
- Technical advisor to four other RSAF squadrons.
- Mission Planning Analyst
- Tybrin Corporation & Orlando Technologies, Inc. May 93–June 95
- Operations Specialist, 3rd Class
- United States Navy Oct 87–Oct 89
Awards & Accomplishments
- Lifesaving Award
- Amelia Earhart Award
- Hurlbert NCO Leadership School Honor Cadet
- Air Force Association Leadership Award
- President’s list/Dean’s List
- Civil Air Patrol Scholarship Winner
- Florida Educational Association of Data Systems Scholarship Winner
- Achieved a 97 percent average and was top graduate of technical training school class in the US Navy
- Advanced to E-4 in 18 months of service in the US Navy
- 2006 Most Valuable Employee Award
Professional Licenses & Memberships
- Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP ID 374282)
- Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer (MCSD.NET)
- Microsoft Certified Application Developer (MCAD)
- Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer .NET (MCSD.NET)
- Exam 70-674: Delivering Value Planning Services
- Exam 70-229: Designing and Implementing Databases with Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Enterprise Edition
- Exam 70-320: Developing XML Web Services and Server Components with Microsoft Visual C# .NET and the Microsoft .NET Framework
- Exam 70-315: Developing and Implementing Web Applications with Microsoft Visual C# .NET and Microsoft Visual Studio .NET
- Exam 70-316: Developing and Implementing Windows-based Applications with Microsoft Visual C# .NET and Microsoft Visual Studio .NET
- Exam 70-100: Analyzing Requirements and Defining Solution Architectures
- Exam 70-016: Designing & Implementing Desktop Applications with MS Visual C++ 6.0
- Exam 70-015: Designing & Implementing Distributed Applications with MS Visual C++ 6.0
- Exam 70-150: Microsoft Windows Operating Systems and Services Architecture I
- Exam 70-160: Microsoft Windows Architecture I
- Exam 70-024: Developing Applications with C++ Using the Microsoft Foundation Class Library
- Exam 70-300: Analyzing Requirements and Defining Microsoft .NET Solution Architectures
Specialized Training
- 1995—Windows Programming—Washington University, St. Louis Missouri
- 1995—Object Oriented Programming using Visual C++—Washington University, St. Louis Missouri
- 1996—Understanding MIL-STD-498, BTG—Delta Research Division, Niceville Florida
- 1996—Oracle Fundamentals, Oracle Corporation, Fort Walton Beach Florida
- 1997—PL*SQL, Oracle Corporation, Fort Walton Beach Florida
- 2001—Microsoft .NET Developer Training Tour, MSDN Training Series, Atlanta Georgia
- 2002—Networking Essentials, TekTutors, Fort Walton Beach Florida
- 2003–Present Board member of the Gulf Coast .NET User’s Group
Education
- B.S COMPUTER AND INFORMATION SCIENCE, Minors: Mathematics and Physics. Troy State University, Eglin AFB, Florida. GPA: 3.4 1994