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1)
a) Kendall Square Cambridge client wants software engineers and architects who can work at multiple levels of abstraction to design and implement a new system.

Leveraging the database and systems strengths at our Marlborough labs, this team will encompass members with varying expertise and levels of experience, but all will be engaged in
both defining and overcoming significant technical challenges. Ideal candidates will have experience with a mix of database internals, operating systems, distributed computing,
performance optimization, very large scale data or query volumes, system architecture and design, and algorithm development. They will want to hear about innovative work and
(especially for senior candidates) real product delivered. They expect skill with C++ and a collaborative mindset. Your team will expect to learn from you and vice versa.
Gurus welcome.

C++/Linux backend experience, 5 - 15 years experience.

b) Senior Customer Service Engineer (Database), also Kendall Square client.

Primary responsibility to interface with customers, debug and resolve customer issues.

Must have extensive knowledge of SQL. Must have experience in SQL query analysis, re-writing queries and database performance optimization.

Production database system administration and support is a major plus.

Demonstrated technical competence with UNIX and database technologies.

Strong knowledge of TCP/IP is also a plus. Experience working in a 24x7 support environment.

Qualifications include a 4-year technical degree; 10+ years experience in technical support, development or sustaining engineering.

c) Senior Customer Support Engineer (Networking), also Kendall Square.

Primary responsibility to interface with customers, debug and resolve customer issues. Some travel required.

Needs RedHat Enterprise Linux 4 and 5 (Solaris, HP/UX, AIX a plus), DNS, NIS, NFS, NTP, CIFS, Scripting (bash, perl, python), TCP/IP, UDP, VLAN. Ethernet 10/100/1000Mb
and 10Gb (copper and fiber), Cisco, Procurve routers/switches

Experience working in a 24x7 support environment.

Qualifications include a 4-year technical degree; 10+ years experience in technical support, development or sustaining engineering. RHCE or equivalent certification preferred.

** working SQL knowledge, EMC / SAN knowledge and working with IBM 3650/3850 & HP Proliant DL585 hardware are a plus **

d) Senior Software Engineer – Networking/Communications also Kendall Square. Needs a creative thinker for network topology, performance, congestion control, inter-process communications,
distributed processing, bandwidth allocation, and memory management. You need to have experience writing code in the Linux network stack, C++, the ability to "think outside the box", experience
designing/optimizing LAN topologies for optimal performance, experience solving networking/communication performance problems, understand congestion avoidance and traffic-shaping algorithms.
Also, you must have an understanding of queuing and buffering inside network switches, as well as how MAC’s work. Client asks that you have "some understanding" of MAC drivers in Linux,
experience with Linux system programming including sockets, network performance testing, general knowledge of communication protocols such as TCP/IP and experience in Ethernet and other LAN
technologies such as Infiniband

e) Marlboro client seeks 5 years experience with Java/Spring/Hibernate/Tomcat, Web applications development.

f) Senior Software Engineer – Acceleration Infrastructure (C / C++, Linux, WAN Optimization) - Another Kendall Square client is looking for talented engineers to help design and create core
application acceleration and delivery software as well as centralized management software. I am happy to send the complete specs, but the thumbnail is:

* Minimum 5 years of C / C++ development experience on Linux / Unix platforms, experience with TCP / IP networking, multi-threading and server development, experience with common Internet protocols
(IP, TCP, SSL/ TLS, HTTP, DNS) and common IP network routing (BGP, OSPF, RIP) and high-availability protocols (VRRP, HSRP). Experience in the Application Acceleration and/or WAN
Optimization space.

g) Senior Software Engineer – Application Acceleration (C / C++, Kernel, TCP / IP) - Kendall Square also. * Minimum 5 years of C or C++ development experience on Unix platforms, 2 years experience with multi-threading and server development, 3 years experience with common Internet protocols (such as IP, TCP, SSL / TLS, HTTP, or DNS).
Minimum 3 years experience with Linux/Unix kernel programming specializing on TCP/IP networking stacks, track record of design and development for mission critical, high-availability systems.

Experience developing scalable software for large transactional and / or distributed systems.
Ability to design and build new software features from the ground up; experienced complete development cycles as an individual and in team environments.
Experience working with the Linux Netfilter framework, thread optimization for multi-core hardware platforms, creating and manipulating scalable and efficient data structures, common IP network routing (BGP, OSPF, RIP) and high-availability protocols (VRRP, HSRP).
Thorough knowledge of common protocols and techniques behind today's rich and / or transactional web applications (HTML / DHTML, XML, AJAX, SOAP / REST, DOM, JavaScript, CSS, etc).
Experience in the Application Acceleration and / or WAN Optimization space.

h) Software Engineer - Kendall -

* Minimum 2 years software development experience, developing software in C / C++ with the Linux or UNIX operating system.

* Minimum 2 years experience with at least one scripting language

* Minimum 1 year experience working with Internet Protocols (such as IP, TCP, SSL / TLS, HTTP, or DNS)

* Interested in distributed systems, experience with TCP / IP networking, web site development in a LAMP environment.

* Knowledge of multithreading and server development, familiarity with scalable and efficient data structures.

* Hands-on experience with network routers, proxy servers or firewalls.

2) RIA Unleashed (http://riaunleashed.com) focuses on developer stack such as Flash, Flex, AIR and ColdFusion. It's in its fourth year and has been highly successful but still many people don't know about it. RIA Unleashed is the premier event for Adobe Flash, Flex, AIR and ColdFusion developers in the New England. This year's event is 2 days, with one devoted to your choice of hands-on training and a second day with 4 tracks and over 20 sessions from the top speakers in the industry focused on Adobe technologies and development. Using the special discount code for you

(http://riaunleashed2010.eventbrite.com/?discount=MERTENS) gives you the early bird pricing of $175 for both days or $50 for the conference day.

Both days include lunch and access to the networking event on Thursday night with food and drink.

3) Conditions today are very similar to the ones we found ourselves in 2001; the recession is over, but the recovery has not quite taken hold. If the attacks on 9/11 had not happened we probably would have been well on our way to strong high-tech market.

Today there are many signs that the money will start flowing again into small businesses and high-tech will be a beneficiary, after health care and education.

Ten years ago we organized dinners of selected groups from our candidates who expressed an interest; we met over the course of the next few years and in fact built prototypes which we took to venture capital groups. With all the huge successes of the last ten years, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, iPhone and iPad aps I am amazed that our work did not result in something huge as well.

In recent months quite a number of candidates have touched on the subject of starting something new; you are looking for something exciting to try, something to apply your years of experience without the bureaucratic stumbling blocks, or maybe just the opportunity to chat with other folks in the same boat. Based on our previous experience, the chances are slim that we will ring the big bell, but now we know the entrepreneurs, we know the attorneys who specialize in start-ups, we have a lot of that under our belt. And I think we will know when an idea comes up that has a fair chance of impressing the folks with cash.

The approach we used 9 years ago was to put the idea out to the thousands on our mailing lists; see who responds, then choose groups representing a cross-section of corporate structure (development, operations, marketing, etc.) then get together. I always thought that sitting down with food helped stimulate the creative process; we first did it at the Mass Pike Exit 17 Howard Johnson's - now it's the Crown Plaza. After those initial meetings we got together at public library meeting rooms; at the minimum, most of us made good friends throughout this process.

The subjects for discussions (after introductory remarks) could include 1) What high-tech product made in China or India could be made in US for less money? 2) What add-ons could we invent that current social networking sites need as their next big thing? 3) As we leave the recession what is the new must-have thing for which there is pent-up demand but no product on the market to satisfy? If you want to attend you must give some thought to questions about the future beforehand so we can get right to work. Think about your experience at networking breakfasts and college reunion get-togethers.

Incidentally, my personal list would include creating cheap work-arounds when cable providers limit number of e-mails sent per day (a constantcontact.com for pro-profits) or cut off free access to the usenet; I watch my wife use the aps for the iPhone and wonder if there is one more to be created and sold for 99 cents. Here's another discussion starter: A poor person's hedge fund. A program to scan the arb ops then present them to subscribers who have a minute to make a decision to buy-and-sell simultaneously. If they pass, it goes to the next subscriber in line. We would take a small fee for each transaction.

If you think such a session would interest you, let me know and I'll do my best to assemble compatible groups. Indicate whether a meal event appeals to you. There would be a price tag on such a meal event; I'll let you know.