jim mackraz

Professional Bio

Spring 2008

Jim Mackraz has a long track record of hands-on technical leadership delivering high-value, Version 1.0 software products and services, with a common theme of innovation that ships.

Jim entered the mobile arena in mid-2002, creating the on-device version (in J2ME) of the Hutchison 3G ('3') portal for their global 3G service launch. Since then, Jim individually created a framework for mobile client-server application development (J2ME/J2EE), which was acquired by Openwave Systems.

He also founded the mobile engineering department at Snapfish, where he hired the team, designed the architecture (mobile Web, SMS, MMS, etc.) and delivered several successful services to market, including an AT&T Wireless co-branded photo service for the mMode deck.

After acquisition of Snapfish by Hewlett-Packard, Jim ran the combined Mobile Imaging engineering teams as Section Manager and was the mobile and SOA technical representative in strategic projects and relationships including those with Walmart.com, first-tier handset OEMs and mobile operators.

Before getting into mobile, Jim's diverse experience included senior engineering leadership of several high-profile endeavors, including Development Director at Maxis/Electronic Arts for The Sims, the most successful computer game in history (over $2B), ownership of the UI library in the Commodore-Amiga OS ROM Kernel, and Vice President of Engineering and Support Operations at DoDots, Inc, a blue-chip Internet start-up of the day ($17M invested by Softbank, Chase H&Q, Merrill Lynch) with 65 reports under several managers to deliver a complex 'widget portal', far-advanced even compared to today's crop of offerings.

Jim studied mathematics at Michigan, Stanford, and Princeton.

Jim lives in Palo Alto, California and does independent business as Trickybit Systems.

For employment or contracting opportunites, please email jim-gigs (at) mackraz.com.