Home - Simon Garton

I'm Simon Garton, an experienced software engineer, based in Auckland, New Zealand. I design, build and support IT systems - from mobile solutions for field inspections through major asset management databases to complex automated design and provisioning systems. I've worked with utilities, telcos and local government, developing and supporting mission critical systems such as the AMIS asset management system used by the old Auckland City Council, and the NAE Network Allocation Engine used by Vodafone/TelstraCLEAR to design, allocate and provision phone and broadband services; I've also worked with small asset management companies, introducing and supporting mobile solutions to help streamline their core business.

My systems are often vertically integrated - mobile systems in the field capture the data, which is reviewed and analysed in the office in desktop systems before being integrated upwards to other corporate systems such as SAP, Maximo or GenTrack.

I currently develop in Java and Objective C, with extensive previous work in Delphi & C# for Windows. I am happy working within Windows from XP up to 10; Linux (especially Ubuntu and other Debian-based systems); and OS X; and I build and administer my own websites, using Apache or NGINX, PHP and Node for scripting, and a range of content management systems. I'm currently building systems using Docker on AWS.

I enjoy pure development, particularly figuring out new technology and how it can used; database and system administration are natural and inevitable parts of that work. I've also greatly enjoyed working with real people in the field, figuring out how IT can help them do business, rather than trying to get them to change their business to serve their IT systems.

I've just finished two years at Fiserv as a Mobile Team Lead. Initially hired as an Intermediate Mobile Developer, I was soon promoted to Senior and then on to Mobile Team Lead. I worked in a “system team” and built a significant DevOps role, taking the work from feature development teams, integrating, testing and releasing it; the role also included advanced production support, and I run various technical investigations and proof of concept projects. As Team Lead, I mentored and supported eight junior developers, helping guide their work and career, and providing an informal bridge between them and management. I’m also the Agile scrum master for the system team.