Alex Thalmann

Experience

• 

  Industrial Data Xchange (IDX)

  Dec 2003 - Nov 2022

  Head of software development, driving technology direction and project implementation:- Development team manager, and AGILE scrum implementer and facilitator.- Real-time modern and legacy communications system integration specialist. This includes development and project execution for customers around South Africa but also in the United States, Australia and UK.- Specialisation in hardware and software integration for industrial communications projects and devices, including: - Hardware and software design and implementation of Nexus m, a ARM-based .NET micro system as a remote-monitoring and IO platform. This, along with the back-end IDX server, is currently in trial at Anglo American on mobile mining assets to provide a homogeneous data layer for onboard and remote data communications. - Development of next-generation Nexus platform and SOA based data communications architecture.- Day-to-day support management for IDX software for Anglo American Advanced Process Control systems across multiple sites. Show less Architect and principle developer of IDX 8 industrial communications suite. The software is an industrial-grade disparate system's communications layer that provides bespoke and off-the-shelf interfaces to various real-time and non-real-time systems. IDX 8 is the successor to IDX 7 which is now used by Anglo American for their real-time communications interfacing in their Advanced Process Control operations.IDX 8 is built on Microsoft C#, SQL, WCF technologies running variety of software modules as real-time, mission critical real-time data services. This included:- Tag Management: A big challenge with integrating various real-time data systems is maintaining configuration integrity. As tags are added, modified or removed from source systems, this usually has a compounding effect on consuming systems. IDX used various direct API interfaces and agent plug-in components to interface directly with source and target systems to provide semi-automated change analysis and allow automated configuration alignment between systems.- IDX Historian : A SQL-based historical data logger positioned as an affordable and simple, yet powerful enterprise-class historian. The aim was to create a time series data optimized database using any edition of SQL server, including SQL Express. This involved custom data partitioning and a store-forward open API history client based on WCF. Show less Industrial Data Communications Engineer performing various development, training and customer support functions including:- Assisting in the creation of business and administrative processes of the newly formed PROFIBUS Competence Center of South Africa, an internal department of IDX.- Profibus training in and around South Africa, but also in Botswana, Namibia and Zambia, as well as day to day operation of the training academy.- Profibus network audits/support call-outs and customer interaction under pressure.- C#/C++ industrial communications software development- Bespoke customer industrial communications projects (legacy or disparate systems, remote monitoring) usually as a full stack developer.RM1 Remote Monitoring Device Full Stack Developer - designed and implemented Windows CE-based hardware device that was installed on tracked-mobile crushers that collected data via GPRS. Managed all aspects of development, including web listener, web portal and SQL database back-end, as well as acting as the primary customer interface. Show less

  • Director

    Apr 2019 - Nov 2022

  • Technical Lead

    Jan 2012 - Apr 2019

  • Software Developer

    Jan 2008 - Dec 2011

  • Industrial IT Engineer and Trainer

    Dec 2003 - Dec 2007
• 

  Energy Engineers

  Apr 2021 - Nov 2023

  Design and implementation of residential/commercial renewable and backup power solutions, with intelligent power management and automation integration.

  • Co-Founder

    Dec 2022 - Nov 2023

  • Co-Founder

    Apr 2021 - Nov 2022
• 

  Thinksparq

  Feb 2024 - now

  Founder