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F E A T U R E

Where The Gloves Come Off

July 8, 2002
By David Joachim

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Gary Lien, Systems Architect

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	In this article
	Introduction
	Bahram Akradi, CEO
	Brent Zempel, CIO
	Wesley Bertch, Director of Software Systems
	Robert Mendel, Director of IT Operations
	Gary Lien, Systems Architect
	Jud McKee, Director of Network Operations
	Next Steps

• At Work: Oversees database design and systems architecture

• At Home: 38 years old. Single, two cats. Hobbies include inline skating, hiking, weight training and music

• Alma Mater:: University of Minnesota Institute of Technology, BS in computer science

• How He Got Here:

1996 to 2000: N-tier software developer and database architect (Renaissance Worldwide Consulting)
1982 to 1996: Client-server architect on 2200 mainframe OS, Unix and NT Clearpath servers (Unisys)

• Mouthing Off:

MMS' greatest technical challenge: "Creating and testing the code to convert the legacy data. The old system didn't have many data integrity checks so the data was a real mess."

Toughest moment during development: "When one of the lead developers, a consultant, quit a month and a half before the go-live date. It turned out that he hadn't done any of the coding he claimed to have done."

The next big challenge for MMS: "Enterprise application integration using Web services with all of our other back-end systems."

Why Web services isn't what most people think: "The concept of universally compatible software services has been around for years, in the guise of CORBA, COM and so on but never has fully materialized. This time, it has a much better chance because of the reach of XML, but the goals of UDDI are so unrealistic that the hype will most likely never become total reality."

MMS is important to Life Time Fitness because: "It gives us the ability to manage and monitor the members to a degree we never dreamed possible."

I like the network operations people when: "We are really in a crunch and they bend over backward to help us."

I hate the network operations people when: "They forget about communication. I'm sure they say the same thing about us."

The chief difference between Life Time's IT organization and your average IT organization: "Our development and network/telecom operations teams actually get along with each other and try to function as one team."

I work at Life Time Fitness because: "These are great people, and they give me an opportunity to work with the technologies of today and tomorrow."