Michael Kroll

Starting with mobile computing in 1999 using Java 2 Micro Edition I was focussed on mobile app development on feature phones and smartphones as well as on embedded systems. The experience gained on the J2ME work resulted in co-authoring two books about J2ME app development. Responsible for the implementation of client/server architectures in small teams and UI/UX design the target platform has changed from J2ME to iOS beginning in 2009. Mostly I dealt with mobile app development and the integration of hardware accessories. Since I’m a team player who likes to form a well achieving teams I added the role as a SCRUM master to the list on responsibilities beside the role of a tech lead doing product development in a fast pace.
Work Experience
Software Development Engineer and SCRUM Master
In the role of the Scrum Master of the app team consisting of 5 developers, 1 UX designer, 2 Testers and a requirements engineer supporting the organization as servant leader driving a transparent, performing SCRUM team provings a shippable increment at the end of each sprint. Work on iOS and Android apps with focus on remotely connecting hearing care professionals to hearing aid wearing patients through WebRTC based A/V/Data conferences implemented with IceLink3 by Frozenmountain Inc.
Main Accomplishments:
- Improved Scrum meetings to cover 2 weeks sprints and organizational requirements to scaled SCRUM
- Implemented the Scrum retrospective in the team as a mechanism to raise impediments to management quickly
- Applied the team workflow to Jira including documentation generation for medical device certification
- Techlead and mobile developer for the myPhonak iOS and Android App providing hearing aid remote fitting functionality Implementation of componentized mobile app architecture Definition of an SDK providing access to BLE connected hearing aids.
- Implementation of an iOS and Android HADFA (Hearing Aid Distance Fitting) app for VA (Veteran Affairs) used in a field study for a closed group of US patients.
- Integration of a WebRTC A/V/Data channel on top of the Pexip conference/meeting platform.
- Technical Lead of the mobile application developer team coordinating between backend- and desktop developer teams as well as UX/UI team.
- Contributing to iOS and Android app development.
Senior iOS Software Developer
Development and consultancy Work on projects with focus on iOS application development, UI/UX design as well as integration into enterprise middlewares. Responsible for the submission of mobile apps to the Apple App Store.
Main Accomplishments:
- Development of an iPad real estate app which is connected through an SAP Gateway to data provided by the SAP RE-FX module.
- Development of the iOS app to read administrative data from a Swiss health insurance smart card through an external accessory and query health insurance data through SAP PI provided by the health insurance companies.
- Design and implementation of a mobile iOS shop app for a supplier in the automotive industry. Added REST interfaces for the mobile app on top of an existing webshop.
- Implemented a data aggregator module to provide data of clinical information systems to the electronic medical record iPad app by SAP.
Senior iOS Software Engineer
Software development in a small company focusing on mobile iOS app development and integration with iOS Bluetooth accessories. Product design and implementation for a mobile iOS survey tool.
Main Accomplishments:
- Acquisition of mobile development and consulting projects.
- Product design of the mobile survey tool Octopus focusing on medical studies/surveys.
- UI/UX design and implementation of the mobile Octopus client on iOS, development of the backend server component as well as the UI/UX design and implementation of the authoring and reporting tool for study administrators using Java and Flex.
- Development of a Made for iPod (MFi) hardware accessory module for embedded systems to transfer data to an iOS device.
- Hardware development of a Bluetooth RFID Reader with CE and FCC approval to read RFID tags with iOS devices.
Senior Software Engineer
Software developer and consultant in a medium size company specialized in hardware and embedded software engineering and mobile app development.
Main Accomplishments:
- Acquisition of mobile development and consulting projects.
- Implementation of the myWorld iPhone Photo App for Swisscom.
- Created an emergency kit iOS app for Dermaplast.
- Worked on a feasibility study describing the use of NFC and Secure Element on Android for a customer in the security area.
Senior Test Engineer
Test Engineer
Senior Software Engineer
Software development and training in a small company providing a mobile application framework for J2ME handsets.
Main accomplishments:
- Development of a J2ME mobile application framework.
- Designing an SDK and training customers to create mobile applications using the framework.
- Web Application development using ExtJS (Sencha)
Software Engineer
Working as a freelance software consultant and software developer for small and medium sized companies.
Senior Software Engineer Mobile
Worked as a software engineer for a german startup dealing with a mobile app to support interactive TV for german TV stations
Research Associate
Worked as a research associate with the research topic “Mobile Computing in Medicine” in preparation of obtaining a Ph. D. degree in cooperation with the University of Witten/Herdecke, Institute of Radiology and Microtherapy.
Java Application Developer
Application developer for a small company providing a Picture Archiving and Communications System to deal with radiological images in the DICOM format.
Projects
Let’s Cook! - The ideal cooking companion for your iPad and iPhone
Let's Cook! is a kitchen utility intended for households and hobby chefs. Let's Cook! focuses on the cooking experience itself. We hope people will like to spend more time in the kitchen and invite friends and family like ourselves. https://www.letscook.mobi
BLExplr - Bluetooth Low Energy Explorer
BLExplr is an app to find, connect and browse Bluetooth Low Energy devices nearby. The app can be used to connect to a given BLE peripheral, browse through the services which are provided. Moreover the characteristics of a given service can be browsed. The current version of the App supports read, write, write without response, notify and indicate characteristics. One peripheral can be connected at the same time. If the app is running in the background, indicate and notify characteristics will wake up the app to show the changed value to the user. http://www.appstore.com/blexplr
Drop Beacon - Software Simulation of an iBeacon
This app makes your device a Proximity Beacon that can be detected with apps supporting the iBeacon™ specification. You can select one of three preconfigured proximity UUIDs and enter a combination of Major an Minor IDs as you like.
Arduino BLE Shield: Connecting the iOS and the Arduino World
274% funded (350 pieces of BLE hardware manufactured and shipped)
tōd: Connecting Real World Actions to Mobile Devices and the Web
179% funded (2000 pieces of BLE hardware manufactured and shipped)
Information
Trainings/Conference visits
- 2020 (2 days) - UIKonf 2020 - Remotely held (due to Covid-19 pandemic) online confernece about iOS UI topics http://uikonf.com
- 2019 (2 days) - Professional Scrum Master Training (PSM) - Training held onsite at Sonova premises by SwissQ, Certification pending
- 2019 (1 day) - AWS Technical Essentials Day Amazon Web Services
- 2019 (½ day) - Retro Basic - Continuous learning and reflection in teams. The workshop presents the retrospective method in an interactive manner and shows how it is actively designed and successfully carried out. http://www.changeloop.ch
- 2018 (5 days) - Sonova Leadership Essentials Training - Thoroughly explored, discussed and practiced the skills and tools necessary to successfully master key leadership conversations as a Sonova leader Based on the Sonova Leadership Principles and Competencies focusing on positive performance management, giving feedback, setting objectives, leadership conversations, and other skills and tools needed to lead a team.
- 2017 (3 Days) - Interaction Design - Training held in Switzerland by cooper.com
- 2017 (3 Days) - Swift Summit - Swift Developer Conference in San Francisco
Thesis subjects
- Ph.D. Thesis: Mobile communication technologies for on- and off-campus study of macroscopic, medical preparations
- Master Thesis: Designing embedded Java software for the visualization and analysis of DICOM waveform objects on resource constrained computer systems
- Bachelor Thesis: Decentral biosignal processing - Conception and implementation of A J2ME application for the Palm Connected Organizer
Books, Scientific Publications and Articles
For a full list of books, scientific papers and magazine articles I published please visit: https://www.mkroll.mobi/publications/
Interests
Internet of Things, LoRa, BLE Accessory development, HomeKit Accessory development, Home Automation, Smart Home, Smart Kitchen, UX/UI Design
Hobbies
Scuba Diving, Cooking, BBQ, Beer brewing, Woodworking