Nigel Billingham has found the road to success with an online
marketplace for the transport industry.
Nigel Billingham knew that the opportunity for developing
original e-business ventures would not last forever, so he took the
plunge, leaving his e-business manager role at a vehicle leasing
company to set up Loads2go.com, writes Martin
Couzins.
"I had been looking for a new challenge for a while and always
wanted to manage my own business," says Billingham. So, with his
business partner, he set about developing an online marketplace for
the transport and logistics industry, providing load matching,
optimisation and scheduling. He says his background as systems
architect and e-business manager at Lex Vehicle Leasing helped
enormously in formulating the ideas for the site.
Billingham was responsible for developing the technical
architecture for Loads2Go's first and second generation Web sites.
"I am an architect through and through now, so I have taken time
with the analysis and design of the site," he says. The site is
built around components and a logical data model.
"For the first generation Web site I needed a cheap database
solution, and using ASP and IIS allowed me to easily plug in
Microsoft Access," Billingham explains. "The second generation Web
site moved to SQL Server 7.0, which is a lot more reliable than MS
Access. As we move to business-critical applications, I think we
will be moving to a Unix, Oracle and OAS platform."
Eventually, the site will also offer a business-critical
application that can be fully integrated into a company's business
processes. To provide a guaranteed level of service it will be
using Raid technology. "Raid is one aspect in the technical
architecture that helps to provide a resilient Web application
service. Load balancing and redundant servers will also form key
elements to a resilient structure," Billingham explains.
The most frustrating part of the site's development has been
what Billingham calls the "ludicrous" differences in the two main
Internet browsers and their level of application of the HTML 4.0
standard. "Simple things like making input fields read-only are
simple in Internet Explorer, but a lot more difficult for
Netscape," he says.
As the site develops, however, so Billingham's role will move
away from the technical work. It is a change he enjoys. "I am
involved in everything from negotiating with potential investors
and joint ventures, advertising and marketing the company, sales,
product development and technical supplier management," he
says.
Curriculum Vitae
- Qualifications: nine O-levels, four A-levels
- IT skills: e-commerce, project management, systems
architecture
- Hobbies: watching sport, DIY, playing with my son, drinking in
country pubs
- Favourite pub: The Fat Cat in Sheffield
- Billingham on Billingham: committed, enthusiastic,
logical
E is for excellence
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