Brendan McCarthy is a seasoned software architect, with 18 years of professional experience developing object-oriented software for MacOS (OS X & Classic), Windows, PalmOS, OpenStep/NeXTStep, NewtonOS, Symbian OS, and embedded systems using a variety of languages, frameworks and development environments (including Java, C, C++, Objective C, NewtonScript, Pascal, 68K Assembly, & SmallTalk) and technologies (XML, SQL, Apache, & Tomcat.)

His domains of expertise include graphical user interfaces, database synchronization and replication, threading, SyncML DataSync & DevMan protocols, data interchange standards, Internet technologies, networking and mobile computing issues. He has written applications for servers, consumer applications, PDAs, and mobile handsets. He has written UNIX daemons, large object-oriented frameworks.

A complete resume is available (HTML | PDF) online.

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Currently, Brendan works at Apple Computer, Inc. in the Internet Applications group. Most recently, he has been working on features for Apple's Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger) operating system. He designed and implemented the network protocols for .Mac Sync which are used to connect Tiger's new SyncServices desktop engine to .Mac's new powerful and flexible iDisk WebDAV servers. He also implemented .Mac Notifications, a service in Tiger which allow light-weight messages to be securely sent between Macs running Tiger via .Mac.

Prior to that, he was the lead engineer for the team which brought forth the iSync 1.x .Mac synchronization management server. With iSync, users of Mac OS X 10.1 and 10.2 (Jaguar and Panther) can synchronize contacts, calendar, and Safari bookmarks from their Palm PDAs, mobile phones, iPods, other Macintoshes, and .Mac addressbook and bookmarks.

The iSync .Mac sync management server is a high-performance, scalable Java server application which runs on Mac OS X servers in Apple's .Mac environment. It allows supported devices to synchronize over the Internet and provides storage and access to users' sychronization meta-data, and manages the set of devices connected to a user's account. It also implements the automatic synchronization features of connected network devices (e.g. the .Mac addressbook and bookmarks.)

"With iSync, Apple has once again set out to solve a problem that most people are only vaguely aware they have: a proliferation of calendars and phone lists... When it comes to solving common high-tech annoyances, iSync hits the nail on the head and sends it flying out the other side of the wall... Apple may be slightly ahead of it's time with iSync, and the idea of paying $100 a year to keep all your Macs in sync may sting. Even so, the idea is priceless and the execution is polished." -- David Pogue, The New York Times

Brendan has been actively involved in developing and promoting data synchronization standards since 2000. He was a Representative to the SyncML Ltd. Core Working Group and a Delegate to the Open Mobility Alliance DataSync Working Group where he participated in the continued improvement of the SyncML DataSync 1.1 and 1.2 protocols. His areas of focus there are data filtering, synchronization of arbitrary structured data objects, and improving object standards conformance. He has implemented SyncML clients and server solutions.

He has attended 8 SyncML SyncFest Interoperability (IOP) events: Nice (2001 & 2002), Dallas, Tampere, San Francisco, Kyoto, Amsterdam, Las Vegas.)

Here is additional SyncML-related information.

Before joining Apple, Brendan was employed by fusionOne, Inc., a synchronization services provider where his responsibilities included writing server-side synchronization agents, interfacing with backend SQL databases, and writing client software for mobile devices and embedded systems.

While there, he played a crucial role in connecting fusionOne's proprietary synchronization platform to emerging synchronization standards such as IrMC and SyncML. In April 2001, fusionOne became one of the first companies certified "SyncML-compliant." Brendan was a key member of both the SyncML client and server teams, where he specialized on some of the most complicated aspects of the SyncML protocol (multiple message support, authentication & security, filtering, and device capabilities exchange.) 

He also designed and implemented extensions to fusionOne's XML-based sync server to allow it to support clients with a fixed record capacity. This functionality was the basis for a Sprint-branded service powered by fusionOne which became available to Sprint customers in September 2001.

Throughout the 90's, Brendan was a senior software engineer at FileMaker, Inc. (formerly known as Claris Corporation.) FileMaker is best known for it's award-winning "FileMaker Pro" desktop database for Macintosh and Windows computers.

During his 11 year tenure at FileMaker, Brendan was a key member of teams that developed and delivered software in several categories (including project management, personal scheduling, end-user databases, mobile computing & database servers.) He reported to FileMaker's Chief Technology Officer and at various times, his responsibilities included product design, architecture, & specification, GUI design & implementation, server performance analysis & optimization, technical & non-technical documentation, and technology assessment & integration.

The fusionOne logo is a registered trademark of fusionOne, Inc.
The SyncML logo is a registered trademark of the SyncML Consortium.
The Claris logo and FileMaker Inc logo are registered trademarks of FileMaker, Inc.