AT&T Universal Card E-Commerce Site
The first Java-based e-commerce website, shipped in 1996
The moment
In 1996, "e-commerce" barely existed and Java was a year old. AT&T Universal Card wanted cardholders to manage their accounts on the web.
What I built
I designed and developed the first Java-based e-commerce website, wiring a brand-new web front end into the mainframe world that actually ran the card business: CICS transactions, Oracle and Sybase databases, and MQ Series messaging.
Why it still matters
It set the pattern for the next 28 years of my work: put a modern, human-friendly front door on institutional systems that can't be replaced, and make the integration invisible. (The same engagement produced a web-based press kit and publishing system for Sun Microsystems, the company that made Java.)