Peter Huckle
Following a degree in Electrical Engineering at The University of Leeds in the UK, Peter undertook a PhD in Applied Mathematics analysing the problem of communicating with space vehicles when they re-enter the earth’s atmosphere.
After a period as a lecturer at London University Peter joined IBM where he worked first as a programmer and then as system manager at IBM’s Scientific Centre where his team worked on an implementation of what was probably the first deployment of a relational database under the direction of Ted Codd (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgar_F._Codd) from IBM in California. This work led Peter to move to Silicon Valley to work on aspects of office systems and team collaboration software and where his team developed a language for the expression of page layouts for the then new laser printers – the language being known as GML – the precursor of today’s HTML, the language of the Internet for the layout of web pages.
Peter then joined Four Phase Systems which allowed him to implement his ideas for the development of low cost distributed systems using the then newly available micro computers running the Unix operating system and supported by relational databases from a start-up – Oracle Systems. Four Phase was later acquired by Motorola – the makers of the microprocessors in Peter’s design and he then took a position as technical support for marketing of these systems in Europe.
Peter’s next role was as an independent consultant with the main role of looking for promising high tech companies for acquisition by larger corporations.
Joining Digital Equipment Corporation as development manager for office systems, Peter was later promoted to Director of Office Systems Marketing in Europe.
As the European director of The Conference Group – organising technology events across Europe and the USA, Peter organised and chaired the UK’s first commercial Internet conference – Intercom ‘94 in London.
In parallel with his Conference Group activity, Peter and a colleague from his days at Digital Equipment established and successfully built one of the first online businesses selling books and media on subjects about transport. He also ran a business which advised companies about using the internet to expand their business by reaching new markets. Customers included business associations, fashion retailers and real estate.
Peter moved to New Zealand in the early years of the new millennium where he has continued his business of building websites for tourism, accommodation and local communities.