Ronald Schmelzer, senior analyst and founder, is a well-known expert in the field of Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA), Web Services, and XML-based standards. Ron has been featured in and has written for periodicals, and has spoken at numerous industry conferences and in front of some of the largest busineses in the world.

Ron Schmelzer was the lead author of XML And Web Services Unleashed (SAMS 2002) as well as co-author of Service-Orient or Be Doomed (Wiley 2006) with Jason Bloomberg, due to be released in 2006. Ron has served as the chair of the RosettaNet Cluster 1 Workgroup, working group member of CPExchange, member of the UDDI advisory group, and was a member of the CompTIA Electronic Commerce Standards Board (ECSB). Prior to ZapThink, Ron was founder, CTO, and "ePostle of Partners" of ChannelWave Software, as well as founder and President of VirtuFlex Software, and founder and CEO of VirtuMall, one of the first online eCommerce sites in 1994.

Ron was named "Geek of the Week" in Internet Magazine and was listed in Boston Magazine's Internet Top 40. Ron received a B.S. degree in Computer Science and Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Jason Bloomberg is Senior Analyst and Principal at Service-Oriented Architecture industry analysis and advisory firm ZapThink LLC. Mr. Bloomberg has a diverse background in eBusiness technology management and industry analysis, including serving as a senior analyst in IDC's eBusiness Advisory group, as well as holding eBusiness management positions at USWeb/CKS (later marchFIRST) and WaveBend Solutions (now Hitachi Consulting).

He co-authored the book Web Page Scripting Techniques (Hayden Books, 1996), and in association with ZapThink founder Ronald Schmelzer, contributed the chapters on Web Services to XML and Web Services Unleashed (SAMS Publishing, 2002). Messrs. Bloomberg and Schmelzer's new book, Service Orient or Be Doomed! How Service Orientation Will Change Your Business (John Wiley & Sons, 2006), is due in February.

Mr. Bloomberg has Masters' Degrees in Mathematics and History & Philosophy of Science from the University of Pittsburgh, and a BA in Physics from Pomona College.

Alex Olson, lead sales contact at ZapThink, has sales and marketing experience in both the financial services and high technology industries. Alex has helped fortune 500 class clients achieve strategic goals on such topics as SOA, Offshoring, and other IT initiatives.

Prior to joining ZapThink, Alex gained extensive knowledge of the SOA and high tech field as an Account Manager at Forrester Research. Alex helped organizations make effective business decisions utilizing quantitative consumer data, strategy research and vender research, and has worked identifying opportunities for consulting engagements and advisory services between clients and the analyst community. He developed and executed account plans for 40 organizations in a variety of verticals, including retail and manufacturing. Prior to the high tech world, Alex was an Account Manager at Thomson Financial. While at Thomson, Alex sold research tools to investment banks and hedge funds primarily in New York, helping clients take advantage of real time market data and analysis. He was responsible for the growth of an existing client base, prospecting and taking Thomson’s message to the market place.

Alex is a graduate of Fordham University in New York, where he majored in Marketing and Economics. Alex can be contacted for partnership opportunities, as well account management issues or general ZapThink inquiries.