Michael Stiefel, principal of Reliable Software, Inc. is a consultant on software architecture and development, and the alignment of information technology with business goals. His current work involves training in distributed applications development, and in software best practices, in .NET, C#, Web services, C++, SQL Server, COM, DCOM, and MTS. He advises on IT strategy and planning, including budgeting, hiring, and growth management. Michael is involved with design and implementation of middle-tier and back-end components for transactional n-tier Internet and Intranet applications including Web services. He also is responsible for requirements analysis, project plan development, and design document development. He serves as an Expert Witness for intellectual property cases. Stiefel was a Principal Software Engineer for Prime Computer, developing a mechanical CAD/CAM database system. He also worked for Microsoft assisting their Fortune 500 clients in developing client/server solutions. He is a Visiting Scholar at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the Science, Technology and Society Program and conducts undergraduate seminars on the practice of engineering.