Garrett Sullins

Creative Albany, NY
@gpunx

About

Garrett Sullins is a web developer and programmer in Central New York.

What attracted you to web development?

My father was a programmer back in the day. He started out in the sixties and had his own company that handled custom applications so I grew up with computers. At an early age I got interested in computing. I got into web work later in high school and in my early college years in the mid nineties was when internet started to become something. When HTML was introduced I thought it was really cool based on what I read about and the way things were going. I started learning about HTML and my dad thought I was crazy because he was old school. I fell in love with it in the nineties and early 2000′s I started getting into server-side scripting and web application development. I love how it’s always changing and you have to stay on your toes. It never gets boring!

Who are your typical clients?

I am a subcontractor for three different agencies. The industries I work in include chemical and ARCs (an association for physically and mentally challenged people). They offer assistance in living, job placement and life skills.

How long have you been using Billings?

I’ve been using Billings for just over three years. I made the switch to Billings Pro about a week or two ago when I heard that Marketcircle was streamlining the two products.

What were some of the reasons you switched to Billings Pro?

From the way it looked, Billings Pro did everything I wanted to so it was a no brainer. I wasn’t wanting to go to a web based solution because I prefer the desktop application. The cloud syncing feature was my main reason for switching. I like being able to switch from using my desktop at home, to my laptop in a coffee shop or a client meeting. It’s nice to have the iPhone application as an option as well. For Billings, I used a dropbox solution to overwrite the database I was working in but now Billings Pro handles all of the syncing.

What do you prefer about a native app vs. a web based app?

I prefer the performance of a native app. That and the integration with the operating system. I can step away from the computer for five minutes and Billings Pro will let me know that I’ve been idle for five minutes. I love the menu bar time tracking feature where I can easily start the time clock for a project just from the menu bar.

Are there benefits of Billings Pro that you see being used in the future?

I can foresee myself adding people to Billings Pro in the future so that I can track other people’s time as well. I haven’t had the opportunity to use that feature yet, but I do like knowing that the solution I’m using is expandable in that area.

What has been your overall impression of Billings Pro?

Billings Pro is nicely organized and the interface is well put together. The performance is great and the usability has been excellent. The only thing I might dream of in the future is to have a secondary web based system that mirrors the desktop application.