Issue 4 2021

A Passion for Programming If you love what you do, you won’t work a day in your life, so the saying goes. For Mark Rekveld, framework and development methods were a hobby that grew wildly out of his control over the years. Now in charge of Marvelution B.V., an organisation that connects Jira and Jenkins. It’s a passion project, which has been key to achieving success. We take a closer look to find out more. Marvelution is something a little different from the norm. It’s a company that doesn’t have a sales department. It doesn’t even make an effort to reach out to customers. It’s a business that has a staff of one who keeps the entire operation ticking over on an international scale. It’s an enterprise that prides itself on being open, on being transparent and on being thoroughly unique. While formally established in 2015, the origins of Marvelution date back to 2007. Mark started an open source umbrella project named Marvelution to host the open source project he was developing to hone his skills. In short order, his hobby became enormously successful, with one project, Hudson Integration for Jira, used by over 3000 Jira installations worldwide. Now it is known as Jenkins Integration for Jira and is under constant development as a result of its incredible success. The clients who use the products that Mark provides vary considerably. One- man hobbyists sit comfortably alongside large global corporations. Each has found their own way to apply Mark’s work to their own situations. Software is a form of technology that transcends borders, ensuring that the organization will continue to be in high demand for years to come. The software development industry has changed significantly since 2007, however, and there is new demand that Mark must ensure he meets. Cloud based apps are now the norm, and have become increasingly important to the way in which many businesses work. It’s clear, therefore, that Marvelution is no ordinary business. The aim is still the same as it was at the beginning, however. This aim is to learn new skills that can help develop better programs. As an open source operator, Mark has been able to learn from other passionate programmers, not to mention getting perspectives from around the world on how to improve the product itself. There are no plans to grow the company, but demand has continued to increase over the years. The Jenkins Integration for Jira Cloud app was released in 2018 and has become an invaluable asset to users. Ensuring that it is up to date and fit for purpose is always a priority for Mark, but it is also a challenge made more difficult by working alone. Should he decide to expand the firm, he now knows many people who could join him on this venture. These are people who, like him, have a passion for the industry as opposed to seeing it as just a job. This is what sets Marvelution apart from its competitors, and is why it is an astonishing success. 2021 is sure to be an enormous transformation for both Mark and his company, with Jenkins Integration for Jira now including automation by rules. The first priority then is to prepare the cloud version of the app in order to meet future demand. Atlassian Jan21112 has stopped selling new Jira Server licenses, and by 2024 it will completely stop selling licenses for Jira Server and any app license for Jira Server. As a result, customers will either have to upgrade to Jira Data Center, or migrate to Jira Cloud. It is expected that this will increase the demand of the cloud app significantly, and thus the app needs to be further prepared in order to meet this impending increase in demand. Passion makes all the difference with a small-scale operation, and Marvelution is no exception. With Mark at the heart of the firm, he has built up a loyal base of customers who can benefit from his years of expertise. We look forward to seeing where he goes next! Company: Marvelution B.V. Contact: Mark Rekveld Web Address: https://marvelution.com/ Email: [email protected]