Jonathan "J." Tower

Jonathan "J." Tower

Jonathan, or J. as he's known to friends, is a husband, father, and founding partner of Trailhead Technology Partners, a custom software consulting company with employees across the U.S., Europe, and South America. He is a 12-time recipient of the Microsoft MVP award for his work with .NET, a frequent speaker at software conferences around the world, and was recently elected to the .NET Foundation Board for the 2026–2027 term. He doesn’t mind the travel, though, as it allows him to share what he's been learning and also gives him the chance to visit beautiful places like national parks—one of his passions. So far, he's visited 58 of the 63 U.S. national parks. J. is also passionate about building the software community. Over the years, he has served on several non-profit boards, including more than a decade as president of the board for Beer City Code, Western Michigan's largest professional software conference. Outside of work, J. enjoys hiking, reading, photography, and watching all the Best Picture nominees before the Oscars ceremony each year.

Authored Content

Creating Happily-Ever-After UI Components

Creating Happily-Ever-After UI Components

Once upon a time, in a land not so far from production, there lived a growing kingdom of buttons, forms, and other UI components. What began as a peaceful realm of components slowly turned into a tangled forest of inconsistencies—every team…

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Microservices Drool; Modular Monoliths Rule

Microservices Drool; Modular Monoliths Rule

Everyone seems to be chasing microservices these days—promises of independent teams, targeted scaling, and fault isolation make them sound irresistible. It's been said you should only reach for microservices if you have a really good reason…

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LLMs: The Internet, But Make It a JPEG

LLMs: The Internet, But Make It a JPEG

Recently, I was reflecting on Large Language Models (LLMs) and how they contain all or much of the knowledge of the internet in a much smaller storeage space. For example, the ChatGPT 4 model is about 570 GB, a size almost anyone could stor…

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Boost App Performance with Advanced Redis

Boost App Performance with Advanced Redis

In a previous blog post, I showed how you can speed up .NET APIs using Redis to cache frequently-accessed and infrequently-changing data. If you haven't checked it out yet, it provides a solid foundation on how Redis can dramatically improv…

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Welcoming Mark Adams to Trailhead

Welcoming Mark Adams to Trailhead

Trailhead Technology Partners is excited to welcome Mark Adams as a new partner. With decades of leadership experience and a passion for strong client relationships, Mark is an excellent addition to our team. Mark has more than two decades…

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Modernizing Legacy Systems with Event Storming

Modernizing Legacy Systems with Event Storming

Legacy systems are the backbone of countless organizations. Yet, as technology advances, these systems often become roadblocks, riddled with challenges like technical debt, undocumented workflows, brittle integrations, and limited scalabili…

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What's New in .NET 9

What's New in .NET 9

.NET 9 was released in November 2024 at .NET Conf. It introduces a wealth of new features and improvements that make it easier than ever to build high-performance, modern applications across platforms. Microsoft covered many different new f…

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Introducing HybridCache in .NET 9

Introducing HybridCache in .NET 9

Caching plays a crucial role in performance in web applications by reducing strain on backend systems. The new HybridCache library, available in preview in .NET 9, simplifies caching and addresses some limitations of previous approaches, ma…

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Right-Sizing Your Front-End Tech Stack

Right-Sizing Your Front-End Tech Stack

Selecting the right tech stack can be a make-or-break decision for many projects. While some applications benefit from a complex stack, many others can thrive with a simpler, more streamlined setup. Choosing a lighter stack doesn’t just cut…

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Trailhead Interviewed on House of Code Podcast

Trailhead Interviewed on House of Code Podcast

Recently, Trailhead partner Jonathan "J." Tower had the pleasure of discussing the topic of building a trusted software agency on Cory House's House of Code podcast. Together, they delved into what it takes to run a successful software agen…

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Easy Machine Learning for .NET Teams

Easy Machine Learning for .NET Teams

Machine learning (ML) is transforming industries by enabling businesses to make data-driven decisions, personalize user experiences, and improve operational efficiency. But for many organizations, the thought of adding ML capabilities to th…

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When Serverless Architecture is The Best Choice

When Serverless Architecture is The Best Choice

In recent years, serverless architecture has emerged as a game-changer, promising scalability, cost-efficiency, and ease of deployment. However, amidst the hype surrounding serverless, it's crucial to recognize that it's not a one-size-fits…

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Trailhead Interviewed on SSW TV

Trailhead Interviewed on SSW TV

Recently, Trailhead's very own Jonathan "J." Tower was at NDC Sydney, and sat down with Matt Wicks from SSW TV to discuss YARP: Your Gateway to Effortless Project Migrations. During this insightful conversation, J. walks Matt through Micros…

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Quantum-Safe Cryptography in .NET

Quantum-Safe Cryptography in .NET

Cryptographic algorithms hide behind the curtain of so much of the digital communication that supports our daily lives online. As quantum computers continue to advance, the likelihood increases of computers that can defeat all of our curren…

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Integration Strategy: A Guide for IT Leaders

Integration Strategy: A Guide for IT Leaders

At Trailhead, we understand that a successful business will often need to have a variety of software systems, leading to disparate systems that don't always talk to each other. This demands a seamless way to connect those systems to avoid o…

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Exploring What's New in .NET 8

Exploring What's New in .NET 8

In the early days of the .NET Framework, releases were infrequent and timed with Windows releases. The shift to an open-source platform brought a welcome change. Now, we anticipate an annual .NET release tied to the .NET Conf event every No…

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Why Engineers Should Embrace Verbosity

Why Engineers Should Embrace Verbosity

In the fast-paced world of software development, brevity is often hailed as a virtue. Software engineers, with their affinity for efficiency, are notorious for distilling complex concepts into succinct messages–sometimes even a little too s…

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Trailhead Interviewed on The Azure DevOps Podcast

Trailhead Interviewed on The Azure DevOps Podcast

In the quickly evolving landscape of software, keeping pace with advancements is crucial to avoid having your application become a dreaded "legacy" application. Recently, Trailhead's very own Jonathan "J." Tower had the privilege of being a…

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Are You Prepared for the End of Xamarin Support?

Are You Prepared for the End of Xamarin Support?

In October 2022, Microsoft announced that Xamarin and Xamarin.Forms apps will no longer be supported after May 1, 2024, which is just eight months from the writing of this post. The reason for this deadline is that Xamarin is being replaced…

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When To Use Serverless vs Containers

When To Use Serverless vs Containers

Everyone is talking about containers and serverless, but when should you use each in your projects? Anyone who has worked with containers and orchestration much will tell you how much more complex they can make your application’s infrastruc…

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Single Dash vs Double Dashes in Shell Commands

Single Dash vs Double Dashes in Shell Commands

When you’re using a shell command, it’s common to pass options to that command using dashes—which are also called hyphens. These options can be specified with either a single dash (-) or a double dash (—). But have you ever wondered when to…

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Slow .NET API? Redis Caching May Be the Answer

Slow .NET API? Redis Caching May Be the Answer

Just like venturing into the wilderness requires the proper gear, developing REST APIs with ASP.NET Core also requires the right tools and equipment for your application to perform at its best.  At Trailhead, Redis caching is one such…

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Top-Level Statements in C#

Top-Level Statements in C#

This article is part of C# Advent 2022. During the month of December, two new articles are posted each day until December 25th. These articles will be about something in the C# language, and are written by experts from around the C# co…

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What's New in .NET 7?

What's New in .NET 7?

At Trailhead, we think that .NET is the world’s most powerful and flexible framework for custom development. That’s why we are so excited that .NET 7 was officially released this week. When you see what’s new in .NET 7, we think you will ag…

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Yes, And…

Yes, And…

I learned a lot in college that is applicable to my life and career…and some of it was even in my classes. Nowhere was that more true than with my time doing comedy improvisation. At the beginning of my sophomore year in college, I tr…

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Microsoft Build 2021: .NET News

Microsoft Build 2021: .NET News

Microsoft Build 2021 just wrapped up, and a lot of the new coverage was about things like the upcoming major updates to Windows, the retirement of IE and pre-Chromium Edge, and the new Windows app store that is being developed. However, thi…

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Estimating Software Projects More Accurately

Estimating Software Projects More Accurately

Software projects are notoriously difficult to estimate accurately. After years of building successful custom software projects, I've learned a lot of helpful DOs and DON'Ts for creating accurate estimates and had the opportunity to test th…

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Trailhead Goes Carbon Neutral, And So Can You

Trailhead Goes Carbon Neutral, And So Can You

We were inspired recently when Microsoft announced that it was going carbon neutral by 2030, and completely paying back its historic carbon debt by 2040. Amazon has also made the similar, though slightly less lofty pledge to be carbon neutr…

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One Dash vs Two Dashes in Shell Commands

One Dash vs Two Dashes in Shell Commands

When you're using a shell command, it's common to pass options to that command using dashes–which are also called hyphens. These options can be specified with either a single dash (-) or a double dash (–). But have you ever wondered when to…

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Working from Home for Fun and Profit

Working from Home for Fun and Profit

I've been working remotely–or telecommuting, as it is often known–for nearly 10 years, and in that time I've learned a few DOs and DON'Ts for being a successful remote worker. I'm far from perfect, and am still learning and getting it wrong…

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Hello, ASP.NET Core 2.1

Hello, ASP.NET Core 2.1

UPDATE, 2018 May 30: It's alive. The dotnet team officially announces 2.1 on their blog! The newest version of ASP.NET Core will be released in just a few days, the team announced this week. They're targeting Wednesday, May 30, 2018, with a…

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It's Alive! My First Azure Bot Service

It's Alive! My First Azure Bot Service

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella says "bots are the new apps." If that's the case, then developers are going to need a cross-platform way to build those bots, just like they have cross-platform frameworks for building mobile app. Good news, beca…

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Kendo Grid with Angular2: From Scratch

Kendo Grid with Angular2: From Scratch

At Trailhead, we've been making the switch from Angular 1 to Angular 2 for our new web front-end projects. The selection of tools and components for Angular 2 has been slowly expanding, but it is still young and somewhat limited at times, w…

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Trailhead Welcomes Josh Eastburn

Trailhead Welcomes Josh Eastburn

Trailhead Technology Partners is very pleased to announce the addition of our newest partner, Josh Eastburn. Current partners, J. and John, give their thoughts about the expanded partnership below, and welcome Josh to the team. Josh also sh…

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Trailhead + ASP.NET Core 1.0

Trailhead + ASP.NET Core 1.0

In this Edition Introducing ASP.NET Core 1.0 Trailhead's Experience with .NET Core Our ASP.NET Core services: "ASP.NET Core" Online Training > Consulting Services > Introducing: ASP.NET Core 1.0 On June 27, Microsoft announced the o…

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Microsoft Build – Day One

Microsoft Build – Day One

Recap of Build 2016 day-one announcements: Windows 10's 270M install base, Xamarin on Windows, the Anniversary Update, Bash on Windows, Microsoft Ink, the unified Windows/Xbox store, HoloLens dev kits shipping, conversation-as-a-platform, and Cortana growing up.

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Hello, World!

Hello, World!

J. Tower About a year-and-a-half ago, I had a dream of starting a company with several of my favorite friends and colleagues, and today that dream is starting to come true. Please allow me to introduce Trailhead Technology Partners. Trailhe…

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Our Gear Is Packed and We're Excited to Explore With You

Ready to come with us? 

Together, we can map your company’s software journey and start down the right trails. If you’re set to take the first step, simply fill out our contact form. We’ll be in touch quickly – and you’ll have a partner who is ready to help your company take the next step on its software journey. 

We can’t wait to hear from you! 

Main Contact

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Together, we can map your company’s tech journey and start down the trails. If you’re set to take the first step, simply fill out the form below. We’ll be in touch – and you’ll have a partner who cares about you and your company. 

We can’t wait to hear from you! 

Montage Portal

Montage Furniture Services provides furniture protection plans and claims processing services to a wide selection of furniture retailers and consumers.

Project Background

Montage was looking to build a new web portal for both Retailers and Consumers, which would integrate with Dynamics CRM and other legacy systems. The portal needed to be multi tenant and support branding and configuration for different Retailers. Trailhead architected the new Montage Platform, including the Portal and all of it’s back end integrations, did the UI/UX and then delivered the new system, along with enhancements to DevOps and processes.

Logistics

We’ve logged countless miles exploring the tech world. In doing so, we gained the experience that enables us to deliver your unique software and systems architecture needs. Our team of seasoned tech vets can provide you with:

Custom App and Software Development

We collaborate with you throughout the entire process because your customized tech should fit your needs, not just those of other clients.

Cloud and Mobile Applications

The modern world demands versatile technology, and this is exactly what your mobile and cloud-based apps will give you.

User Experience and Interface (UX/UI) Design

We want your end users to have optimal experiences with tech that is highly intuitive and responsive.

DevOps

This combination of Agile software development and IT operations provides you with high-quality software at reduced cost, time, and risk.

Trailhead stepped into a challenging project – building our new web architecture and redeveloping our portals at the same time the business was migrating from a legacy system to our new CRM solution. They were able to not only significantly improve our web development architecture but our development and deployment processes as well as the functionality and performance of our portals. The feedback from customers has been overwhelmingly positive. Trailhead has proven themselves to be a valuable partner.

– BOB DOERKSEN, Vice President of Technology Services
at Montage Furniture Services

Technologies Used

When you hit the trails, it is essential to bring appropriate gear. The same holds true for your digital technology needs. That’s why Trailhead builds custom solutions on trusted platforms like .NET, Angular, React, and Xamarin.

Expertise

We partner with businesses who need intuitive custom software, responsive mobile applications, and advanced cloud technologies. And our extensive experience in the tech field allows us to help you map out the right path for all your digital technology needs.

  • Project Management
  • Architecture
  • Web App Development
  • Cloud Development
  • DevOps
  • Process Improvements
  • Legacy System Integration
  • UI Design
  • Manual QA
  • Back end/API/Database development

We partner with businesses who need intuitive custom software, responsive mobile applications, and advanced cloud technologies. And our extensive experience in the tech field allows us to help you map out the right path for all your digital technology needs.

Our Gear Is Packed and We're Excited to Explore with You

Ready to come with us? 

Together, we can map your company’s tech journey and start down the trails. If you’re set to take the first step, simply fill out the contact form. We’ll be in touch – and you’ll have a partner who cares about you and your company. 

We can’t wait to hear from you! 

Thank you for reaching out.

You’ll be getting an email from our team shortly. If you need immediate assistance, please call (616) 371-1037.