Derris Boomer has spent over 30 years navigating the world's most complex enterprise systems—across 16 countries, countless time zones, and one very memorable Rolls-Royce. Here's his story.
Derris Boomer is a technology guru based in Princeton, New Jersey—and it is a title well-earned. As the founder and owner of Boomer Technology Group, he spends his days helping companies navigate the complex, often intimidating world of enterprise software. He doesn't deal with the minor tech glitches that freeze your personal computer; instead, Boomer focuses on the critical, heavy-duty systems that keep businesses running smoothly: Human Resources (HR), Human Capital Management (HCM), and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP).
A Lifelong Passion for Problem-Solving
Boomer's journey in tech began remarkably early. He has been working with and analyzing Fortune 500 companies since the age of 16. While his peers were focused on getting their driver's licenses, Boomer was busy investigating why corporations like McDonald's invested heavily in massive internal systems.
Over a career spanning more than 30 years, Boomer has worn many professional hats and gained the deep, real-world experience that only time and complex problem-solving can provide. Early on, he spent five years working for the IRS, during which he briefly considered a pivot to the FBI. Ultimately, he chose software fixes over interrogations, officially transitioning into the broader commercial technology sector in 1998.
Global Implementations and High-Stakes Travels
Boomer's expertise has taken him to more than 16 countries, implementing software solutions across the globe and enduring more corporate conference rooms than most people see in a lifetime. Along the way, he has accumulated a wealth of memorable—and often humorous—travel stories:
The Language Barrier: Hunting for a hardware store in Hong Kong for a Point of Sale (POS) installation, armed only with a few key phrases scribbled on an index card.
The Floppy Disk Fiasco: Flying to London with 48 floppy disks in his carry-on to install a DOS-based system, only for the disks to fail upon arrival.
Customs Standoffs: Avoiding heavy tariffs on networking equipment in France and Mexico by humbling his inner "argumentative American," playing dumb, and claiming the hardware was worth less than $10.
The Y2K Showdown: Nearly being denied entry into Canada during the 1999 Y2K panic when border agents questioned why a Canadian couldn't do the job. Boomer successfully convinced them he was a world-renowned Y2K expert—a move that saved the project.
Consulting Perks: Flying across the Atlantic to Germany just to replace a keyboard, which came with the luxury of an overnight stay at the Four Seasons, or enjoying a Rolls-Royce Bentley car service while staying at the Peninsula Hotel.
Building Boomer Technology Group
Sixteen years ago, Boomer channeled his decades of experience into founding Boomer Technology Group. Today, the firm is a trusted IT partner serving clients nationwide. Whether they are on the road, on a consultation call, or deep in the source code of a failing system, Boomer and his team bring a blend of elite expertise, dedication, and vital humor to daunting tech challenges.
The lifestyle of a high-end consultant comes with incredible highs—such as flying first class or on private jets, and occasionally bringing family along for the ride. However, it also demands sacrifice, including intense 48-hour shifts to resolve systemic failures, which sometimes means missing personal family events.
Over the years, Boomer's resume has grown to include work for iconic global brands like Polo Ralph Lauren, Tiffany & Co., IBM, and Accenture. In his consulting years he has worked for Budweiser, Mars, Burlington Coat Factory, Discount Tire, Corning, and a dozen hospitals in the USA to name a few.
The Evolution of Tech: From the 1980s to the AI Era
Technology has evolved drastically since Boomer's early days in the 1980s, when his parents bought him a Radio Shack word processor equipped with a dot-matrix printer and giant floppy disks. He immediately mastered Lotus 1-2-3 and WordPerfect, eventually moving into heavy programming and system configuration a decade later.
When reflecting on his favorite era in tech, Boomer points to the decade between 1998 and 2008. It was a dynamic period that saw the rise of advanced pagers, BlackBerries, Palm Pilots, and the ultimate disruption of the American tech landscape: the launch of the iPhone in 2007.
Today, Boomer Technology Group is heavily focused on AI enablement and automation services. While his team enthusiastically implements the latest AI tools, Boomer maintains a cautious perspective on the future of artificial intelligence.
"Companies and governments must not lose sight of people, commerce, and taxes. Everyone needs a job to be a productive citizen and feed the economy. Robots and AI do not vote, and they do not pay taxes."
He advocates for guardrails and government intervention to ensure AI is directed toward solving humanity's greatest challenges, such as curing cancer, rather than displacing the workforce.
Looking Ahead
As Boomer Technology Group continues to grow, it operates under a simple mantra: "Have laptop, will travel." Even in an increasingly digital world, Boomer firmly believes that many clients still value a personal, human touch—though he jokes that the person showing up could be a robot in the distant future.
For now, you can still find Derris Boomer running through airport terminals, logging frequent flyer miles, and gathering more material for the book he plans to write one day (with the names changed to protect client privacy, of course). One thing remains certain: Mr. Boomer is an avid adventurer who is nowhere near finished exploring the tech frontier.
