Summary

Technical Highlights

•          Citrix Access Suite and Presentation Server consultancy and installation, including Web Interface, Citrix Secure Gateway, Citrix Access Gateway, Password Manager and Citrix Streaming Server.
•          Firewall and VPN design and implementations from major manufacturers, such as Cisco, Checkpoint and Watchguard. Also Citrix Access Gateway VPN.
•        Microsoft Active Directory (2000, 2003). Including directory planning and design, implementations and interoperating with other versions of Windows.

• Microsoft Exchange (5.5, 2000, 2003). Including high-level planning, large rollouts    and migrations; operating in mixed  environment  and integrating with other mail systems.

• Network Architect roles in designing and planning large-scale campus networks,   including working to a PRINCE2 methodology.

Professional Certifications and Training

• Citrix Certified Enterprise Administrator (CCEA) Metaframe 1.8 and XP and Access Suite 4

• Citrix Certified Administrator (CCA). Presentation Server 4, Password Manager and Citrix Secure Gateway

•  Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE). Held qualification since 1999. Versions NT4, Windows 2000 and Windows 2003 (Exchange specializations)

•  Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA)

•   Cisco Certified Design Associate (CCDA)

• Watchguard Certified System Professional        (Firewalls and VPN technologies)

• Accredited PRINCE2 Practitioner. (formal           project management methodology)

• Lefthand Networks Certified Engineer   (iSCSI / IP SANs) 

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Career History

Sept 2005 –

[snip]

Managing my own consulting company, I    have provided innovative solutions in areas  such as Windows Active Directory, Microsoft Exchange and Citrix Access Suite. I have provided services to Clients as diverse as Shipping companies, Housing Groups,   Internet Service Providers and Law Firms. 

Please see Case Studies for examples of my work.

April 2001 – Sept 2005

Senior Technical Consultant and Infrastructure Manager

[snip]

As below but also responsible for team of 5 similar consultants – allocating projects and arranging tasks, ensuring customer  satisfaction and maximizing revenue from projects and support contracts. 

Hands-on project management of both infrastructure and software development projects. 

Jan 1999 – April 2001

Technical Consultant

Working for a Microsoft Gold Partner,   Technical Consultant to a wide variety of Corporate and SME clients. Including assessing clients’ needs, scoping and  planning projects through to implementation and support.

Jan 1999 – Jan 2001

Senior Systems Engineer

[snip]

Working mainly for Outsourced Service   Provider on large corporate account. Installation, configuration and support for Compaq Proliant and Dell Poweredge Servers running Windows NT4 and Lotus Notes.

Feb 1997 – Jan 1999

Technical Support Engineer

[snip]

Desktop and server support to research and engineering division of major international chemical company. A high level of initiative and dedication to customer support, based on stringent SLA’s, was required. 

Duties included Lotus Notes / NT4 / NT3.51 administration, Lotus Notes database design and specialist Engineering applications and network support, including SG Iris workstations.

Included significant role in ‘Project Quantum’ (see Case Studies)  

Education History

Aug 1996 - Feb 1997

Graduate Into Enterprise North East (GENIE)

Conversion course on the real-world business applications of IT, including work placement experience, administering NT4 server and MS Mail system.

1993 – 1996

University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne

B.A. (Hons) 2:1 Economics

1987 - 1993

      Stokesley School and Sixth Form College

A Levels

Economics: Grade A

Geography: Grade A

General Studies: Grade A

Physics: Grade B

GCSE’s

5 Grade A’s

4 Grade B’s 

Citrix Access Suite 4 Deployment

[snip]

This leading retail fulfilment outsourcing specialist, required a new Line  of Business Application deploying via the Internet to their call centre operatives and key corporate customers. I designed, deployed and documented a new Citrix Presentation Server 4  farm, using Web Interface and Secure Gateway to securely make the applications available via the internet. I also had to re-engineer the Active Director design and server placement within the client’s DMZ. 

A full handover, training and mentoring was also provided to the client’s IT staff to allow them to support the system on an ongoing basis.

The client’s IT Manager has confirmed to me that the system has performed under the load imposed on it by the pre-christmas trading   peak and that he is extremely happy with   

Microsoft Active Directory and Citrix Presentation Server Consulting.

[snip]

Providing Services to the UK arm of this Global shipping company, I designed and installed a new Active Directory Infrastructure, configuring all relevant services; training and mentoring the local IT staff as to best practices for ongoing administration. I installed a new Citrix    Presentation Server farm and built the first server in that farm for use as a server ‘template’ for general deployment.

Working in conjunction with the client’s IT staff, I configured both Citrix and Microsoft Policies and designed a standard operating environment (SOE) for the Client’s users.

Microsoft and Citrix Project Technical Consultant

[snip]

Configuration of 20+ Citrix and Microsoft Servers in support of a major Enterprise System implementation for a group of Housing Associations with approx 4,000 users. 

Had to work to tight deadlines to solve serious technical issues in a complex heterogeneous environment.  

Included liaising closely with business units and non-technical managers and board directors.

[snip]

Working for a major [snip] trust, I designed, planned and implemented    a migration of 3000 mail users over a single weekend. 

This project involved: assessing and discussing client requirements at the highest level; submitting technical design and project plan; leading the migration team, including other consultants and internal customer resources. Included altering mail routing, by reconfiguring Mailsweeper SMTP gateway and configuring Outlook Web Access. 

This project resulted in significant improvements in performance and availability of the trust’s e-mail service. 

Network Replacement Project

Advising the Director of Learning Resources, I was project consultant    for a major network project, involving the replacement of 4,500 network ports, network backbone and firewall / VPN with new Cisco and Checkpoint equipment. My roles included: advising the University as to the specification and scope of the project; dealing and negotiating with the prime contractor, to ensure the University maximises value for money; designing the network IP architecture and providing suitable documentation; managing the University resources to ensure that dependencies were achieved. This complex project was completed on budget and to tight timeframe, as the project had to complete by the   end of the students’ summer break. 

I am currently performing a similar role for an IP Telephony project,  where thousands of analogue telephones will be replaced with an       end-to-end Cisco Voice over IP solution. 

Active Directory and Exchange Upgrade

 Migration of customer’s NT4 / Exchange 5.5 network to Windows 2000 and Exchange 2000. Staged migration, utilising Active Directory Connector to allow both systems to operate in tandem for a managed migration process, eliminating downtime to reducing the risks normally inherent in ‘big-bang’ upgrades. Now involved in upgrade to Windows 2003 / Exchange 2003. IT manager of customer described “Best IT consultants I have worked with.” 

Consultancy and installation services for Outlook Web Access,   including the use of SSL digital certificates to encrypt data.

Hosted Exchange Design and Installation

 Designed and installed Microsoft Active Directory Domain and     Microsoft Exchange Organization to allow iTransact to provide a     hosted Exchange service for multiple customers. Application Service Provider (ASP) scenario, allowing users to access their e-mail from    web browsers and mobile devices from anywhere in the world. 

“Virtual Organizations” created, allowing multiple companies to all use    a single infrastructure, without been aware of each other’s presence.

Reduced costs by allowing companies to share hardware, software     and support resources that would otherwise have to be purchased separately by each company.  

[snip]

Working for a major [snip] trust, I designed, planned and implemented    a migration of 3000 mail users over a single weekend.

This project involved: assessing and discussing client requirements at the highest level; submitting technical design and project plan; leading the migration team, including other consultants and internal customer resources. Included altering mail routing, by reconfiguring Mailsweeper SMTP gateway and configuring Outlook Web Access.

This project resulted in significant improvements in performance and availability of the trust’s e-mail service. 

Summary

The sections below highlight my main areas of technical expertise and experience. 

My approach is to ensure that I combine: 

• Real-world practical experience of implementing these technologies;
• Proper system design and documentation;
• vendor certifications and qualifications;
• understanding of client’s business and strategic requirements; and
• adherence to industry best practices and procedures;

To produce solutions that work for my clients from both a technical and business perspective.

Messaging  Systems

§         Microsoft Exchange Messaging Systems. Particular specialisms in inegrating dissimilar and complex messaging systems, upgrades and migrations. Migration planning and designs performed to ensure that a seamless migration for users with minimal downtime.

§         Blackberry mobile e-mail server implementation and support.

§         Mimesweeper SMTP gateways: integration into corporate SMTP / Microsoft Exchange environments.

§         Solutions allowing users to access their e-mail     from anywhere in the world and using any device.        For example, integration of Outlook Web Access    using SSL Certificates and the use of Microsoft ActivSynch and Outlook Mobile Access to give    users complete mobility and flexibility as to how they access their Exchange e-mail. 

Operating Systems

§         Active Directory designs, deployment and rollouts, including migrating from earlier versions of Windows and consolidating multiple domains.

§         Desktop rollout services including ghosting, Remote Installation Services (RIS) and application packing including using Systems Management Server (SMS) and Altiris Suite. Allows my clients to configure and deploy hundreds or thousands of PCs without having to visit each one, reducing deployment times and costs.

Xz

§         Ten years’ experience developing,    integrating and deploying solutions for virtually every type of Windows system from Windows NT3.51 right through to Windows 2003 and Windows Vista.

§         Experienced with installing and operating    full suite of Microsoft Back Office products, including Proxy Server 2.0, ISA server 2000 / 2003 , SQL 2000 Server and and Systems Management Server Version 2.0

Communication and Security

§         Internet content filtering solutions from Surfcontrol and Mimesweeper to regulate employees’ access to the internet and to filter e-mails for viruses / spam. 

§         Design and configuration of Checkpoint Firewall policies, including consultations and preparation of design documents, prior to installation. 

§         Cisco PIX Firewall Deployments. Used to link branch offices for secure VPN across the Internet, reducing the reliance on expensive dial-up and ISDN lines, producing impressive Returns on Investment for my clients. 

§         Network Architecture and Design services. Designing and documenting IP and Server naming schemes for clients and producing standard methods and procedures for the deployment of servers and applications.

§         Cisco Wireless Access Points implementation, including secure Authentication based on 802.1x 

§         Internet Domain Name Services (DNS)    Management

§         Watchguard Security System Design and Implementation. Using a single security appliance to provide SME’s with diverse functionality, such as Firewalls, VPN, Virus Checking, Web Filtering etc. Particuarly good at analysing existing applications to design suitable rulebases and configurations for firewalls.

 §         Security Scanning and Vulnerability      Analysis services using software provided by       Qualys. Providing reports to clients on internal and external vulnerabilities (e.g. insecure settings or lack    of pataching) and suggested solutions. 

Server Based Computing (Thin-Clients)

§         Designing, testing and deploying Citrix Presentation Server solutions, including package management and application integration. 

§         Wyse Windows Terminal (thin-client) deployments and management. Reduced my clients’ TCO by managing standard images and using Wyse Rapport management software, reducing the administrative burden of desktops to virtually nil.

§         Use of Windows Terminal Services to allow    clients to deploy thin-client solutions, as an alternative    to desktops. Reduced the amount of time to roll-out  new applications and deploy and support desktops    and reduced deskside support costs whilst improving user productivity.

§         Use of Citrix Secure Gateway and Web Interface allowed users to seamlessly access office applications   on Metaframe servers from anywhere in the world using only a web browser. 

Storage and Virtualisation

§         iSCSI based IP SANs from vendors such as Lefthand Networks. Designing a storage infrastructure as part of tender preparation. Installation and configuration of storage units including LUN masking, snapshots and replication.

§         Daily use of VMWare Virtualization Software to    build test environments for piloting solutions and processes for corporate clients. 

§         Backup solution design, including near-line storage and backup-to-disk solutions using Veritas Backup  Exec and Volume Replicator. This was particularly useful in developing off-site, real-time Disaster    Recovery Solutions for Clients.