Background: System Support Specialist

Tactical IT Deployment can be viewed as reverse engineering starting from a desired outcome and then on to each and every piece of a project. For example the person who invented sliced bread most likely had a vision of sliced bread before he thought of the how a machine or knife would cut the loaf. As you move back from the desired objective you lose clarity of the overall project. Once again, if I show you a knife would you assume your inventing sliced bread? It is critical that this diminished clarity be properly measured and calculated in each proposed step of a deployment. I have been a freelancer in this dynamic field for over 5 years and still to this day have never seen an identical solution for two separate clients. My recommendation, to those who seek IT Deployment solutions, is to make sure you measure the level of clarity between yourself and the one offering you a solution. Tactical IT Deployment is an art form based on the complexities of people, not technology. From working with representatives in a variety of different organizations I have developed my own personal techniques which are the foundations of my success in this field.

My role with an organization is too obtain, with 100% clarity, the key objectives for the deployment and then design a solution which incorporates:

- building a strong operating platform
- recruiting exceptional people to build the divisions and teams necessary for development
- identify key developmental steps and articulate them to align with key business opportunities.
- charting and managing the timelines for development
- create the foundations and structures for growth.
- create testing policies and validate redundancy requirements
- establish key relationships with all involved parties
- delivering a complete solution.

Operations:

A common occurance these days is to see someone with so much technology but not nessicarly be able to get the most out of any of it. This issue has been created by a combination of our economy's "bigger is better" mentality and our own lack of knowledge in the high tech industry. The bottom line is that usable features are vastly more significant than powerful equipment. If your bussiness required a great deal of faxing what would benifit your company the most? The ten year old computer that has faxed without issue sence day one or a brand new top of the line computer that has not been setup for faxing? I am not saying that we should never replace or upgrade our equipment, I perfer to focus this discussion on the basic fact that a VISA card alone will not solve your IT problems. To this fact I dedicate my services to all those who have been in such a situation.

Current Responsibility
	I am currently deployed and unavailable for contract.
Summary of qualifications
	n  For over 15 years I have assisted organizations in developing and redeveloping strategic IT solutions to enable the organizations to achieve both financial and logistical targets. One of my key strengths as described by The Gallup Organization is my ability to relate with others. Tactical IT Deployment is an art form based on the complexities of people, not technology. From working with representatives in a variety of different organizations I have developed my own personal techniques which are the basis for my success in the field. n  In the course of working with a variety of customers, technologists, IT managers, Operation Managers and executive level managers I have developed a strong skill in taking strong processes and refining them into something superb. This allows me to maximize the potential of associates at all levels within the organization. n  Professional certification, technical aptitude and a positive, professional attitude in all IT endeavors have shown coworkers and colleagues alike that I can master new skills, break down complex processes and relate relevant information at an appropriate level.  This has allowed me to continually push my professional capabilities, work with the latest technologies, and operate in many heterogeneous environments utilizing third party software and custom solutions.
Accreditations & Expertise
	HP / Compaq Certified Technician               spn995/CSN Tech ID – cz7890 Microsoft Certified Professional         NT Server/NT Workstation/Enterprise CompTIA - A+                                                  Hardware/Operating Systems Hardware Desktop assembly/diagnostics, Laptop assembly/diagnostics, High Reliability Soldiering, Routers, Switches, Hubs, UPS, Ethernet cabling, Data recovery Networking Ethernet, 802.11, TCP/IP, NetBEUI, IPX/SPX, DNS, DHCP, FTP, POP3, SMTP, IMAP, SSH Applications and Operating Systems Microsoft Windows 3.1/95/98/NT/ME/2000/2003/Vista, Active Directory, VPN, BES, data recovery and various diagnostic utilities
Professional experience
	Aug 2002 – 2008                                                                 Futureshop Canada Senior Technical Lead/District Subject Matter Expert                              Vancouver, BC n  I was the Technical Lead for Futureshop’s main downtown location on the corner of Robson and Granville St. My key responsibility is to manage the complete operation of both our In Store and In-Home Service teams. n  My daily activities require advanced experience with technical and non technical troubleshooting and problem solving. This allows me to comfortably work with escalated customer opportunities and provide effective solutions that keep both the customer and company in mind. n  In my capacity as a Senior Technical Lead I also assist in developing Technical Leads across British Columbia and Alberta. This allows me to refine and focus on building strong foundations within their respective stores. This also enables me to work with a variety of different people in various markets to help further my own skill set. n  Accomplishment: During my third year with Futureshop, I was tasked with standardizing and re-working our current processes, which involved documenting the current infrastructure and practices, analyzing the design to look for cost saving measures and elimination of redundancy, implementing an optimized strategy to reduce costs, documenting the resulting infrastructure and producing policy documents to ensure standardization. n  Accomplishment:  I’ve worked with our national management team on joint information collaboration between Senior Technical Leads and our Corporate Head Quarters. Some of the projects which I have been involved in include the launch of “Geek Squad” into the Canadian market, and the launch of Futureshop’s National In-Home Service program. Jul 2005 - May 2008                                        China Holdings, Inc. (CHHL.PK) Chief Technologist                                                                                  Las Vegas, NV n  I successfully established and maintained the basic infrastructure within the organization. n  Accomplishment: I learned a great deal within this position as it enabled me to work with various non-technical people. I was challenged not only to explain how the systems worked but also provide all training required for using, maintaining and navigating the systems and platforms.
Education
	2008 - 2010                                                                   Massachusetts Institute of Technology - Cambridge, MA 2000 - 2001                                                                   General Physics L.C. - Halifax, NS 1999 – 2000 Future Gateways Technical Collage - Truro, NS

 

Data Center

Brand new, state-of-the-art facilities located in a AAA-rated building
Dual electrical grid connections from independent substations
Internally redundant, bypassable 250 kVA UPS systems
Dedicated backup generator with manual bypass to second non-dedicated backup generator in the event of generator failure
Fault-tolerant 600V air conditioning system with humidity regulation
Air conditioning units and pumps connected to generator power for unlimited runtime in the event of utility power failure
Stratified air flow design for increased cooling efficiency and reduced energy costs
Non-service-affecting FM-200(r) Fire Suppression System with multiple zones, central control, and connectivity to the building fire system
Dedicated backup generator with manual bypass to second non-dedicated backup generator in the event of generator failure
Infrastructure built to comply with seismic code

Network

Fully redundant core switches, routers, and load balancers, utilizing 802.1w rapid spanning tree protocol (RSTP) for split-second failover and high availability
Multiple GigE backbone trunks for fast network performance and traffic spike tolerance
100% uptime guarantee (with specific SLA)
24 x 7 environment and network monitoring and response
Multiple, fault-tolerant upstream fiber connections
Burstable and uncapped bandwidth to every customer, at a minimum connection speed of 100 Mbps
Broadcast and internal (non-Internet) traffic is unmetered!
Multi-homed network with BGP-advertised address space and connections to multiple Tier-1 providers
2 x GigE (Big Pipe, Level 3)
1 x OC-12 (MCI)
1 x 100 Mbps (VAIX)
Latency-optimized routing with excellent connectivity to Canada, U.S., and Europe.

Security

24 x 7 building security monitoring and engineering response
Elevator, office, and server room doors monitored for unauthorized or forced entry with local and building security response
"Mantrap" entry with key card and biometric access authentication
Segmented colocation and main server rooms
24 x 7 CCTV (closed circuit television) surveillance and recording
Closed wiring conduits for all wire and fiber outside of the server room and within the colocation room
Limited staff access to server rooms
Access logging on all key card doors
Rotated off-site backups

Administration and Support

24 x 7 security, technical support, and remote hands on premises
Expertise with Windows and Linux platforms
Expertise with multiple server configurations (VPN, Load balancing, Firewalls)
Network monitoring with 24 x 7 response
Custom network monitoring with user-configurable notification
DNS management
Free hardware repair (dedicated customers only)
Root access (dedicated customers only)
Advanced traffic monitoring with per-service and per-IP breakdowns