Curriculum vitae

	Nigel Kitcher BSc (Hons.), MIAP, MCSE, CCDA, CCNA

Profile

I want to work for a company that has clearly stated ethical and worthwhile business objectives.

My background and experience are highly appropriate to enabling the enterprise to realise their potential in their chosen market place. I can manage, service and support the IT resources that will maximise efficiency.

In return I wish to work for a company that values its employees as important business assets and supports them with actions consistent with a desire to achieve and maintain high quality performance improvements as the norm. This means progressive and continuous career development and a working environment where the skill sets should be openly known, shared and drawn upon to enhance a dynamic team spirit.

Coaching will be the mode of management that I use to build effective working relationships with those inside and outside of the organisation. I want clear and immediate direction together with the responsibility, authority and support to make decisions that turn the company vision into reality.

Professional Profile Knowledgebase (includes)

Microsoft (MCSE NT4.0 and Windows 2000)

The knowledge required to pass these examinations was acquired by experience and self study.

Cisco (CCNA/CCDA)

Vocational Training

Job Experience

Jan '02 to date - Freelance Consultant

Since leaving FormScape Software Ltd I have been providing my skills and expertise to a number of SME's in the Thames Valley and Southern England and Wales working in the following areas:

• Preparation of proposals and delivery of system improvements for reliability and performance
• Windows XP fully unattended rollout and server hardware and data migrations in a Windows 2000 Active Directory environment running Exchange Server 2000 and Windows XP clients, whilst maintaining network up time. Dell Power Edge equipment.
• Hardware and software installation, data migration, Server services migrations, network documentation of Compaq ProLiant servers.
• Network documentation of entire network systems
• Firewall and VPN installation, configuration and documentation
• Microsoft Small Business Server installation and migration
• Design and development of Visual Basic with Outlook integration project to improve business processing of emails
• ASP website development using an Access database backend to provide all the pages
• Contact Management database development using Access
• Coaching to junior Network Managers and software developers and training to end users
• Providing networking expertise in the areas of green field sites networks
• Website design, construction and promotion of a website for a London based session singer, which includes her material as streaming audio (ASF).
• Specification and configuration of Cisco routers in a multi-sited WAN video-codec streaming security application
• Microsoft ISA installation and migration
• Providing support and experience to a VB developer in real-time feedback systems and code optimisation
• Installation of a Windows 2003 .Net network for product development/testing
• Telephone support to a number of SME’s supporting various client platforms and e-mails systems
• Ad hoc web work
  
  

Aug '99 - Jan '02 FormScape Software Ltd, Fleet (development company with Microsoft Gold Certified Partner Status) - IT Manager for EMEA

I have a hands on overview of business strategy and communication systems, adept at design, configuration and managing wide area network installations across international boundaries. I insist that all work includes comprehensive documentation, which is established as part of the design cycle and maintained progressively as projects develop.

I was responsible for the systems over 6 countries within Europe with 200 PC's and servers. My experience of running a network system in a mission critical 24x7 environment has allowed the company to move to a stable configuration and so reduce downtime and costs. This was achieved by running servers with a uniform installation following a documented build procedure, introduction of change controls on servers and correct use of the NT security model.

I have introduced the following protocols:- 

• Produced and maintained documentation of all network servers, devices and services for all offices within EMEA. 
• Server side support for corporate CRM using SQL Server as the backend.
• Centralisation and rationalisation of services over fewer servers. 
• Installation and evaluation of NAS boxes from Axis and Maxtor/Sony. The latter being a solution based around a core of Windows 2000 Terminal Services in a hardware box
• Standardisation and order to file share structure. Intelligent use of standard tools provided the opportunity for in excess of 95% of the file share rationalisation project to take place during normal office hours and therefore reducing costs of the actual migration. 
• Migration of a German resellers network services and servers into the corporate WAN following their acquisition. This included the porting and migration of their legacy email system into the Exchange Organisation. 
• Production of a single instance Windows 2000 Professional (Multiple Language User Interface Edition) fully unattended rollout including all user applications over all EMEA regions. 
• Installation, configuration and management of network monitoring and reporting with proactive server resource exhaustion predictions. 
• Management and support of regional services via use of remote control software reducing the need and thus cost of employment of highly qualified engineers in every office. 
• Development of internal systems calls logging and reporting database system using Microsoft Access. 
• Production of documentation for End User and first/second line support.
• Procedures and forms put in place for change and configuration management. 
• Management of a multiple site Exchange organisation 
• Configuration and management of regional firewalls with full mesh VPN/PPTP between regional offices and VPN clients for every RAS client. 
• Introduction of backup and virus protection products and policies. 
• Other work included maintaining the security camera and door control systems, monthly reporting of internal support calls and laptop repairs and project updates.

Previous Employment

Jan '93 - May '99 BICERI Ltd, Slough (Automotive Research Test House) - IT Systems Manager (reporting to Finance Director)

I was wholly responsible for planning, specifying, implementing, documenting and managing all computing and IT systems and policies.

During my time at BICERI I developed the knowledge and experience to enable the senior management, research team and the general workforce to perform their tasks within a stable and efficient computer environment.

The BICERI Network achieved a remarkable reliability performance. Total downtime during the period of approximately 7 years was less than 36 hours which is mostly attributable to two occasions: an in-place system upgrade from LAN Manager v2.2 to NT v3.5, and the theft of the main server. In the latter case the hardware was replaced like for like and all systems brought back online within 18 hours with minimal data loss. At the point at which I left the company the network had exceeded 270 days of continuous operation.

BICERI ran a number of peculiar and complex computer systems, which integrated people, hardware and research programmes in an interesting and challenging way. My overall tasks included the following :-

• Production of IT Strategic Business Plans including costs, budgets, ROI and resourcing.
• Wholly responsible for the production of a Disaster Recovery Plan, which was proven to be highly effective during the loss of the main server.
• Design and management of networking of 19 combustion engine test beds with real time data management and control systems linked to office network system. Data from the beds could be either logged directly into the Reporting Database, or to a FTP server, depending on the data logger.
• A network of Compaq Servers, with in excess of a 100 clients with a mix of O/S's, with the majority being NT Workstation clients following a one stop rollout. An NT workstation client could be configured with NT and the full suite of approximately 15 packages used within the company via one boot disk and the simple entry of its assigned host name. 
• Design and development of the company Engine Test Result Reporting database with on-line archival system. All test archive data, held on multiple CD's, were easily accessible via a CD tower system presented to the user as a single share point. 
• Specification, corrective work and optimisation of a multi-user Time sheet and Test Bed Activities database using Access and Visual Basic.
• Corrective work, error handling and optimisation of a hardware control application written in C and using IEEE-488 and RS-423 data links to an exhaust analyser and individual test beds. As a result of my work the performance of this application went from failing several times a day to never failing due to software errors. 
• Development, support and optimisations to test bed controller programs written in Forth
• Development of numerous databases in Microsoft Access for applications such as Asset Control (hardware, software licences and Y2K compliance) and a Telephone Call database for monitoring usage
• Internet ISDN connection secured via a Cisco router with client side access controlled and monitored by Microsoft Proxy Server. 
• Design, production and maintenance of company web site. 
• Support to approximately 65 on-site users together with remote network access support to 12 users via a RAS server. 
• Liaison with engineering staff, implementation of quality systems including hardware and software maintenance, and ISO-9002 paper-"less" system. 
• Management of Microsoft Exchange 5.x Server hosting approximately 60 mailboxes. 
• Hardware and software upgrades for all file/print/e-mail servers (PDC's and BDC's) with increased performance being only effect noticed at client workstation (i.e. no disruption to business) 

Aug '92 - Jan 1993 Freelance consultant (to Management Buy-out Team) 

• Developed Microsoft Windows Engineering Graph drawing package using Microsoft C and the Windows API for graphical data representation in a format specialised for the automotive research industry. 
• Responsible for specifying hardware and software requirements, evaluation, and ensuring relocation of office equipment.

Jan '91 - Aug '92 promoted to Senior Computing Analyst (reporting to IT Manager) 

• Responsible for putting in place systems and policies, such as standardisation of software and front end, virus checking
• Developed real time data-logging application software on company products using LabTech Notebook and Strawberry Tree AD/DA converter cards.

Jan '88 - Jan'91 British Internal Combustion Engine Research Institute, Slough Analyst/Programmer (reporting to Research and Development Manager)

Responsible for: 

• Software development, including writing device drivers, for real time data logging and electro-mechanical machine management for "Borescanner" (a laser optical probe for assessing cylinder bore polish, jointly developed by ourselves and Non-Destructive Testing Centre at the Harwell Laboratories  
• Development of a real time fuel line pressure monitoring software package
• Software optimisation and development of BICCAS (combustion analysis software package).

Last Modified: 31-March-2004
By: Nigel Kitcher