Alan Byington Email & Phone Number

My journey from driving an 18-wheeler to becoming a solution architect began when I determined that air-suspension truck seats had spoiled me. What I needed was uncomfortable seating, so I entered the field of IT and became a computer programmer. Not long after, I realized I was more intrigued by systems engineering; to that end, I obtained my MCSE and became a systems engineer with Goliath Networks focusing on Microsoft, Novell, and Citrix. There, I became one of the first 50 Citrix Certified Enterprise Administrators in the United States. I continued to expand my skills to include network engineering, primarily around Cisco. I obtained my CCNP, CCDP, CCSP, and CCVP certifications, among others, and began working with both systems and networks. I was then drawn to network security and obtained my CISSP and Certified Ethical Hacker certifications. I began focusing more narrowly on security and became the Security Technology Lead at Inacom Information Systems. Perhaps the most interesting part of this work was when I was contracted to compromise a casino in the Midwest; this was followed by similar opportunities with other casinos as word-of-mouth spread. These remain truly unforgettable experiences as they included onsite physical heists.Having gained experience and certifications across many technologies, I decided to explore technical presales. For the last 15+ years, I have been a solution architect in the collaboration space at CDW. My responsibilities include mapping customer’s business objectives to technology objectives, helping customers understand the requirements and costs of digital initiatives, and providing necessary bills of material and professional services statements of work. I have worked extensively with Cisco, Microsoft, RingCentral, Polycom, Yealink, Zoom, Five9, and others. This includes working with a team of Account Managers, other Solution Architects, and Services Managers as well as tracking and reporting pipeline data for sales forecasting. To be effective at this job requires a mixture of technology skills, effective communication, and business acumen. I found myself more curious about the business side of the house. To satiate that curiosity, I enrolled in a degree program in finance, graduating summa cum laude in May of 2022.I have over 25 years of experience in information technology including systems engineering, network engineering, security engineering, and solution architecture/ technical presales within collaboration.

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  University Of Maryland Global Campus

  Summa Cum Laude