Unified Communications Engineer taking a leading role within the Networks & Infrastructure team enabling the design, build, installation, development, integration, and support for unified communications services and systems, as well as ongoing support for and decommissioning of legacy analogue telephony services. Being the expert for current telephony services, contact center, and existing UC provision (Skype for Business) as well as acting as a focal point for the delivery of extended voice services during vital periods within the university calendar such as clearing, enrolment, start of term etc., ensuring a seamless environment and experience for students and staff. Collaborating with colleagues, University stakeholders, 3rd Parties and project teams to support the delivery of strategic objectives. Leading in the provision of expert advice and insight within relevant specialist area to help to address problems, make recommendations and propose improvements to maximise efficiency and effectiveness.

ITS Telephony Technician deploying, supporting and maintaining the major elements of the IT Telephony solutions throughout the University. Providing first and second line break\fix support for the staff and students PBXs, voicemail, the switchboard, Skype for Business, Emergency telephones\refuse points and all associated hardware. Also providing consultancy to support major projects across UoS, including office moves and changes e.g. East and West Slope Programmes and the Network Replacement Programme.Supporting the University in ‘Clearing’, providing technical support and consultancy, as required.Working within a team of colleagues and cooperate and share detailed technical information, analyse the service requirements, evaluate the capabilities of available systems and advise the senior management team of the most appropriate ways to meet the institution’s needs. Develop, support, maintain, configure, monitor, tune and where appropriate enhance major elements of the telephony systems that the Department provides. Providing users with support (which includes documentation, training programmes and advice) in using the systems and services provided by IT Services.

Starting out supporting the University for all things telephony from simple moves and changes, re-routing cabling during refurbishing of buildings. Providing consultancy for projects on campus. Installing and maintaining a 5000 user telephony system to support the students accommodation. Provide 1st and 2nd Line support on the University main 4500 user telephony system.

Being the Managing Director of Acutel since 2001. Acutel has a proven track record over the many years. Installers and maintainers of Business Telephone Systems , Telephone Lines, Mobiles Hosted Telephony and Network Cabling with over 25 years experience. Acutels Recent customers include University of Sussex and University of Brighton. Our client database varies from Sole Traders through to large multi-national businesses.Acutel resellers of old to new telephony systems including hosted telephony and various accessory's liek headsets from Plantronics, Jabra we also have close links to other suppliers when required.Acutel specialise in providing engineering services and project management for office moves, relocation and upgrading current telephony systems. Please visit our website for more information www.acutel.com

Starting out supporting the University for all things telephony from simple moves and changes, re-routing cabling during refurbishing of buildings. Providing consultancy for projects on campus. Provide 1st and 2nd Line support on the University main 2500 user old MD110 telephony system before helping out implementing a replacement Unify OSV telephony system

I joined this company as a maintenance engineer and started to learn the ISDX System, as well as the Lucent EuroGeneris and Definity. I then progressed to Service Manager, where I was esponsible for the engineers, the maintenance side of the business and generating new business. This includes providing Technical Support for both engineers and customers, along with remote diagnostics on a range of systems and dealing with more complex faults. If the need arises, I also provided back-up on general faults. I also went to LCR carriers to sell our services to program systems for cheaper calls, as we had e engineers trained on a range of systems. In addition, I was maintaining SwitchCARE’s telephone/voicemail system and computer network (which includes setting up new PC’s, loading databases and routine maintenance).I progressed onwards and upwards until I became the Technical Director responsible for the running of the service department and staff.

Here I was maintaining Index and Toshiba Systems, including Seltek and Global Voicemails. I went on several training courses to broaden my knowledge on the Index System and Voicemails. The work was good and I enjoyed working on new switches, which led me into larger systems, more complex programming and more demanding customers. This whet my appetite and I left here to concentrate on larger systems.

Due to my extensive knowledge of a range of telephone systems, I was able to support our dealer’s engineers in integrating our voicemail onto various telephone systems more effectively. This would normally be done via a modem / telephone, but when the need arose I would also support the dealer onsite. Difficult installations would also be handled direct by us to ensure everything went smoothly.

Here I was mainly involved in the installation and maintenance of the Mitel Smart One Call Routing Controllers for the National Projects Department. I also received training on the Racal devices that are used for the National Lottery, but never got to work on these devices in the field. Shame, I might have been rich. I left here to go into the Voicemail Industry as I have always had a strong interest in computers.

I joined at first as a sub-contractor, then permanently from March 1990 as a Trainee Installation Engineer. Initially, I was responsible for the installation, commissioning, programming and maintenance of a range of telephone systems including fax machines and Mercury Smart Boxes. On site / remote maintenance using a laptop. Attended several training courses and learnt the concept of Voicemail, which opened my eyes as to what could be done with a computer. Finally involved in supporting a team of engineers, running in-house training courses, maintaining the computer network and building the computers for the network and voicemail systems. I was also involved in ensuring that all the engineers were trained and had up-to-date bulletins. I was involved in getting the company’s BS6701 standard and carried out pre-connection inspections to BS5750 Part 3. I left here as I felt I could go no further

I started here as a Trainee Engineer and had on-the-job training, which I must say got me interested in the Telecoms industry. I was soon being sent out on my own, installing and commissioning telephone systems throughout the South East. Unfortunately I was made redundant.