Mike Hess Email & Phone Number

Charles Town, Wv.

Providing System Test, Quality Assurance, and Process Management services to companies of all sizes from startups to major corporate entities. KIAS brings 40 years of expertise to organizations who wish to create innovative testing, or quality programs and processes, improve current programs, or simply require an objective, third party analysis of ongoing activities with an eye to continuous improvement. Established in 1994 KIAS has a proven track record of success with a diversity of clients in the technology sector in a Remote, Contract, environment.KIAS has completed it's work with a major corporate client on a large Federal contract over the last 6 months. I am open to new remote contract and full time opportunities..

Tysons Corner, Va.

Manager for the Iridium Certus Terminal Certification. I am responsible for the Certification of new Certus partner terminal equipment on the Iridium network.Responsible for developing the Certification Test/QA philosophy, methodology, plans, processes, procedures, and team, for the Certus Partner Terminal Product certification testing for the Iridium Next constellation.Working with Iridium partners to achieve successful testing and certification of their land mobile, maritime, and aeronautic, products on the Iridium Next network.I am test manager for the Iridium follow on secure phone project, as well as overseeing the scheduling and execution of our Certus sustaining testing.Test philosophy/architecture and plan/procedure writing, hands-on test execution, test results prep. and analysis, RCA and reporting, troubleshooting, budgeting, scheduling, group management, and team mentoring.

Vienna, Va.

I was responsible for defining system level verification, and the planning and execution of testing for the SpectrumBug, Sensor toolbox, and DAS projects.• I created the Master System Test plan for the company which defined the methodology for all product testing within the company that encompassed the entire SDLC. I also authored the first Users Guide for the SSC SpectrumBug/Sensor Toolbox (SB/SST) product.•I wrote and executed test plans and procedures for the SB/SST products and the Distributed Antenna System (DAS) variant of it.•I was responsible for managing the SSC lab facility and preparing it for commercial product development. Some activities included methods and execution for station organization, test equipment inventory and repair, calibration methodology, static awareness, and moving from an R&D focus to a production mentality.

I was a "Principal Engineer" at Thales Communications, located in Clarksburg, MD. I was the System Verification Lead for Public Safety Projects, that includes Liberty and LTE at TCI.I was Responsible for:• Ensuring that all new feature and regression requirements have test procedures written for them, tests executed against them, results properly recorded, and all databases/tracking properly updated.• Ensured that all test schedules are met, and on time.• Generating continuing statistics and metrics regarding test progress, defects, and status, and reporting the same to management on a weekly, or greater basis.• Working with, and continuing to improve/expand, the concept of “Integrated Verification” which is used on the project to interleave development and Verification.• Working with BD, System Eng. and Project management to define and refine requirements, and also participate closely in the CCB process.• Develop requirements for the continuing automation of regression, and redundant manual testing tasks, and managing the development process through the tool end product state.• Traveling to customer, and test lab facilities to execute tests that we lack the in-house facilities to execute, or to execute standards related tests. Also, coordinated with BD, Validation, and other groups for the execution of off-site testing for the same reasons.• Oversee a team of 5 full/part time testers/developers, and wrote and executed many tests for the project.• Work with Software management and SQA on concepts to improve processes, lower level testing, and their reporting of software schedules, progress, and completed deliverables.

Paxfire provides network appliances, and services for the generation of ISP revenue by monetizing redirected DNS queries.I was responsible for creating, and staffing the QA/Test, CM, and release management organizations.

Cognio’s patented Intelligent Spectrum Management technology combines highly accurate 802.11 - 2.4 & 5 GHz RF spectrum analysis and real-time waveform processing with automatic event triggers and RF physical layer analysis. The implementation is built around Cognio’s custom chip, SagE which is used to create RF Spectrum Sensors that have the spectrum-sensing capabilities of a spectrum analyzer. The Sensors are connected to the Cognio application that aggregates RF environmental data and presents a management and troubleshooting interface through a portable systems console. I was responsible for creating, staffing, and maintaining, the QA/Test, CM, SE, IT, and release management organizations.

Various Permanent and Contract assignments with Northern VA. companies as a Test Director, Consultant, or Advisor. Mostly trough Trusted QA, or with my own private QA consulting business (Keystone I. A. S.) also started a Construction and Landscape Co., Hydroscapes, LLC. during this periodActivities and Companies During this Time Were:QA/Test Director, Current Analysis - Sterling VA. - Through Trusted QATest Analyst, Metron Aviation - Herndon VA. - Through Trusted QAOwner, Hydroscapes LLC. - Jefferson County, WV. - Private LLC.

The VoP product consists of embedded software objects for use by networking equipment manufacturers to provide voice/fax over packet services on their platforms. Telogy was purchased by Texas Instruments in 2000 and is now a subsidiary of TI. Managed the System Test, Configuration Management, Test Automation, Technical Documentation, and Technical Recruiting Groups. Responsible for 3 managers and 30 employees. Created these groups from nothing, and built them into a world class organization.Managed department costs, budget (3+ million dollars), head count, procurement, and scheduling. Acted as customer liaison for ongoing development and integration efforts.Developed Project Test, Documentation, Automation and Configuration Management policies, plans and procedures. I was responsible for creating these groups where none existed, staffing them, Setting up quality practices for the company, and overseeing execution of all aspects of these policies. (Goal ISO-9000/SEI-CMM 2/3)

Integrator/tester for the Micro.Pop and 2210 projects.Lead Integrator for the micro.pop project responsible for integrating software and hardware from several suppliers into a Netrix baseline system.

Baltimore, Maryland Area

Manager of software system integration and test, for the Westinghouse MSAT-MDS project, Data Hub element The project was a ground system for interfacing a terrestrial X.25 data network with mobile earth terminals over a satellite, and controlling/provisioning the terminals. Technologies employed were C language on VAX/VMS and VxWorks systems.

Designed and executed system test plans for the DACScan-2000 network controller application. The DACScan controller is a network management system for monitoring and provisioning digital cross-connect switches in a carrier network. The project was implemented in the C language on AT&T 3B2 platforms, and Sun Workstations.

Employee with GTE Communication Systems from 10/84 to 8/87. Consultatnt to: AT&T Communications, Siemens, Bellcore, Martin Marietta/FAA, 1987 to 1990