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Provides Testimony In

Communications Networks, Data Communications, Routing Switching,Transmission, Facilities Optical Networking,Telephony and Telecommunications, SIP, VoIP, Unified Communications, Architecture Design of Network Solutions, Network Architecture, Patent Analysis Claims Construction, Automatic Teller Machine.

A comprehensive understanding of networks, computers, and communications–down to the packet, byte, and bit levels–started with a degree in physics.  Membership in the IEEE Communications Society has kept my knowledge at “state of the art” and contributed to successes in network architecture and design for government agencies, carriers, and enterprises.  My insight into technology and user needs produces unique, practical solutions.  Working for two communications hardware vendors, I often designed proposals and solutions to support network sales.  Recruited by a consulting firm, I documented large portions of a model enterprise network architecture, including white papers, market analysis, and “best practice” documents.  After starting my own firm, I designed major voice and video networks, advised carriers and hardware manufacturers, and prepared reports and proposals for Federal contractors.  I supported USDA in IT procurements, setting standards, and developing IT governance policy.  My background check is for a public trust position.

 

Professional Skills

Creating optimal network solutions based on business needs and the best available technologies, then presenting a proposal to gain acceptance by stake holders.
Advisory consulting to senior managers.  Concise information delivered in understandable form, with appropriate context to enure information is usable.
Writing with clarity on business and technical issues.  Clear presentations of complex materials have gained acceptance of proposed network solutions, completed procurements, and ensured a successful IPO.  My six books on networks have sold over 70,000 copies;  the latest, on VoIP, was published in 2012.
Analysis and interpretation of as-is situations, business requirements, and available technologies to find a viable technical solution for the future.
Market analysis of networking services and communications devices to identify high-potential products and prevent investment in those likely to fail.
Procurement processing for the Federal Government.  My statements of work and RFPs, bid review processes, and support during bid evaluations have overcome multiple protests to see projects awarded, deployed, and working.  Experienced with proposals.
Consensus building around an optimal technical solution based on  real needs, researched options, facilitated meetings, and presentations of the proposal to stakeholders.
Public speaking on business and technical subjects, including preparation of slides and handouts.  I have delivered over 200 industry conferences and seminars to educate, train, establish strategy, and promote products and solutions.

Knowledge Areas

Data network architecture and design to link computers, terminals, and specialized devices over local and wide areas;  includes all transmission technologies, old and new protocols, and migration strategies.
Telephony and voice processing, including digital encoding of voice and images,  switching, conferencing, VoIP, UC, SIP, communications servers, gateways, and many form of analog and digital signaling.
FAR as applied to Federal network and IT acquisition.
Product design for multiplexers, routers, and other networking devices.
Security for networks, computers, and applications, including firewalls, authentication, admission control, and encryption.
Software, both embedded and multiplatform.  Highly capable in desktop applications such as Office suite.  Also knowledgeable in data bases and embedded firmware that controls specialized hardware.  Have operated on Linux for a decade.

Experience

Private Company, Chantilly, VA   President and Principal Consultant (Jul 2002-  )
Architected network for USDA’s new backbone.  Wrote all technical documentation to complete a two-year acquisition process, following the FAR, where previous attempts had failed.  Gained consensus from reluctant staff at major airport to adopt multicast technology for a security network needed to switch video streams on demand.  Advised a regional carrier on how to add VoIP service.   Provided analysis and advice to equipment manufacturers;  attorneys working in VoIP;  and government agencies to set standards for VoIP, consolidate electronic messaging, and define IT governance.  Contribute to prime contractors on bid preparation.

NetReference/Burton Group, Sterling, VA      Principal Analyst           (Oct 1998-Jun 2002)
Advised large enterprises on key decisions in their networking architectures.  Worked on  wide- and metro-area services, network availability and reliability, legacy protocols, voice-data convergence, and Voice over IP.  Consulted with hardware vendors on marketing strategy and product positioning which often resulted in white papers.

FastComm Communications, Sterling, VA  VP Marketing & Technology  (Aug 91-Oct 98)
Identified and advised on the acquisition of three firms, including the one that moved FastComm from analog modems into digital network devices.  Articulated strategic plans and trained people on technologies.  Designed lottery network solutions.

Newbridge Networks, Herndon, VA  VP Marketing, VP Technology    (Jul 1987-Aug 91)
Positioned the company’s products for growth from no revenue to over $100 million in four years with key product concepts.  Managed corporate advertising, public relations, trade shows, consultant liaison, and seminars.  For the IPO, wrote the product-related sections of the prospectus.  Steered the company into successful new markets (frame relay,  ATM in the WAN, very large networks) and away from technologies that later failed (SMDS, ATM in the LAN).

Education

B.S., Physics, DePaul University, Chicago (plus the equivalent of a Journalism major)

Memberships

•    IEEE Communications Society (>20 years)
•    Consultant liaison programs of Cisco, Mitel, NEC, Avaya, Juniper, and other vendors.
•    Frame Relay Forum Technical Committee (10 years)

Significant Accomplishments

Architect/Designer of successful networks and helped ‘close the sale’ by personally presenting the technical solution to customers.
•    Designed the upgrade to USDA’s backbone network, based on a carrier MPLS service.  Wrote the detailed performance and functional specifications into the statement of work based on Cisco switch and router capabilities.  Used VRF feature to answer concerns about isolating traffic streams from each other.
•    Designed State of Oregon lottery network:  pushed employer to mount a successful demonstration integrating frame relay and X.25;  later I redesigned it as an IPsec VPN.
•    Overcame staff resistance to a multicast-IP architecture for distributing live and stored video images from surveillance cameras at a major airport;  now deployed.
•    Won a state-wide university network based on managed routers and FRADs.
•    Articulated the technical solution to migrate more than 8,000 sites from frame relay to cellular data service that won a contract for a state lottery.

Sole inventor for a US Patent (Feb 2015):  Sytems and Methods of Header Compression in a Software Defined Network.

Frequent speaker;  invited to present at more than one hundred industry conferences and trade shows such as SuperComm, Networld+Interop, CTExpo, NGN, MPLScon, FutureNet.

Author/Writer of dozens of articles on networking and eleven editions of six books for network managers and operations staff.  The latest, on VoIP, appeared in 2012.  Because of their clear explanations, these books have been used to train people new to the industry.  Over 70,000 copies sold.

Background Check

Established suitability for a Federal position of public trust.

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