Dean Crowe Resume

If you’re seeking a Network & Communications Engineer to improve the reliability and development of your organisation’s I.T. systems, my experience in design, implementation and maintenance will prove invaluable. Troubleshooting and support come as second nature to me, meaning fewer and less frequent connectivity issues for your large-scale network, critical systems and users.

I am a highly motivated I.T. Professional with a thirst for knowledge and the skills to obtain and apply it. Many years of work experience in the computer networking, education and electronics industry have furnished me with a thorough understanding of networking essentials accompanied by practical support skills. With a proven track record of delivering engineering projects on time and within budget whilst maintaining quality. I have been recognised for dedication, attention to detail, business acumen and a broad engineering skills base.

EMPLOYMENT & KEY ACHIEVEMENTS

Managing Director, Portsmouth IT Services Ltd, Portsmouth, UK
May 2009 - Present

I established this business to satisfy the IT needs of local business and home users. I am currently undertaking a major project with the local NHS (National Health Service) to implement a new Electronic Patient Record System. The business has enabled me to expand and develop both my technical and managerial skills.

o Design, procurement, installation, and support of a variety of PCs, servers, and network infrastructure hardware including Dell, HP Proliant, Cisco, HP Procurve, Avaya & 3CX
o Management of the company affairs including budgeting, profit & loss, business planning, competitor analysis, supervision of staff & subcontractors ensuring gross profit in year 1
o Management of reseller accounts for various products including Web Hosting, Domain Name provisioning, Virtual ISP , and Hosted Cloud Computing solutions
o Project Management of numerous IT implementations, most recently adhering to PRINCE2 principles.
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IT Systems Manager, Network & Cabling Solutions Ltd, Aylesford, Kent, UK
August 2006 – May 2009

Initially employed to manage the company’s internal I.T. systems, my role quickly developed into customer technical support and later, design, installation and maintenance of a wide variety of vendor’s hardware, software, and servers.

o Design, installation, and support of Cisco, HP, Avaya network hardware infrastructures including VoIP, Wireless, & VPNs
o Rapid troubleshooting of customer network and application issues utilising remote monitoring tools such as HP Procurve Manager Plus, CiscoWorks, & Solarwinds.
o Management and support of the company network & infrastructure consisting of Microsoft Small Business Server 2003 / 2008, Microsoft CRM 3.0 & 4.0, and Avaya IP Office VoIP system
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IT Technician (Part time), University of Greenwich, Chatham, Kent, UK
September 2005 – August 2006

My duties included system imaging (Ghost), application rollouts, Netware administration, hardware provisioning and user support.

o Established a “sandboxed - test bed” Linux based network for Students to experiment with
o Played a key part in the role out of 350 PCs in the new Library by security testing AD policies
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Network Manager, Medway Council - The Hundred of Hoo School, Rochester, Kent, UK
September 1998 – October 2002

Initially employed as an ICT Technician I was soon promoted to Network Manager after planning and successfully implementing a new school network of over 400 PCs with 1200+ users. I continued to develop the school’s IT systems whilst supervising two ICT Technicians and advising other local schools and the local education authority on good design, practice and recommended technologies.

o With the “model school” network that I had developed, I was invited to assist BECTA with the original Framework for IT Support publication – FITS (based on ITIL)
o Management & support of 10 Microsoft Windows NT4.0 & 2K servers

University of Greenwich, Medway
• Diploma of Higher Education in Computer Networking with Distinction

University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth
• Certificate of Higher Education in Computer Network Management & Design with Distinction
• Achievement Award for First Year Courses

Highbury College of Technology, Portsmouth
• BTEC National Certificate in Electronic Engineering

St John Ambulance HQ, Portsmouth
• C&G Radio Amateurs Examination

Mayfield School , Portsmouth
• GCSE Technology – Grade B
• GCSE Mathematics – Grade B
• GCSE Computer Studies – Grade C
• GCSE Design & Communication – Grade C
• GCSE Physics – Grade D
• City & Guilds – Inside Information - Pass

Cisco Systems, Canterbury University
• Cisco Certified Network Associate
• Cisco Certified Sales Expert v3
• Smart Business Communication Systems for Engineers - Certified

Avaya (VoIP), Avaya University
• IP Office Professional Certified to Design Implement & Maintain
• IP Office Sales

Microsoft, Wave Technologies University
• Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer Windows NT4.0
• Microsoft Certified Professional + Internet Windows NT4.0

Research Machines, Oxford
• CC3 Advanced Application Integration
• Internet Technologies for Network Managers
• Advanced RM Connect

Mid Kent College, Chatham
• Portable Appliance Testing

Technical Skills

o Microsoft Windows network support and maintenance including NT4, 2K, 2K3, 2K8, SBS, XP, Vista, Win 7, Exchange, IIS, ISA, Terminal Services & SQL Server.
o Familiar with working in multi-OS environments including SUN, Novell, Linux, VMware, ESX Server, Citrix, RM Connect, Viglen Classlink.
o Multi vendor hardware configuration including switches, routers, firewalls, wireless, & VPN
o Application use & support including MS Office, CRM, Sage, SharePoint, Capita SIMS, Norton Ghost, Sophos, eTrust AV, BackupExec, PaperPort, Acrobat, CS3, Apex, HIS
o VoIP, analogue, digital & hybrid telephone system design, installation and maintenance
o Awareness of best practice ITIL / FITS procedures, policies, and legislation

Personal Skills

o Excellent and adaptable interpersonal skills with good presentation and training ability
o Analytical approach to problem solving with meticulous attention to detail and record keeping
o Technical authoring (for non-technical readers) of user guides and procedural manuals etc.
o Project and event management with excellent motivational and coaching ability

Fluent in English (native)

University of Greenwich (UK) BEng Course
University of Portsmouth (UK) BSc (Hons) Course

Microsoft MCSE
Cisco CCNA
Avaya IP Office
HP Procurve

Professional Member of the British Computer Society (MBCS)
Technician Member of the Institute of Technology (TMIET)
Member of the Radio Society of Great Britain

PERSONAL INTERESTS

I put my Amateur Radio & IT skills to use as a member of a voluntary organisation called RAYNET, dedicated to providing emergency and community communications in the event of a civil emergency. My affiliation to the British Association for Public Safety Communications Officers (BAPCO) keeps me up to date with emergency communication technologies. I am a Professional Member of the British Computer Society, and the Radio Society of Great Britain.

My non-technical interests include off-road driving in Land Rovers, badminton, power kiting, cooking for my friends, hiking, camping and photography. One of my ambitions is to become a qualified light aircraft pilot.

Available upon request.
Enhanced CRB checked – Authorised for work in schools & hospitals