Michael Firmstone, Service Architect

Michael Firmstone

Service Architect

SCC

Location
United Kingdom
Education
Bachelor's degree, Computer Science
Experience
19 years, 9 Months

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Work Experience

Total years of experience :19 years, 9 Months

Service Architect at SCC
  • United Kingdom
  • My current job since June 2016

Working as part of the Data Centre Services team, providing technical consultation to business clients with a specialist focus on the networking space.

- Responsible for strengthening SCC's Wide Area Network proposition with partner company FluidOne.
- Pre Sales architecting of Data Centre, Voice and network managed services.
- Consult with clients to understand their business objectives and future growth plans to enable effective network solution design.
- Provide both a technical and service appraisal to clients of the potential solution options that meets their business needs and technical drivers.
- Working with the Client Account Team to accurately define client solutions and to help drive the bid and sales process.
- Walk clients through and present the various technologies and services proposed and explain both the technical and commercial reasoning for the proposed technologies.

Solutions Design Consultant at CenturyLink Business
  • United Kingdom - London
  • July 2012 to April 2016

Working as part of the Solution Engineering team, providing technical consultation to the Sales Account Managers and business clients.

- Provide consulting services to the internal sales organisation and client base on solution infrastructure and architecture throughout the sales lifecycle.
- Gathering customer requirements and translating these business requirements in to technical designs, pricing and preparation for delivery of the solution.
- Developed and implemented complex Managed Hosting and WAN solutions on multiple platforms.
- Coordinated with systems partners to finalise designs and confirm requirements.
- Network Champion (SME) for the team to provide technical assistance and validation to other Solution Engineers.
- Specialised in Network and Financial Markets space with a focus on proximity hosting and financial transaction services.

Senior Network Installation Technician at Savvis/CenturyLink Business
  • United Kingdom
  • June 2007 to July 2012

Responsible for validation, configuration, turn up and testing of network solutions to client sites from core PE down to the client premise.
Technical validation of solutions and creation of configuration for bespoke builds as required.
Work with clients throughout the implementation life cycle and complete formal testing and acceptance of network solutions.
Interface with Service Delivery, Project Management, Engineering and Sales Design Engineers to ensure accurate and timely delivery of client network solutions.
Remotely work / manage field service engineers when physically installing CE devices at client and PoP locations. Providing troubleshooting support as required.
Manage all aspects for turn up of Telco circuits. Including validation of connectivity between CE and PE, troubleshooting if issues arise.

Network Engineer/Analyst at PepsiCo UK
  • Ireland
  • July 2004 to June 2007

PepsiCo is a world leader in convenient snacks, food and beverages.

- Providing 2nd and 3rd line support and project skills for the Pepsi, Walkers, Tropicana and Quaker owned brands.
- Environment covered 70 sites across the UK, with out of hours support for the key manufacturing and distribution sites running 24/7.
- Required systematic, disciplined and analytical approach.
- Installed, configured and troubleshot Cisco routers and switches.

Education

Bachelor's degree, Computer Science
  • at Oxford Brooks University
  • July 2006

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Specialties & Skills

Network Design
Routing and Switching
APPROACH
CISCO ROUTERS
CONSULTING
CUSTOMER RELATIONS
DELIVERY
NETWORKING
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
TROUBLESHOOTING
VALIDATION

Training and Certifications

JNCIA (Training)
Training Institute:
Juniper
Date Attended:
April 2012
CCNP (Certificate)
Date Attended:
June 2012
Valid Until:
June 2015

Hobbies

  • Interests
    I enjoy spending time with my family in Devon and being in the outdoors as much as possible. I recently completed an 800km trek across northern Spain on the Camino de Santiago. I also enjoy endurance running and some of my bigger achievements include completing 100 miles non-stop, a 250km self-sufficient run across the Kalahari Desert and running across Gran Canaria.