IT Consulting

Information Technology Consulting

Decades of experience and expertise in Information Technology/Computer Consulting lead to solutions that work.

Early Start

In 1982, a friend’s father showed he and I his Timex/Sinclair ZX-80 computer. I wanted more! Shortly after, an uncle loaned me his Timex/Sinclair ZX-81 computer for a time.  This gave me my first truly hands-on experience.

Around the same time, some other friends introduced me to acoustic-coupled MODEMs, by showing me the terminal they had in their home. They dialled up the VAX mainframe at the college their parents were professors at. This was my first exposure to telecoms other than using the phone.

In 1983 my parents bought a Commodore 64.  The computing power of the C=64 vastly outstripped the ZX-81.  One of my best friends also had a Commodore 64, and I made new friends because I had one. I became involved in early “online” communities called BBS’s (Bulletin Board Systems) led me to very early adoption of Internet access.

Early Move from Hobbyist to Professional

I began selling Commodore 128, Atari-ST, and Silent-Partner PC-Compatible computers, as well as software, in 1985.  When my trusty Commodore 64 began its journey to obsolescence, I began building custom PC’s.  I later worked for a PC “Integrator” assembling PC’s, and learning more about them all the while. I have never owned a commercially-built PC.

Information Technology Experience

Early experiences led me down a path that has included:

  • Working for two of the largest defence contractors in the world.
  • Being exposed to virtualisation early (when it was a new technology on PC’s)
  • IT operations for the photolabs/studios that have employed me
  • Data-centre networks
  • Shared web-hosting platforms for Linux and Windows hosting
  • E-mail transit, delivery, and filtering solutions
  • Storage networks and systems (commercial and FOSS / “homebrew”)
  • Cloud computing infrastructures both public and private
  • End-user support
  • Migrations
  • Automation
  • Web design
  • Application design
  • Information Security
    This list only touches on my actual experience. If you have a need for it, chances are good that I have some level of exposure to it. I am unlikely to have any paper qualifications, just hands-on experience and first-hand knowledge. I have recently scored a 93 on an IKM skills assessment for Red Hat Enterprise Linux administration.