Colin McNamara, CCIE #18233 – (858) 927-4515 – colin@2cups.com
Colin McNamara is a seasoned professional with over 15 years experience with network and systems technologies. Holding many certifications, including CCIE, VCP and RHCE, EMCTA and NCIE he specializes in enterprise network design, with a focus on converged data center technologies.
He currently manages the data center line of business for Nexus, and $300M+ systems integrator based in North America. Colin is best known for his work in engineering [leading] VAR engineering and sales teams. The past half decade of his life has been focused on transforming Value Added Resellers from Voice and Routing focuses to Data Center power houses. This is based in a belief that silos are detrimental to healthy engineering organizations, and that investing in strong engineering teams is key to a VAR growth strategy.
This is all with the goal of providing designs that incorporate disparate technologies under a shared virtualized infrastructure. He is a proponent of both network virtualization, the utilization of service provider technologies and Open Source technology inside enterprise networks to support the security delivery of Voice, Video, Storage and Real Time Applications over shared infrastructure.
EMPLOYMENT
Director, Cloud Practice / Chief Cloud Architect – Nexus
January 2013 – Present Nexus IS, Pleasanton. California
Set the technical direction and vision for for cloud across all product lines at Nexus. Manage the transition of product lines and service offerings from systems integration to software integration (the core of cloud).
- Establish DevOps team, process’s and tooling
- Establish net new product management team
- Manage open source contributions and programs for OpenStack and others
- Manage our cloud practice / business unit product and platform development
- Manage cross functional engagement across lines of business to identify and execute on emerging technology
6/11 - Present , Nexus IS
Director, Data Center Practice – Nexus
June 2011 – January 2013 Nexus IS, Pleasanton. California
Responsible for go to market strategy for Nexus IS, a national DVAR. Managing a team of Practice Managers and Engineering-Sales overlays across the nation focused on converged Data Center Sales. Grew my line of business to 100MM yearly that comprised of almost one third of revenues.
- Grew Data Center Revenues by 296% first 18 months (2H2011/CY2012)
- Grew Data Center line of business to the top margin contributor in the business in 12 months.
- Re-Organized and Integrated former Silo’d DC practice into our core business while drastically increasing revenues
- Secured multiple additional funding sources and programs for business growth
- Released on demand demonstration cloud to Solutions Architects across the business
- Drastically Increased Data Center product/solutions attach rate across the business
- Launched On Customer Premise Cloud (IaaS) offerings
- Organized contributions to OpenStack across multiple internal organizations
- Implemented peered training and enablement program resulting in -
- * 500% increase in DC capable pre-sales architects
- * Increased retention and morale across all teams
- * Creation of the “cross over engineer” resulting in drastic increase in end to end (Voice,Network,DC) solution sales across our account base
1/07 – 6/11, ePlus Technology
Consulting Systems Engineer – Data Center (10/08 – 6/11)
Transformed ePlus western region from a #3 and #2 ranked voice and campus partner to the #1 ranked Data Center partner in Northern California
Accomplishments
- Changed regional sales focus from technology silo’s to solutions based selling covering network, systems, storage and applications under one umbrella
- Developed and deployed go to market strategy for Cisco’s Unified Computing System resulting in significant competitive advantage in the western United States.
- Deployed the first Nexus 7000/5000/2000 architecture into production securing competitive advantage across multiple verticals.
- Increased Data Center revenues year over year in the worst economy in a century.
- Attracted and retained top industry talent.
- Leveraged unique technology positioning to win multiple key global clients.
- Partnered with business units inside of Cisco, resulting in key product enhancements as well as increased revenue for both ePlus and Cisco.
- Passed multiple certifications resulting in ePlus being able to sell and install EMC Vblock.
1/07 – 6/11, ePlus Technology
Senior Systems Engineer (1/07 – 10/08)
Accelerate Technical Sales, design and implement network, storage, voice and systems solutions for ePlus Southern California customers.
Accomplishments
- Changed regional sales focus from technology silo’s to solutions based selling covering network, systems, storage and applications under one umbrella.
- Established a trend of Advanced Technology account wins.
- Accelerated ePlus’s southern California sales by providing high-end engineering support.
- Integrated MPLS service provider designs into cutting edge Enterprise and Casino Gaming solutions.
- Filled PM and lead network engineer roles for large publicly traded company data center migrations.
- Created modular Cisco design / quote format and menu based hardware and services options to address rapidly changing customer needs.
9/05 – 1/07 ID Analytics
Lead Network Engineer
Lead team of four engineers, Define network and application integration architecture for large SaaS (financial cloud) analytics deployment , Leverage networking technology to increase security and availability, and decrease development and product deployment timelines
Accomplishments
- Led team of engineers responsible for all Production and Back Office systems in 2 offices and 3 datacenters
- Designed and Implemented ID Analytics Phase2 datacenter, processing 1.8 million financial transactions daily.
- Designed and Implemented Contents Switching and SSL offloading solution, enabled non-disruptive scaling of core products
- Integrated ID Analytics product with the largest card processors in the world – Equifax, Visa, TransUnion, etc.
- Designed and integrated centralized Fiber Channel and ISCSI SAN solution, increasing application speed and decreasing production database refresh times from 4 weeks to 1 week.
- Managed and maintained over 130 terabytes of storage
- Created lights out server imaging and deployment solution for remote datacenters
- Deployed and integrated monitoring solutions utilizing open source technology
- Created user emulation probes for real time application monitoring and trending of production systems
- Worked with development and Analytics to create structured Development and QA environments
- Spearheaded project to change Analytics / Informatics environment from “unix for workgroups” to high performance computing environment (HPC)
- Provide structured documentation to US Government and Corporate auditors
- Utilized project management skills for international rollouts
2/04 – 8/2005 Openwave Systems
Senior Network Engineer, Strategic Design and Integration Group
Provide technical leadership, Define network architecture, Establish standards and technical vision. Responsible for researching, developing, and architecting technical solutions to business needs.
Accomplishments
- Designed Openwave’s new Pacific Datacenter Networks, with 900 production, and 2000 development servers.
- Designed Openwave’s Pacific Shores Campus Networks, and Showcase Datacenter.
- Responsible for hardware acquisition budget of 1.7 million dollars
- Established ISCSI IP based SAN infrastructure with DR components in 4 major datacenters worldwide
- Promoted from the ranks, moving from running our VOIP phone systems, to Network team lead, to Senior Network Engineer in the Strategic Design and Integration team.
- Active and engaged member of multiple boards covering design review, change control, and security
- Negotiated with Cisco and SBC regarding datacenter purchases saving $906,000 off list price.
- Renegotiated Cisco support saving Openwave nearly $600,000 over our three year term
- Established improved data center controls, allowing Openwave to pass Sarbanes Oxley (SOX) audits
- Wrote and ran multiple RFP, RFQ, and RFI’s
- Utilized project management skills for international rollouts
- Managed, Piloted, and Installed new wireless systems for our Customer Briefing Center
- Responsible for 6 VOIP clusters around the world
- Recipient of multiple awards recognizing dedication and quality work.
- Attended continuing training for security management (CISSP)
2/03 – 1/04 USMC Reservist activated in support of Operation Enduring Freedom
Information Services Coordinator
Implement and maintain Tactical Data Networks, Provide consulting services to hosting units. Maintain Microsoft Exchange servers in both tactical and garrison environments. Perform security audits and remediation. Train support personnel.
Accomplishments
- Performed Disaster recovery of routed ATM LANE environment for Marine Corps Air Station Yuma enabling over 3000 users to resume work (awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal for that event)
- Performed security audit and created a security and performance remediation plan for MCAS Yuma
- Provided project management and security audit skills to 3rd Marine Air Wing Yuma server support teams, managed server security audit, security remediation, and SMS rollout.
- Designed and implemented Nagios network monitoring system at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma.
- Implemented Norton Antivirus server for MWSS 473
- Provided training on to data teams from MWSS 473, MCAS Yuma Station IT, and 3rd Marine Air Wing Yuma server teams.
12/02 – 2/04 2 Cups Solutions, Pleasanton , Ca
Principal Consultant
Founded 2 Cups Solutions to provide cutting edge Voice, Data, Wireless and Security services to clients in the San Francisco bay and Fresno areas.
Accomplishments
- Implemented WAN failover solution at two City of Hayward fire stations.
- Implemented email and web solution for Express Mobile Notary.
- Developed and implemented business plan focusing on State and Local Government contracts.
2/02 – 12/02 ExtraTeam, Pleasanton , Ca
Senior Systems Engineer
Design, Installation, Configuration and Maintenance of network systems consisting of Cisco CallManager, Unity, Cisco Secure ACS, LEAP secured wireless, Aironet, Cisco routers and switches, PIX firewalls, and VPN3000 concentrators. Integrating all systems with Active Directory. Performed VOIP feasibility studies. Managed the entire business cycle including sales, design, installation, training and maintenance.
Accomplishments
- Integrated CallManager voice system with Active Directory
- Recovered a failed CallManager implementation at Phase 2 Strategies (PR firm for Logitech). Implemented CallManager with up to date hardware and software, upgraded Unity up to reasonably current levels. Brought up remote office in Phoenix utilizing SRST.
- Implemented City wide wireless network integrated with active directory for the City of Hayward
- Implemented VPN Concentrators in conjunction with multiple levels of firewalls for City of Hayward and Hayward PD to meet CLETS requirements.
- Implemented network configuration management system responsible for the city of Hayward.
- Implemented new wan for Livermore Pleasanton Fire department moving fire stations from isdn to T1 and Gigabit fiber lines in conjunction with moving the location for the network core.
- Designed and implemented IPSEC based wan for Universal life resources, allowing nationwide secure remote office connectivity while minimizing wan connection costs.
- Designed CallManager based VOIP system for a 27 site school district
- Provided emergency support to Fire and Police agencies across the bay area
- Performed security remediation for a large bay area company
- Participated in large switched network cutover from 7500 to a 6509 with flex-wan modules for Stanislaus County.
- Achieved technical certifications for ExtraTeam to become certified under both the Wireless and IP Telephony revised specifications.
7/01 – 2/02 Infobond Inc. Burlingame , Ca
Network Engineer
Responsible for engineering duties in a leadership role. Integrated legacy PBX’s using VOIP technology. Used Quality of service to ensure VOIP service levels. Support legacy voice over IP and voice over Frame Relay technologies. Upgrade from legacy voice integrations to state of the art VOIP integrations. Create project plans and act on them.
Accomplishments
- Cut over evergreen lines shipping terminal from legacy 3com equipment to VOIP enabled Cisco routers and switches. Accomplished all work during Union stand downs.
- Contracted to Openwave, Inc. to run Remote Access while the engineer was on leave. Ran Remote Access for 5 weeks, resolving DSL RLAN issues and IPSec issues, while reducing trouble ticket backload to manageable levels. Assisted other engineers when needed.
- Implemented Cisco 6509’s to replace aging core network of a Benchmark Capital (bay area investment firm).
- Diagnosed and resolved VOIP issues that were stopping call center rollouts for Embarcadero Systems (a large bay area shipping company).
03/00 – 7/01 Knapp Publishing Corporation, San Ramon, Ca
Network Systems Administrator
Responsible for day-to-day operations of e-commerce data center, and wide area networks Performed DNS changes for both internal and external networks. Designed, piloted, and implemented network changes. Installation configuration and maintenance of NT, and Windows 2k file, print, and web servers
Accomplishments
- Improved service levels from 90% to 99.99%, enhanced security and increased bandwidth were benefits derived from implementing a state-of-the-art web hosting data center
- Implemented a network monitoring system to document, report, and notify of network status.
- Designed and implemented ISDN failover of Frame-Relay Network.
- Designed, piloted, and implemented network changes.
- Replaced NT servers with Linux based servers, integrated with the Windows network
01/98 – 03/00 DKA Computers Inc. Clovis, Ca
Manager Information Services (01/99 – 03/00 )
Ran day to day operations of a large valley ISP. Worked with systems manufacturing to bundle client software with all new PC’s. Partnered with local ISP’s to provide access numbers across the valley.
Accomplishments
- Managed web development, and professional services
- Moved web hosting from IIS on Windows NT to APACHE on Linux based servers, drastically increasing site availability
- Produced a forms based web application to configure custom systems online.
- Designed and implemented an IPSec based WAN connecting 3 stores point of sales systems.
- Managed corporate office and data center relocation project.
Senior PC Service Technician (01/98 – 01/99)
Provide on call service. Staff PC help desk. Provide direct customer systems support while maximizing company revenues. Configured all servers ordered from manufacturing.
Accomplishments
- Responsible for all day to day service activities for a 13 million dollar company. Management of 4 team members. Directly responsible for customer satisfaction
- Implemented hard drive imaging system, decreasing both warranty costs and turnaround time
- Installed and configured SCO Unix reservation system for National Park service, Kings Canyon
- Deploy Citrix Winframe Systems, Windows NT 4.0 Systems
- Designed, implemented inventory tracking database, reducing required stock on hand by $40,000
MILITARY
1996 – 2004 UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS RESERVE
Have held U.S. Government security clearance – Secret
CERTIFICATIONS / ACCREDITATION’S HELD
- CCIE – Cisco Systems Internetwork Expert #18233
- VCP – VMware Certified Professional (v3.5, v4, v5)
- CDCUCSS – Cisco Data Center Unified Computing Support Specialist
- VSP – VMware Sales Professional
- VTSP – VMware Technical Sales Professional
- TSS – Cisco Technical Solutions Specialist, Data Center
- GCIH – GIAC Certified Incident Handler
- CCVP – Cisco Certified Voice Professional
- CSNSSS – Cisco Storage Networking Solutions Support Specialist
- CSNSDS – Cisco Storage Network Solutions Design Specialist
- CADCNSS – Cisco Advanced Data Center Networking Infrastructure Support Specialist
- CCIE Storage Networking
- RHCE v4/5 – Redhat Certified Engineer #804006368822511
- RHCT v4/5 – Redhat Certified Technician #804006368822511
- EMCPA – EMC Proven Professional Associate – Information Storage and Management
- NSCA – Netscaler Certified Administrator #2005072
- NACE – Network Appliance Certified Expert #12912
- NACP – Network Appliance Certified Professional #12017 – Data Protection
- NACP – Network Appliance Certified Professional #11985 – Storage Area Network
- NACP – Network Appliance Certified Professional #12911 – High Availability
Retired Certifications
- Cisco Qualified Specialist – IP Telephony Support
- Cisco Qualified Specialist – IP Telephony Design
- Cisco Qualified Specialist – IP Telephony Operations
- Cisco Wireless LAN Design Specialist
- Cisco Wireless LAN Support Specialist
PROTOCOL PROFICIENCY
EIGRP, OSPF, RIP, BGP, MPLS, Spanning Tree, Rapid Spanning Tree, VPC, VSS, VDC, TRILL, Fabric Path, OTV ATM, RTP, SIP, H.323, LWAPP, RADIUS, TACACS+, Ethernet, Fibre Channel, iSCSI, NFS FCIP, FCP, FSPF, NDMP 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, RBE, ISDN, SNMP, XML
Virtualization , Parallel and High Performance Compute Platforms
Openstack, VMware vSphere, Kernel Virtual Machine (KVM), Xen, Platform LSF, Sun Grid Engine, Hadoop
VOICE and VOICE OVER IP
CallManager, Unity, ICS7750, PBX Trunking, SRST, Active Directory Integration, Extended Services, Call Detail Recording, Automated Attendant, Extension, Mobility, Asterisk, Callware and VSR VM.
HARDWARE
Cisco Unified Computing System (UCS) 6100, 2100, 5100, Nexus 7000, Nexus 5000, Nexus 2000 and Nexus 1000v switches, Catalyst 1900-6509 switches, 1600-7500 series routers, Cisco PIX firewalls, Cisco Load Balancers, Cisco
MDS , F5 Load Balancers, Netscreen / Juniper Firewalls, Cisco VPN3000 VPN concentrators, Cisco ASA Adaptive Security Appliances, Nortel Contivity VPN Concentrators, Aironet Access Points and Bridges, Airespace LWAPP
concentrators. 3com TotalConnect racks, Ascend dial concentrators, Netscaler Load balancers, SSL accelerators, SSL VPN concentrators. Brocade Silkworm, HP Eva Storage, NetApp Filers, EMC Storage
NETWORK MANAGEMENT
Nagios, Cacti, NTOP, IPswitch What’s Up Gold, BIG Brother, Spectrum Network Management, Kiwi Syslog,, MRTG , HP OpenView, Cisco Secure Intrusion Detection system,
Cisco Network Based Application Recognition, Snort IDS, Netscreen Firewall Manager, Unified Compute System Manager
OPERATING SYSTEMS
Redhat, Suse and Ubuntu Linux, Windows 2000, Windows 2003, Windows 2008, Windows XP, NT4.0, BSD, Solaris, OSX
BUSINESS ENVIRONMENTS
Consulting, Valued Added Reseller, Large Enterprise, Startup, Banking, Service Provider, Software Development, Manufacturing, Military
EDUCATION
Ongoing professional education
Sans CISSP + Track
University of Oklahoma extension – Fire Science
Cisco Networking AcademySimilar Posts:
- About Colin McNamara
- Darrel Hinshaw – New Triple CCIE [Storage]!!!!!!!
- I’ll be at Cisco Live 2008 (networkers) in Orlando all week
- Cisco Certified Design Expert – CCDE – officially released by Cisco
- Updated CCIE numbers
- Cisco Nexus 7000 DataCenter switch released – Welcome to DataCenter 3.0
--Colin McNamara
Resume – Colin McNamara, CCIE #18233