COLIN STEWART BA, Pg. Dip Mob: 07855-777956 Email: colinhstewart@outlook.com

KEY AREAS OF EXPERTISE

• Sales: IT Management and Applications • LAN,WAN and Network Installations • Networking and

Desktop Support

KEY SKILLS

• Client Management • Customer Service • Stakeholder Relationships • Problem Solving • Scoping

Solutions • Selling • Budgetary and Financial Controls • Team Management • Training • H&S

Ruramet Computer Services www.ruramet.co.uk 2000 – Present

Founder and operator of Ruramet Computer services delivering bespoke solutions across a range of business

/organisational applications. Developed from a business start up, improvising and finding solutions to keep client

businesses running with all types of systems and budgets, peaking at over 400 clients based all over the UK.

• Maintain long term businesses and home contracts. The business contracts are predominately

windows based networks. The contracts are varied and can range from supporting 25 to 80 plus users

I also offer all the contract clients telephone and remote access support.

• An excellent example is a major 24/7 operation with a multi-million turnover using several bespoke

systems and a need for technical support at key times not always available from programme suppliers.

Ruramet intervention reduced expenditure and loss of down time for business contracts. Created a

system manual for key procedures to help resolve common errors and restore system operation in

the shortest time possible. Receiving over 200 telephone calls each evening and often failing as a

result, the system had to be kept running until equipment was replaced to facilitate all orders

received before midnight for deliveries to start at 5 am.

• Key tasks are troubleshooting problems and advising clients. The emphasis is proactive maintenance

to prevent any catastrophic system failures. Site visits are prerequisite and cover all the hardware,

server, router and switches. Desktop support is a key element while on-site advising users on

Microsoft Office applications and general computer problems.

• Recovering data and user profiles, importing\exporting of PST\exchange files. Complete system

recovery and reinstallation. Cloning software is used extensively on workstations and servers.

• Supported a Legal firm who were working with an antiquated server which was no longer supported

by Microsoft. A hard drive failure brought the entire network down including all key working

documents required for the daily running of the business. Ruramet recovered the situation avoiding a

complete rebuild, by salvaging a circuit board from another drive thereby reducing down time and

losses by several days.

A highly experienced IT specialist with a significant track record as a provider of outsourced IT

Applications and Management. The founder of Ruramet Computer Services with a fourteen year history

of business start up and consolidation with a combination of IT knowhow, selling expertise and the

provision of effective and practical problem solutions. With an earlier background in Hospitality

Management, Sales and Customer Service gained from within a diverse range of business activities, is

highly commercially aware with a keen sense of maximising performance and system effectiveness. A

hands on solutions provider with excellent interpersonal skills who builds customer relationships,

maximising sales opportunities and adds real value by harnessing IT capability with key organisational

performance criteria.

• Supplying new computers and hardware, purchasing equipment I work with several large computer

wholesalers and have trade accounts and have negotiated many deals. I maintain my own financial

accounts, advertising and website.

IT Infrastructure Services 2013 - Present

Queen Margaret University Edinburgh

Contracted to assist with the deployment, development and maintenance of the network infrastructure.

• Provide IT support services for Information Services’ customer base.

Maintain effective working relationships with external agencies concerning external network issues,

e.g. EaStMAN, JANET and UKERNA.

• Maintain close working relationships with the Applications Development and Support Teams in

order to deliver appropriate and cost-effective solutions.

• Upgrade servers and switches, replacing obsolete or broken equipment, researching latest

technologies with regard to advancing and improving services in line with strategic plans, network

installations etc.

• Install and support network infrastructure including switches, routers, Firewalls and wireless.

• Ensure helpdesk database inventory of hardware, software and licenses is regularly and accurately

updated and provide initial support of QMU networked environment, including the student halls of

residence.

• Assist in the implementation of IS projects on a University-wide basis and the pprovision of

appropriate documentation for supported systems.

• Provide ad-hoc coaching and assistance within the department and to IS customers.

• Assist in the implementation of strategies for system security including firewall development, virus

protection and disaster recovery

• Develop and maintain knowledge of technical issues relating to networks and systems in order to

provide an effective service to the University.

System Engineer - 1999-2000

User Friendly Scotland Ltd

• Responsible for a large customer base, role predominately involved in setting-up and maintaining

networks, using Novell, Small Business Server and NT 4.

• Visited customer sites and repair systems remotely. Telephone support is also a key element co-

ordinating customer support and after care.

• Responsibilities included hardware upgrades building, computers including servers and workstations.

Working with SCSI hard drives, backup DAT drives and setting up RAID 1-5 configurations.

Data Base and IT Support - 1997-1998

Mary Reid International Ltd

• Set up the data base package Page Ultra for the company as well as providing support with this

package.

• Responsible for the installation and maintenance of their network including the cabling and

configuring of new hardware and software. Other key tasks covered Staff training desktop support

using Windows ’95 Microsoft Office and Netscape communicator, Microsoft Outlook and various

computer packages.

Purchasing and Sales Representative - 1995-2005

W. Burns Tractors Ltd

• I worked for this business on a part time capacity when I was available or required.

• My key objective was to buy agricultural machinery for the Domestic and International market.

• The main business was exporting tractors, which required me to attend farm sales (mainly auctions) or

follow up other leads. I also purchased and sold direct to farms. I am able to describe machinery

accurately to obtain realistic valuations for either customers trading in or purchasing directly.

Sales Co-ordinator - 1995-1996

Office Systems Scotland Ltd

• Incorporated the promotion of health and safety equipment for computer users in accordance with

current EEC regulations, ergonomic workstation layout and the launch and sale of new products.

Departmental Manager - 1994

Sheraton Hotel, Connecticut Stamford, USA

• Responsible for forty employees ensuring an excellent standard of service within the hotel this

entailed dealing with both the heads of departments and the general public, logging customer

complaints, employee relations and administration duties. Computer packages were used extensively

to facilitate these operations. I also received employee of the month.

Distribution & wholesale Part Time - 1992-2006

Australian Bodycare Tea Tree (Scotland)

• Involved with this business in a part-time capacity; installed an IT system with an accounts package

which transformed the overall efficiency of the business; specifically with the invoicing\despatching of

the large product range. My responsibilities were varied and involved taking telephone orders and

dealing with new account enquiries.

• Processing invoices and ultimately despatching the products to the large client base of approximately

800 customers.

• Required to attend trade fairs (SSEC Glasgow) and assist with setting up the exhibition stand for

Australian Bodycare and liaising with the main representative of the company.

• The trade fairs were generally for 3 days with a mix of selling on the stand and dealing with enquiries

which lead to many new trade accounts being generated.

Education and Qualifications

Edinburgh Napier University - Pg.Dip. Systems Integration 1998-1999

Modules:

• C++ Programming • Research Skills

• Object Oriented Software Technology • Systems Integration

• Computer Networks & Distributed Systems

(NT Server & Workstation) TCP/IP

• Groupware Technology

• Databases (Oracle 8 & SQL)

• Group Project: Windows NT Version 4.0 • IT Management & Applications

Versus Novell Version 4 Integration

Caledonian University - BA Business and Hotel Management 1992-1996

This is a professional project-based management qualification, specialising in the following: - Human Resource

Management, Financial Accounting, Operations Management, Marketing, Economics and Computer Application Packages

for Management.

Hotel and Catering Training Company - Craft Trainer Award 1996

This provided techniques for the training of personnel in aspects of the hotel trade.

Continuing Professional Development

IT Training Courses

Current training Cisco CCNA

Novell Course 580 Service and Support

Pre-installing and Deploying Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional

TECHNICAL ADDENDUM

Skills

• Clean driving license.

• Campus networking and IT experience

• Highly proficient in LAN, WAN, and network installation.

• Installing Cat5 Cabling & Patch panels

• Repair, install, upgrade, and maintain desktop and notebook computers

• Extensive knowledge of technology terms and developments.

• Exceptional customer service skills, account management, follow up, and sales.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

• Ability to write engaging technical documents to assist users in software usage.

• RAID Configuration.

• TCP/IP, DHCP, DNS, WINS, ARP, FTP, Telnet, DSL/Cable, Cisco/Nortel switches, hubs, routers,

SMTP, POP3, NAT, VPN, VLAN, LAN/WAN

Apple iOS integration (mobile email, site access).

Wireless Network Configuration and administration.

Servers Microsoft Devices Macromedia

Windows Server 2008 Microsoft Outlook Apple Mac Dreamweaver

Active Directory Microsoft Office iPhone/iPad Fireworks

LDAP One Note Dell ML-6000 Photoshop

DHCP/DNS Project BASP 1820/1920

Group Policy Windows mail

IIS

NPS Network Policy Server

Radius Server

SBS-Exchange

NT 4 Server.

Novell. Netware 3x - 4.11 - 5

Small Business Server 4.5

Workstations Service Management Tools Other Applications Software Applications

NT Workstation Sunrise Help Desk Firefox Paragon

2000 Professional Sunrise Sostenuto Open Office Partition Magic

Windows XP, 7 & 8 Safari PC Anywhere

Thunderbird Symantec Backup Exec

Wireshark Veritas Backup

Groupwise WMware

VNC, VOIP

NPM

Network Hardware Network Protocols Switches Smart Phones

Bluesocket Controller VPN, VLAN, LAN/WAN Avaya Nortel Android

Juniper Firewall TCP/IP, DHCP, DNS, WINS Cisco Blackberry

Paloalto Firewall HTC

Nortel Networks Windows Mobile

Nortel VOIP iPhone