Amanda Leigh
Independent Consultant
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Member Since: 2011/06/23
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Professional Background
Independent Consultant
Alternative Systems
January 2012 – Present
I'm a self employed IT consultant specialising in platform independent software development and open source technologies. As I have a vast experience in network design and administration, I also undertake specialist contracts maintaining and designing advanced computer networks, priding myself on providing a highly secure, reliable and efficient computing environment.
Here is a short list of some of the projects that I have recently completed.
Software Distribution System
My client had a very specific requirement to distribute bespoke software to its remote client machines. The nature of their requirement meant that the off-the-shelf distribution systems were inadequate. I was employed to design and build a system which perfectly fitted their requirements.
This system consisted of a Linux backend which served as the software repository and featured a database which held the user authentication data along with the installation logs. The client software communicated though a SSH tunnel ensuring secure user authentication. The server side software was written in PHP and the client side in C++ / wxWidgets. I was the only developer on this project and delivered the project to specification and within the required time frame.
Image Processing Application
I have written an advanced cropping and stacking system for astronomical image processing. The software allows a precisely defined cropping area to be specified in a reference image, searches statistically for a best fit match in a set of similar images, crops and then averages the cropped images, thus increasing the signal/noise ratio.
This procedure allows for the subject of interest to occur in radically different places in the series of images and still produce perfect alignment.
Here is a short list of some of the projects that I have recently completed.
Software Distribution System
My client had a very specific requirement to distribute bespoke software to its remote client machines. The nature of their requirement meant that the off-the-shelf distribution systems were inadequate. I was employed to design and build a system which perfectly fitted their requirements.
This system consisted of a Linux backend which served as the software repository and featured a database which held the user authentication data along with the installation logs. The client software communicated though a SSH tunnel ensuring secure user authentication. The server side software was written in PHP and the client side in C++ / wxWidgets. I was the only developer on this project and delivered the project to specification and within the required time frame.
Image Processing Application
I have written an advanced cropping and stacking system for astronomical image processing. The software allows a precisely defined cropping area to be specified in a reference image, searches statistically for a best fit match in a set of similar images, crops and then averages the cropped images, thus increasing the signal/noise ratio.
This procedure allows for the subject of interest to occur in radically different places in the series of images and still produce perfect alignment.
Freelance Software Development
freelance software developer "self employed"
April 2011 – Present
Platform independent software written in either Java or Qt4/C++.
I am currently developing an application which is a very powerful astronomical calculator to be used by astronomical observers and imagers. This application satisfies the requirement for very accurate determination of astronomical quantities, such as orbits, ephemerides and imaging resolution.
Another application will have the functionality to very accurately measure lunar features, sunspots and solar prominences.
I am currently developing an application which is a very powerful astronomical calculator to be used by astronomical observers and imagers. This application satisfies the requirement for very accurate determination of astronomical quantities, such as orbits, ephemerides and imaging resolution.
Another application will have the functionality to very accurately measure lunar features, sunspots and solar prominences.
Network Support Specialist
Presstek Europe Ltd
September 1996 – August 2010
My position within Presstek was third line support, with a 50/50 split role supporting both the corporate in-house systems as well as Presstek Europe’s client base. The client site work often required long travelling hours and frequent overnight stays including various locations throughout Europe.
During my time at Presstek I was fully responsible for the day to day management of all the internal systems as well as the networks’ future development. I was in charge of the technical management of the entire European operation, this responsibility included the purchasing of all hardware and software.
For vastly improved security I only used open source technologies including FreeBSD and Linux on all Internet facing servers. I improved on the configuration of such servers by writing remote configuration software using C++ via the Netbeans Integrated Development Environment.
I was in charge of the company mobile handsets numbering 100 and an additional 40 blackberry devices linked to the exchange server via Blackberry Enterprise Server. This responsibility included purchasing and issuing all mobile handsets, usage monitoring and negotiating the biennial contract renewal.
I was also in charge of the management of a large number of laptop computers. This involved purchasing the hardware, configuring to the correct standard and fixing hardware faults such as replacing damaged screens, keyboards, motherboards and cooling systems.
An additional responsibility was being in charge of the office and building security. This involved liaising with the contract security engineers and if necessary, the police. I was the primary person on call for security alerts and faults and was in charge of two security assistants.
Because Presstek Europe Ltd is on the NASDAQ it was my responsibility to make sure that all systems and procedures were Sarbanes Oxley compliant. This required a highly structured IT department with very strict policies and stringent procedures.
During my time at Presstek I was fully responsible for the day to day management of all the internal systems as well as the networks’ future development. I was in charge of the technical management of the entire European operation, this responsibility included the purchasing of all hardware and software.
For vastly improved security I only used open source technologies including FreeBSD and Linux on all Internet facing servers. I improved on the configuration of such servers by writing remote configuration software using C++ via the Netbeans Integrated Development Environment.
I was in charge of the company mobile handsets numbering 100 and an additional 40 blackberry devices linked to the exchange server via Blackberry Enterprise Server. This responsibility included purchasing and issuing all mobile handsets, usage monitoring and negotiating the biennial contract renewal.
I was also in charge of the management of a large number of laptop computers. This involved purchasing the hardware, configuring to the correct standard and fixing hardware faults such as replacing damaged screens, keyboards, motherboards and cooling systems.
An additional responsibility was being in charge of the office and building security. This involved liaising with the contract security engineers and if necessary, the police. I was the primary person on call for security alerts and faults and was in charge of two security assistants.
Because Presstek Europe Ltd is on the NASDAQ it was my responsibility to make sure that all systems and procedures were Sarbanes Oxley compliant. This required a highly structured IT department with very strict policies and stringent procedures.
Systems Administrator
Call Centre - Perfect Pizza Ltd
March 1992 – August 1996
Perfect Pizza was a large pizza delivery franchiser with over 250 shops nationwide. The Perfect Pizza call centre was a central call centre taking orders for all pizza outlets within the south of the country. At peak times it dealt with over 20,000 transactions per day.
My position within this organisation was responsible for the management of three AS/400 midrange systems together with all desktop client systems. I was fully responsible for the day to day systems administration and to schedule offline maintenance while ensuring an uptime in excess of 18 hours per day. This maintenance included Operating System patching and OS upgrades in line with IBM’s specifications.
Part of the responsibility of this post was to produce monthly and ad-hoc call centre statistical reports in Lotus 123 and later in Excel format. I also provided out-of-hours support for all hardware and software on a rota based system.
My position within this organisation was responsible for the management of three AS/400 midrange systems together with all desktop client systems. I was fully responsible for the day to day systems administration and to schedule offline maintenance while ensuring an uptime in excess of 18 hours per day. This maintenance included Operating System patching and OS upgrades in line with IBM’s specifications.
Part of the responsibility of this post was to produce monthly and ad-hoc call centre statistical reports in Lotus 123 and later in Excel format. I also provided out-of-hours support for all hardware and software on a rota based system.
Education
A' Levels
Physics, Mathematics, Environmental Science
1989 – 1991
Leftwich High School
Mathematics, Physics, Environmental Science
1980 – 1985
MCSE
Full Biography
I am an IT professional with more than twenty years experience in the commercial IT industry. My experience is wide ranging and I am highly skilled in both open and closed source systems. I am able to work equally well on my own initiative or as a proactive team member. I have first class analytical, design and problem solving skills and so am able to address technical problems rapidly and efficiently. I am an effective communicator at all levels and good at dealing with clients directly.
I have proven project management skills and cope extremely well under pressure. I always work efficiently within the constraints of my budget and have never failed to deliver projects within all required deadlines. I am highly versatile and can adapt rapidly to any technical environment.
In addition to the IT consultancy work I also have a value Kindle Publishing Business.
Languages
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Level Progress
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Overall1
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Windows 71
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Windows Server 20031