Gerald is a result oriented Enterprise Architecture, Enterprise Data and Enterprise Information Management Professional who has implemented multiple Enterprise Architecture, Enterprise Data, and Enterprise Information Management solutions and Governance programs. He has managed teams of architects, software engineers and developers to deliver multiple real-world solutions.

 

For example, at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan he was a lead member in the establishment of the McKinsey driven Enterprise Architecture (EA) capability. Other examples include Citicorp and Anthem BCBS/WellPoint where he led the implementation of an Enterprise Information Architecture initiative–System of Record (SoR) Registry initiative.

 

Most recently he served as a Data Virtualization Solution Architect for a Telecommunication company involved in the creation of an Integrated Data Warehouse leveraging Big Data stores (Hadoop, Spark), Traditional Relational Data Stores and Data Virtualization Technologies. He brings a wealth of background in the implementation of organizational structures such as ARB, TRB and associated governance; the delivery of actual Enterprise Architecture, Enterprise Data and Enterprise Information Management Architecture programs and solutions that are actionable.

 

He has extensive experience with multiple IT Governance methodologies, Enterprise Data and Enterprise Architecture. He is well versed with core patterns and pattern languages.

 

Domain enterprise experience includes consulting with corporations such as: Allstate, Anthem BCBS/WellPoint, Bristol Myers Squibb, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, Citibank, CA Technologies, IBM, MetLife, Medimmune, McKinsey & Company, MUFG/Union Bank, Oracle, Putnam Investments, State Farm, T-Mobile and UPS.

 

Architect for multiple software systems, frameworks and solutions to include the following;

 

·   Integrated Data Warehouse: Architect for next generation multi-terabytes integrated data warehouses where data from various sources are modelled and stored in an integrated data model. This includes traditional relational data stores, Big Data (Hadoop) Stores and Big Data lakes for source like structures and any other enterprise systems that are required for integration through Data Virtualization. This architecture enabled select Pharmaceutical, Telecommunications, Distribution & Logistics, Financial and Travel Related Services organizations to leverage their data into manageable assets that deliver near real-time, actionable information to employees, managers, and business partners. Task included but were not limited; Data Virtualization Layer Architecture, Architecture Assessment and strategy development,  Software & Tools Selection, Data Governance - (Business and Transformation Rules, Data Quality and Profiling), Metadata Management Architecture, Development of Reporting & Analytics Subject Area Models and Catalogue, Data Mining – (Creation of models that combine/align data predictors with business intelligence rules capable of helping Data Scientists to derive meaningful answers from the unknown), Executive/Management Dashboard Development and Implementation.

 

·   Enterprise Architecture / Architecture Blueprinting & Roadmap Development: Development of multiple blueprints in support of business transformation efforts associated with transactional and business intelligence.  Engagements include but are not limited to ensuring that an organization future assets, processes, and capabilities are built and aligned with their strategic objectives to include (a) The definition and description of current state technology components  their association with organizational strategies, (b) The definition of optimally aligned future state capabilities and processes,  (c) The definition of maturity models and metrics, (d) The identification/Analysis of existing gaps between current state strategic and operational capabilities in relation to future state recommendations, (e) The development of road maps for realizing future architectural states.

 

·   Enterprise Architecture Practice enablement: Developed the processes and talent development profile for Enterprise Architecture teams.  Established processes, governance and delivery frameworks. Led Architects, Interfaced with Technology and Business Executives. Established project prioritization and selection processes within the EA delivery process, Corrective action processes, Scorecards and EA delivery models. Worked with EA teams to establish delivery frameworks, Core team and enterprise technology strategy and blueprints.

 

·   Enterprise Analytics, Reporting & Information Delivery Engines - (Integrated Data Analytics):  Solutions that provided for the delivery of near real-time data and information to corporate decision makers.  This architecture incorporates next generation data management systems – Big Data technologies, data & application integration, data virtualization, Business Intelligence, Analytics engines, data harmonization and globalization engines.  It  integrates  data  from  multiple  providers/sources (Cloud and on-premises data sources) into a  readily available environment that is capable of effecting  “user-empowered “ real and or near real-time information delivery to include reporting analytics and data mining activities  that incorporates single and multi-phased predictive models. 

 

·   Application Development & Business Process Platform and Toolkit:  Enterprise-wide, browser-based, application development & business process platform and toolkit with the capability to support multiple solutions for data-sensitive and regulated markets. This framework has caused for the development of a suite of Healthcare Applications/Solutions to include: (Incident Manager Solution, Claims Manager, Root Cause Analysis, Legal Matter Manager, Peer Review Manager, Infection Control Manager, Performance Improvement Manager, Employee Health Manager, Compliance Manager and Contract Manager).

 

·   Distributed Database Architecture: Repeatable, Consistent, and Scalable distributed database architecture that exploits commodity hardware systems networked to provide high levels of scalability and reliability.  This design utilizes standard hardware configurations utilizing Intel chip architectures and Linux operating systems.  It is capable of supporting large-scale oracle databases which are used to provide shared database hosting as well as handling ultra-large database applications.  In addition to providing large scale and expandable performance, the design provided for high levels of availability and continuity of operations utilizing database –aware technologies to include: Oracle Grid Architecture – Oracle Coherence, Oracle (Real Application Clusters (RAC), Automatic Storage Management (ASM), Data Guard (DG) and Enterprise Manager Grid Control (OEM)).  The design addressed a set of requirements that is intended to support mission critical data of 10TB plus, 10K plus I/O operations per second and over 5K concurrent connections.

 

·   Systems / Application Profiling  & Governance Architecture : Robust framework that facilitates the mapping, categorization and tagging of information within operational systems to improve information accessibility, The definition of views into corporate information assets to address inconsistencies in meaning, terminology and format without impacting the function of information assets, The alignment of information assets to reference architectures and patterns, The creation of enterprise registries (Data Flow, Entity & Attribute Semantic Maps, Reference Architecture & Patterns, designation and Life Cycle Management Classification) that supports projects their architecture and implementation decisions and the virtualization, harmonization & globalization of enterprise data. The resultants – (System content semantic mapping specifications, Canonical model candidates, Virtual Data Management (VDM) Candidates,  MDM Candidates, Domain ontology specifications, Domain specific implementation specifications, Content Life Cycle Management)

 

·   Enterprise Application / Data Integration Framework: This framework leverages a Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) which enables business systems to act on data with no regard to the source and location of the needed data sets. Its implementation: (a) Minimize the impact of changes in technology and middleware. (b) Decouples business systems to reduce the effect of changes in one business system to others. (c) Supports a single logical image of global/enterprise data regardless of how and where data are physically stored. (d) Allows programmers to concentrate on business problems rather than middleware complexities. (e) Provides a flexible and consistent programming interface that enables the delivery services such as On-line transactions, On-line non-transactional Store and Forward, Publish & Subscribe, Broadcast/Event Notification and Batch etc.

 

·   Tele-Health/Tele-Medicine Solution: HIPAA compliant, Cloud based Tele-Medicine Solution that enable primary care physicians to wavelet compress, forward encrypt, display and transmit via the Internet/Secure VPN dermatological images integrated with reports and annotations to a centralized location for consultation and interpretation by a board certified dermatologist.  This application incorporates HL7 (Health Level 7) Standards, a tele-medicine compliant browser plug-in capable of transforming a standard browser equipped computer into a tele-medicine compliant workstation. This application enables a clinician to easily assemble a consultation, including demographics, images, video, audio, studies and scanned documents.  This browser plug-in controls cameras, scanners, and other data acquisition devices directly, eliminating the need for additional programs. These features along with Internet-based services - web-based chat, email, and discussion groups - help foster communications and collaboration between dermatologists and their affiliated primary care physicians. Supported by this application, a dermatologist is able to provide affiliated primary care physicians with Dermatological consultation services regardless of their geography.

 

·   IP-Telephony / Unified Communications Solution: Redundant IP-Telephony network, utilizing cutting-edge IP technology capable of riding on some of the world's premier internet backbones.  A robust, state-of-the-art cloud based architecture that guarantees reliable, inexpensive communications (voice, email, SMS, Video) to any point on the globe. Based on this infrastructure, organizations such as AllCom (http://www.allcom.com) is able to provide a wide catalog of value-added IP-Telephony products and Unified Communications Services. The implementation includes software solutions that enables the clustering of multiple Soft switches / PBX systems for reliability and speed, the association of trunks to multiple providers, the delivery and management of services to include  the integration of real-time communication services such as Instant Messaging (IM), Presence Information, Telephony, Video Conferencing, Call Control and Speech Control with non-real-time communication services such as;  (integrated voicemail, e-mail, SMS and fax).

 

·   K-12 School Management Software Suite: Cloud based solution that is designed to deliver and provide the key functionalities that are necessary to meet the emerging and evolving educational information management and delivery market. This solution provides the following key functions: Student Demographic Management, Student Mobility, Student Grade/Attendance/Scheduling, Student Assessment, Student Misconduct, Student Program Management, Student Special Education, Free/Reduced Lunch Management, Teacher/Principal Performance Management, and Teacher Professional Development.

 

Cotran Technologies, Ltd., Voorhees, NJ

August, 1991 – Present

Principal Consultant

Provided consulting services and solutions related to: Enterprise Architecture (Governance, Leadership, Blueprint and Roadmap development, etc.), Enterprise Infrastructure Reference Architecture, Application Architecture, Enterprise Data Management and Visualization in the era of the Internet of Things (IoT),  Metadata and Data Quality, Integration & Governance frameworks  (Quality, Entitlement & Virtualization), Big Data Technology proof of concept (POC), Distributed Database Design, Integrated Data Marts & Data Warehouse Development and Implementation, Business and Information Technology Strategy Planning,  Customer Relationship Management  (CRM), Master Data Management (MDM), Building of competent software development teams  capable of meeting technology and business demands, Application software integration – Cloud & On-premises (IaaS), HIPAA compliant Tele-health/Tele-medicine systems, Biometric enabled application software systems & solution, Asset Management - RFID enabled application software systems & solutions, IP-based video surveillance systems and  IP-Telephony – Unified Communications. 

 

Consulting engagements include, but are not limited to the following companies:  Allstate, Alyeska Pipeline Service Company, Allcom, Inc., Avnet, American Trans Air, Brooks Fiber Properties, Blackboard, British Petroleum, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, CA Technologies, Citicorp North America, Inc., Cummins Engine Company, Cotran Telecommunications, Ltd., DuPont, DermDx Centers for Dermatology,  DOCSAIDE, LLC., EG&G Park, GE Computer Services, H.S. Crocker Company, IBM, McKinsey & Company, MedImmune, MetLife, MUFG/Union Bank, Nations Bank, Neustar, Inc., Northern Telecom - (NORTEL), Putnam Investments, Pfizer Pharmaceutical, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, , Oracle Corporation, Peminic, Pittsburgh Public Schools, The European Travel Commission, QVC, RF Power Products, State Farm, T-Mobile, UPS, and WellPoint/Anthem BCBS.

CAS Technologies, Inc.,

September, 1987 - August, 1991

Director – LAN/WAN Technologies

§ Computer System Integration Company – Managed software and network engineering teams that designed, developed & Implemented Accounting and Manufacturing Information Systems.

Burroughs/Unisys Corp.

February, 1986 - September, 1987

Sr. Manufacturing Software Engineer

§ Mainframe Computer Manufacturer/Systems Integrator - Developed software testing tools used in the secondary testing of Burroughs/Unisys A-Series computer  systems

ARMS, Inc.

November, 1983 - February, 1986

Sr. Systems Design Engineer

§ Computer Software Engineering & Consulting firm - Developed real-time process control systems, multi-tasking operating systems and application software systems.

 

EDUCATION

University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL

·   Master of Science, Management Information Systems

·   Master of Science Education, Curriculum & Instruction

·   Bachelor of Science, Building Construction Management

 

TECHNICAL SKILLS SUMMARY

Process

Agile, RUP, Waterfall

Enterprise Architecture

TOGAF, FEAF, ZACHMANN - Numerous Enterprise and Information Architecture Patterns.

Software Systems, Libraries, Frameworks, Appliances, Standards & Tools

Denodo (Data Virtualization & Information Management), InfoSphere BigInsights, Dell Boomi AtomSphere, Fiorano – (SOA, ESB, MQ - Data / Applications Integration Engine), IBM WebSphere (Cast Iron), Expressor (integrator, repository, processor), iDASHBOARD, Qlikview, Pentaho BI Suite, Pinnacle Suite – (SIS, Gradebook, Insight, Aspire),  MicroStrategy, Jaspersoft BI Suite,  Crystal Report, Holos, Hewlett Packard-Intelligent Warehouse –(HPIW), nQuire – Oracle/Siebel Analytics, Trillium-(Data Profiling / Governance Software Suite), Tableau Analytics, AXURE RP Pro - Prototyping tool, IBM Tivoli – (Identity Manager), InfoSphere Guardium, Talend (data integration, management, profiling and governance solutions), CorVu, Business Objects, InfoPump, EDA/SQL, ENCINA, TSISoft-Mercator, AutoSYS, Rouge Wave (Tools.h++ & DBTools), Precise Software-(Inspect, Interpoint, Indepth), UML - Rational Rose, Intersystems CACHE, GitHub, HIPAA, DICOM, CANDA, Alpharel-(AlphaVIEW,AlphaSCAN,AlphaQC,AlphaDX), WebLogic, Mule, DataPower, Apache Stack, IIS, Tomcat,  AEPSystems/Netilla, APPC, OSF-DCE, HL/7, SOAP, SYMIX, COINS, OpenEMR, OpenVISTA, Peminic – WEBAgent and HIS Solution Suite, Microsoft .NET framework, Java/J2EE framework, Alfresco (Document Management, WCM, Collaboration), DHTML Tools,  ERWin, Embarcadero (Architecture & Modeling suite), Oracle Designer,  Oracle Coherence, Serena (SBM,SSM, Requirements Mgr., Development Mgr. & Release Mgr., TeamTrack), ActiveVOS (BPMS/BPEL Engine),  FINEOS, PeopleTools, PeopleCode, Web Services related frameworks (UDICo-TierBroker, SOAP, CXF), XAWARE – (SOA Data Integration engine), Varonis - Data Governance Suite, SEI CMMI Framework, ITIL, TOGAF, BPEL, BPMN.

 

 

Operating Systems & Networks

Linux (CentOS), UNIX (Coherent, BSD, SYS V), SUN Solaris, VOS, Unisys MCP, Unisys OS1100, Novell Netware (All Versions) VAX/VMS, RSX-11M, OS/2, CTOS, DECNET, TN3270, LU6.2, Microsoft Windows XX

 

Programming Languages & Web/Universal Client Development Tools

C#, C++, XML, AJAX(Asynchronous JavaScript), XPATH, WSDL, PHP, HTML, JAVA, CGI/Perl, SQR, Oracle PL/SQL, SQL, MS-Web Platform, MS-Visual Studio, Visual C++, Visual C#, Eclipse, Pascal, Fortran, Forth, Progress DML, COBOL, ALGOL, VX/REXX.

 

Data Management Systems & Related Tools

Ab Initio (Metadata Hub, ExpressIT, BRE, Data Profiler), Datawatch, Denodo (V5.5 & 6.0), Cloudant, ORACLE (V6.x–Oracle11g), Oracle (Advanced/Multi-Master Replication), Oracle11g – (Real Application Clusters (RAC), Automatic Storage Management (ASM), Data Guard (DG), Enterprise Manager Grid Control (OEM)), Oracle (GoldenGate), Oracle Coherence, PROGRESS RDBMS, MySQL, Visual FoxPro, Oracle RDB, DB2, Informix, Infobright, Apache Hadoop – (HDFS, Map-Reduce, Pig, Hive, Hbase, ZooKeeper, Sqoop, Flume, OOZIE), Hortonworks Data Platform (HDP), InfoSphere BIGInsights – (BIGSQL, BIGSheets), Netweaver (SAP MDM), SQLServer, PostgresSQL. VoltDB, MarkLogic, Apache Kudu.

 

IP –Telephony

3GPP and xDSL Architectures, QoS, Fixed & Mobile  VoIP Architectures, SIP, H323, MGCP, RTSP, NAT Traversal, PPPoX, 802.1X, DHCP, Media Codec (g711x,g729, etl), VoIP NOC (Design & Configuration), Cellular Bridging, SIP Messaging & Security, ADVOSS Billing, Amdocs, MediaCore, CallMax.

 

INDUSTRIES / VERTICALS

 

§    Education, Financial/Accounting (A/R, A/P, G/L, P/R, F/X, Tax), Manufacturing (MRP, ERP), Telecommunications (PBX, ISDN, Central Office Switch, VoIP), Insurance, Airline/Travel Related Operations, Petrochemical, Publishing, Pharmaceutical, Retail (Point-of-Sale, Distribution), Healthcare, Logistics and Transportation, Software.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last Modified:  May 2016

1	Gerald A. Provost -  Enterprise Architecture, Enterprise Data and  Information Management Professional