Ahmad RAZA

7416 Windswept Trail, Colleyville, TX 76034, USA+1 (469) 231-3993mail2ar@yahoo.com

 

 

·     Seventeen years of in depth, diversified and progressively responsible hand-on experience in the telecommunication/IT industry spanning Software R&D, Software/System Performance Testing, Professional Consultancy Services, Network and System/Database Administration and Project/Technical Management (PMP)

·     Possess 11 years of Network (CCNP, CCIE Written) and System Administration (HP-UX, Sun Solaris, Redhat Linux) and Database Administration skills (Oracle RAC/Informix, Veritas, EMC/NetAps) in the GSM/GPRS/3G/LTE Network environment

·     11+ years of consultancy and technical management expertise delivering implementation services including network planning, installation, commissioning, integration, system testing, support and performance modeling and tuning of Nokia’s Messaging products and IMS solutions across various Mobile operator’s sites globally. Expertise  in  providing Diameter Protocol based Solutions

·     5+ years of experience in software design, implementation, integration and testing in the telecommunication industry using assemblers, C, C++ and Java in Unix/Linux environment

·     2+ years of experience working in real-time embedded software design and development using assemblers and C, testing and debugging embedded systems

·     Excellent leadership qualities of leading a team to exceed the objectives and expectations. A highly motivated, dynamic team player, self-starter and able to maintain stable performance and daily workflow management under extreme pressure

·     High degree of diagnostic and problem resolution skills. Ability to handle Critical Situations in technically challenging and politically hot circumstances

·     Multi-Cultural and diversified experience working in Asia, Europe, Africa and North America

 

 

Area of Expertise

·                        HP-UX, Sun Solaris, Linux Admin ·                        C/C++, Java, Perl, Shell Scripting ·                        Traffic Engineering, MPLS ·                        System/SW Integration, IOT ·                        Testing (IT, Telecom, SW, Systems) ·                        Protocol Analysis, Load Runner

·                        Diameter based solutions ·                        L2/L3 Switching, TCP/IP protocol suite ·                        Telecom networks (GPRS/3G/LTE) ·                        Data and Telco Standards ·                        MMS/WAP/IMS ·                        Clustered Computing, Virtualization

·                        Load-Balancers ·                        Routing & Switching ·                        Informix, Oracle RAC ·                        Nokia OSS ·                        Middleware ·                        PMP

 

CERTIFICATIONS

 

·     Nokia NetAct System Administration License - Operational Support System (OSS) – USA

·     Awarded PMI Certified Project Management Professional (PMP) designation in December 2007

·     CCIE R&S (Written), Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP), Cisco Certified Network Administrator (CCNA), CCNA (Voice)

Professional Experience

The F5 Traffix Signaling Delivery Controller (SDC) is a Diameter solution that consolidates a 3GPP Diameter Routing Agent (DRA), a GSMA Diameter Edge Agent (DEA), a Diameter load balancer, and a 3GPP Diameter interworking function (IWF, or Diameter Gateway) on a single platform.

Responsibilities:

-Provide Technical Consultancy Services to customers and partners in testing, integrating and deploying customer solutions with F5 SDC products. The services provided include Diameter (DRA, DEA, IWF), 3GPP Signalling, Java groovy scripting, shell scripting, system and application performance (Unix/Linux), traffic projections, protocol analysis, load balancing, network layer troubleshooting and system Integration.

-Assure that solution designs meet requirements for scalability, performance and quality in accordance with negotiated service level agreements

-Work with software designers, QA engineers, testers, support engineers, configuration management and infrastructure teams to ensure quality and provide resolution to all technical roadblocks surrounding the solution

- Perform requirement gathering and develop high-level design of proposed architecture

-Lead and control the communication with customers, internal F5 stake holders and third party vendors.

- Perform System Audits to find performance bottlenecks and implement System optimazations.

 

 

Global Services EngineeringIrving, TX              12^th January 2009 – 9^th January 2013

Responsibilities and Achievements:

 

-          Took the leadership role while a replacement RFP (September 2008) was under process and NSN was initially not on the recipient list. Turned around customer’s perception by resolving system, network and application related open issues, and helped secure a USD 45 Million USD deal for NSN Next Gen Messaging Solution (May 2009).

-          Based on Keynote Systems Device Perspective benchmark testing to measure true end-to-end subscriber experience across multiple mobile operator networks, ensured AT&T secured #1 position as best MMS service provider in North America within four months (Jan-April 2009). Successfully lead a system performance and network tuning project

-          Effectively represented as primary technical point of contact for NSN’s Multimedia Messaging (MMS) solution in  mobile operator networks (AT&T, T-Mobile, Stelera, Pario)  in North America

-          Provided Technical consultation for customer’s MMS Solution architecture, network planning, dimensioning, Functional and Performance testing, implementation, technical requests, escalated cases, network outages, system performance and evolution.

-          Participated in multiple IMS/SDM/AAA/one-NDS install/upgrade and system verification projects for telecom operators across North America

-          Participated in Location Based Services (LBS) system verification testing

 

 

Customer and Market OperationsIrving, TX1^st April 2007 – 11^th January 2009

 

 

North Americas Care/VAS CompetenceIrving, TX25^th March 2005 – 31^st March 2007

Job Roles and Responsibilities:

-          Team and Project Lead responsibilities including initiating, planning, executing, and managing  Nokia’s Multimedia Messaging  Solution in  Mobile operator networks (AT&T, T-Mobile, TeleStar, Pario)  in North America

-          Provided expert and authoritative advice and reasoned recommendations to senior management, clients, and relevant stakeholders on technical matters associated with messaging  solution

-          Independently managed projects with high risk and technical complexity ensuring minimal operational impact to live services. Ensured customer satisfaction with delivery and implementation of services.

-          Lead and managed a multi-site support team to achieve business objectives including the attainment of targets for customer satisfaction, employee satisfaction, service level agreement, resolution time, and project deadlines.

-          Managed service impacting Mobile Network’s Production operational incidents. Performed Network, System and Database troubleshooting. Performed System Tunning and Optimization.

 

 

Network Delivery OperationsIrving, TX7^th May 2001 – 24^th March 2005

Job Roles and Responsibilities:

Solution Specialist

-          Understanding operator needs for Multimedia Messaging Solution and identifying solutions to non-standard technical queries

-          Delivery of consultancy services for Service layer of Mobile Networks. The main focus of the services was the analysis of performance problems and formulations around the MMS network

-          Collected data on network and application level, and analyzed complex problems to arrive at the appropriate solution and an improved procedure

-          Resolved IOP Issues for the MMS Solution in multi-vendor environments

Commissioning Engineer

-          Delivered implementation services including Installation, commissioning, integration and system level testing of the Messaging products and solutions (Multimedia Messaging System Center (MMSC), WAP Gateway (NWG), Profile Server (NPS), Application Gateways (AGW), Terminal Management Server (NTMS), Short Messaging Server Center (SMSC), Delivery Server (DLS), and Streaming Server) at operator’s sites

-          Planned and participated in MMS Solution Upgrades

Technical Support Engineer - Technical Assistance Center (TAC)

-          Resolved product and system-level technical requests from customers and fault analysis and re-production in laboratory, in co-operation with R&D and specialists in other businesses. Troubleshooting was performed in Nokia laboratory, via remote connections and also at customer sites

-          Ensured the performance and quality of the MMS technical platform, servers, and applications for the Global Messaging customers

-          Global Technical Emergency support for Nokia’s Multimedia Messaging Solution

-          Installed new Messaging SW-releases/CD updates to customer’s production networks

-          Troubleshoot and isolate network and application problems at the system and product level

System, Network and Database Administrator

-          TCP/IP network administration (Laboratory Network, on-site production systems and via remote connections)

-          UNIX (HP-UX, Solaris) and Linux Installations (Red Hat), system admin, network troubleshooting

-          Maintained DNS, Cisco Routers/Switches, Firewalls, Mail Servers, Web Servers, load balancers

-          INFORMIX and ORACLE RAC Database administration

-          Veritas Cluster Administration

Test Engineer

-          System Verification and Inter-Operability testing at customer sites

-          Performance, Functional and System Acceptance testing of MMS Solution for multiple projects

-          Testing, Design and Development of Automated test scripts using Load Runner (Mercury Interactive) for MMSC/SMSC Functional and Load Testing

-          Designed, developed and integrated simulation tools (MM Sender/Receiver, MM load generators, MM External Applications Generator, Mobile Simulator) with MMS Solution in TAC lab to re-create live network problems.

-          Developed automated tools for system, network and database monitoring and maintenance

 

 

Mobile SwitchingHelsinki, FinlandSeptember 2000 – 4^th May 2001

Worked on the 3G Service Creation and Execution Platform, based on Open Service Architecture, which enabled different network elements and protocols to work together, making it possible to bring UMTS, WAP and IP access under a single service. Dealt with software design, code implementation (Java/UNIX), integration, testing and documentation for the Gateway of the platform, which communicates with the MSC/SSP using CAP2 over SS7.

 

R&D/Embedded SystemsEspoo, FinlandJuly 1998 – August 2000

Member of the tributary interface software team at the R&D center of the SW Competence Center, involved in the development of V5 Access Nodes. Primarily worked with real-time embedded software design, code implementation (C/C++, UNIX), integration, testing, hardware/software system integration and software configuration management.

 

 

PAK TELECOMMay 1993 - July 1995

Installation, Commissioning, Upgrading, Operation & Maintenance of Siemens Digital Switching System (EWSD)

 

 

    United Nations High Commissioner for RefugeesSeptember 1992 - May 1993

Responsible for the computer educational program for UN refugees from diverse origins.

 

 

INTERNSHIPS AND PROJECTS

 

Feb. – June '98

Computer Laboratory LIP6 ASIM,  Ecole Doctorale d 'Informatique Blaise Pascal, Paris, France

Software Development for an ASIC design automation tool.

April - Oct '97

Institut National de recherche en Informatique et en Automatique (INRIA),  France

Optimization and Simulation of a Routing Protocol for wireless mobile networks using MATLAB

April - Sept. '96

Electronics-Signal Processing Laboratory, ENSEEIHT, INP de Toulouse, France 

Development and Simulation of traffic control protocol using OPNET.

Feb. - Aug. '92

Digital Systems Laboratory, Electrical Engineering Department, UET, Lahore

Design and Development (hardware & software) of an 8-Channel Logic Analyzer Interface card.

 

 

EDUCATION

 

1995-96

Masters  - TELECOMMUNICATIONS and NETWORKING

Ecole Nationale Superieure d'e'lectrotechnique, d'electronique, d'informatique et d'hydraulique de Toulouse (ENSEEIHT), Institut National Polytechnique de Toulouse (I.N.P.T), Toulouse, France

 

1987-92

B.Sc. - ELECTRICAL  ENGINEERING

University of Engineering and Technology (UET), Lahore. 

Major:  TELECOMMUNICATIONS  and  ELECTRONICS            

 

 

AWARDS & HONORS

 

·     Nokia Siemens Networks Appreciating U Award for Focus on Customer – USA, November 2008 

·     Nokia’s Above And Beyond Recognition Award  – USA, December 2006

·     Nokia’s Recognition Award for outstanding Performance – USA, September 2005

·     Achievement Award – Nokia USA, 2004

·     Merit scholarship based on National Level Exam (GRE Engineering) for Masters Degree

·     Silver Medal and four-year merit scholarship for university education on the basis of Higher School certificate results

 

 

KEY TRAINIGS & PRESENTATIONS

 

·     Conducted a seminar over UMTS Network evolution (8^th December 2000) at the Centre of Wireless Communications (CWC), Singapore

·     MuSLIC ASIC workshop, 27-29^th July 1999  Siemens, Munich, Germany

·     CAMEL Implementation Workshop, 14-17^th September 2000, Nokia Networks, Denmark

·     Voice Gateway Bootcamp, Cisco, NC, USA

·     Linux Tools Development,  27^th May – 17^th June 2011, Nokia Siemens Networks, Chengdu, China

·     IMS Workshop, 6-26^th May 2012, Nokia Siemens Networks, Munich, Germany

 

 

LANGUAGES

 

English - Fluent 

French   - Fluent