Ravindra Thilakarathna
Senior Solution Architect
Summary
An IT enthusiast and infrastructure consultant with 15+ years of superior performance in network technologies, project management, infrastructure management, WAN technologies, Collaboration and virtualization and technical support with the demonstrated ability to execute in dynamic environments. Proven expertise in Cisco UC products in verticals of Enterprise market and Service providers, in-depth understanding on virtualization technologies, designing and configuring complex Microsoft technologies.
Overview
21
21
years of professional experience
2
2
Languages
Work History
Professional Services Expert
Kurmi Software
08.2020 - Current
- Developing Cisco collaboration automation solutions using the Kurmi unified provisioning solution, from design to implementation.
- Developing automation solutions for Microsoft Teams using the Kurmi unified provisioning solution, from design to implementation.
- Implementing automation strategies for multi-vendor unified communication (UC) environments, to handle complex deployments.
- Creating collaboration migration strategies and executing them through design and implementation.
- Providing training to customers on how to use Kurmi software solutions.
- Conducting proof of concept projects using Kurmi software solutions.
Sr. Network Consulting Engineer - CX
Cisco Systems
01.2015 - 07.2020
- Overseeing all elements pertaining to network architecture and infrastructure across client sites encompassing functions of network management, data and security infrastructure, backup, storage and special projects as well as customer experience.
- Serving as a trusted advisor to the management on all critical decisions pertaining to information technology and its associated periphery as well as costing decisions.
- Handling Cisco Viptela SDWAN solution design and deployment, provide Proof of concepts on SDWAN solution.
- Automating Deployment of SDWAN controllers on Azure Cloud.
- Cisco HCS solution design and deployment.
- On prem UC to cloud migration strategies.
- Implementation of hybrid calling solutions using webex and HCS.
- Contributing to the establishment of a world class network by evaluating network performance issues including availability, utilization, throughput, and latency.
Network Engineer – Advanced Services
Cisco Systems
05.2012 - 11.2015
- Cisco HCS solution design and deployment.
- Country Dial plan design and CUCDM model configuration.
- Deployment and configuration of UC applications (CUCM, CUC, CUPS, Expressways, CMS, SME, LBO)
- Deployment and Configuration of vSphere 4, 5 and vSphere 6
- Specialized in USM to USM migrations and CUCM to USM migrations.
- Deploying Cisco Data Center technologies (Nexus and UCS)
- In-depth hand on expert in USM platform design based on virtualization.
- Customer training on HCS solutions
- Contracted via Vision Valley LLC
Consulting Engineer
VOSS Solutions
06.2010 - 04.2012
- Contracted via Vision Valley LLC
Engineer – IP Voice Technologies
N-Able (pvt) Ltd
12.2008 - 05.2010
Network Systems Engineer
Enterprise Technology (pvt) Ltd
06.2005 - 11.2008
E-Commerce Assistant
P&O Nedlloyd Keells pvt Limited
10.2004 - 04.2005
Education
Honors diploma - Networking
NIIT
Key Certifications
- Cisco – CCNA, CCNP RnS, CCNP Collaboration, CCIE Voice (40812), Cisco Unity Support Specialist, Cisco IP Contact Center Express Specialist, CCIE RnS Written
- Microsoft – MCDBA, MCSE, MCTS
- VMware – VCP 3.5, VCP 4.0, VCP 5.5
- EMC – EMCPA
- NIIT (Colombo) – Honors diploma in Networking
Key Trainings
- Cisco UCS implementation Engineer Cisco Systems India
- VMware VCP trainings on version 3.5, 4.0, 5.5, 6.5
- EMC ASN training – EMC India
- Unified Communication for System Engineers – Global Knowledge Singapore
- Cisco HCS Expert Training
- Microsoft Skype 4 Business boot camp
- Cisco Viptela SDWAN training Basic and Advanced training
Summary Of Key Projects
- Orange – Poland, HCS Solution deployment with Dial plan design, CUCDM deployment, UC application deployment with service assurance configuration.
- DU - UAE, UCS B series server deployment with ACI integrations. HCS solution design and deployment with complex dial plan designs. Migrating enterprise customers from HUCS to HCS. Service assurance configuration for enhance visibility on the utilization.
- New York State Office of Information Technology Services (NYS), Lead Engineer for upgrade project for Cisco HCS Solution. Migrate all the configuration from CUCDM 8.X to 11.X without using any third-party utilities. 150000 endpoints which were spanned across 15 UC clusters were part of the migration.
- Vodafone, UK, CUCDM disaster recovery design and deployment. Customer trainings.
- Lat Telekom – Latvia, HCS Solution deployment including Cisco UC Apps, VMware, Cisco UCS Technologies, Microsoft integrations. Customer trainings on HCS.
- Saudi Telekom – KSA, HCS Solution deployment including Cisco UC Apps, VMware, Cisco UCS Technologies, CUBE SP dial plan. On prem UC to HCS migration. Customer trainings on HCS. CUCDM 8.X to CUCDM 10.6.3 upgrade. CUOM to PCA migration.
- Telkom – South Africa, HCS Solution deployment including Cisco UC Apps, VMware, Cisco UCS Technologies, Microsoft integrations. Customer trainings on HCS. Project lead for support contract which is responsible for new customer onboarding and customized dial plan design. Expressway and CMS design and deployment.
- Zain Telecom - Kuwait, Cisco HCS solution design and deployment. Migration from on prem solution to HCS. CUCM integration with Huawei SBC solution. Imagicle solution deployment.
- Saudi Telecom Corporation Solutions (STCS) – Saudi Arabia, Design and Deployment of HCS solution. Customized dial plan configuration. UCS components firmware upgrade. VMware upgrade to version 6.5. Migrating configuration from Nexus1000v to VMware distributed switch. CUCDM and HCMF Upgrade to version 12.5.
- Dhiraagu telecom – Maldives, Implementation configuration of two clusters of Acme-Packet NET-NET 4250 work with Huawei soft switch environment. Lync Integrations with AP sbc solutions.
- Wataniya telecom – Maldives, Design and implementation of Digitalk multiservice platform Design of vmware VIEW thin client solution for the wataniya contact center. Design Data Center solution using Cisco UCS, Vmware vSphere, and EMC CX4 storage solution. Capacity planning on consolidating existing servers into virtual machines.
- Dialog Telekom IP-telephony Project, Configuring 5 Call manager clusters with 4000 phones. Multiple Cisco ISR 2800 gateways on H323 and MGCP. First clustering over WAN solution in South Asia based on version 4.X.
Personal Information
- Date of Birth: 04/23/84
- Nationality: Sri Lankan
- Marital Status: Married
Domain Know How
- Customer Experience
- Project Management
- Network Management
- Vulnerability Management
- Analytical Skills
- Application Security
- Network Security
- System Deployment & Configuration
Timeline
Professional Services Expert
Kurmi Software
08.2020 - Current
Sr. Network Consulting Engineer - CX
Cisco Systems
01.2015 - 07.2020
Network Engineer – Advanced Services
Cisco Systems
05.2012 - 11.2015
Consulting Engineer
VOSS Solutions
06.2010 - 04.2012
Engineer – IP Voice Technologies
N-Able (pvt) Ltd
12.2008 - 05.2010
Network Systems Engineer
Enterprise Technology (pvt) Ltd
06.2005 - 11.2008
E-Commerce Assistant
P&O Nedlloyd Keells pvt Limited
10.2004 - 04.2005
Honors diploma - Networking
NIIT