AGSM @ UNSW Business School

Standards Australia

Australian Computer Society

Business As Usual Training Provider

University of Virginia Darden School of Business

Melbourne Business School

Thomsett International

Dimension Data Learning Solutions

Staffordshire University

Learning Tree International

Customised Computer Training

The Open University

The Manchester Metropolitan University

Charles Keene College

Smart Campus  -  Sustainable Leadership  -  Smart Places  -  Academia, Govt & Industry Collaborator  -  Technology Accelerator  -  Change Enabler

Leading a large consortia from UNSW IT (Networks, Estate and Facilities Management, Cyber, Security and Risk, Data Governance, Cloud, Customer Services), NTT Professional Services, Aruba Networks (HPE), Changeworks and The Frame Group to deliver a $37M WIFI network transformation across over 150 UNSW and Affiliate partner buildings and outdoor spaces.  This project will deliver a more secure higher performing wireless experience enabling UNSW to deliver a Smarter On Campus and Digital experience in all the ways we teaching, learn, research and support professional work.  The Delivery phase commenced 2023 and is expected to conclude by mid-2025.

UNSW

Lead Project Manager

Developing thought leadership on Smart Sustainable Cities with Standards Australia and The Australia Smart Communities Association (IEC standards; maturity, pilot and carbon emission impact models)

Secured 3 commercial partnerships expanding Automation & Cybersecurity securing $60k+ in 2021 

Managed a University Network Blueprint and implementation plan with multi vendor options & costs 

Advised 2 university procurement projects, $20M+ total value (requirements, compliance, cost analysis)

Smart Footprints

Founder, Consultant

The Australian Smart Communities Association (ASCA) exists to serve government interests and is majority funded by government partners, with strong membership from across Australia, especially local government. We are a not-for-profit organisation with a clear focus on serving all levels of government and the community.

Australian Smart Communities Association

Vice President

Board Member

National Education & Research Internet Operator, Internet Services/Professional & Cyber Services – 2020: $59M, 138 FTE

Created a Security Operations Centre (SOC) onboard service, uplifting campus security posture and connecting 4 universities following a custom methodology allowing scale to handle more customers 

Integrated internal CRM, Project, Timesheet, Contract and Billing systems, into a sales pipeline, project delivery and revenue dashboard, improving visibility, lowering admin overheads by 35%

AARNet (Australia's Academic and Research Network)

General Manager, Enterprise Services

Recruited & led a technical customer success team assisting 40+ universities, TAFE, K12 on networks, systems, cloud services; cross-boundary projects (>$1m+), high net promoter score (4.1+)

Devised pre-paid engineering hours service for customers to allocate unspent budget to operational support hours, building low cost, low-risk relationships and onto more complex project assistance

Managed “on the job” skills development, supported by training and accreditations, extracting knowledge into repeatable playbooks, empowering a virtual, versatile, capable consulting team

Director, Enterprise Services

Spearheaded a National Unified Video and Telepresence Service, sharing resources, partnering with 6 vendors, lowering barriers to entry, serving 11,305 hours of call use annually in 2011

Facilitated a national eduroam Wi-Fi rollout to 38 Universities, CSIRO & Medical Research Institutes

Built strong customer and vendor relations via 5 working groups, industry-sponsored annual roadshows to 5 states, and the establishment of inaugural QUESTNET awards for excellence

Director, Applications & Services

Partnered with Macquarie University securing $4.2M funding for federated access to digital content 

Productionised VoIP service processes and “on.net” subscription bundle, improved quality and value

Network engineer - Middleware and Project Leader

As Authentication and Authorisation Project Manager at UKERNA, I led the growth in "Federated Identity Access Management service" expertise, development and use.

Key Achievements :-

- Coordinated the implementation of Eduroam to 50 UK universities and the expansion of eduroam beyond Europe by successfully connected Australia in December 2004 - see "eduroam goes global" press release.

- Authored technical solution, operational process and business case guides, and coordinated with web designers to embed Wi-Fi hotspot maps to fast track the rollout of Eduroam services to reach a critical mass in the UK and Europe

- Following the commissioning of a UK academic sector-wide survey, I established a JANET Wireless Advisory Group that led the sharing of best practice, rolled out eduroam services to 50 universities, and held the secretariat role. 

- Coordinated, configured and managed a Cisco wireless network for over 300  attendees that were both eduroam affiliated and non-affiliated visitors as a critical member of the Networkshop 32 conference organising committee in Keele, UK.

- Expanded service development to support secure federated access to digital content and services to allow academics, researchers and students access them off-campus at a lower licencing cost to the university.

UKERNA

Authentication and Authorisation Project Manager

As Network Access Project Manager at UKERNA, I was responsible for developing services that would extend the reach of the JANET Network to the academic and research community not located at university campuses.  

I managed vendor and client relations, scoping and trialling novel broadband access projects to expected client requirements and quality outcomes. I initiated technical and marketing strategies and pilot to production plans with access to resources to broaden services coverage.

Key Achievements:-

Led the ADSL broadband service trial coordinating technical connectivity and co-developing call centre provisioning, support and billing processes across multiple cross-divisional teams in partnership with British Telecom.  

On secondment to the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) Satellite working group, I coordinated supplier and technical management for Satellite Internet services to 17 remote and rural sites in areas such as Cornwall and The Highlands and Islands of Scotland.  I collaborated with Gilat, SES-Multimedia, DC-Sat.Net and ATiT consulting partners. The 2005 "Connecting the Unconnected JISC final" evaluation report is attached.

Co-Chaired the TF-Mobility group that invented eduroam, personally responsible for writing a record number of reports that established a clear direction and aligned European parties to commit to using the 802.1x standard.  I also ran an effective communications marketing campaign to generate awareness with a service name, logo, service status map across Europe, T-shirts, technical and operational guides and presentations that contributed to a successful "network effect" in adoption and use.

Network Access Project Manager

As Project Manager at Cognitio, I learned from experienced professionals the art of project management, consulting and report writing.  Those experiences developed my ability to recall information of a complex and ambiguous nature and structure and express it understandably. In addition, I learned the craft of client engagement, from sales conversion to project delivery.

Key Achievements :-

- Automated ISDN phone and data call utilisation and capacity management reporting services with excel based macros to process and error check, reducing reporting times fourfold and effort tenfold.

- Managed complex multi-year multi-million dollar projects.  Examples included upgrades of traditional telephony and call centre platforms, migration of analogue to digital telephony solutions, and parallel technical change project and office relocations with tight timeframes.

- Exposure to Newspaper, Education, Counsellor Services and Accounting Association customers located in the London Metropolitan area

Specific examples include

- Project Managed the upgrade of a multi-level call centre for the Chartered Inst of Management Accountants.

- Project Managed the upgrade of a 400-seat call centre for Associated Newspaper Ltd advertising division.

- Implemented a Computer Telephony Integration solution for a 24-hour counselling telephone service.

- Redesigned voicemail and call routing to the Palace of Westminster.

- Designed cost-effective telephony solutions for Oxfordshire City Council and BDO.

- Project Managed an IP-PBX VoIP Telephony solution for 3 offices with central reception facilities connected via dark fibre for The Centre for British Teachers – Education Trust.

- Audited and remediated telephony operations and security at RSA Security and Alcatel.

James Sankar