Kathryn Blain

Professional Summary:

12 years installing and troubleshooting PC operating systems and applications

10 years installing and troubleshooting large servers

10 years technical support with Microsoft operating systems and applications

6 years managing large labs for server test groups

2 years testing hardware on 32 and 64 bit SMP server projects

2 years testing software and hardware on Linux and Microsoft operating systems and applications

Employment History:

Customer Support Engineer - Planar Systems 3/08/2004 - present

• Provided 2nd level phone technical support for Planar display controllers, commerical business unit displays, medical business unit panels, LCD TVs, Plasma displays, software on Windows2000, Windows NT 4.0, or WindowsXP
• Recreated customer problems with Planar hardware, software, and devices on Microsoft operating systems and PCs
• Wrote documentation for Service Logistics RMA logging, receiving, and shipping processes
• Developed Call Center processes, procedures, and technical information
• Wrote documentation for Call Center processes, procedures, and technical information
• Setup the Customer Service lab with hardware and software
• Provided hands-on hardware technical support for Customer Service lab desktops and servers and performed new hardware orders and installations

Test Engineer - Intel Corporation/Kelly IT Services 1/27/2003 - 1/28 /2004

• Executed LAN, graphics, and audio driver system tests with Linux and Microsoft operating systems on prototype Intel motherboards
• Compiled new Linux kernels, drivers and modules for test execution on Intel prototype hardware.
• Installed processors, memory, PCI, and AGP cards on prototype hardware
• Installed Linux, Windows XP, Windows 2000, and Solaris86 for motherboard testing
• Performed Linux troubleshooting for kernel, build, and driver problems on Intel prototype motherboards
• Compiled and built drivers for onboard audio, graphics, and gigabit LAN devices for test execution
• Led the technical discovery and implementation of PVR systems on Linux with Intel hardware with onboard components and TV tuner expansion cards
• Entered and tracked defects and other project data in a tracking system

Test Engineer - IBM Corporation 2000 - 2002

• Developed LAN and Memory Stress test cases that uncovered critical hardware defects on new IBM SMP IA32 and IA64 system hardware
• Wrote IA32 and IA64 hardware project test plans and test cases based on hardware and software specifications
• Developed test plans for bring-up, functional, and integration test phases for Microsoft operating systems on IA32 and IA64 IBM SMP server platforms
• Executed test cases on Microsoft operating systems on IA32 and IA64 SMP servers
• Built test systems with IBM SMP server hardware and Microsoft operating systems and applications
• Configured software, network, and storage resources as required for execution of test cases
• Managed IA32 and IA64 SMP server and workstation lab for Microsoft functional test group
• Brought lab into compliance with IBM safety standards
• Installed and supported test lab systems based on Windows operating systems: NT 4.0, 2000, 95, 98, and XP
• Installed and supported Microsoft server products: Active Directory, Exchange, and DNS servers
• Configured LAN and storage environments to test network and disk I/O functionality on Microsoft operating systems and new IBM 32 and 64 bit platforms

Technical Support Engineer - IBM/Sequent Computers 1996 - 2000

• Ordered, configured, and installed new desktop systems with Microsoft operating systems and applications
• Provided hardware and software support for desktop and lab systems with Windows operating systems: 2000, NT, and 95
• Provided desktop software support for desktop systems with Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, and Powerpoint as well as internally developed applications for over 200 customers
• Performed troubleshooting on Microsoft operating systems and associated PCs and peripherals
• Led on-site troubleshooting team at customer sites which identified and resolved issues on mission-critical customer systems
• Performed device troubleshooting on NUMA hardware running Dynix/PTX (Unix) in a lab environment
• Maintained DNS services and system accounts in Customer Service lab

Technical Support - Sequent Computers 1994 - 1996

• Evaluated and solved hardware and software problems for over 2500 customers on Microsoft Windows operating systems and products
• Provided technical support by answering calls and e-mail requests from customers
• Tracked defects and problems in a defect tracking system
• Created and maintained accounts on production UNIX and Windows servers
• Created and maintained user directories on UNIX and Windows servers
• Added users to UNIX and Windows permission groups
• Created MS Mail accounts on the Windows Exchange servers
• Installed Microsoft operating systems and applications on customer systems

Technical Support - Metaphor Computer Systems 1990 - 1994

• Performed customer technical support for Metaphor's server software and applications
• Obtained problem description from customers and recreated the scenarios in a lab environment
• Searched defect tracking database for problem occurrences and solutions
• Entered and tracked software defects in a defect tracking system
• Installed, configured, and maintained Metaphor server operating systems and software in a lab environment
• Configured and maintained lab networks

Education: