About Chris Merriman

Chris Merriman is an enthusiastic & skilled IT specialist with a record of success in user support. He is experienced in the implementation and use of major software applications and operating systems.

Self-motivated and able to interface and work effectively with all levels within an organisation and an effective problem solver with the ability to apply new solutions to current situations.

OK, so that is the introduction in my CV. If you are a prospective employer please contact me if you require a copy.
Expanded details of duties & responsibilities (as referred to in my CV)

EDS Helpdesk

Connection issues (LAN & Remote access)
E-Mail issues (configuration of IMAP accounts, external accounts and fault reporting)
Support on standard NT, XP & Office products, as well as many RAF specific applications
Ensure that all enquiries were resolved in the shortest time frame possible

FireNet - Remote Technical Support

Connection issues (56k & ISDN connections)
E-Mail issues (configuration of mail servers and fault reporting)
Working from home, I handled the e-mail based technical queries & gave assistance via their forum

Affinity

Before the company was sold, I worked for Affinity Internet Holdings (AIH).
My role there consisted of :-

Providing technical support for Sonnet (a business orientated ISP).

Connection issues (56k & ISDN connections, both stand alone and LAN enabled routers)
E-Mail issues (configuration of mail servers and domain pointing)
DNS Updates
Advice on their web sites.

Handling all the domain management for Affinity and Sonnet.

Communicating with domain registrars (VeriSign, Nominet, CentralNic etc.)
Ensure domains are renewed and bills are paid

Sole investigator for AIH’s Abuse Dept.

Receiving all enquiries regarding possible mis-use of our services
Tracing customers through their IP addresses, and ensuring that no further Malicious e-mails, SPAM, port scanning, placement of inappropriate (be it Copyrighted, Adult or Slanderous) materials on our servers, or active ‘hacking’ takes place.
Keeping ISP Account managers up to date on new developments

Whilst working for Affinity/AIH, Training modules passed :-

Network overview
Systems Training (Primus knowledge system, Heat customer service records & VIPWeb)
Systems configuration (E-mail, DUN, Newsgroups, Protocol installations, FTP, Data Protection, ADSL & Macintoshes)
Support Boundaries

My previous roles in AIH were :-

2nd Line Tech Support for 100 of Affinity’s VISPs

Any cases that 1st line agents are unable to complete are passed on to the callback team, who specialise in the fault tracing and resolution of the more unusual variety
Ensuring that any knowledge gained is passed on, both to training mentors, and directly to other members of staff

Affinity’s point of contact for FireNet

Ensure that all enquiries were resolved in the shortest time frame possible, and liaising between the different levels of management, both within Affinity and FireNet itself

Personal History for Kazakh Employers
I was born in Yeovil, Somerset, UK, in 1979 to Carol & David Merriman. I attended my first school, St Gildas until 1986. I then changed to St Martins School, Crewkerne, just after my brother, Nick, was born. In 1990, we all moved to Cheltenham, and I started at Pate’s Grammar School.

In 1993 I started my first proper (paper rounds and sticking up not counting…) part time job as a TV/Video/Satellite repairer & sales asst at Double Vision, Cheltenham. During 1995, I finished Pates Grammar School, and continued into the Sixth form there, to take my A-Levels, the following year I started a concurrent course at GlosCat, Cheltenham.

In 1997 I started a course at Bournemouth University. In 1998 I moved back to Cheltenham, and met my wife-to-be Irina. We were married in Astana, Kazakhstan, in August 2001.

I worked for Affinity Internet Holdings, Gloucester, from 2001-2003, working as 2nd line technical support specialist. We moved to Bourton On The Water. I then went on to work for EDS, as an IT helpdesk operator. In April 2006, I emigrated to Kazakhstan.

This website was setup with a lot of help from MattG, and is a place for me to post information for friends and family thinking of visiting Kazakhstan, or simply wishing to learn more about my new home. It also links to articles on web sites I think others might find interesting and is an area for people to post queries/corrections about posts, if they prefer not to e-mail.