Balamurali (Bala) Bhaskaran
Director, Customer Solutions
Mississauga,ON
Summary
Experienced and customer-focused Solutions Director with over 22 years of telecom industry experience, specializing in wireless network core. Currently leading the technical solutions team for TELUS Canada at Ericsson, a leading Swedish telecommunications vendor. Skilled in integrating Canadian CSPs with PSAPs following ATIS guidelines and knowledgeable in IP-based Next-Gen NENA i3 standards. Possesses expertise in newer wireless architectures for low-latency services, particularly for PSBN (ATT FirstNet). A dedicated technologist with a strong passion for wireless and wireline core networks, bringing extensive global experience from working with major operators like Rogers and TELUS (Canada), Etisalat (UAE), Batelco (Bahrain), STC (Saudi Arabia), and MTN (Africa).
Overview
25
25
years of professional experience
5
5
Certifications
2
2
Languages
Work History
Director Customer Solutions (TELUS Key Account)
Ericsson Canada Inc.
Toronto, Ontario
01.2020 - Current
- Identify business opportunities, identify customer business needs through consultative engagements, closing ~25M USD in revenues over past 3 years
- Drive solution sales by supporting the TELUS Key Account Management organization on core specific sales activities, and ensuring that Ericsson is perceived as a preferred partner.
- Work at a strategic level with customer and within Ericsson to identifying solutions to client pain-points and managing the solution life cycle in the areas of 5G Core Networks, Private Networks.
- Proactively identify potential risks and implement mitigation strategies to minimize negative impacts on projects or business operations.
Cloud Transformation Presales Solution Management
Ericsson Canada Inc.
Toronto, Ontario
09.2017 - 12.2019
- Evolve architecture of Rogers Wireless Core into private cloud architectures
- Evolve Rogers core into Voice over LTE (VoLTE) including integration into PSAP for Emergency E911 services
- Part of Rogers presales engagement team involved in architecture, dimensioning and services estimation of evolving Rogers telecom core to VNFs and cloud based workloads
Principal Solutions Architect
Ericsson
09.2012 - 08.2017
- Lead Architect for Wireless Delivery Projects Transform business requirements to technical requirements
- Define technical solution for voice/data wireless core projects
- Produce documentation for design, test scope and acceptance
- Analyze and reduce network impacts due to ongoing deployments
- Define solution delivery phases as per business requirements
- Mitigate any risks to existing systems or overall solution
- Manage customer/internal stakeholder expectations
Senior Solutions Manager, MTN Key Account
Huawei Technologies
08.2011 - 09.2012
- Work within the carrier solution sales team for solution sales
- Lead the carrier services sales team from a technical solutions perspective
- Solution design and lead technical sales activities of IMS and LDI (Long Distance Interconnect) solution for MTN group key account
- Sold NGN Softswitches and IMS platforms for MTN, Africa account (USD$12M) for inter-country, inter-Opco Long Distance Interconnect (LDI) within Africa
- Transform customer business requirements into end to end solutions
Solutions Manager (Mobile Backhaul and Packet Core)
Tellabs
10.2010 - 08.2011
- Presales solution architecture and business development of IP RAN/MPLS multiservice backhaul solution for 2G/3G and LTE for MEA operators using Tellabs 8600 and 8800 Multiservice routing platforms
- Presales solution architecture and sales of Tellabs Smart Core 9000 series platforms as LTE EPCs
Senior Solutions Manager - WiMAX/LTE
Motorola
10.2007 - 10.2010
- Lead the outsourced solution design/dimensioning sales engineering team for end to end WiMAX/VoIP solutions based out of India
- EMEA Market Unit level technical consultation role promoting end to end WiMAX and IMS Solutions at a pre-sales phase and help close sales for Middle Eastern and European operators
- Design VoIP solutions based on SIP and IMS architectures
- Design solutions to implement fair share policies, usage charging, etc in broadband networks
- Design and respond to RFxes for LTE for EPC - Cisco/Starent platforms
- Design and propose IP transport solutions for broadband access using Motorola GPON solutions
- Maintain 3rd party vendor relationships for competitive pricing and state of the art products
- Advise, document and escalate change requests to PDU
Solutions Manager
Ericsson
05.2005 - 10.2007
- Work within the Account Unit Etisalat, UAE, I had the Customer Solution Responsible (CSR) role
- Customer Solution Responsible for IMS, NGN and MSS presales for Etisalat key account in UAE
- Identify new business opportunities and translate them to technical solutions suitable for Etisalat, UAE
- Finalize end to end solutions for opportunities during the pre-sales phase and detailed design and delivery during the post-sales phase
- Analyze and identify key solution elements to be included in the offer
- Create add on sales based on gap analysis and consultative solution sales approach
- Conduct customer presentations/ design workshops for detailed requirement specification and finalize statement of work specification
- Evangelize Ericsson solutions to address key customer business requirements
Solution Architect
Ericsson
04.2003 - 05.2005
- Market Unit Middle East (MUME) level role focusing on architecting Ericsson MPBN (IP/MPLS), PS Core and SASN
- Design and lead SI delivery activities of Ericsson MPBN reference solution for MSS and PS Core
- Design and lead SI delivery activities of Ericsson SASN solution
- Design and deploy 3G transport network based on IP/ATM
Support Professional (GPRS & IP Products)
Ericsson
01.2000 - 04.2003
- L1/L2 Customer Support Request handling of all PS Core (UMTS and GPRS) nodes in the Ericsson AU Etisalat, minimizing escalations to L3 Support
- L1/L2 Troubleshooting of GPRS/Network level issues for AU Etisalat
- Liaising with GSDC and PMs in the region with design related issues and implementation details for new nodes in service
- Configuration management of all PS/IP nodes for AU Etisalat
Education
Bachelor of Technology - Telecommunications
College of Engineering
Kerala, IndiaM.S. - Software Systems
Birla Institute of Science & Technology
Rajasthan, IndiaMaster of Business Administration (M.B.A.) -
University of Strathclyde
Dubai, U.A.E.Skills
Wireless Cellular Design
Public Safety Broadband Network (PSBN) Architectures
NENA Standard for NG9-1-1
ESInet, LSI, and BCF functionalities
Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS) standards
Certification
5GC Core Associate
Personal Information
Nationality: Canadian
Degree
- B.Tech.
- M.S.
- M.B.A.
Timeline
Director Customer Solutions (TELUS Key Account)
Ericsson Canada Inc.
01.2020 - Current
Cloud Transformation Presales Solution Management
Ericsson Canada Inc.
09.2017 - 12.2019
Principal Solutions Architect
Ericsson
09.2012 - 08.2017
Senior Solutions Manager, MTN Key Account
Huawei Technologies
08.2011 - 09.2012
Solutions Manager (Mobile Backhaul and Packet Core)
Tellabs
10.2010 - 08.2011
Senior Solutions Manager - WiMAX/LTE
Motorola
10.2007 - 10.2010
Solutions Manager
Ericsson
05.2005 - 10.2007
Solution Architect
Ericsson
04.2003 - 05.2005
Support Professional (GPRS & IP Products)
Ericsson
01.2000 - 04.2003
Bachelor of Technology - Telecommunications
College of Engineering
M.S. - Software Systems
Birla Institute of Science & Technology
Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) -
University of Strathclyde
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