E-enabler profile - Andrew Colleran
Andrew's expertise in information technology, particularly software, is based on a career spanning more than 20 years working for International Computers Limited covering programming to project managing to product marketing.
Throughout that time and later working as a consultant, Andrew has designed and built IT systems to deliver real benefits, often using innovative tools and methods, in relatively short timescales. He matches the technology to the business need.
In the early 1980s, Andrew designed, implemented and supported new IT systems for the retail industry.
Andrew worked on one of the first projects to support learning using the internet in 1992; this was a project to provide documents to the European academic research networks.
Around 2000, Andrew was a member of the team running Prometeus [PROmoting Multimedia in Education and Training in EUropean Society], a European partnership for a common approach to the production of e-learning technologies and content.
Andrew has managed projects including universities and research groups to develop innovative services to support information and learning management.
He was chair of the Security Expert Group of the European Workshop for Open Systems (EWOS) working on the standardisation of information security; he produced a report on digital signatures for the European Commission.
He has managed skills development projects, funded by the south east regional development agency (SEEDA), on photonics and composite materials involving higher and further education partners in south east England.
Andrew has wide practical experience of the internet and open source software. He has developed a number of web enabled database systems, providing customised systems to support the activities of particular specialised teams of professionals, not expert in IT. He has used, wherever viable, cost-effective tools and components to deliver significant service improvements.
