The Sikh Geek

Vijay Singh Riyait BEng(Hons), MEng, CEng, MIET, MCP  MCTS, Microsoft SBSC PAL

Yes, I am a Sikh and a Geek! I know many might not regard me as a true Sikh because I don’t adhere to all the symbols of the faith (the uncut hair and Turban, etc) but that is who I am with all the imperfections and contradictions that go along with being me. My life is based around the Sikh Community in Leicester and in particular the Ramgharia Gurudwara which my father helped to set up when they came to Leicester from Tanzania in the 1960s and where my mother is a sewadar in the Communal Kitchen.

I’m a Chartered Engineer and a Member of the Institution of Engineering & Technology (IET), which is the largest professional Engineering institution in the UK. I am the Technical Director of Ardent iSys, which is a Microsoft Certified Partner and a Microsoft Small Business Specialist. I’ve got over 15 years experience as a software engineer. I graduated from the University of Wales, Bangor where I studied Electronic Engineering, having won a sponsorship from Marconi Radar Systems Ltd, Chelmsford.

I spent 5 years as a Research Associate at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, where I was researching signal processing techniques for underwater sonar systems. I am the author of a number of academic papers and first author of a paper published by the IEEE Transactions on Image Processing.

I’ve also worked for GPT, Ericsson, Concept Design (a Nottingham based software consultancy specialising in GSM/3G telecoms) and ID Data. I’ve implemented development environments using Linux and other Open Source Solutions and I’m also an experienced Java Developer and Software Team Leader.

I am currently the Secretary of the Leicester City Branch of the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB). I am also an SBSC PAL (Partner Area Lead) which is a recognition by Microsoft of my commitment to promoting engagement between Small Business Partners and Microsoft. This is a 12 month tenure in which I will be working to further develop the Microsoft Small Business Specialist Programme.

I am a Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) on Windows Sharepoint Services 3.0 and Microsoft Office Sharepoint Server 2007