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Manikandan PS
Verified Expert in Engineering
Cloud Engineer and Developer
London, United Kingdom
Toptal member since June 23, 2025
Bio
Manikandan has over two decades of experience delivering IT change in numerous industries, including finance, insurance, energy, and retail. He's a seasoned data and AI architect dedicated to finding pragmatic and innovative solutions to deliver business value. Proficient at designing and implementing architectural change, Manikandan assesses requirements, identifies options and opportunities, and provides scalable and efficient cloud solutions.
Portfolio
Self-employed
Azure, Cloud, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), Amazon Web Services (AWS)...
Microsoft
Azure, Cloud, Terraform, .NET 6
Colt
Hyper-V
Experience
- VMware - 13 years
- Azure - 12 years
- Hyper-V - 12 years
- Cloud - 12 years
- Infrastructure - 9 years
- .NET 6 - 9 years
- Terraform - 7 years
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) - 3 years
Preferred Environment
Cloud, Azure, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud Platform (GCP), VMware, Hyper-V, Windows, Artificial Intelligence (AI)
The most amazing...
...accomplishment I've achieved was obtaining the Fast Track Migration Award for my successful efforts in that area.
Work Experience
Cloud Lead Engineer and Architect
2022 - 2025
Self-employed
- Led the Azure migration of 800+ apps from 3,500 on-premise VMs to cut IT costs and boost security for Notting Hill Genesis.
- Migrated VMs from VMware to Azure for UBS Investment Bank, improving performance by 25% and reducing costs by 30%.
- Moved 700+ servers from AWS to Azure for Santander UK, cutting infrastructure and licensing costs by 30%.
- Compared Rubrik against Azure Backup, analyzed cloud data, and provided cost recommendations.
- Built Azure hub-and-spoke infrastructure for Deloitte with VPN/ER, NSGs, and IaC for a secure hybrid setup.
Technologies: Azure, Cloud, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), Amazon Web Services (AWS), Terraform Cloud
Lead Cloud Engineer
2016 - 2022
Microsoft
- Implemented an Azure hub-and-spoke network and core services for Lloyds Bank, UK.
- Migrated full Windows infrastructure to Azure for McDonald’s, UK, leading cross-team coordination.
- Set up an Azure RDS VDI lab with Windows Server 2012 for remote student access for Worley Parsons, UK.
Technologies: Azure, Cloud, Terraform, .NET 6
Virtualization Engineer
2013 - 2016
Colt
- Handled virtual machines, databases, AD integration, data replication, network and firewall policies, load balancing, and snapshots for backup purposes.
- Monitored high-availability servers and applications to identify issues and confirm operational status.
- Implemented VMware design and performed a series of conversions and migrations involving physical servers, virtual machines, and images.
Technologies: Hyper-V
Virtualization Engineer
2005 - 2012
Tata Consultancy Services
- Designed, built, and enhanced cloud solutions based on VMware vCloud and Microsoft Azure.
- Configured end-to-end aspects of Azure, including virtual machines, databases, AD integration, data replication, network and firewall policies, load balancing, and snapshots for backup purposes.
- Performed security audits for all virtual machines and Hyper-V hosts and conducted monthly maintenance activities.
- Provided detailed information related to capacity planning, utilization management, and administration of Windows 2008 Hyper Core servers and virtual machines.
Technologies: VMware, Hyper-V
Experience
Notting Hill Genesis – Cloud Migration Project
This migration project aimed to create a more agile, resilient, cost-effective IT infrastructure. It modernized digital government services by migrating 800 to 1,000 applications from 3,500 virtual servers in on-premises data centers to the cloud. I oversaw the discovery, design, planning, implementation, and migration. The goal was to reduce IT costs and enhance security through standardized technology and measures. Additionally, we cut server and storage capacity maintained on-site by 15%, leveraging Azure Cloud Services.
UBS Investment Bank – VMware to Azure Migration
The project aimed to transition from VMware to next-generation platforms, design secure Windows infrastructures, and lead the development of proof of concepts and benchmarking. I created and executed comprehensive migration plans for moving on-premise virtual machines (VMs) to Azure. I managed the end-to-end cloud migration, resulting in a 25% increase in system performance and a 30% reduction in data center operational costs.
Santander UK – AWS to Azure
I supported Santander in migrating servers from AWS to Azure using Azure Site Recovery and Azure Automation. My role involved advising on the design and configuration of Azure Site Recovery for migrating up to 700 servers simultaneously. This migration reduced storage, software licenses, SQL licenses, and operational costs by 20-30%.
Azure and Rubrik Backups
The project aimed to analyze, design, and implement Azure and Rubrik backups, assessing the total backup data used in customer data centers and documenting sizes. It detailed the sizes of cloud-hosted applications such as Microsoft Exchange Online, SharePoint, OneDrive, and Teams. It provided a cost comparison between Rubrik and Azure Backup solutions, focusing on protected items and recommendations.
Deloitte – Hub-and-spoke Design
This project involved establishing Azure core foundation services and creating a hub-and-spoke design for Azure infrastructure. I delivered infrastructure as code for network design and integrated Azure and an on-premises data center using Azure components.
Lloyds Bank – Hub-and-spoke Design
This project involved establishing Azure core foundation services and creating a hub-and-spoke design for Azure infrastructure. I delivered infrastructure as code for network design and integrated Azure and an on-premises data center using Azure components.
McDonald’s, UK – Azure Migration
I led the migration of the complete Windows infrastructure to the Azure cloud, including the Windows domain controller, the RDS server, the SQL server, and the SharePoint servers. I coordinated and led different teams to ensure a seamless transition to the Azure platform.
Worley Parson, UK – Azure Training Lab
I designed and implemented a complete training lab environment on Microsoft Azure using Windows Server 2012's remote desktop services (RDS). The objective was to provide students with secure, reliable remote access to a centralized virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI). I set up a high-availability, session-based RDS deployment, including connection brokers, session hosts, and gateway services.
Education
2001 - 2005
Bachelor of Technology Degree in Engineering
Anna University - Chennai, India
Certifications
OCTOBER 2019 - OCTOBER 2021
Azure Security Engineer Associate
Microsoft
MAY 2019 - MAY 2021
Azure Solution Architect Expert
Microsoft
DECEMBER 2018 - PRESENT
Microsoft Certified Solution Expert
Microsoft
SEPTEMBER 2016 - PRESENT
Microsoft Certified Solution Associate
Microsoft
AUGUST 2016 - PRESENT
Microsoft Specialist
Microsoft
MAY 2016 - PRESENT
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft
Skills
Tools
Hyper-V, Terraform, VMware, Azure Web Application Firewall, VPN
Languages
SQL, Python
Platforms
Azure, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud Platform (GCP), Windows
Frameworks
.NET 6
Other
Cloud, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Terraform Cloud, Infrastructure, Rubrik, AWS VPN, Firewalls, Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR), Relational Database Services (RDS), Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI), Engineering
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