# Tim Lynch > Principal Software Engineer at Ciena Location: San Francisco, California, United States Profile: https://flows.cv/timlynch Specialties: • C programming, embedded firmware development (incl. I2C, SPI, UART), device drivers, software development under UNIX • Video and audio conferencing, unified communications, SIP, WebRTC, codecs, ICE/STUN/TURN • Familiar with networking and WAN technologies: TCP/IP, Ethernet, T1, DS-3, ISDN PRI, PPP, HDLC, modems, SONET, SDH, ATM, QoS • Source and assembly level debugging, use of oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and emulators • Processor architectures: Atmel XMEGA, PowerPC, Intel x86, Intel i960, MIPS R5000 • NetBSD, VxWorks, NetWare OS, MacOS, Lucent TAOS, Redback AOS • Mentoring and coaching of engineers at all levels • Excellent verbal and written communication skills ## Work Experience ### Principal Software Engineer @ Ciena Jan 2021 – Present | San Jose, California, United States Working on dataplane software for Ciena's packet-routing product line. ### Senior Software Development Engineer (SDE III) @ Amazon Web Services Jan 2018 – Jan 2020 | Cupertino, CA Working for the AWS Network Products Division, I contributed to the maintenance and enhancement of the NetOS software utilized by Amazon's internal routing platform based on open-source software including Quagga and Free Range Routing: - I maintained and enhanced BGP and OSPF routing protocol implementations - I refactored and enhanced routing control plane metrics reporting - I implemented BGP confederation support and the BGP Monitoring Protocol (RFC 7854) ### Co-Founder @ OotKey.com Jan 2017 – Jan 2018 Launched a start-up providing tools that enable website builders to create new types of communities. ### Contract Firmware Developer @ Echelon Jan 2017 – Jan 2018 | San Francisco Bay Area Developed firmware for an Outdoor Lighting Controller that allows a streetlamp to be monitored and controlled via 802.15.4 radio. Developed device drivers and control software and implemented over-the-air firmware update. ### Simulated Patient @ University of California, San Francisco Jan 2017 – Jan 2018 | San Francisco, California, United States As a Simulated Patient with the UCSF Kanbar Center for Simulation, Clinical Skills, and Telemedicine Education, I helped medical students practice diagnostic techniques and enhance their interactions with patients via role-playing and constructive feedback. ### Distinguished Engineer @ Polycom Jan 2011 – Jan 2017 | San Jose, CA Technical lead for enhancing Polycom’s SVC Solution • Led efforts to enhance robustness, quality, and user experience for a relay-based multi-party videoconferencing facility Lead architect for Polycom Concierge Solution • Oversaw design and development of a room-based collaboration solution to allow pairing and control of room-based videoconferencing endpoints using personal devices Lead architect for Polycom WebRTC Solution • Developed strategies and drove implementation for integration of WebRTC functionality into Polycom’s RealPresence Platform collaboration infrastructure • Helped define new Polycom models for WebRTC signaling, media exchange (peer-to-peer mesh), and management • Coordinated major interlocking new development and testing across four major Polycom product areas (web client, call control, MCU, and NAT/FW traversal) developed in five sites across four different countries Senior architect for ongoing development of CloudAXIS Suite and RP Web Suite • Key contributor to strategy, design, and implementation of a web-browser-based video-conferencing and collaboration client • Notably the security architecture, response and solution to Chrome and Firefox NPAPI deprecation, and integration of new functionality such as WebRTC and HTML5-based content collaboration capabilities Lead architect for initial development of Polycom software virtualization initiative • Key contributor to strategy and design of Polycom’s initiative to facilitate migration of hardware-centric videoconferencing infrastructure to a virtualized software offering • Developed concept and guided implementation of Polycom Platform Director virtualized solution management platform • Helped initiate and manage the technical relationship with an industry-leading virtualization platform vendor • Contributed to initial Polycom research and prototyping of dynamically instantiated and de-instantiated software instances in response to demand ### Principal Software Engineer @ Ericsson (formerly Redback Networks) Jan 2001 – Jan 2011 | San Jose, CA Architect and team lead for the control plane implementation of Quality of Service (QoS) functionality on the SmartEdge (SE) family of Multi-Service Edge Routers (MSER) • Provisioning and management of a rich feature set including rate-limiting, classification, scheduling, priority mapping, and congestion avoidance • Led new development of major new product capabilities such as circuit-groups (patent pending), class-maps (patent awarded), parent-circuit provisioning via RADIUS (patent awarded), ingress prioritization, and advanced scheduling models (patent awarded) • Drove redesign of the SEOS QoS control plane to make it portable to next generation IP-based platforms across the Ericsson product line Principal architect for the initial design and implementation of a patented In-Service Software Upgrade (ISSU) facility for the SmartEdge Software lead for delivering SONET linear Automatic Protection Switching and Equipment Protection for the SMS 10000 Broadband Remote Access Server (BRAS) Software lead for an improved OC3-ATM I/O module for the SMS BRAS Software lead for implementing TACACS+ AAA support for the SMS BRAS ### Senior Software Engineer @ Merlin Systems Jan 2000 – Jan 2001 | Fremont, CA Redback Networks spin-in. • Software lead on a VT/TU TDM switching card ### Senior Software Engineer @ Lucent Technologies (formerly Ascend Communications) Jan 1995 – Jan 2000 | Alameda, CA • Principle software developer of MAX TNT high-density remote access server • Primary software developer of channelized DS3 interface card for the MAX TNT • Lead software developer of APX 8000 remote access server • Maintained boot ROM code and specialized in bringing up new hardware • Served in software architecture group for enhancing the TAOS software code base • Implemented TAOS configuration/management system including command line interface, serial and TELNET drivers, APIs for configuration database access and management, and initial SNMP support ### Senior Software Engineer @ Novell Jan 1990 – Jan 1995 | Walnut Creek, CA Macintosh Networking Group • Principle developer/team leader for NetWare AppleTalk Print Server software (ATPS.NLM). Co-developed initial version, designed and led development of major enhancements including NetWare Directory Services instrumentation, PostScript Level 2 support, and the addition of a menu-based configuration utility • Team leader/architect of printing portion of IPX-based Macintosh networking software (NetWare Client for Macintosh) • Novell Employee of the Year, 1992 ## Education ### B.S. in Computer Engineering Penn State University ## Contact & Social - LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/tim-lynch-b738149 --- Source: https://flows.cv/timlynch JSON Resume: https://flows.cv/timlynch/resume.json Last updated: 2026-04-12