Calvin McCarron
AI Deployment & Development · Calgary, AB
I'm a cloud architect and systems administrator who has been running Microsoft 365, Azure, and on-premises environments for private family offices and regulated organizations since 2017. Today I also deploy private AI for those clients and build the internal tools they need with AI-assisted development.
I'm open to consulting engagements and new opportunities.
What I do
- AI deployment — private and self-hosted AI services that keep sensitive data in-house.
- AI-assisted development — building internal tools and apps with AI coding assistants, from idea to running service.
- Cloud & infrastructure — Microsoft 365, Entra ID, Intune, Azure, networking, backup, and security hardening.
Selected projects
Vibe-coded (AI-assisted) applications, including:
- Chinooko Time Tracker — a self-hosted time tracking app: time logged against clients, projects, and tasks, with admin management and PDF reports.
- Litigation hold manager — a tool for tracking and administering litigation holds.
- Asset management — an application for tracking IT assets.
Experience
Cloud Architect & Systems Administrator · Managed services provider · 2017–present
Private family office
- Migrated the firm from an on-premises Windows domain to a cloud-only Microsoft 365 environment: Entra ID for identity, SharePoint for files, and Intune for device management.
- Replaced the legacy phone system with Microsoft Teams Phone, including the number port and call routing.
- Leading the move from KeePass to Bitwarden for centralized, auditable password management (in progress).
Private family office
- Migrated the firm from on-premises infrastructure to Microsoft 365, with Entra ID for identity, Intune for device management, and Dropbox for file storage and sharing.
- Deployed private, self-hosted AI services so the family's sensitive data never leaves their environment.
- Built and maintain a Docker-based platform where the family's team develops and runs its own custom applications.
Regulated-sector organization
- Led a full modernization of the organization's IT environment, including the move from on-premises to a hybrid cloud model.
- Manage the Microsoft 365 environment, and deploy and support line-of-business applications in Azure.
- Deployed a new Palo Alto Networks VPN for secure remote access.
Energy-sector organization
Past engagement
- Supported a branch office of an oil and gas company: led several file server migrations and put a reliable backup solution in place.
- Kept the branch aligned with head-office IT standards and policies.
Skills
Infrastructure: Microsoft 365, Entra ID, Intune, SharePoint, Teams Phone, Azure, AWS, Palo Alto Networks, Docker, PowerShell, backup & DR, Bitwarden.
AI: Familiar with the major AI models and how to implement them: Claude, GitHub Copilot, and ChatGPT, plus open models such as GLM, DeepSeek, and Kimi via OpenRouter. Hands-on experience running local, self-hosted models.
Writing
Older sysadmin and homelab writing lives in the archive.