Experience Matters

ChaseTech Consulting, LLC was founded in 2015 by Erik Chuss. Erik has over 30 years of experience in Information Technology and Telecommunications. He has over 45 total years of combined management experience at all levels in the private, public, and non-profit sectors.

Erik received his undergraduate degree in Business Administration - Information Processing from Bloomsburg University and received his M.B.A. in Finance from Wilkes University.

Erik worked for over 25 years at Telcordia Technologies/Ericsson (formally Bell Communications Research/Bellcore) in Toll Free System Management and Intelligent Network telecommunication systems as well as the 

company's Internal Business Systems, particularly the General Ledger application and processes.
 

Erik began his work in telecommunications at Telcordia, working for three (3) years as a System Engineer in the SMS/800 Software Development organization. He was as a member of the team that developed, tested and launched the new Toll-Free area code '888' and provided Requirements and User-Centered Design support for various system enhancements and upgrades as well as future Toll-Free area codes. 

He then assumed a one-year position as a Solution Architect in the Intelligent Network Systems division where he developed Local Number Portability and Number Pooling industry solutions, including a "Range Processing" solution, that saved significant telecommunication network capacity and, relatedly, changed the way all telephone calls are routed in North America. The solution is still in use today. In conjunction with the "Range Processing" solution, Erik also developed a vital network data solution that provided for a more efficient utilization of telephone numbering resources reducing the number of area codes changes that were required to meet ever the ever-increasing demand for telephone numbers in North America.

Erik was promoted to Product, Project, and Release Manager for the ARIS system, which allowed Long Distance providers (ILECs) to order and implement various services from the Local service providers (LECs). He managed the product and projects for the organization exceeding revenue targets by over 50%.  

Next, Erik accepted a position as the Senior Vice-President of Operations at Database Service Management, Inc (DSMI) an independent subsidiary of Telcordia Technologies/Bellcore. DSMI was designated in 1993 as the North American Toll-Free Administrator (NATFA) and manager of the SMS/800 system. In 2013, the NATFA and SMS/800 system responsibilities were assigned to SOMOS, LLC. During the transition, he personally assumed the position of NATFA for approximately two (2) years when SOMOS was officially declared the NATFA.

As the sole neutral Toll-Free administrator for approximately two (2) years, and in his previous thirteen (13) years of employment with DSMI, H worked with the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Wireline Competition Bureau (WCB), the SMS/800 Management Team (SMT), fellow DSMI managers, industry representatives, Resp Orgs and End Subscribers. He assisted with the establishment, implementation, and enforcement of Toll-Free regulations and the SMS/800 Tariff to ensure that these resources were used by the industry in an open, fair and equitable manner. Toll-Free numbers are considered a national resource and utilizing the SMS/800 system to gain control over these resources is not permitted. The assistance included the regulations and policies regarding the hoarding, warehousing, brokering and reselling of toll-free numbers. He was personally involved with the drafting of information used in correspondence, training, and inquiries for Responsible Organizations, Toll-Free End Subscribers, as well as the general public regarding regulatory and tariff issues, as well as system and functionality updates. 

In addition to his regulatory, industry and legal responsibilities at DSMI, Erik managed software development, data center/network operations, web applications, billing/accounts payable, help desk operations, system security. His responsibilities included portfolio, program and project management. He oversaw the issuance of numerous RFPs and their subsequent contract management.

At the conclusion of the transition to SOMOS, Erik founded ChaseTech Consulting Services with much of his work involving Toll-Free numbering and services, as well as other telecommunications support including Toll-Free Expert Witness services.

Erik received the Telcordia President's Award for his work on the Toll-Free System Software as well as numerous other company recognition awards while working at Telcordia/Bellcore.

Prior to his work at DSMI and Telcordia/Ericsson, Erik worked on MRP/ERP, Bill of Materials and Process Coding, Just-in-Time Inventory systems at Mack Trucks. He also worked for the Pennsylvania State Government Department of Labor & Industry as a programmer/analyst.

Erik has been involved in local and regional government for over 25 years having been elected Forks Township Supervisor for 12 years. He was a member of the Forks Township Planning Commission for 8 years and, prior to that, the Forks Township Comprehensive Planning committee for 4 years. He was appointed to numerous local, county and school district committees. Erik was founder and current board member of the Forks Area Art Society and is an active member of the Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter #70 flying club.