Ramblings of a Geek... gone Commercial??...

Times are a'changing

2011-02-21T02:59:00.000+00:00

I've been asked by my company to take on a new role, running the data centres and focusing on long term strategy and products to take to market.

It's going to be a long process, not only to transition my current client portfolio to someone else, but also my current line reports will move across with my accounts as well. That's challenge number one and my reckoning is a good 9 to 12 months to complete this with consideration for work in progress etc. Not ideal, but i won't rush it - the account contacts must be comfortable and confident in my replacements abilities.

The next phase of the transition to the new role is to bring on the most senior technologists in the business - the 'technical specialists' and give them more scope to manage, promote - evangelise about the specific technology they are the 'tech spec' of. I realise they have been bogged down in the 'getting too hands on' and from that have missed the opportunity so far to really promote what it is they do to the rest of the business, but with a new line manager it is the ideal opportunity to push and enforce this across the company.

The final phase of the transition - and the biggest - is the complete take on of the hosting and customer environments in our data centres. It has 'got by' for a long time on some good planning at the time, but with limited investment over time it is now in need of a rethink - both to provide even better services and more value to it's current clients, but to also promote itself to those considering a move to us.

It will be a challenge, there is much to consider and strategise.... I look forward to the challenge!

I'm not the only Mike Castle!!

2010-09-18T10:40:00.000+01:00

I have had a challenge this week, which makes me smile to think about but at the time was getting quite frustrating.

My name is Mike Castle, I live in the UK and have the twitter account @mikecastle.   Now, there is also a Mike Castle in the US who is a politician and obviously has his followers and those not quite so happy with his actions!! See about him here.

This week there must have been a rally or vote of some description as the noise, sorry 'direct mentions' of the name 'Mike Castle' was in the hundreads if not thousands!   Now my only beef as it were, is the people not so happy with politician Mike's performance were slating him on twitter, but tagging him with MY twitter account...

Here are some of the ones I can show, but I'll keep the owner's details private:

@MikeCastle We the People voted you out because you suck!!! Plain as that you moron !!!!!

@mikecastle suck it up and back O'Donnell or you will become as insignificant as you are acting now.

What a piece of crap @MikeCastle is. He won't concede. Maybe he'll endorse the Liberal #desen #tcot

Now I have never contacted this Mike Castle, I don't care 'that' much about the misdirected abuse - but my wife worries that my name will be trashed in the process.   I just smile at that - it's the perils of living in the internet age.   With joining the world together in a multitude of ways and near instantaneous with the internet, did you REALLY think you'd be 'that' unique in the world???

Keep smiling people, it's a big world out there and there is room for everyone!!

About me!

2010-09-11T12:38:00.000+01:00

I am a Geek... well i was, no... i still am - but only on the quiet when people don't realise! I have over 20 years in IT technology from humble beginnings in support, through to a server analyst, on to a solutions architect, senior consultant and now as a client services director for an IT services company.

Not the path I planned when it began way back when...   but lifes like that, isn't it.   Who knows what's gonna happen next???

My life these days involves running a team of highly technical, focused individuals who help me support a portfolio of clients with their technology demands to make sure their business does what it needs to - earn them money, grab opportunities when they arise and grow year on year without forever hitting brick walls with capacity, performance, resilliency or data protection.

Now, I have a mindset that I do what I do because i enjoy it - why else turn up day after day, week after week if what you do doesn't keep you interested and allow your talents to shine? That mindset sometimes means long hours, nights away, long drives and time away from the family - but I don't give in..   I don't miss. I have a target to achieve and I achieve it, no matter what work/hours/learning/help it takes to achieve... i don't miss.   Not to say mistakes don't happen on occasion - I am human after all, but those times when mistakes do happen drive me to improve the process/procedure/technology etc to ensure it isn't repeated - learn and grow from those times and you can't go wrong.

So there you go... the most honest, open thing I have made public about my inner most thoughts for years..   and I choose to put it out there for the world to comment on!

Enjoy!