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ATOMRupert Green - Virtualisation Specialist
Contact Rupert
My previous job was for an IT distributor called Magirus in Bracknell, where I set up a professional services business around virtualisation products. That's now one of the most profitable bits of that company. Prior to that, I worked on compliance and integration projects at a number of financial services companies, including the Prudential. Mostly, my role involved helping businesses to understand the impact of technology and how it could be used in helping them to achieve their goals.
What are you working on right now?
My specialism is virtualisation, and right now, I'm working on a number of server consolidation and disaster recovery projects that use virtualisation technology at companies across a range of vertical industries: public sector, manufacturing, financial services. I'm also in the process of putting together a proposition around the enterprise desktop. Plenty of our clients are looking to get a better handle on the impact of personal computing, so there's a lot of interest around better management and security for the corporate PC. There's also the ‘green angle' - companies with several thousand PCs can reduce the power these devices consume by up to 70 or 80 per cent through centralised management, so I'm exploring how virtualisation technologies can help them achieve that.
Who or what has been the greatest influence on your career to date?
I guess I'd say that my career has mostly been influenced by the technology market itself. New technologies have taken me in new directions, as has evolving customer demand.
Who in business do you most admire - and why?
I don't think there's one specific person. I'd say that I tend to find that people who are able to devise new or unique products, rather than improve something that already exists, are inspiring.
What aspect of your job do you find the most satisfying?
The most satisfying part of the job is delivering the appropriate solution to the customer - one that adds real business value and benefits.
What has been your most valuable lesson learnt?
To look at the requirement from the customer's point of view. It's easy to get enthusiastic about a new product or solution that you've developed, but if it doesn't meet the requirement of the customer, it'll just be a waste of everyone's time.
Which are your favourite websites and blogs?
I usually keep an eye on The Register, various vmware user groups and [virtualisation expert] Brian Madden's website.
How do you spend your downtime? Where? With who?
Aside from the usual stuff - socialising, going to the cinema and so on - I'm a big fan of the North Devon coast and also of international motor racing.
What lifetime ambition have you yet to achieve?
I'm not really sure I have one. If I want to do something, I usually just get on and do it.
Tell us one thing that most people don't know about you...
Before I went to Magirus, I worked at the BodyWorlds exhibition [a travelling exhibition of preserved human bodies and body parts] when it was at Brick Lane in London. I was responsible for all the IT stuff - the systems for ticket sales, merchandising and so on.
Ask Rupert a question - mail him at tellus@theitsanctuary.com
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