spotlightsnsjune15 (Magazine article)

Alan Dean MD, Coreix Limited.

  • 9 years ago Posted in

Q I’m proud to work in the data centre/IT
industry because…

A While disruptive, IT is probably the
most fundamental technological
advancement since the combustion
engine.

Q Twitter accounts worth following?

A I would have to say Simon Porter who is
a VP at IBM. He always has some
interesting insights to offer for MSPs -
@simonlporter

Q You get to witness one event from
history – which one and why?

A The first time man made fire, it’s
probably the first ‘invention’ of man.

Q Your favourite websites?

A Any website from which I learn,
or, which makes me laugh. The Onion,
I suppose…

Q The weekend end is for winding down
or getting out and about?

A Either, so long as it is with family.

Q Hard copy book or e-reader?

A E-reader for travelling, hard copy for
everything else.

Q What happens when you ask a room
full of employees this question… Social
media – waste of time or valuable time?

A I would have to say valuable time!
I find that it’s a great way of generating
new business and attracting high
calibre candidates. It’s also really
good for keeping up to date with what
is happening in the industry and getting
your message out there to the market.

Q Dead or alive – the person you admire
the most?

A Of the many people worthy of
admiration, for our industry it is
probably Alan Turing both for his input
to computer science and AI, and, his
more practical input to breaking Enigma.

Q One tech company to watch?

A Nimbus Hosting

Q The Internet of Things – there must be
a better phrase than this to describe
what’s going on?!

A Right now, it is about making
technology personal, my phone knows
my route to work and advises on traffic
issues and alternative routes, my
heating knows when I am heading
home so it can heat the house. In
the future who knows how far (or
indeed where) Ubiquitous Computing
and the data it generates will take us!

Q Fitness or fatness?

A Fitness with a side of good food and
good wine.

Q Favourite mobile device apps?

A Sonos, it has fundamentally changed
the way I enjoy music.

Q If you weren’t an IT exec, what would
you like to be?

A Head of GCHQ

Q The saying or quote that inspires you?

A I’m a great believer in luck, and I find
the harder I work, the more I have of it.
–Thomas Jefferson

Q Favourite destination?

A Cornwall. It’s like travelling back in time,
great to recharge the batteries.