Newsletter February 2009
To Boldly Go…
by John Stephens
Okay, so nearly everybody can probably match the title to the sci-fi classic “Star Trek” whether you’re a sci-fi fan or not. It might out me as a bit of a geek, but hearing those words automatically conjures up images of the bridge of the starship, Enterprise, complete with blinking lights on the console, multiple bridge officers monitoring dials and read-outs, and basically the command team either planning or reacting to the latest, greatest threat or development. It’s just the way my mind works. But, despite the Star Trek reference, this article isn’t about star-hopping or anything sci-fi. Instead what I’m referring to when I say “To Boldly Go” is Convergence Networks’ upcoming move. That’s right, we’re moving, and it’s a move up for the better.
In many cases, a move isn’t much more than a change in physical address, but this move is so much more than that. It’s more because the new facility was designed to support our values and our operations. We’re actually looking to improve how our company works to include how we work together, as well as how we deliver support to you, our customers. I’d like to spend a few minutes explaining that (so you all don’t think I’ve cracked under the stress of hiding my geek-dom).
Our new facility supports our values and operations in a number of ways. The new facility is designed around two of our core values-teamwork and relationships-because our new building gives our various teams fast and easy access to each other. We’re all arrayed in an open and accessible manner so that collaboration and communication are maximized. When we say “there are no walls within our organization,” it’s not just a figure of speech. We’ve got all our teams, whether support pods or TSD’s or sales, all located centrally, allowing them instant access to each other. That’s a big maximizer on the teamwork and relationship fronts. Any of our techs are just a head-turn away from instant help and support when there are complicated technical issues afoot. And because we’re all in the business of supporting networks together, we want to maximize our efficiency and effectiveness. Teamwork and relationships are values we hold dear, and our new facility is designed to maximize these and enhance our operations so we can deliver better, faster, and more comprehensive service.
Another reason we’re anxious to move into our new digs is because we’ve built a bridge on our little support starship. What I mean is that, just like the Enterprise, we’re going to have a command center built right into our new office. Our NOC-Network Operations Center-performs many of the vital maintenance, administration, and monitoring tasks within our support system. It’s already at the center of our operations. But now it’s going to be the focal point of the new office, providing central command and control to ensure everything is running as smoothly as possible. Remember the flashing lights from the Enterprise’s bridge? You’ll see the same kind of alerts and monitoring in the NOC, and so will our entire organization as we’re turning the NOC into a fishbowl so everyone has instant visibility to all the command information. Our NOC will be that busy place from which all information will flow. There’s a problem at a client site? We’ll be able to assess immediately and then dispatch an “away team” if necessary. We won’t fight off alien attacks or have to raise our shields, but we will be at the ready to support and protect our networks.
And so, corny sci-fi references aside, we’re really excited to be moving. I don’t know if there’s a new office smell like there is with new cars, but we’re all looking forward to finding out. And, of course, it’s not just the excitement about something new, but also about something better. We will work together better as a team with more collaboration and communication. We’ll better support our networks by having better visibility for the entire starship, er, I mean company, on issues through our NOC. All in all, our better operations should mean better support, and that’s what it’s all about. So, after March, feel free to hit us up to see our new facility. We will be going boldly forward in 2009, and we’d like for you to share that journey. Just remember though-if someone asks you to be on an away team, and you’re wearing the red shirt: don’t go. Now I know I’ve outed myself as a Geek. Well, we’ll see you next episode, I mean issue.
The Faces of Convergence
January’s Employee of the Month – Jeff Martin
The Convergence family is continuing to grow with the recent addition of Jeff Martin, Network Administrator for Pod Bravo. Although Jeff just started at the beginning of February, he is no stranger to IT. Prior to joining Convergence, Jeff spent nearly the last decade supporting a local medical facility consisting of over 250 users and spread across 8 locations in the Portland Metro area. That company was acquired by another, which led to restructuring and an eventual layoff.
A native Oregonian, Jeff has never strayed far from his roots (must be those webbed feet!). As such, he took the opportunity to focus on finding a challenging career that was closer to home – and Convergence Networks handily satisfied both of these goals. He looks forward to building solid relationships with clients and co-workers alike.
Jeff has a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Information Technology from Portland State University and is a Microsoft Certified Professional. However, he prefers to talk about his community college days where he met his amazing wife, Lisa. They have a beautiful four-year old daughter, Ava, and will be celebrating their 14th wedding anniversary this August.
If you would like to receive more information simply contact us.
What People Are Saying
- “Your service technician was very effective in resolving this matter. The documentation provided from the previous vendor, e.g. password, was incomplete. Convergence responded within minutes by logging in to the BLTG network to investigate. The technician initiated a call shortly thereafter and patiently worked with the BLTG contact to resolve the matter. He provided additional technical support to educate the user; excellent collaboration resulting in a speedy resolution.”
- Sam Ross, Berkeley Law & Technology Group