My comments, opinions and advice are colored by a small number of complex philosophies.  I am a “protocol guy” — meaning, I would rather establish a structure to follow than simply “wing-it”.  This drives most people crazy.  It keeps me sane.

I started my IT career last century (around 1982).  My first “real job” was with a Madison Avenue advertising firm, working in their advertising research department in Detroit, MI.  From there, I went to the Big 8 (the consulting side of the Deloit’s of the world)… I installed Netware like nobody’s business.  From there, I actually went back to the ad firm, but this time as the North American WAN Administrator.  The interesting part of this gig is that the firm did not have a North American WAN at the time… They watched me put it in from scratch.  When I started, I thought Cisco was spelled SYSCO!! 

Several years later, I went back to consulting, eventually founding a Microsoft Solution Providership and hiring eleven sharp-shooters in Norfolk, VA.  After selling the firm, lock, stock, and barrel three years later, I went to Microsoft and worked as a post-sales enterprise account technical manager.  They moved me to NYC where I watched the Towers fall… a few months later, I moved to Philly to cover Microsoft’s Communications vertical.  In 2005, I got a call from this crazy-smart dude at my current employer — a few months later I was working for him…

 I am now an Infrastructure Architect for the previously mentioned, internationally known, Storage Array and Information Infrastructure provider.  I am part of a small, agile, and extremely qualified group of Microsoft alumni, and former “competitive storage vendor” smart-folks.  We work diligently to bring “evolved”, well-thought-out solutions to our customers who like Microsoft, but want more than what “comes in the box”.

Happy Reading!!

JJ