PTS Data Center Solutions, Peter Sacco Interview

Recently I had a chance to Interview Peter Sacco, President of PTS Data Center Solutions, Inc. Founded in 1998, PTS is a data center consulting, engineering, & construction firm as well as turnkey solutions provider. They offer a broad range of project experience in designing data centers, computer rooms, and technical spaces. PTS employs industry best practices in integrating proven, ‘best-of-breed’, critical infrastructure technologies that result in always available, scalable, redundant, fault-tolerant, manageable, and maintainable mission critical environments.

Please share a little about PTS for our readers that are not familiar with you yet:

[Peter Sacco] From our corporate headquarters in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, and our office in Orange County, California, PTS works to fulfill our mission of creating satisfied customers by emphasizing pre-design & planning services to provide the optimal solution to meet our clients’ needs and result in an early & accurate alignment between scope, schedule, and budget.

How does PTS differentiate itself from other data center solution providers?

[Peter Sacco] We have an expert staff of industry leading consulting and engineering professionals, a high ROI from fast turnaround, decreased number of vendors, and superior quality of workmanship. We make use of best practices & proven technologies to deliver our solutions in a predictable manner. We’ve also made strategic alliances with best-in-class technology firms.

What services does PTS offer?

[Peter Sacco] PTS is uniquely qualified to provide a turnkey solution for projects from conception through implementation. Our services include:
1. Planning & Feasibility Consulting(Surveying, Planning, Site Assessments, Financial Analysis, Conceptual Design, and Project Cost Estimating)
2. Facility & Support Infrastructure Design & Engineering(Architectural, Electrical, Mechanical, Plumbing, Fire Protection, Structural, Controls, Security, Structured Cabling, Design Documents, Written Specifications, Forensic Analysis)
3. Construction & Project Management(Design/Build or Bid & Specification)
4. IT Infrastructure Design & Implementation(LAN/WAN, Network Security, Servers & Storage Systems, Wireless, A/V, Surveillance)
5. Monitoring(IT & Support Infrastructure Solutions)
6. Maintenance (Support Infrastructure Start-up, Preventative Maintenance, and Unscheduled Services)

What is your target market?

[Peter Sacco] IT personnel of medium business (>500 people), although we do a fair amount of large enterprise work as well, and on occasion work for small companies.

What is the most challenging project you worked on?

[Peter Sacco] Every project has its own unique set of challenges, but that is what allows PTS to shine. While it is important to have the right staff with the right skill sets, just as important was finding staff that shares the same culture of problem solving, acting with a sense of urgency, and client satisfaction is what clients come to appreciate about PTS most of all.

How is your company planning for the future?

[Peter Sacco] PTS has just in the last year expanded its horizons on three (3) fronts; (1) data center education and training, (2) new product development, and (3) IT services and solutions
1. We recently launched PTS’ Data Center Education Series (DCES) and are offering module-based, instructor lead, training in data center specific topics, such as Fundamentals of Power, Fundamentals of Cooling, Fundamentals of Data Cabling, and more in partnership with Global Knowledge Training (www.globalknowledge.com)
2. At the start of 2009, PTS embarked on the development of its first product, software to track the maintaining of data center and computer room environments. We expect to go into beta testing in a few days with our Data Center Maintenance Management Software (DCMMS). We feel DCMMS will fill the empty gap in Data Center Management not presently being filled by other software service the space.
3. In October 2009, we expanded our IT services and solutions offerings by formally launching PTS Information Technology Solutions Group (ITSG).

On a more personal note, you are obviously a very busy person, what do you like to do most when you aren’t at work?

[Peter Sacco] My passion is football. I am very active in the community I live, Franklin Lakes, NJ (also where PTS HQ is!). I have been coaching junior football for over 15 years and don’t see stopping anytime soon.

Thank you Peter for taking the time out of your busy schedule!

If you want to find out more information about PTS, they are very active online:

Website: http://www.ptsdcs.com/
Blog: DataCenterDesign.blogspot.com
LinkedIn: www.LinkedIn.com/PTS
Facebook: facebook.ptsdcs.com
Twitter: twitter.com/PTSDataCenter

Minicom Interview: Eli Sasson - CEO/President

In February 2009, Minicom split into two separate divisions – with the creation of the new Digital Signage Division. Ronni Guggenheim became the CEO of the new division, leading a team in our Zurich HQ.

Recently I had the opportunity to sit down with Eli Sasson, CEO and President of Minicom Advanced Systems and ask him some questions about what’s been going on at Minicom since this new change came into effect.

mini.sid: Why did you decide to split now, and what was the main goal for splitting the divisions?

Eli Sasson: The decision to split the divisions was a strategic step for Minicom with a goal to have two completely separate units with each of them having a dedicated focus on their areas and markets.
As for the timing, I have always felt that we should not be defensive or reactive during a market crisis (such as last year) but rather take it as an opportunity to make strategic changes and prepare for the next business cycle.


mini.sid: When did you first consider splitting DS & KVM IT divisions at Minicom?

Eli Sasson: We started activity in the digital signage business around 2001/ 2002 and at an early stage it was apparent that it would become very successful for us. We considered the split several times during the years but the conditions were not ready for it. As the digital signage business grew, we started facing dilemmas with focus and resource allocation in sales & marketing as well as R&D and Logistics. It was an ongoing strategic discussion until all things matured and timing was right.

mini.sid: When did you finally decide to make this strategic split?

Eli Sasson: We made the decision to split towards the end of 2008, when the markets were in crisis but before the big crisis of October 2008. We took into consideration that we are executing a strategic change in rough times. Once we made the decision, it took 2-3 months to plan and launch the change internally and another couple of months to present it to our partners and work with them before we finally made the announcement publically.


mini.sid: What do you feel Minicom and its partners gained from the split?

Eli Sasson: This is a customer facing move. We are now closer to our customers and end users. We have better focus. Our marketing messages sharpened and our marketing activities became more effective. Our product roadmaps changed and became more ambitious and aggressive with new products in both DS and IT markets.


mini.sid: How has Minicom partners responded to the changes?

Eli Sasson: We recently made a survey to our partners and the feedback has been very positive. Most agreed that there is better focus and service for each unit. Only very few had comments and improvement suggestions on any effects from the change which were taken care of immediately.

mini.sid: Internally, how have the Minicom departments managed?

Eli Sasson: Strategic planning was considered all the way down to marketing activities, product roadmap and development. For marketing it was unbelievable, almost like reformatting a computer. In a matter of weeks each of the teams were 100% dedicated to each side of their new mission. Some felt like they were missing an opportunity but only days after seeing the size of the challenge, and the scope of the mission, the actions and all attitudes changed with full enthusiasm. Also, since mid-year we hired new sales managers to fill spots. Structurally, it’s much better – we are ready to go for the most important part of our year – Quarter 4.

mini.sid: Why did you create new and separate Mission statements?

Eli Sasson: The Mission we had before remains true to our parent organization but the mission statements for each unit were changed. When we acted as one unit we gave a quite generic vision that was true for everything. The separate statements help to direct and orient our business better, internally and externally.


mini.sid: What was the biggest challenge?

Eli Sasson: The market conditions have been the biggest challenge. When markets grow, it’s easier to make changes. It’s expected that you pay the penalty for mistakes as a part of it. In today’s market conditions, any mistake is much more painful – change becomes that much more difficult.


mini.sid: How do you feel about the markets?

Eli Sasson: Cautiously optimistic. The business environment is getting better daily, but in small steps. In both units, we see consistent and slight improvements since April. It’s getting better every day. Incoming sales, special orders, projects and opportunities are in the pipeline. While sales and orders grow nicely – projects and opportunity in the pipeline grow faster. The last part of the year is expected to be very good.

On the other hand, like everyone else we are very concerned with external conditions that still can be changed dramatically – like October 2008 – everything is still very fragile. After the bubble crisis in 2001, Minicom grew at 45% CAGR for several years. I will take the risk and predict that we will return in 2010 to a fast growth both in our IT and DS activities.

mini.sid: What new things has the KVM & IT division been working on since the split?

Eli Sasson: We have been very proactive during the crisis; we sharpened the market message, introduced new access management products, multi-user KVM IP switches and added to the Smart family. The new products have been very well accepted in the market so far. It shows in sales overall – The Real Needs Approach which helps businesses to control costs while growing and upgrading is very compelling to IT managers and users. While our competition pushes the end user “to throw everything out” and replace their entire KVM installation, Minicom offers the Real needs™ approach of simply adding on another access or management layer to the existing system.
We’ve already won significant business through this approach.


mini.sid: Minicom has been very involved with social media lately – how has it made a difference?

Eli Sasson: Social media for us is still relatively new, however I enjoy connecting with our partners, customers and distributors. Being able to reach our end users and hear from them directly has been very rewarding. I recently began to use Twitter. Also, we now have a Minicom LinkedIn group with 125 members already and it’s growing on a daily basis. LinkedIn has brought many of our partners together and in ways that traditional media would not have given us the same opportunities. The initial response with social media has been beyond our expectations.

mini.sid: Thank you Eli for taking the time out of your busy schedule to answer my questions.

Eli Sasson: My pleasure

*****

You can follow Eli Sasson on Twitter @elisasson and join our LinkedIn Group.

Minicom Interview: Calvin Nicholson Server Technology

Following the announcement that our AccessIT is integrated with the SentryTM Cabinet Power Distribution Unit from Server Technology, I wanted to take a closer look at the power industry and had a chance to ask Calvin Nicholson from Server Technology a few questions. Server Technology designs and manufactures intelligent power distribution products for enterprise data centers, service providers and branch office locations. Founded in 1984, Server Technology is recognized as a leader in innovative Remote Power Management solutions.

What is your position at Server Technology?

I am the Director of Product Marketing


Can you give me an overview of Server Tech’s method of selling?

We have both direct sales people as well as working through the channel. So the option is up to the customer as to whether they want to work direct or through a partner that they are comfortable with. We have an opportunity registration program through our web site that allows our partners to register opportunities. This lets us reward the partners that are pushing our products and who bring in the opportunities.

Do you have international customers? If so, what is the percentage of international sales compared to North America?

We do have international customers and we have offices in Canada, UK, Germany and Singapore along with a strong channel of partners throughout the world. I can’t give percentages but this is a strong a growing portion of our business.

How does Server Tech differentiate itself from your competitors?

Server Technology just focuses on power distribution, monitoring, management and control within the data center cabinet. We have been in business over 26 years and have the largest number of engineers in the industry focused in this area. We provide high quality products that are very feature rich along with a superior level of support. Being the leader in our industry we are requested to produce cutting edge products for new data center projects well ahead of the industry norm. These products then become part of our standard product line.

What are your unique selling points?

You can manage two power in-feeds (power distribution units PDU’s) and two temperature and two humidity measurements all under a single IP address through our unique linking technology. We offer the largest product line and have a number of 3-Phase products and 60A products focused on high density applications. Our temperature and humidity probes are on 10 foot cards so they can be placed in any locations within the cabinet. We offer a tool to monitor and manage all of the PDU’s in you DC called SPM.

What’s popular with your customers today?

Right now the new trend is 415 V 3-Phase power delivered to the cabinet for North American data centers. Efficiency gains with this technology are in the 4-6% range and offer significant efficiency gains and cost savings. Most products supplied a Zero U technology with some kind of intelligence. Customers don’t always and to turn things on and off or reboot them but monitoring power is becoming a significant trend.

What specific features are your customers looking for in your PDU’s?

Solutions that deliver the amount of power that is required with the proper outlet types and features/functions that they desire.

With regards to monitoring power usage, why is it so important to your customers?

Monitoring power is critical on so many different levels:
1) If you don’t know the amount of power that you are using then it is easy to overload the circuit and possibly bring down some of the equipment in the cabinet.
2) For three phase loads it is critical for load balancing and efficiency.
3) In today’s market where power costs are going up, power availability is going down and in some cases our customers cannot get enough power you need to understand how much power you are using and how changes within your facility affect this. This information is also used for efficiency calculations like the PUE and DCiE metrics from The Green Grid. To identify comatose or zombie servers that can be shut down or possibly virtualized. For power capacity planning (where do I have the power to install a new device.)

What percentage of your customers requires remote power capability as a feature?

Switched products where you can turn devices on or off is our biggest selling products.

Do you see any increase with customers dealing with support issues when there are problems with a server?

Facilities today have much smaller staffs and must use their resources wisely to be competitive in today’s market. I am not sure if the issues are going up but the ability to resolve these issues as fast as possible and move onto the next task is required.

Are you finding an increase in requests for consolidated remote access for power, kvm, console and serial?

Since we don’t actively sell these products we don’t see a lot of these requests. We do see a desire in customers to want to go to one central location and manage a number of devices. For servers it is our combined solution. If it is just the PDU’s then they use our Sentry Power Manager product.

What can we expect to see from Server Tech in the future?

Continued innovation, a number of 415 V products for North America and expansion of the device level power monitoring solutions

Thanks Calvin!

To contact or learn more about Server Tech – visit their website>>

The Minicom Interview

This week the Minicom Interview speaks to Simon Perry from Quocirca. Simon is Principal Associate Analyst to Quocirca. He specialises in environmental sustainability issues and their implications to business models. His particular interest is the role that IT can play in supporting transformational business society and new ways of working


Minicom Blog: Hi Simon, thanks for joining us.
Simon Perry: My pleasure.

MB: What do you see as the current data center trends?
SP: Energy efficiency regardless of the hardware or software architecture in the data center. The main concern is how much energy is it consuming? Then there are the issues of sustainability, cost and climate control.

MB: Electricity usage is a big issue isn’t it?
SP: Yes. Back three years ago it was about the physical placement of the racks in the room but now people are thinking about an efficient approach to electricity consumption. For instance, how much will be needed to cool the room.

MB: What are the other key data center issues?
SP: Virtualization as well as the utilization of floor space. And with the real estate market as it is people want to maximize every square foot of space they have. To do so the answer is to go up vertically. Cable clutter is another major concern as it blocks cooling and create hotspots. But all of these issues are interconnected.

MB: Speaking of real estate, appears to be many new data centers opening up in remote locations.
SP: That’s as labor is cheaper there, the cost of the property is cheaper and there is actually more electricity available there.

MB: With the technology, won’t things get smaller?
SP: Miniaturization will increase floor efficiency but the energy density per floor space will go up as will heat density. Even though the technology sees the size of devices decreasing they use as electricity as they did 20 years ago. The demands for processing

MB: Been a pleasure speaking to you Simon.
SP: Likewise