This week on the I Love Data Centers podcast: Founder & Editor of DataCenterKnowledge.com and DataCenterFrontier.com, I interview the one and only Rich Miller. If you’re in the data center industry, you’ve likely come across www.datacenterknowledge.com or www.datacenterfrontier.com. If you haven’t, well, you should go check both sites out ASAP and bookmark them! I have wanted to connect and talk shop with Rich for nearly a decade. Although we’ve talked a few times over the past few months ab...
May 17, 2018•1 hr 35 min
This week on the I Love Data Centers podcast: Strategic Foresight and The Cyber Attack Survival Manual, I interview author and bona fide futurist Heather Vescent. Heather and I met nearly a decade ago at a VC event in Los Angeles. Our mutual passion for innovation, technology, strategic thinking, design and education has kept us connected over the years through various projects. She is the only person I know to have received a Masters in Strategic Foresight, such that she can call herself a Futu...
May 08, 2018•1 hr 25 min
Becoming an independent IT consultant and navigating the indirect sales channel ecosystem can appear daunting. It appears daunting, because it is daunting. For those starting agencies on their own, this is no different than starting any entrepreneurial venture. For those catering to these independent consultants, this is no different than having to lead and manage a pack of hungry wolves in the wild. Those brave souls who have been successful on both sides of the equation, are few and far betwee...
Mar 15, 2018•1 hr 42 min
The interview I did with Gil Santaliz in Episode 18 got my wheels turning on the topic of fiber optics and I wanted to learn more. It just so happens that one of my friends right here in my backyard, Kevin Miller, runs a firm that specializes in designing and manufacturing customized optical fiber platforms for network simulation testing, latency, and training applications. Hence, this episode was born! Kevin and his father have collectively spent over 50 years playing with optical fiber and the...
Feb 16, 2018•1 hr 7 min
This week on the I Love Data Centers podcast: An Introduction to Telecom Expense Management (TEM). This is a data center podcast, so you may ask "why TEM?" Well, the reality is over One Trillions dollars is spent annually by companies on the networks that carry voice and data. As such, due to the complexity, criticality and size of these networks there is BIG business to be made helping companies right size and optimize said networks. Also, guess where nearly all of these networks start, end or ...
Jan 30, 2018•1 hr 43 min
This week on the I Love Data Centers podcast: Network Infrastructure Deep Dive for Undersea Cables and Landing Stations, I interview Gil Santaliz. You may have wondered about the infrastructure that carries data from one continent to another. Gil Santaliz, CEO of NJFX.net (a carrier neutral cable landing station and colocation facility in New Jersey), is a seasoned telecommunications veteran, entrepreneur and investor with deep knowledge and direct experience working in and around these complex ...
Dec 26, 2017•1 hr 11 min
This week on the I Love Data Centers podcast: Data Center Industry Attorney Perspectives, I interview Jeffery A. Moerdler. My favorite interviews are ones where I get to scratch my itch for more industry knowledge and this was most definitely the case with this interview. Jeffrey A. Moerdler, Real Estate Partner at Mintz Levin and former Commissioner at Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, has spent decades working and drafting data center and telecommunications related contracts represent...
Nov 29, 2017•1 hr 39 min
This week on the I Love Data Centers podcast: Atlanta's 55 & 56 Marietta Data Centers, I interview Tim Kiser. Tim Kiser served as an Air Force B52 bomber pilot during Operation Desert Storm and is the founder and CEO of Colocation Atlanta (Colo Atl), a local provider of colocation and interconnection services out of the 55 Marietta data center downtown Atlanta. He was also the lead designer and engineer for 56 Marietta, which is the largest Internet Exchange (IX) in the region. During the in...
Oct 23, 2017•1 hr 27 min
This week on the I Love Data Centers podcast: Meet Me Room and Internet Exchange Innovation in the Data Center Industry, I interview Hunter Newby. If you've worked in the data center industry for more than a few years and haven't heard name Hunter Newby, you simply haven't been paying attention. Hunter is a 20 year data center industry veteran who innovated the concepts of the Meet Me Room (MMR) and Internet Exchange (IX). Our paths finally crossed last year during a data center conference in DC...
Sep 28, 2017•1 hr 33 min
"We Need a revolution in our behavior, in our ethics, rather than just a revolution in our technology." -Brian Patrick Green I was introduced to Stuart Robbins through reading his book, "Lessons in Grid Computing: The System Is a Mirror," over a decade ago. As a young professional that had just transitioned from being a full time entrepreneur to working in "Corporate America," the book provided a foundation in systems theory as it applies to corporations and Information Technology. After reading...
Sep 13, 2017•1 hr 31 min
When I was a fast moving young sales executive working for the national data center company QTS from 2009-2011, Shelagh was one of my favorite people because she knew how to quickly get things done within the company. She was respected by both her peers and the senior leadership within the company and was able to deliver answers quickly and accurately based on her relationships and experience watching 1000's of deals cross her plate. By the time our paths crossed she had already been with QTS fo...
Aug 18, 2017•1 hr 13 min
When we started the I Love Data Centers podcast a few months ago I committed to providing you with raw, honest advice and entertaining stories that will bring you some new, thought-provoking perspectives from people I have met in my career who are unequivocal experts in the data center industry. If you are in any way involved with selling within the data center marketplace, this specific podcast is a MUST LISTEN! In the 12th episode, I am stoked to introduce you to one of the industry experts fr...
Aug 01, 2017•1 hr 4 min
In this episode of the I Love Data Centers podcast, Data Center Patents and Perspectives on Artificial Intelligence, we have Scott Noteboom. Scott is the founder and CEO of LitBit, a company focused on making Artificial Intelligence (AI) a useful and practical tool for companies to leverage on a day to day basis. Scott’s roots are in the data center, having worked for many years starting an ISP, working for an integrated voice and data startup and then joining the likes of Abovenet, Yahoo! and A...
Jul 17, 2017•1 hr 16 min
As the CTO and co-founder of an IT firm focused on delivering bleeding edge services to law firms, Jason was one of my first clients when I joined the industry. He quickly became one of my favorite clients when he routinely asked hard questions and held both himself, his team and his providers (me included) accountable. I knew every time we talked that I would walk away learning something important and having gained a more complete and honest picture of how his business, and my own business for ...
Jun 29, 2017•1 hr 19 min
There are only a few dozen people on the planet, still working today, who both understand how the internet was originally developed and were actually present and involved during its early evolution. Tim Pozar is among this respected and elite tribe. Our interview attempts to add color to these early days as we follow his vast career and the decisions he made pre and post running the first ISP in San Francisco and his work with Alexa and The Internet Archive. Tim is a genuine and humble technolog...
Jun 19, 2017•1 hr 27 min
This week we have on deck Sean Holzknecht, the co-founder and CEO of Colovore, a high density colocation provider in Santa Clara, CA. Some rich content is in store for you as we explore how Sean migrated from a small town in Alaska to San Francisco where he happened to land a front row seat to the colossal boom and bust that occurred from 1998-2002. Our story here is a bit unique as it focuses on the infrastructure providers that were responsible for supporting the growth during this era and how...
May 25, 2017•1 hr 49 min
In this week’s I Love Data Centers episode - The Godfather of the Colocation Indirect Sales Channel - Sean’s guest is Dany Bouchedid, the Founder and CEO of COLOTRAQ. Sean and Dany discuss a great many topics during their time together; such as how he got involved in the industry after a brief conversation with a young entrepreneur (who has since become one of the richest men on the planet) as well as the evolution of the telecom and data center indirect channel. We cover a few of the major even...
May 19, 2017•1 hr 2 min
This week's episode of the I Love Data Centers podcast, The Evolution of Data Center and Cloud, with Insights on AsiaPac and Canada, we have a more targeted conversation as Sean interviews Philbert Shih, the Founder and CEO of Structure Research, an independent research and consulting firm. Structure Research is also a member of the Open Spectrum Alliance, and contributes to the Open Spectrum Data Center Market Report intelligence. Sean and Philbert dive in by discussing the business drivers beh...
May 12, 2017•1 hr 6 min
In this week’s I Love Data Centers episode - Data Center Trials, Fiber Optics, and House Music - Sean’s guest is Garrick Sturgill, the Director or Technology, Carrier Relations and Colo Operations at Centeris Data Centers based in Puyallup, WA, just south of Seattle. First, Sean explores the three main threads within Garrick’s early and eclectic life (because it's just that interesting); creating with 1980’s computer hardware, working as a Cyberpunk community DJ at tech savvy parties in Seattle,...
Apr 27, 2017•1 hr 16 min
In this week’s I Love Data Centers episode, Evolution of a Telecommunications and Data Center Industry Titan, our guest is Raul Martynek. Raul currently works as a partner with the communications focused private equity firm Digital Bridge. He has led numerous companies through successful acquisitions while speaking the language of finance just as fluently as that of the telecommunications, data center, hosting, and virtualization industries he serves. This interview has some rich content. We cov...
Apr 19, 2017•57 min
In Episode 3 of the I Love Data Centers Podcast, you'll meet Pete Sclafani, COO and Co-founder of 6Connect. Pete's expertise allows him to speak up and down the IT stack. I call Pete a "life decathlete" because of the breadth of experience he has as an IT expert, businessman, husband, and father. Episode 003 Show Notes • Where are you right now? [3:13] • Pete’s background [4:18] • Norwich University [6:03] • How did you get into technology? [8:37] • Pete’s college experience [11:26] • First job ...
Apr 12, 2017•1 hr 2 min
Episode 002 - Data CenterIndustry Education on Capitol Hill Raw and honest advice, plus some entertaining stories about the data center industry that drives the digital world in which we live. In this episode, Sean interviews Christian Dawson with Internet Infrastructure Coalition (i2Coalition). Show Notes: Where are you right now and what are you working on? [2:39] What is the I2C? [3:08] Involvement with I2C [3:36] What motivated you to move into policy work in DC? [3:55] Description of PIPA a...
Apr 05, 2017•1 hr 5 min
Raw and honest advice, plus some entertaining stories about the data center industry that drives the digital world in which we live. In this episode, Sean interviews Richard Donaldson with eBay. Show Notes: Introduction [1:12] Where are you right now? [3:33] Background and role at eBay [09:13] What got you interested in tech? [13:41] Why Richard was brought into eBay [22:07] First data center experience? [27:15] Trace routes [29:45] First computer you owned? [36:16] Changes in the industry over ...
Mar 28, 2017•1 hr 4 min
