Phillip Marangella

The Customer Defines The Edge - Episode 53 - Phillip Marangella by I Love Data Centers

The Customer Defines The Edge - Episode 53 - Phillip Marangella

Shawn Mills

The Greenest Electron is the One you Never Need to Use - Episode 52 - Shawn Mills by I Love Data Centers

The Greenest Electron is the One you Never Need to Use - Episode 52 - Shawn Mills

Todd Cushing

Data Centers and Interconnection in Omaha - Episode 51 -Todd Cushing by I Love Data Centers

Data Centers and Interconnection in Omaha - Episode 51 -Todd Cushing

Bruce Lehrman

Measuring What Matters on the Edge - Episode 50 - Bruce Lehrman by I Love Data Centers

Measuring What Matters on the Edge - Episode 50 - Bruce Lehrman

Todd Murren

I Love Underground Data Centers - Episode 49 - Todd Murren by I Love Data Centers

I Love Underground Data Centers - Episode 49 - Todd Murren

Jason Okroy

In this episode I spend time talking with Jason Okroy, Co-founder and CEO of Salute Mission Critical, a US military veteran focused data center services company. Having toured hundreds of production data centers over the years, the facilities I have walked through that were the cleanest and with the most educated facilities staff were those operated by veterans of our armed forces. If you think about it for even a few seconds, this starts to make perfect sense given the training, discipline, necessity to perform under pressure and repetition of complex tasks within the military.Our conversation covers how and why the company was founded in 2013 and a few of the lessons Jason and his company have learned serving the veteran community as well as the facilities and operations side of the data center industry.

In this episode I spend time talking with Jason Okroy, Co-founder and CEO of Salute Mission Critical, a US military veteran focused data center services company. Having toured hundreds of production data centers over the years, the facilities I have walked through that were the cleanest and with the most educated facilities staff were those operated by veterans of our armed forces. If you think about it for even a few seconds, this starts to make perfect sense given the training, discipline, necessity to perform under pressure and repetition of complex tasks within the military. Our conversation covers how and why the company was founded in 2013 and a few of the lessons Jason and his company have learned serving the veteran community as well as the facilities and operations side of the data center industry.

Data Center Industry Gateway for Military Veterans - Episode 48 – Jason Okroy

Jeff Wabik

Early on in our conversation, Jeff politely made me aware that he has socks older than me. Apart from this telling me that he definitely needs some new socks, I became even more excited to dig into the interview knowing that he has literally been helping to build the infrastructure that runs the digital world longer than my short 40 years on this planet.We talk through him helping to start the first ISP in Minnesota, how exactly high capacity optical switching gear works and what a day in the life of Jeff looks like at DC Blox. For good measure we threw in some perspectives gained in light of current events through the lens of my rereading Frank Herbert's epic sci-fi DUNE chronicles and Jeff's rewatching the 2004 Battlestar Galactica TV series. Unsurprisingly, I learned a lot from Jeff in our short time together and I am positive you will too.

Early on in our conversation, Jeff politely made me aware that he has socks older than me. Apart from this telling me that he definitely needs some new socks, I became even more excited to dig into the interview knowing that he has literally been helping to build the infrastructure that runs the digital world longer than my short 40 years on this planet. We talk through him helping to start the first ISP in Minnesota, how exactly high capacity optical switching gear works and what a day in the life of Jeff looks like at DC Blox. For good measure we threw in some perspectives gained in light of current events through the lens of my rereading Frank Herbert's epic sci-fi DUNE chronicles and Jeff's rewatching the 2004 Battlestar Galactica TV series. Unsurprisingly, I learned a lot from Jeff in our short time together and I am positive you will too.

Balance is Important. Words Matter. - Episode 047 - Jeff Wabik

Rich Lee

Staying on topic re: demystifying the Interconnection Services Industry and our recent Interconnection Playbook launch, I spent time with successful data center and managed hosting entrepreneur Rich Lee who is now spearheading Pureport, a multicloud interconnection provider. Rich happens to also live in Raleigh, NC and has obtained a wealth of knowledge to share with us having had direct experience across a number of successful M&amp;A events within the data center and IT Services industry over the past 2 decades.We walk through a few of these transactions in detail, lessons he's learned scaling a variety of businesses, as well as the unique interconnection features and products Pureport offers. Prepare for some more knowledge bombs my friends and give this a listen ASAP!

Staying on topic re: demystifying the Interconnection Services Industry and our recent Interconnection Playbook launch, I spent time with successful data center and managed hosting entrepreneur Rich Lee who is now spearheading Pureport, a multicloud interconnection provider. Rich happens to also live in Raleigh, NC and has obtained a wealth of knowledge to share with us having had direct experience across a number of successful M&amp;A events within the data center and IT Services industry over the past 2 decades. We walk through a few of these transactions in detail, lessons he's learned scaling a variety of businesses, as well as the unique interconnection features and products Pureport offers. Prepare for some more knowledge bombs my friends and give this a listen ASAP!

Focused on Strong Business Fundamentals - Episode 046 - Rich Lee

Chris Downie

Excited to share with you a few stories from Chris Downie on his professional experience growing into the data center industry. His unique perspective as the CEO of both Telx during the acquisition by Digital Realty Trust in 2015 and Peak10 during their acquisition of Viawest in 2017 (now Flexential) makes this interview extremely powerful.We also touch on what steps Flexential has taken to address concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic, what a day in the life of a CEO of a data center company looks like and some important lessons he's learned over the years.

Excited to share with you a few stories from Chris Downie on his professional experience growing into the data center industry. His unique perspective as the CEO of both Telx during the acquisition by Digital Realty Trust in 2015 and Peak10 during their acquisition of Viawest in 2017 (now Flexential) makes this interview extremely powerful. We also touch on what steps Flexential has taken to address concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic, what a day in the life of a CEO of a data center company looks like and some important lessons he's learned over the years.

Drive Quality in Everything You Do - Episode 045 - Chris Downie

Misha Cetrone

The Interconnection Services Playbook, which serves as an attempt to demystify the Interconnection Services Industry, is now released into the wild! Keeping with this topic, I thought it appropriate to interview another one of my favorite people in the industry, Misha Cetrone, Sr. Global Director, Cloud Solution Architecture at Megaport.Misha drops some technical knowledge about why Interconnection Services are important, how they will continue to evolve, what some tangible uses cases are to consider leveraging these services, how to connect to these services and how they operate at their core level. Listen and learn my friends... listen and learn.

The Interconnection Services Playbook, which serves as an attempt to demystify the Interconnection Services Industry, is now released into the wild! Keeping with this topic, I thought it appropriate to interview another one of my favorite people in the industry, Misha Cetrone, Sr. Global Director, Cloud Solution Architecture at Megaport. Misha drops some technical knowledge about why Interconnection Services are important, how they will continue to evolve, what some tangible uses cases are to consider leveraging these services, how to connect to these services and how they operate at their core level. Listen and learn my friends... listen and learn.

Megaport & Interconnection Services 101 - Episode 44 - Misha Cetrone

Every episode is a learning opportunity!
I have two decades in the data center industry and this podcast is simple, elegant and super informative.
**** I am smarter thanks to Sean.

S M A R T E S T  PODCAST

I Love Data Centers

Ryan Barbera

While advancements in the data center industry have made shopping the scene as a consumer seem more complicated, it's actually more accessible than ever. Ryan Barbera and I discuss the red tape and the mystique surrounding the industry and how making your next data center decision isn't as complex as it seems. Tune in and learn how Ryan and I lifted the veil and added resources to help make important digital decisions. We explore how we are leveraging an ever growing ecosystem of like-minded individuals. Ryan aligns with my core values and beliefs; we explain why this is so critical in the new digital landscape.

While advancements in the data center industry have made shopping the scene as a consumer seem more complicated, it's actually more accessible than ever. Ryan Barbera and I discuss the red tape and the mystique surrounding the industry and how making your next data center decision isn't as complex as it seems. Tune in and learn how Ryan and I lifted the veil and added resources to help make important digital decisions. We explore how we are leveraging an ever growing ecosystem of like-minded individuals. Ryan aligns with my core values and beliefs; we explain why this is so critical in the new digital landscape.

Unveiling the Data Center - Episode 39 - Ryan Barbera

Kevin Miller

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 related systems and industries this fiber is deployed within. The details we discuss about the technology itself and the industries M2 Optics supports is fascinating and educational in and of itself. Even more fascinating to me, however, was the conversation we had about how he and his dad have managed to bootstrap the business into the success it is today, all while maintaining a productive and caring personal relationship with one another.Session Notes:1:12 Episode starts2:22 Where are you from and how did you get into tech? 5:33 What exactly does M2 Optics do and where do you do it?10:18 Who competes in your market? 11:23 What is a strand of fiber? 15:10 Types of fiber explained18:07 Limitation for how much information can push through fiber22:02 Transceivers explained23:18 What is the process for fusing broken fiber back together? 25:34 What causes data loss after fusing fiber back together?26:54 How often does fiber get cut and require someone to go out and fix it? 29:55 How do you detect where a problem along a fiber strand is and how was it done prior to modern technology?32:59 What experiences or data sets you came across that blew your mind?34:35 Where do you see the optical fiber marketplace going? 41:48 What is the difference between submarine cable fiber and terrestrial fiber? 43:36 Over time, does fiber degrade even if it is not broken and fused back together?  45:25 How Kevin’s dad got started in the optical fiber industry46:28 Are there any lessons your dad has taught you over the years? 49:49 If you could go back to 2001, what advice would you give yourself?  52:33 How are you and your dad able to successfully work together?

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 related systems and industries this fiber is deployed within. The details we discuss about the technology itself and the industries M2 Optics supports is fascinating and educational in and of itself. Even more fascinating to me, however, was the conversation we had about how he and his dad have managed to bootstrap the business into the success it is today, all while maintaining a productive and caring personal relationship with one another. Session Notes: 1:12 Episode starts 2:22 Where are you from and how did you get into tech? 5:33 What exactly does M2 Optics do and where do you do it? 10:18 Who competes in your market? 11:23 What is a strand of fiber? 15:10 Types of fiber explained 18:07 Limitation for how much information can push through fiber 22:02 Transceivers explained 23:18 What is the process for fusing broken fiber back together? 25:34 What causes data loss after fusing fiber back together? 26:54 How often does fiber get cut and require someone to go out and fix it? 29:55 How do you detect where a problem along a fiber strand is and how was it done prior to modern technology? 32:59 What experiences or data sets you came across that blew your mind? 34:35 Where do you see the optical fiber marketplace going? 41:48 What is the difference between submarine cable fiber and terrestrial fiber? 43:36 Over time, does fiber degrade even if it is not broken and fused back together? 45:25 How Kevin’s dad got started in the optical fiber industry 46:28 Are there any lessons your dad has taught you over the years? 49:49 If you could go back to 2001, what advice would you give yourself? 52:33 How are you and your dad able to successfully work together?

Episode 020 - Kevin Miller - Network Infrastructure Deep Dive for Terrestrial Fiber Optics

Rich Miller

This week on the I Love Data Centers podcast: How I Got Here, Rich Miller Interviews Sean Patrick Tario, the voice and vision behind the I Love Data Centers Podcast.Due to the volume of requests to turn the tables and have someone interview me for the podcast, we decided to do just that in this episode. I was honored to have Rich Miller, founder of datacenterknowledge.com and datacenterfrontier.com, take charge to this extent following the same format I use during my interviews.In this episode you’ll learn a little more about how I got started working in the industry, what drove me to venture off on my own years ago, some harsh lessons I learned as a stubborn entrepreneur and the spark that manifested this podcast. Hope you enjoy!   Show Notes:1:12 Episode starts2:48 What inspired you to start the I Love Data Centers podcast? 5:37 Why did you decide to go with a long-form interview format for this podcast? 10:20 How did you get started in the data center industry?13:32 Your past entrepreneurial endeavors?18:21 Your experience working initially w/ UnitedLayer?24:20 After working at UnitedLayer and QTS, how did you get Open Spectrum started?   31:00 The evolution of Open Spectrum and training other industry professionals37:42 How the Data Center Colocation Playbook has affected your interaction with others in the industry43:27 Discussions around why data center tours matter?47:15 What Open Spectrum has been up to lately?55:21 Where Sean feels the industry is heading?1:05:12 Your take on recent PE and M&amp;A activity in the industry?1:23:10 What you wish you would have known when you started in the industry?1:25:29 What was the most influential piece of advice you received while working in the industry?

This week on the I Love Data Centers podcast: How I Got Here, Rich Miller Interviews Sean Patrick Tario, the voice and vision behind the I Love Data Centers Podcast. Due to the volume of requests to turn the tables and have someone interview me for the podcast, we decided to do just that in this episode. I was honored to have Rich Miller, founder of <a href="http://datacenterknowledge.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">datacenterknowledge.com</a> and <a href="http://datacenterfrontier.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">datacenterfrontier.com</a>, take charge to this extent following the same format I use during my interviews. In this episode you’ll learn a little more about how I got started working in the industry, what drove me to venture off on my own years ago, some harsh lessons I learned as a stubborn entrepreneur and the spark that manifested this podcast. Hope you enjoy! Show Notes: 1:12 Episode starts 2:48 What inspired you to start the I Love Data Centers podcast? 5:37 Why did you decide to go with a long-form interview format for this podcast? 10:20 How did you get started in the data center industry? 13:32 Your past entrepreneurial endeavors? 18:21 Your experience working initially w/ UnitedLayer? 24:20 After working at UnitedLayer and QTS, how did you get Open Spectrum started? 31:00 The evolution of Open Spectrum and training other industry professionals 37:42 How the Data Center Colocation Playbook has affected your interaction with others in the industry 43:27 Discussions around why data center tours matter? 47:15 What Open Spectrum has been up to lately? 55:21 Where Sean feels the industry is heading? 1:05:12 Your take on recent PE and M&amp;A activity in the industry? 1:23:10 What you wish you would have known when you started in the industry? 1:25:29 What was the most influential piece of advice you received while working in the industry?

Episode 026 - Sean Patrick Tario - How I Got Here; Rich Miller Interviews the Interviewer

Todd M Smith

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 from our own team. Todd Smith. Todd is a partner with Open Spectrum who loves data centers and cut his teeth on the industry by working at Cyrus One. During the interview, Todd and I stress the importance of understanding the nuts and bolts of your customer’s infrastructure during any engagement. Speaking to business drivers, applications and day-to-day operations are the most important conversations that must be had with executives. Your ability to tie the whole conversation together, marrying technology with practical business needs and requirements, significantly elevates the value you should be bringing to your clients within every engagement.

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 from our own team. Todd Smith. Todd is a partner with Open Spectrum who loves data centers and cut his teeth on the industry by working at Cyrus One.  During the interview, Todd and I stress the importance of understanding the nuts and bolts of your customer’s infrastructure during any engagement. Speaking to business drivers, applications and day-to-day operations are the most important conversations that must be had with executives. Your ability to tie the whole conversation together, marrying technology with practical business needs and requirements, significantly elevates the value you should be bringing to your clients within every engagement.

Episode 012 - Selling the Data Center Marketplace to IT and the C-Suite - Todd M Smith

Gil Santaliz

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 networks, systems and buildings. Gil spends time with me breaking down the evolution and “how, who and why” fundamentals of this critical component to the global internet infrastructure.Show Notes: 1:12 Interview starts2:32 Gil’s background 4:38 How Gil was able to start 4Connections (spelling?) back in 20017:49 Gil’s first experience with the fiber landing stations 10:14 Tata Communications12:06 How Gil became interested in fiber landing stations16:11 How many landing stations are there in the coastal united states?22:35 Latency24:25 Who funded all this infrastructure?24:58 OTT26:28 Has the cost per megabit been dropping?29:24 If there is a problem with a cable, do we have the technology to be able to pinpoint the specific location of it?37:08 How to prevent people from accidentally damaging the cables38:45 How is the government working with private sectors to ensure that these cables are protected?41:50 How much traffic clears from South America to the United States?44:02 What was the reason for the placement of the cables?47:28 How Gil got involved in technology49:39 What are some of the biggest innovations you seen in your space over the past decade?56:17 What innovations do you see on the horizon?58:47 What is some advice you wish you’d been given at the start of your career?1:01:37 What is some advice you were given that transformed the way you worked in your industry?1:02:19 Who are you target clients? Who are your existing clients?1:04:40 Do you guys operate the equivalent puring (spelling?) exchange for those large transcontinental network providers?1:05:33 What are some common misconceptions people have about your industry?1:06:52 What do you think is causing this misconception?

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 <a href="http://NJFX.net" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">NJFX.net</a> (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 networks, systems and buildings.   Gil spends time with me breaking down the evolution and “how, who and why” fundamentals of this critical component to the global internet infrastructure. Show Notes: 1:12 Interview starts 2:32 Gil’s background  4:38 How Gil was able to start 4Connections (spelling?) back in 2001 7:49 Gil’s first experience with the fiber landing stations  10:14 Tata Communications 12:06 How Gil became interested in fiber landing stations 16:11 How many landing stations are there in the coastal united states? 22:35 Latency 24:25 Who funded all this infrastructure? 24:58 OTT 26:28 Has the cost per megabit been dropping? 29:24 If there is a problem with a cable, do we have the technology to be able to pinpoint the specific location of it? 37:08 How to prevent people from accidentally damaging the cables 38:45 How is the government working with private sectors to ensure that these cables are protected? 41:50 How much traffic clears from South America to the United States? 44:02 What was the reason for the placement of the cables? 47:28 How Gil got involved in technology 49:39 What are some of the biggest innovations you seen in your space over the past decade? 56:17 What innovations do you see on the horizon? 58:47 What is some advice you wish you’d been given at the start of your career? 1:01:37 What is some advice you were given that transformed the way you worked in your industry? 1:02:19 Who are you target clients? Who are your existing clients? 1:04:40 Do you guys operate the equivalent puring (spelling?) exchange for those large transcontinental network providers? 1:05:33 What are some common misconceptions people have about your industry? 1:06:52 What do you think is causing this misconception?

Episode 018 - Gil Santaliz - Network Infrastructure Deep Dive Undersea Cables & Landing Stations

I've been trying to make sense of how Megaport, Packet Fabric, PurePort, Equinix's ECX, Digital Realty's Service Exchange, DE-CIX, Epsilon, etc. all differentiate from one another over the past 12 months with little success. Thankfully, my friend and fellow industry trouble maker Christian Koch, having spent time working for a variety of the companies listed above, had the patience to sit and walk me through the nuances. Get ready to be smarter on all the new ways an enterprise can connect to endless possibilities.

All Things Data Center Interconnection - Episode 037 - ChristianKoch

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 for 5 years and will soon be celebrating her 14 year anniversary there.Our conversation covers a wide variety of topics; from our reactions to all the recent M&amp;A activity taking place, to what she feels are the key characteristics of an elite sales executive and sales manager, to what her experience has been like specifically as a woman working within a predominately male industry. The insight and advice Shelagh provides throughout this episode is essential for anyone working  in the data center industry. I was excited to even hear her share a story about what it was like managing me during our brief time together at QTS!

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 for 5 years and will soon be celebrating her 14 year anniversary there. Our conversation covers a wide variety of topics; from our reactions to all the recent M&amp;A activity taking place, to what she feels are the key characteristics of an elite sales executive and sales manager, to what her experience has been like specifically as a woman working within a predominately male industry. The insight and advice Shelagh provides throughout this episode is essential for anyone working in the data center industry. I was excited to even hear her share a story about what it was like managing me during our brief time together at QTS!

Episode 013 - Data Center M&A, Elite Sales DNA, and Women in IT - Shelagh Montgomery

Raul Martynek

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 cover topics such as Raul’s humble roots, his thoughts on the current acquisition spree taking place in the industry and what some of the key differences are between providers in hyper scale mode and those who are barely surviving.

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 cover topics such as Raul’s humble roots, his thoughts on the current acquisition spree taking place in the industry and what some of the key differences are between providers in hyper scale mode and those who are barely surviving.

Episode 004 - Evolution of a Telecommunications and Data Center Industry Titan - with Raul Martynek

Philbert Shih

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 behind the evolving MSP and data center industry. Conversation then shifts to the AsiaPac and Canadian markets where Philbert and his team have some unique and deep experience within the marketplace there. This episode is rich with practical information, best practices and industry insight. We hope you enjoy.

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 behind the evolving MSP and data center industry. Conversation then shifts to the AsiaPac and Canadian markets where Philbert and his team have some unique and deep experience within the marketplace there. This episode is rich with practical information, best practices and industry insight. We hope you enjoy.

Episode 006 - The Evolution of Data Center and Cloud, Insights on AsiaPac and Canada - Philbert Shih

Sean Holzknecht

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 they were affected by the $Billions to Bankruptcy phenomenon.Coming from engineering roots, Sean's perspective is unique through all this. The lessons learned helped spawn his current data center venture Colovore, and we get to hear the complete journey Sean and his partner followed to grow the company from inception to success.

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 they were affected by the $Billions to Bankruptcy phenomenon. Coming from engineering roots, Sean's perspective is unique through all this. The lessons learned helped spawn his current data center venture Colovore, and we get to hear the complete journey Sean and his partner followed to grow the company from inception to success.

Episode 008 - A High Density Data Center Colocation Startup Story Sean Holzknecht

Mark Houpt

This week on the I Love Data Centers podcast: All Things Data and Data Center Security, I interview the Chief Information Security Officer of Databank, Mark Houpt.Whereas security has typically been an afterthought for most companies in the past, it has quickly become the most talked about topic in the industry these days with high profile data breaches happening on a regular basis. I wanted to do an interview that addressed the most common conversations data center and hosting providers are having with their clients so you can hear and understand the roles both parties have in protecting and securing corporate and client data. This conversation does just that and proved to be extremely enlightening.Truly, by listening to and digesting the content within this episode you will be well equipped to have this conversation, regardless of which side of the fence you sit on.Show Notes:1:12 Interview starts2:34 Mark’s credentials and certifications 7:09 Mark’s upbringing             9:28 How Mark got involved in tech11:46 Mark’s Navy experience 16:40 Mark’s transition into tech23:34 How does hacking and coding play together?32:01 Precautionary steps companies can take to protect their data from hackers37:43 Balancing between the corporate world and the data center world47:28 What makes manage services different?55:54 Other security traps that companies can fall into59:58 What should companies that don’t need or can’t afford someone in a chief security officer role do?1:04:05 What is a penetration test?  1:11:25 What is the B.A.A?1:16:28 What about data centers that don’t need to be compliant to the B.A.A?1:20:24 How to deal with the federal government agencies1:23:17 Where does Data Banks responsibility start and stop with their clients?1:28:59 Do our countries regulations put us in any danger?1:41:36 What is something you’ve learned recently that blew your mind?1:44:42 How to contact MarkLinks mentioned:www.databank.com Contact Info:compliance@databank.comLinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-houpt/

This week on the I Love Data Centers podcast: All Things Data and Data Center Security, I interview the Chief Information Security Officer of Databank, Mark Houpt. Whereas security has typically been an afterthought for most companies in the past, it has quickly become the most talked about topic in the industry these days with high profile data breaches happening on a regular basis. I wanted to do an interview that addressed the most common conversations data center and hosting providers are having with their clients so you can hear and understand the roles both parties have in protecting and securing corporate and client data. This conversation does just that and proved to be extremely enlightening. Truly, by listening to and digesting the content within this episode you will be well equipped to have this conversation, regardless of which side of the fence you sit on. Show Notes: 1:12 Interview starts 2:34 Mark’s credentials and certifications 7:09 Mark’s upbringing 9:28 How Mark got involved in tech 11:46 Mark’s Navy experience 16:40 Mark’s transition into tech 23:34 How does hacking and coding play together? 32:01 Precautionary steps companies can take to protect their data from hackers 37:43 Balancing between the corporate world and the data center world 47:28 What makes manage services different? 55:54 Other security traps that companies can fall into 59:58 What should companies that don’t need or can’t afford someone in a chief security officer role do? 1:04:05 What is a penetration test? 1:11:25 What is the B.A.A? 1:16:28 What about data centers that don’t need to be compliant to the B.A.A? 1:20:24 How to deal with the federal government agencies 1:23:17 Where does Data Banks responsibility start and stop with their clients? 1:28:59 Do our countries regulations put us in any danger? 1:41:36 What is something you’ve learned recently that blew your mind? 1:44:42 How to contact Mark Links mentioned: <a href="http://www.databank.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.databank.com</a> Contact Info: compliance@databank.com LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-houpt/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-houpt/</a>

Episode 030 - Mark Houpt - All Things Data and Data Center Security

Josh Williams

Now that the dust has settled with INAP's acquisition of Singlehop, I wanted to speak with one of the brains at the company who was front and center during the transition to get a raw view into the why, how and what's next at the company. Who better than my friend Josh Williams,  INAP's now VP of Solutions Engineering who spent 5 years at Singlehop and now leading the entire SE team for the company.Josh and I are aligned on many levels outside of both growing up in the Windy City in the 80's and 90's. His "gear head" perspective, having worked in various engineering roles on the client side, and love for technology has always been appreciated.  We discuss a few multi-cloud case studies, how the new interconnection solutions available are transforming how cloud services are consumed, what drives a client to consume managed services in the first place and trends he sees from the partners INAP works with that are creating clear winners and losers.

Now that the dust has settled with INAP's acquisition of Singlehop, I wanted to speak with one of the brains at the company who was front and center during the transition to get a raw view into the why, how and what's next at the company. Who better than my friend Josh Williams, INAP's now VP of Solutions Engineering who spent 5 years at Singlehop and now leading the entire SE team for the company. Josh and I are aligned on many levels outside of both growing up in the Windy City in the 80's and 90's. His "gear head" perspective, having worked in various engineering roles on the client side, and love for technology has always been appreciated. We discuss a few multi-cloud case studies, how the new interconnection solutions available are transforming how cloud services are consumed, what drives a client to consume managed services in the first place and trends he sees from the partners INAP works with that are creating clear winners and losers.

Your IT is Likely Less Automated than Dominos - Episode 038 - Josh Williams

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 technologist, problem solver and entrepreneur through and through. Today, he works to solve complex network problems for enterprises large and small while also running the San Francisco Metropolitan Internet Exchange. Unfortunately we did not have time to cover even a fraction of the projects he's been involved with over the years, or discuss the countless hours he has spent pro-bono working to bring the freedom of the internet to every nook and cranny of Northern California.Episode 009 Show NotesInterview Starts 2:23What is “TwoP”? 2:59Where are you right now? 4:21Tim’s background 5:47How do you first get into technology? 6:41Starting the first ISP in San Francisco 13:15Limiting South Africa during Apartheid 16:00Usenet 18:05How does Usenet tie to ISP?Network News Transfer Protocol (NNTP) 21:14What inspired you to create your own Internet service providing company? 21:44Tim’s first time walking into a data center 31:50What was the next chapter in your career after Little Garden? 38:33What is Alexa? 39:42WAIS 44:31Canter Seagull Incident 47:23Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) 50:08Bright Mail 52:43Reasons to go to a data center 55:18The MAE 58:29365 1:05:26Telx 1:06:403 Layers to Internet exchange 1:11:51Lobbying in DC 1:14:38What’s the backdrop on your laptop? 1:17:55What is some advice you would give a newcomer in the industry? 1:19:17How to contact Tim 1:23:59

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 technologist, problem solver and entrepreneur through and through. Today, he works to solve complex network problems for enterprises large and small while also running the San Francisco Metropolitan Internet Exchange. Unfortunately we did not have time to cover even a fraction of the projects he's been involved with over the years, or discuss the countless hours he has spent pro-bono working to bring the freedom of the internet to every nook and cranny of Northern California. Episode 009 Show Notes Interview Starts 2:23 What is “TwoP”? 2:59 Where are you right now? 4:21 Tim’s background 5:47 How do you first get into technology? 6:41 Starting the first ISP in San Francisco 13:15 Limiting South Africa during Apartheid 16:00 Usenet 18:05 How does Usenet tie to ISP? Network News Transfer Protocol (NNTP) 21:14 What inspired you to create your own Internet service providing company? 21:44 Tim’s first time walking into a data center 31:50 What was the next chapter in your career after Little Garden? 38:33 What is Alexa? 39:42 WAIS 44:31 Canter Seagull Incident 47:23 Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) 50:08 Bright Mail 52:43 Reasons to go to a data center 55:18 The MAE 58:29 365 1:05:26 Telx 1:06:40 3 Layers to Internet exchange 1:11:51 Lobbying in DC 1:14:38 What’s the backdrop on your laptop? 1:17:55 What is some advice you would give a newcomer in the industry? 1:19:17 How to contact Tim 1:23:59

Episode 009 - History of Internet Protocols, ISPs, SPAM, Internet Exchanges and Peering

Rob DeVita

Rob attended one of my data center bootcamps in Denver years ago and instantly became an advocate for the education I was providing the industry. It took all of a few minutes for me to become a huge advocate of his as well, as he is, truly, a master of his craft. He also knows how to throw truly epic parties, which is another shared passion of ours.After nearly 2 decades working for various data center service providers, Rob made the jump to the client representation side exclusively last year and hasn't looked back. Our conversation covers the evolution of Open IX, an organization he currently serves on the Board of, lessons learned working in the industry, and a candid conversation about what the future of interconnection and carrier hotels might look like.Show Notes:1:12 Episode Starts3:34 Rob’s upbringing and getting his start in the industry8:57 Working at AT&amp;T11:13 Working at Telex12:31 Why Rob left15:52 Rob’s thoughts on the Equinix acquisition20:42 How is the heavy amount of construction going on in the suburbs affecting Dallas? 26:35 Why Rob decided to start his own consulting firm 28:53 What is Open-IX? 33:07 How Open-IX has evolved and how Rob got started in it36:55 Are major companies like Google and Netflix still involved in Open-IX?40:23 Should these major companies get a different rate?43:07 Why are companies like DXLink trying to enter the US marketplace?47:22 How will affect the monopoly companies like Equinix have on the marketplace?52:25 Rob’s advice for newcomers in this marketspace1:00:13 How the prime equity money coming into the industry is affecting how businesses operate1:08:33 What is something you have learned over the past few months that has blown your mind?1:11:37 Is there anything new entering the field that will change the industry?1:13:56 The best advice Rob received while working at AT&amp;T1:19:20 How to get in contact with RobMajeticks Website: http://mejeticks.com/

Rob attended one of my data center bootcamps in Denver years ago and instantly became an advocate for the education I was providing the industry. It took all of a few minutes for me to become a huge advocate of his as well, as he is, truly, a master of his craft. He also knows how to throw truly epic parties, which is another shared passion of ours. After nearly 2 decades working for various data center service providers, Rob made the jump to the client representation side exclusively last year and hasn't looked back. Our conversation covers the evolution of Open IX, an organization he currently serves on the Board of, lessons learned working in the industry, and a candid conversation about what the future of interconnection and carrier hotels might look like. Show Notes: 1:12 Episode Starts 3:34 Rob’s upbringing and getting his start in the industry 8:57 Working at AT&amp;T 11:13 Working at Telex 12:31 Why Rob left 15:52 Rob’s thoughts on the Equinix acquisition 20:42 How is the heavy amount of construction going on in the suburbs affecting Dallas? 26:35 Why Rob decided to start his own consulting firm 28:53 What is Open-IX? 33:07 How Open-IX has evolved and how Rob got started in it 36:55 Are major companies like Google and Netflix still involved in Open-IX? 40:23 Should these major companies get a different rate? 43:07 Why are companies like DXLink trying to enter the US marketplace? 47:22 How will affect the monopoly companies like Equinix have on the marketplace? 52:25 Rob’s advice for newcomers in this marketspace 1:00:13 How the prime equity money coming into the industry is affecting how businesses operate 1:08:33 What is something you have learned over the past few months that has blown your mind? 1:11:37 Is there anything new entering the field that will change the industry? 1:13:56 The best advice Rob received while working at AT&amp;T 1:19:20 How to get in contact with Rob Majeticks Website: <a href="http://mejeticks.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://mejeticks.com/</a>

Episode 025 - Rob DeVita - Past, Present & Future of OPEN IX & Carrier Hotels

Sam Barhoumeh

In this episode I spent some time with my new friend Sam Barhoumeh, Founder and CEO of ReadyNetworks, a full service technology solutions firm based in Chicagoland that provides cloud infrastructure, security, and IT consulting. In short, Sam and I talk all things cloud. Flavors of Cloud, Evolution of the Cloud, Migrating to/from the Cloud, Containers in the Cloud, Clouding Cloud Cloudification of the Cloud… you get the point. Appreciate Sam as both an owner of a scaling managed services company AND engineer who’s not afraid to dig into the weeds on product/solution with his clients! Rare breed of human indeed and among my favorite!

Episode 033 - Sam Barhoumeh - All Things Public Cloud

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 events that take place within the industry as well as some of the organizations that support the channel. If you work in or around the indirect sales channel or simply want to gain a perspective on how it works and has matured over the years, this episode is a must listen!Episode 007 Show NotesIntro 1:17Interview starts 2:48Where are you right now? 3:53What is it that you actually do? 4:48How did you get started in IT? 7:10Data center infrastructure demand drivers 15:50Virtualization, Cloud, and Hybrid IT 18:10The early days of the Technology Channel Association (TCA)? 19:50What drove the evolution of the colocation indirect sales channel? 22:90 The role of a master agency 31:30WTF is cloud computing? 36:50What is the desktop of your computer? 59:00

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 events that take place within the industry as well as some of the organizations that support the channel. If you work in or around the indirect sales channel or simply want to gain a perspective on how it works and has matured over the years, this episode is a must listen! Episode 007 Show Notes Intro 1:17 Interview starts 2:48 Where are you right now? 3:53 What is it that you actually do? 4:48 How did you get started in IT? 7:10 Data center infrastructure demand drivers 15:50 Virtualization, Cloud, and Hybrid IT 18:10 The early days of the Technology Channel Association (TCA)? 19:50 What drove the evolution of the colocation indirect sales channel? 22:90 The role of a master agency 31:30 WTF is cloud computing? 36:50 What is the desktop of your computer? 59:00

Episode 007 - The Godfather of the Colocation Indirect Sales Channel

Hugh Carspecken

The “Edge” has become one of the new buzzwords that unfortunately means both everything and nothing at the same time, much like the term “Cloud.” Given Hugh’s experience operating micro data centers around the world, we try to provide some tangible case studies for actual edge data center deployments and discuss what the future holds for hybrid compute work loads. We also spend time speaking to how our faith affects the way we operate in the industry as professionals, business leaders, fathers and husbands.

Episode 032 - Hugh Carspecken - EDGE is the new Cloud

This week on the I Love Data Centers podcast: The Montreal Data Center Market is so Hot Right Now, I interview the President and CEO of Root Data Center, AJ Byers.Although Episode 6 with Philbert Shih touched on the topic, I have heard numerous times about major deployments going down in and around Montreal, Canada over the past few months and wanted to explore the topic further. To get the full story on how the Canadian data center market has evolved over the past 20 years, there was no better person to interview than AJ Byers.His bio tells the story of an engineering minded entrepreneur learning the business from the ground up, witnessing first hand the Canadian data center marketplace evolve over 20 years. I truly enjoyed our conversation and was able to geek out on a variety of topics related to cooling, finance and the demand side of the equation.Show Notes:1:12 Episode starts2:02 What AJ does and his involvement in Root4:27 AJ’s backstory and how he got involved in tech6:57 AJ’s entrepreneurial background8:27 What it was like to survive the bubble bursting14:53 What AJ learned throughout the 2000s decade16:53 How did the US market downturn in 2008 affect the Canadian market?19:43 Why has Root stayed within the Montreal market?21:47 Why did Root decide to take outside capital?26:04 How have you seen the marketplace evolve?27:56 What is the catalyst that’s begun to bring American business to the Canadian marketplace?32:42 Why is power so much less expensive in Montreal than the rest of the world? 34:09 AJ’s experience with working with Lipid36:45 What is Keanu Cooling?44:07 What is it like to be the president of a data center with an engineering background?47:16 Where do you see the industry continuing to evolve?49:51 Has there been an uptick in demand for crypto mining companies? 51:12 How has Canada gone about addressing Cloud IX?57:02 What are some misconceptions about your marketplace? 59:46 What are 3 things that US companies looking to deploy infrastructure in Canada should know?1:03:20 What is something you learned recently that blew your mind?1:05:04 Are you seeing some Canadian based hosting companies affected by the growth of companies like Google?Contact info:Abyers@rootdatacenter.comLinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajbyers/I Love Data Centers Episode 006:https://openspectruminc.com/evolution-of-data-center-and-cloud/

This week on the I Love Data Centers podcast: The Montreal Data Center Market is so Hot Right Now, I interview the President and CEO of Root Data Center, AJ Byers. Although Episode 6 with Philbert Shih touched on the topic, I have heard numerous times about major deployments going down in and around Montreal, Canada over the past few months and wanted to explore the topic further. To get the full story on how the Canadian data center market has evolved over the past 20 years, there was no better person to interview than AJ Byers. His bio tells the story of an engineering minded entrepreneur learning the business from the ground up, witnessing first hand the Canadian data center marketplace evolve over 20 years. I truly enjoyed our conversation and was able to geek out on a variety of topics related to cooling, finance and the demand side of the equation. Show Notes: 1:12 Episode starts 2:02 What AJ does and his involvement in Root 4:27 AJ’s backstory and how he got involved in tech 6:57 AJ’s entrepreneurial background 8:27 What it was like to survive the bubble bursting 14:53 What AJ learned throughout the 2000s decade 16:53 How did the US market downturn in 2008 affect the Canadian market? 19:43 Why has Root stayed within the Montreal market? 21:47 Why did Root decide to take outside capital? 26:04 How have you seen the marketplace evolve? 27:56 What is the catalyst that’s begun to bring American business to the Canadian marketplace? 32:42 Why is power so much less expensive in Montreal than the rest of the world? 34:09 AJ’s experience with working with Lipid 36:45 What is Keanu Cooling? 44:07 What is it like to be the president of a data center with an engineering background? 47:16 Where do you see the industry continuing to evolve? 49:51 Has there been an uptick in demand for crypto mining companies? 51:12 How has Canada gone about addressing Cloud IX? 57:02 What are some misconceptions about your marketplace? 59:46 What are 3 things that US companies looking to deploy infrastructure in Canada should know? 1:03:20 What is something you learned recently that blew your mind? 1:05:04 Are you seeing some Canadian based hosting companies affected by the growth of companies like Google? Contact info: Abyers@rootdatacenter.com LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajbyers/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajbyers/</a> I Love Data Centers Episode 006: <a href="https://openspectruminc.com/evolution-of-data-center-and-cloud/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://openspectruminc.com/evolution-of-data-center-and-cloud/</a>

Episode 029 - AJ Byers - The Montreal Data Center Market is so Hot Right Now

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