Ask Me: Q&A with Scott Clark, VP Professional Services

Scott, why did you join Egenera?

I was attracted to Egenera because of the integrity of the company's executive management and the high level of industry experience of the management team and the technical staff. Because of these elements, I saw how they had been able to realize our founder's original vision for the data center. I was very excited about the company's ability to make an impact on the industry and, of course, about my ability to make an impact within the company by developing a world-class Professional Services organization.

What makes the Egenera Professional Services group so effective?

Again, it starts with experience and integrity. We just didn't put up a shingle and claim to know about virtualization. We've been implementing data center virtualization projects in the real world—the production-ready world—for over six years. That's a depth of experience that's hard to match in the industry. You go to virtualization conferences and you see all these talks about 'getting started with' and 'getting ready for' virtualization projects. With us, you know that we can help you do more than 'get started!' We can deliver services and best practices that can help you gain significant, sustainable competitive advantage in the marketplace.

And what do you mean by integrity?

Of course we pride ourselves on our professional experience, work habits and ethics. But by integrity, I specifically mean our commitment to the success of our customer's projects. I know it sounds cliché, but we're not successful unless the customer is successful. That usually means we become an extension of the customer team for a while—driving the project forward, keeping everyone focused on reaching the project milestones. Customer feedback consistently notes this dedication. As one director said, "Egenera Professional Services took ownership and responsibility for 'results achieved' as opposed to 'tasks performed.' When the customers say that, I know my team has done their job.

What's the most common mistake people make with virtualization projects?

They think too small and see virtualization as a point solution, rather than the game-changing innovation it can be. Can virtualization reduce costs? Of course it can—and rather dramatically. But virtualization done right does more than reduce costs—it affects shareholder value by increasing business agility and operational excellence.

This doesn't mean that the virtualization projects have to be unwieldy or unmanageable or horribly expensive. However, it does suggest that it is better to critically analyze your current data center environment in order to develop a strategic plan for implementing your virtualization projects with clear ROI and quantitative goals laid out.

That's where my team comes in. There are a lot of places up and down the technology stack where virtualization is playing a role—from the technology layer to the application layer through to the data center process layer. We have experience with them all—and with field-tested methodologies for wringing the highest level benefits out of your virtualization projects for your company.