UP by Uptime Group (#2)

Meet our New Ceo.HealtHCare iCt 2020.

CoNvergeNCe is tHe New NorMal

NeXt Year’streNds

#2 DECEMBER 2012

UP magazine2 UP magazine 3UP magazine 3

SIM

PLIC

ITY

& C

OM

FORT

Dear readers,

“What happened to 2012?” Exactly. Some of you may be wondering this,

as I am, while the pages on the calendar keep fl ipping by. It seems like just

yesterday I was celebrating New Year’s Eve, and now it is already almost

2013. When we enter a new year, it is natural to start thinking about what the

future will hold. Well, we at Uptime Group have done just that.

As in our previous edition we have asked several of our partners & colleagues

to give their two cents about our theme. This time we focus on Trends 2013,

and we open our magazine with a word from our new CEO, Rita Verreydt.

She explains what hers & our group’s motivations & direction will be next

year. When thinking about which guest author we could invite to enlighten

us about the new year, we could hardly think of anyone better than guru

Peter Hinssen, Chairman of Across Technology and author of Business/

IT Fusion and The New Normal. He takes us through his impressions of

technology’s “shift in power” from business-focus to consumerization.

We have also given our partners a chance to give you their vision of IT’s

future. In our Interview with a CXO feature, our marketing team interviewed

Theo van Teylingen from NetApp, at the dawn of his new challenge as

Regional Director of Benelux. He talks to us about the company’s strategy,

and in particular about FlexPod. Furthermore, Mimecast, one of our email

management partners that have recently been introduced to the Benelux

market, give us a tour through their strategy in a world where data continues

to exponentially expand.

As you know, we are one group providing you with ICT at your comfort. In

order to do this, we have multiple teams of specialists focusing on a wide

range of technologies. In each edition of UP, we put the spotlight different

teams via our Voice from the Group and Reference Story features. This time

we’ll be focusing on Tyrion, our SAP technical services team, ICTinus, our

Microsoft & Mimecast specialists, and Uptime ICT, our branch in Brussels

and the French-speaking region of Belgium. Last but certainly not least,

check out our Event article about our “Healthcare ICT 2020 Workshop”

which gives critical insight into the challenges of our hospitals, and the

potential that IT provides to manage these.

As always, we couldn’t let our magazine hit the presses without a little fun.

Spend an afternoon dreaming about the latest design gadgets presented at

the fair in Kortrijk? Want to catch your favorite Uptime Group team members

in embarrassing photos from 2012? Looking for an exciting travel destination

for 2013 that’s off the beaten path? … Read on, my friends, read on.

Enjoy!

Tamara Vyncke

Chief Editor

c o N t e N t

COLOPHON AND EDITORIAL

MEET UPTIME GROUP

COVER STORY

Convergence is the new normal

WHAT’S BEEN UP?

CXO INTERVIEW

Theo van Teylingen

UG FAVORITES

OTHER TRENDS 2013

OFF THE BEATEN PATH: TRAVEL

REFERENCE STORY

ICTinus and VREG

Tyrion, Neoria and NMC

EVENTS

Healthcare ICT 2020 Workshop

SPOTLIGHT ON PARTNERS

Mimecast

A VOICE FROM THE GROUP

Peter De Tender

SEE YOU NEXT TIME...

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#2 December 2012

SIM

PLIC

ITY

& C

OM

FORT

Dear readers,

“What happened to 2012?” Exactly. Some of you may be wondering this,

as I am, while the pages on the calendar keep fl ipping by. It seems like just

yesterday I was celebrating New Year’s Eve, and now it is already almost

2013. When we enter a new year, it is natural to start thinking about what the

future will hold. Well, we at Uptime Group have done just that.

As in our previous edition we have asked several of our partners & colleagues

to give their two cents about our theme. This time we focus on Trends 2013,

and we open our magazine with a word from our new CEO, Rita Verreydt.

She explains what hers & our group’s motivations & direction will be next

year. When thinking about which guest author we could invite to enlighten

us about the new year, we could hardly think of anyone better than guru

Peter Hinssen, Chairman of Across Technology and author of Business/

IT Fusion and The New Normal. He takes us through his impressions of The New Normal. He takes us through his impressions of The New Normal

technology’s “shift in power” from business-focus to consumerization.

We have also given our partners a chance to give you their vision of IT’s

future. In our Interview with a CXO feature, our marketing team interviewed

Theo van Teylingen from NetApp, at the dawn of his new challenge as

Regional Director of Benelux. He talks to us about the company’s strategy,

and in particular about FlexPod. Furthermore, Mimecast, one of our email

management partners that have recently been introduced to the Benelux

market, give us a tour through their strategy in a world where data continues

to exponentially expand.

As you know, we are one group providing you with ICT at your comfort. In

order to do this, we have multiple teams of specialists focusing on a wide

range of technologies. In each edition of UP, we put the spotlight different

teams via our Voice from the Group and Reference Story features. This time

we’ll be focusing on Tyrion, our SAP technical services team, ICTinus, our

Microsoft & Mimecast specialists, and Uptime ICT, our branch in Brussels

and the French-speaking region of Belgium. Last but certainly not least,

check out our Event article about our “Healthcare ICT 2020 Workshop”

which gives critical insight into the challenges of our hospitals, and the

potential that IT provides to manage these.

As always, we couldn’t let our magazine hit the presses without a little fun.

Spend an afternoon dreaming about the latest design gadgets presented at

the fair in Kortrijk? Want to catch your favorite Uptime Group team members

in embarrassing photos from 2012? Looking for an exciting travel destination

for 2013 that’s off the beaten path? … Read on, my friends, read on.

Enjoy!

Tamara Vyncke

Chief Editor

PUBLISHERUptime Group nvVeldkant 35D2550 Kontichtel. +32 3 451 23 [email protected]

CHIEF EDITORTamara Vyncke

LAYOUTFredric Vanvinckenroye

AUTHORSPeter De TenderPeter HinssenJochen Van de PerreRita VerreydtTamara Vyncke

ADVERTISEMENTMimecast (www.mimecast.com)NetApp (www.netapp.com)Upsell (www.upsell.be)

#2 December 2012

UP magazine4 UP magazine 5

Rita Verreydt is a lady who will always tell it to you like it is. Straightforward,

and a true people person. She is one of the few ladies on the top of the

Belgian IT industry. During her career of 20+ years, she has earned much

respect from her peers and colleagues. Leaving university as a historian,

Rita’s life took a very different path when she entered the IT world, which

she herself calls “a human business.” You may know her from her time

as CEO of Sogeti and her participation in Kanaal Z’s “Young Managers/

Wise Mentors” program. Recently, she has taken another step in her

career and become CEO of Uptime Group. We took the time to get to

know her better by talking to her about her personal affirmations, vision

on the group, what next year will bring, and that thing called “Cloud” we

keep hearing so much about.

Next yearWheN you look toWards Next year, What do you foresee to be the greatest challeNges iN the busiNess?

I’d say the better management of data. We have so much information at

our fingertips that all needs to be organized, processed, and structured.

On the one hand, IT increasingly evolves towards a commodity, while

on the other hand new technologies are invented on a daily basis

and which allow us to implement more efficient business processes.

Due to this, IT often faces the challenge of implementing these new

technologies in a costly efficient way while executing migrations from

legacy to newer platforms. Both knowledge and budget are important

factors in this process. Together with the expectations of users who

want to work with their own device, this is will be a real challenge in the

coming year.

SHORT BiO

≡ Born: 1958

≡ Married, 3 children

≡ Graduated from Ghent University with a degree in History

≡ CEO of Uptime Group since July 2012

≡ Previous position: CEO of Sogeti Belux for 7 years

≡ Hobbies: Family, travelling, reading and skiing

M e e t u p t i M e g r o u p

Ph

oto

: Frederik W

eekx


oN a less positive Note, What do you thiNk Will keep us aWake at Night iN 2013? Well, I don’t think we really need to worry about losing

sleep next year. There are plenty of opportunities that lie

ahead of us. These opportunities come from the grow-

ing IT demands in any industry and the development that is

needed to provide an answer for these demands. The only

thing that perhaps may keep us awake is the fact that we

need to make the right choices and select the correct priori-

ties in order to be, or rather remain, as efficient as possible.

let your imagiNatioN floW… What Would you like the group to have accomplished by december 2013? I would love to see even more satisfied customers,

who we helped by creating a successful and sustain-

able business, by the end of next year. They are more

successful because their business runs more efficiently

and effectively than before, thanks to the IT systems we

implemented for them.

I would also love to see an increase in knowledge in our

group, having even more experts among us could only

be a good thing. “Back to basics”. I would like to focus

on and improve what we’re good at because having

knowledge is partly also what brings recognition in

the industry. I would also certainly like our group to be

able to execute what we promise and to be recognized

as one that can provide straightforward solutions of

outstanding quality to customers facing infrastructural

challenges.

cloudWe’ve beeN heariNg talk about cloud for years NoW. What does cloud com-putiNg meaN to you?

To me the Cloud is a model in which we can provide a

custom made solution for an IT need, a bit like electricity.

The basic needs can be delivered tailored to the

customer and we bill monthly the exact used amount

of IT needs.

do you thiNk Next year Will be crucial for the cloud’s developmeNt iN the belgiaN market? Why or Why Not?

Next won’t really be a crucial year for the Cloud, at least

no more or no less than it was this year. The Cloud is

an evolution that can’t be stopped anymore and that is

becoming the future model for IT.

An increasing amount of customers wishes to

implement this model and therefore we expect to see

a growth again in the implementation of the Cloud in

our customers’ IT structure, but I wouldn’t call it crucial.

What do you thiNk are the factors for a compaNy to successfully “move” to the cloud?

I think that every company needs to make of have

someone make a detailed analysis to the question

whether their company is cloud ready.

Not every company is equally ready at any given point.

To prevent problems and avoid frustrations, it’s better

to make such an analysis before starting with Cloud

projects. This can be a major help in developing a

roadmap to guarantee a successful move to the Cloud.

persoNal hoW did a historiaN eNd up iN it?

IT is part of history. Every day, working with technol-

ogy, we are writing the history of the evolution of

humanity. The immense leaps and bounds that are

made in IT is something that has always interested me.

At a certain point, I was offered the opportunity to start

in the industry, and I figured it would be very exciting

to take up this challenge. There is never a dull moment

in IT. It’s dynamic and it tells a story.

could you say a feW thiNgs about your persoNal maNagemeNt philoso-phy?

I am a people person. People fascinate me. It will never

cease to amaze me how excited people get when they

are passionate about something. Take the technical

guys, for example. They stand openmouthed watching

the lights flicker on a server. We all have our passions

and things that motivate us. This is human, and to me, so

is the IT industry. At first sight, IT really looks something

purely technical, but I don’t agree with that. IT is made

by and made for people. It has a daily impact on our

lives, and this is what attracts me. Leading a company,

being successful with a team that collaborates well,

being there for your clients and being able to help them

with a lot of passion… that is what drives me. This is

what leads to a company in which each and every one

can develop themselves to their maximum potential.

What makes you successful?

To work with people who absolutely love what they

are doing, people who want to push the limits for their

clients and provide their clients with the solution they

need to be successful.

What have you eNjoyed most duriNg your first several moNths as ceo at uptime group? At Uptime Group I have met a group of people who are dedi-

cated to searching for straightforward, no-nonsense solutions

for their clients. In a today’s fast changing society, there are

a lot of challenges that remain for the Uptime Group and its

clients. I truly believe that with the overwhelming motivation

of the team, we can accomplish great things. I can truly say

that I am proud to lead a company with this much passion.

It makes me smile when I hear and see how committed the

people are to what they do.

as a female ceo iN a predomiNaNtly male busiNess, What advice do you have for youNg WomeN hesitaNt about joiNiNg the raNks of it?

Realize that IT is a very interesting world, which at first sight

may seem very technical and unsocial, and where nerds rule.

But when you look deeper you will find that IT is a world

in which you can only accomplish something by working

together with people and by building a tool, constructing a

system with your team that provides a solution to a clients’

challenging problem. Teamwork is everything but unsocial.

It is really something in which women, with their typical

qualities and unique insights, excel and can provide an added

value.

What advice Would you give future ceos?

Listen to your customers. Listen to your people and work

together with them. Follow your passion to create a successful

company where people feel happy and motivated to work

together to accomplish a common goal. Also as a CEO you

survive on little sleep, so it’s important to keep an eye on

your health. The support of family is also key. Without them I

would not be standing where I am today.

“ ict is part of history.

every day, WorkiNg With

techNology, We are

WritiNg the history of the

evolutioN of humaNity. ”

WHAT DOES“THE CLOUD”REALLYMEAN?


A couple of recent visits to the US showed me again

how quickly our world is evolving, and how technology

is dramatically changing our society. One of the things

that truly amazes me is the driverless car Google has

introduced in California. Eighteen of these have been

driving just under a million kilometers, having had only

one accident, when a drunk (human) driver ran into one

of these cars. If we assume these cars will once become

a reality all over the world (and why should we assume

driverless cars will not become the norm?), this has

huge consequences: we can use our highways much

more effi ciently, we will be able to work in the car, you

can ask your car to bring your children to ballet class

or basketball practice. On the other hand: car insurance

companies will not like this trend. No driver in the car

means no accidents, means no car insurance. The

strangest thing of all in this story: the driverless car

is not invented by a carmaker, but by an information

company. Carmaking and IT are converging.

tear doWN the WallsAnother convergence I noticed in the US, but also in

Europe: online and offl ine are merging. A number of

techniques that, previously, we only knew in the online

world, are coming to brick and mortar stores near you.

In the US, you can now use your smartphone and your

It’s amazing to see how the power base has shifted over the last

couple of years. The end-user has fi nally taken control, forcing

the IT department and anyone who provides services to the CIO,

to rethink their modus operandi. Over the last few years, digital

has become the new normal, and consumerization is having a

huge impact on everything and everyone in IT, be it business-

to-consumer (B2C) or business-to-business (B2B). Everything is

blurring and blending. Say hello to new areas of convergence.

PayPal account to pay for goods you buy in stores, not

only in e-commerce environments. Closer to home, the

French retail chain Casino is experimenting heavily with

Near-Field Communication (NFC). This allows you to

scan your purchases with your own smartphone, and

retrieve all kinds of extra information on the goods you

want to purchase, nutrition facts, etc. Another example

of how online and offl ine intertwine: retail chains that

give you a discount if you send a tweet about them

while you are in the store. Even very serious and

traditional retailers are moving in that direction. The

walls between online and brick and mortar are being

torn down.

As you can see from all these examples, the customer

really is the king and anyone selling anything to anyone

must know his customer. These days, customers

are not just dumb individuals, but have become

extremely informed, networked thinkers. Consumers

will seek information, seek advice and get informed

by their peers. They trust each other more than some

commercial message. This applies to B2C consumers,

but also to B2B purchasers: they are also networking to

fi nd out who to buy from. B2B buyers are talking to their

peers to fi nd out what their opinion is on new products,

new technologies, vendors…

c o V e r S t o r Y

by Peter Hinsen

CONVERGENCE IS THE NEW NORMAL


What caN We predict?Knowledge on the customer is key, and it’s no

surprise that IT consultants are predicting huge

investments in big data: we can get enormous

amounts of data on our customer and prospects,

and need to mine these data to know what makes

them tick. Big data is different from traditional

business intelligence or data warehousing where

we tried to gain insight into the past. What we

are doing with big data analytics is predict what

a customer is going to buy next. A company like

Amazon is extremely good at that: they know

better what your next book purchase will be than

you know yourself. This is where marketing and

IT are converging.

A great example of this is Nike. Nike+ was

launched years ago as an experiment. A joint

product development between Apple and Nike,

that produced probably the most advanced, hi-

tech set of running shoes in their time. You could

synchronize your iPod to play those songs that

would match your jogging pace, and after a jog you

could upload your run to the Nike+ community to

share. Seeing the potential of digital, Nike pushed

it one level further. They introduced the Fuelband,

a bracelet that traces your daily activity. Nike+

allowed Nike to ‘see’ what their customers were

doing when they jogged, but this bracelet allowed

Nike to have contact with their customers all day

long. The fi rst version monitors your steps, but

what if Nike were to add a heartbeat monitor and

a temperature sensor? Nike would then be able to

see all day long exactly how their customers live

their lives, where they are, what they do, how fast

their heart races and how fl ushed they were.

Would that �Nike of Tomorrow’ still be in the

running shoes business? No. Nike, by then, would

be in the information business. There is another

perfect example of how information technology

and marketing are converging.

And that’s another trend: data science has become

a new profession. Data scientists are the new rock

stars. In the US, companies are paying top dollar

to attract the best and brightest data scientists.

According to Gartner, big data will create over 4

million new jobs by 2015. That’s great news in

times like these when lay-offs and plant closures

dominate the news. Data science is altering

the way we do marketing, the way we perform

research into new medicine, the way we build and

manage our ‘smart’ cities…

Will big data allow us to predict everything? Most

certainly not: we live in a ‘VUCA’ world: Volatility,

Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity are the

name of the game. You cannot draft a ten-year

plan anymore, unless you are willing to change

this plan every six months. Our world will never

become static again, and there are no more

straight answers. That makes it very hard for IT

people, of course: we think and dream in 0’s and

1’s, but now these don’t matter anymore. VUCA

will only increase the demand for fl exibility from

our infrastructure. Our systems architecture needs

to be agile enough to adapt along with the strategy

of the company and the trends in the market. I

like to call this ‘liquid architecture’, where your

architecture can really be the glue to your business

processes.

busiNess/it fusioN at last?Connected to this, I notice that business leaders

are getting more interest in IT. They already knew

about fi nance and human resources, they are

getting a grip on marketing and logistics… And

now but now both CEOs and board members are

starting to take interest in information technology.

The last couple of years, when CEOs noticed IT,

their main concern was about how to take down

the cost of IT. What I am noticing lately is that CEOs

are actually convinced that digital innovation can

generate value. This is new and let’s hope this

trends get continued next year and the years to

come.

At last, IT and business are converging. And isn’t

this what we have been dreaming of for the last

20 years?

about the authorAn entrepreneur, advisor, lecturer and writer, Peter

Hinssen (1969) is one of Europe’s most sought-after

thought leaders on the impact of technology on

society and business. He is frequently called upon

to chair seminars and consult on issues related

to the adoption of technology by consumers, the

impact of the networked digital society and the

fusion between business and IT.

Peter Hinssen is Chairman of Across Technology,

(www.a-cross.com/technology), and the author of

‘Business/IT Fusion’ and ‘The New Normal’.

c o V e r S t o r Y

GUARDIAN ANGEL OF YOUR DATA

NEORIA NV | VELDKANT 35D | 2550 KONTICH | 03 451 23 82 | WWW.NEORIA.BE | [email protected]

ABOUT US

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MISSION

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TECHNOLOGIES


what’s been UPwhat’s been UP


Uptime Group Booth

@ Storage Expo 2012

DataConstruct Racing Team

@ ICT Carting

Uptime Group Drinkwith Symantec(Real l i fe Tab le Kicker)

e-Square & Cal igo teambui lding event(We do love Carting!)

Hercules Trophy 2012 - Team “De Trissers”

VMware & IBM Summer Update @ Leuven

Lots of v is itors @ Storage Expo 2012

(Be sure to v is it us in 2013!)

Cloud Battle @ Storage Expo 2012

Cloud Battle Round 1

www.cloudbattle.be

Uptime Group Summer Tour

Ice Cream Truck @ the port of Antwerp

Uptime Group Summer TourIce Cream Truck @ Customer

Uptime Group Summer TourMore Ice Cream...

Cloud Pannel @ Sales Train ing Day

BBlue & ePact with customers @ TW Classic 2012

Bring Your Own Device Seminar@ Cronos

UP magazine 15

c X o i N t e r V i e W

i kNoW Netapp embraces simplicity, as We at uptime group also strive to do. sometimes, hoWever, simple isN’t as simple as it souNds… do you thiNk that “simplicity” plays aN importaNt role iN ict? Why?

Simplicity for me is about taking away worry & concern. Unfortunately,

technology is no longer simple. Several years ago it was up to the IT

manager to click together different puzzle pieces to keep their com-

pany running. Now, the ICT is no longer the combination of neat puzzle

pieces, but can be viewed as a painting with many different layers all

synching together. The biggest issue is that the end users want & need

to view IT as “simple”. They don’t want to think about, but just want

it to work. However, translating this to the backend has defi nitely not

gotten simpler in recent years.

We at NetApp want to provide a solution to be able to create & manage the “painting” that IT has become. For us, this

solution is “agile infrastructure”. The key is a “no worries” infrastructure that is intelligently implemented.

besides the solutioNs you offer customers, give aN example of simplicity iN your orgaNiZatioN. are there processes or systems that have chaNged iN receNt years to simplify busiNess?

I can give you 2 concrete examples. Several years ago we made a conscious decision to modernize & renew our quote

to invoicing process. We took our customers’ and partners’ feedback to heart, and came up with a new tool. We had

grown faster than our processes and this was causing a bottleneck, affecting our customer service. This has now

made a complete turn around. Secondly, we took on our Service Portal that is accessed by our business partners. It is

now easy for them to get their hands on information about our products & services. After all, these partners are what

keep us running like a well-oiled machine.

Theo van Teylingen has a striking presence. To say that he is a

Dutchman is an understatement. At 1m98 he towers over his

Belgian colleagues, proving my hypothesis that our neighbors to the

north certainly must drink another type of milk than we do. He is

not only a tall man physically, however, but a tall, proud man when

it comes to his convictions. A NetApp employee for 13 years, Theo

lives & breathes the company. In September 2012 he was appointed

Regional Director for the Benelux, and several weeks later he took

the time to sit down with me & answer a few pertinent questions.

©2012 NetApp. All rights reserved. Speci�cations are subject to change without notice. NetApp, the NetApp logo, Data ONTAP, and Go further, faster are trademarks or registered trademarks of NetApp, Inc., in the United States and/or other countries. All other brands or products are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders and should be treated as such. Headline source: NetApp internal estimates, June 2012: VNX, VNXe, Celerra NS can run any of Flare and Dart Operating Systems. Contribution of these products to the OS share has been estimated based on the proportion of NAS and SAN installations in these products (NAS – Dart; SAN – Flare).

Accelerate your business with the #1 storage operating system. NetApp® Data ONTAP® offers an unprecedented level of agility, so that your business can shift and grow in whatever direction it needs to.

Discover how to transform your storage into an agile data infrastructure that is intelligent, immortal, and in�nite at netapp.com/nl.

12NA058.00.Agile Data Infrastructure A4 Forma_Robert Dullaart.indd 1 9/26/12 10:25 AM

by Tamara Vyncke


c X o i N t e r V i e W

you meNtioN partNeriNg. this is somethiNg that We coNsider esseNtial at uptime group. i kNoW Netapp has several strategic alliaNces & that you Were the director of partNers iN emea. caN you expaNd upoN the Netapp partNership strategy?

Absolutely. This is a topic that I believe most passionately in. It is simple. We need our eco-system. It

is the core of our success story. Customers want a faster business & total solutions. We have no choice

but to partner up. I would even go so far as to say that based on our products alone, the customer

cannot be successful. As I mentioned before IT solutions are a painting, and no longer individual puzzle

pieces than can be added and subtracted where applicable. The key is synergy.

We must all learn to offer a total solution that is transparently presented to our customers. Each partner

must be open and prepared to share intellectual property. Linking together each partner’s strengths, we

create magic. A perfect example of this is “FlexPod” which has been developed in collaboration with

Cisco and VMware.

could you tell us more about flexpod?

With FlexPod, and the recently announced smaller version for mid-size businesses the ExpressPod,

NetApp has put the proverbial stake in the ground on joint infrastructures from leading IT vendors.

Imagine that you can now buy a pretested, pre-validated, scalable data center solution that leverages

best-of-breed technologies from NetApp and Cisco and scales vertically or horizontally to accommodate

many different workloads. Built specifi cally to accommodate shared workloads, the Flexpod solution is

the only certifi ed solution delivering a full secure multi-tenancy, which is critical in these environments.

Given constrained IT budgets and no slowdown of data growth foreseen in years to come an affordable

solution, like the FlexPod, will open many new business opportunities for a partners like Uptime.

Especially with customers and prospects that are looking to leverage fl exible technology for future

infrastructure requirements.

flexpod is a great example of partNeriNg & alliaNces, Which are key, but these do Not alWays ruN perfectly smoothly. also, What happeNs to your ideNtity WheN your go-to-market strategy is so stroNgly iNter-tWiNed With aNother compaNies’?

Yes, you are right, but the key is to remain open & keep communicating. I would even argue that

partnering strengthens your own identity because you must be even more determined & motivated to

prove your product’s added value in the total solution, to make your color on the canvas shine, so to

speak.

let us look toWards the future. We have alWays kNoWN Netapp to be a very iNNovative compaNy. What does the future hold?

Well, let me start my answer in the past. When NetApp was founded in 1992, we had a unique

proposition, an alternative to the traditional SAN. This created the paragon of NAS vs. SAN. We turned

the storage world upside down by creating the fi rst storage operating system, Data ONTAP. Today

we can no longer speak in these terms, but in terms of unifi cation and consolidation of storage. This

has created an entirely new “shopping list” for the CIOs & IT managers. For them it is key that their

IT works together & remains agile to be able to intelligently manage their growing data. IT should be

worry free & be used to its maximal potential. Our responsibility as vendors is to provide “business

transformation”.

aNd iNNovatioN? Will this remaiN Netapp’s focus?

Absolutely. Last year Forbes included us in their Top 100 list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies.*

We were the only major storage vendor to make this list. This is something we are incredibly proud

of. Innovation will never be second priority at NetApp. It’s part of our DNA. Our goal is not to become

the largest technology company in the world. We are a niche player who wants to be the best player in

their domain. Our company slogan expresses it clearly: “Go further, faster.” Research & development

are the key to keeping this goal alive.

What about the customers? What does the future hold for their cio & it departmeNts? What Will be their biggest challeNge iN the Next 5 years?

The role of the CIO is merging into a role of “CIEO” today. Their key task is to balance technical

innovation and translate it into business successes. IT is no longer something that just runs in the back

room. It plays an integrate role in the core business of a company. The biggest challenge of every CIO

will be determining how to use their tools to move their company to the next level.

i alWays eNd these iNtervieWs With a persoNal tidbit. i assume that a modest dutchmaN like yourself, does Not miNd sayiNg somethiNg about himself?

Chuckles. No.

What is your persoNal leadership philosophy?

Hmm… diffi cult question. I guess I could say that I am guided by my passion & my drive. I see so many

opportunities ahead of me & I try to grasp as many as I can. I truly stand behind what NetApp has to

offer & believe in the strength that partnering holds. This collaboration is the key to success, & it is

important to remain an open & trustworthy partner. No games.

tell me somethiNg about you that i WoN’t fiNd oN your liNkediN page.

Oh no. I don’t remember what’s on my LinkedIn page. Pauses for a moment. I know! I am a huge Elvis

fan. When I’m not wearing a business suit, I’m often found wearing polyester.

WoW. i Would have Never guessed. aNythiNg else?

Well, this is something I know is on my LinkedIn page. I am proud to be a board member of an

organization called “Villa Joep!”. (www.villajoep.nl) It is a non-profi t dedicated to fi ghting a form of

children’s cancer called “neuroblastoma”. Unfortunately, this cancer is very aggressive, with only a 1

in 5 chance of survival. One of my best friends lost his son to this disease. The organization is run by 25

volunteers who have in the meantime raised �4.5 million in research funds. What started as a “mission

impossible” now has a glimmer of hope. Recently, scientists have discovered the cause of the cancer,

which is the fi rst step to beating it.

What aN hoNorable cause! thaNk you very much for shariNg & thaNk you for your time.

*Source: forbes.com & netapp.com

(http://www.netapp.com/us/company/news/news-rel-20110721-851152.html)

UP magazine 19

u g F A V o r i t e S : t r A V e L A p p S

We interviewed some Uptimers about their favorite

travel apps. We discovered that we are actually quite

an innovative bunch. Have you heard of these apps yet?

CHECK THEM OUT!

BOOKING.COM

Many Uptimers swear by this site & app

to fi nd the best hotel deals worldwide.

The many reviews help make sure you

fi nd what you are looking for.

BPOST MOBILE POSTCARDS

Can’t ever fi nd the right postcard in the

tacky souvenir shop? Make one with our

own pictures via bpost’s mobile app.

Send postcards to friends & loved ones

in Belgium from wherever & whenever

you want.

COUCHSURFING

Feeling adventurous? Looking for a

cheap place to stay? How about a

couch? Couchsurfi ng is an organization

of global minds that love to travel.

They participate in travel exchanges by

offering their spare rooms & couches to

each other for free.

MOBILY TOOLS

This unique app is made up of a variety

of tools, such as a Flashlight, Altimeter,

Currencies Converter, City Guides, Tube

Maps,.... It’s our layout & design guy’s

choice for best all your travel needs…

and he’s right. Check it out!

SKYSCANNER

Our chief editor’s personal favorite. This

app checks for the cheapest airfare on all

airlines (including low cost) by scanning

airline-booking sites. Your “one stop

shop” for the best deals.

UP magazine18

First ten clicks on our

QR code win €10 in

iTunes Store credits.

“TRAVEL APPS FOR ALL YOUR FUTURE TRAVELS ‘OFF THE BEATEN PATH’”

BABALAdesign Anthony Du�eleer for Dark

BABALA Black-Red

BABALA Black-Yellow

SPACEBOTdesign Constantin Worthmann for Dark

ANIMAL Red

ANIMAL Green

ANIMAL Blue

ANIMALdesign Quentin de Coster for Dark

NO CAR & CUP LOVERdesign Anthony Du�eleer for Dark

A FEW IMPRESSIONS FROM THE “INTERIEUR 2012” FAIR IN KORTRIJK

AT THE END OF OCTOBER 2012. we wOUld lOVe TO HaVe SOMe OF

THeSe aT OUR OFFiceS! HOw aBOUT YOU?

IPAD CONFERENCE TABLEdesign Kogrodesign for DuPont

CUBITModular Shelving System

THE INCRADIBLE BENCHDesigned by Allard Wendrich & Jelle Kuijper for Incradible.

other treNds 2013iT’S nOT alwaYS aBOUT i.T.


in Klaserie, a private nature reserve bordering Kruger

5:45 am. I hear alarm clocks going off in the rooms not far from mine. Myself, I’ve been awake for about an hour. I’m sitting outside, on my porch, watching the field in front of me while I let my head-light glide over it. I see the glowing eyes of im-palas, who made quite a racket last night. It is mating season, so the males are after their females all day and all night.

Higher levels of testosterone make them lose their shyness. I guess it’s a universal thing; they even walk underneath our tent, which stands on a platform supported by four large poles. The sound they produce is like a series of loud sneezes, followed by a grunt that you would rather associate with a wild boar…but then a specimen with a lung infection.

I can’t see much, but my ears help out. To the east, behind our camp, I hear a leop-ard, which is probably about 2 km away. To the west, out in front of me, I hear the “woop woop” of a hyena, but suspect that it is very far away. It is probably on the oth-er side of the Klaserie River, maybe even as far as the Balule Reserve. What I hear to the south is more interesting; lions calling one another!

Slowly but surely, the sounds of the night disappear and make room for the birds, who start their concert. The sun hasn’t risen yet, but off in the distance I can see that the horizon is starting to light up.

I hear the sound of a zipper opening; my wife peaks out from our tent. I also see the flashlight of our guide, Rein, appearing. He exits his hut, and starts making some coffee. nThambo camp comes to life.

While sipping from my cup of hot choco-late (hey, once a Belgian, always a Bel-gian) I exchange a few words with Isaac, our tracker. What has he heard last night and what animals are located where? We are quickly in agreement about the lions; we must head in that direction quickly. We think that they are located on the plot of Gomo Gomo Lodge. Next door, so to speak. Everyone jumps into the jeep. Time to go!

We haven’t even reached “Old Fence” yet (the dividing road between NTham-bo camp & Gomo Gomo) and the radio crackles to life. It’s the Gomo Gomo guys informing us that the lions are near Boa-bab Ridge Lodge, not far from the divid-ing road between Klaserie & Timbavati (another reserve next to ours). We are in-vited to have a look.

When we approach, the lions have bloody faces, and have clearly just gotten back from a kill on the other side of the road. They made their way to Boabab Ridge to quench their thirst at the dam. We take gorgeous photos, in the perfect morning light. At one point one lioness roars, and the rest follow in chorus. A concert erupts around us, creating a true goose bumps moment. It’s so loud the doors of our game drive vehicle start to rattle.

o F F t H e B e A t e N p A t H : t r A V e L

One lion keeps looking back at where he comes from. We wonder why. Rein de-cides to drive a bit further, down the tar road which divides both reserves. From there we have a better viewpoint. And yes! A bit further there is a second group of lions, unfortunately too far away for photos. But… what was that? A white li-oness? Yes, there she is, the “white lioness of Timbavati”!

During our night drive we spot a female leopard that is well known in the area. She is raising two cubs, and keeps them well hidden in a deeply covered piece of mopane forest. She never sits still, and so we often lose sight of her while we try to navigate around the larger bushes. It’s an extremely adventurous undertaking, however too dark to take sharp photos.

By the campfire we talk enthusiastically about the perfect day we just experienced. It’s not every day you run into a group of roaring lions...or even better then that; a white lioness! In the afternoon we spot-ted all of the “Big Five”, of which four in less than an hour. Even tonight’s dinner is perfect; we are served a “boboti”, Isaac’s and my favorite dish.

Through our binoculars we can see her perfectly, until she decides to lie down for a snooze in the tall grass. We are ecstatic! White lionesses are extremely rare. There are people who come back to this place for years and years to see them. They are only found in the Timbavati Reserve. We cannot believe how lucky we are.

In the afternoon we spot a large herd of buffaloes, 2 rhinoceroses, a herd of el-ephants, and a pair of mating lions! Ten minutes after we spot them, the lions get into action, after which they promptly take a nap. Their “tempo” is about four times an hour, for two days straight. This prompts a discussion about “quantity vs. quality” in the jeep.

“A concert of lion roars erupts, creating a true goosebumps moment. It’s so loud the doors of our game drive vehicle start to rattle.”

by Jochen Van de Perre


Veldkant 39, 2550 Kontich – http://www.upsell.be

http://www.upsell.be – Veldkant 39, 2550 Kontich

Tyrion’s managing partner, Jochen Van de Perre, is currently constructing his own safari camp. The location remains a surprise. His camp will be co-owned by Sun Safaris, a South African safari operator. Using their services, he can plan a very a� ordable and unforgettable safari experience for you. Go here: www.marulacamp.com

Tyrion’s managing partner, Jochen Van de Perre, is currently constructing his own safari camp. The location remains a surprise. His camp will be co-owned by Sun Safaris, a South African safari operator. Using their services, he can plan a very a� ordable and unforgettable safari experience for you. Go here: www.marulacamp.com

All of a sudden, Isaac freezes. His well-trained eyes spot something that we don’t notice until seconds later: both leopard cubs at the foot of a nearby tree. We ap-proach slowly and sit down. The cubs are a bit skittish, but relax soon enough. Af-ter about ten minutes we move on. The fact that I couldn’t take photos doesn’t even bother me. The experience itself was priceless. The other couple did take pho-tos, and left with tears in their eyes. This was their � rst safari, but as they are saying their goodbyes a few hours later, they are already making plans to come back.

Fast forward, nine months later: we are back, and nThambo camp is doing bet-ter than ever. Both cubs are still alive. The male is named Tsotsi. He’s a bit wary, so they only see him from time to time. And the female is named Rhulani. She is very relaxed, and if you stay three or four days the lodge can practically guarantee a close encounter (read; a few meters in between you and her). Full frame shots of a leopard; who said only professional photographers can get these? And who said you even need expensive tele lenses?

The next morning is our last game drive at nThambo, and we try to � nd the leopard cubs. But unfortunately they moved o� into thick bush, where our game vehicle simply cannot go. Isaac suggests taking a trek on foot into the mopane forest, in search of the female leopard and her two cubs. After all, there’s still time before we need to leave for our next lodge.

This is typical of the camps of Sun Safaris; they always go above and beyond. They do everything they can to make every-one’s safari experience a successful one.

And so, we � nd ourselves walking across the African savannah, with Isaac in front, me behind, my wife and another visiting couple in between.

Walking through the savannah stimulates all your senses; it is a very unique expe-rience. All barriers between you and the animals are removed, but it is much less dangerous than it seems. Our fear of na-ture is exaggerated, created by the dra-matic documentaries we watch on televi-sion.

I do admit, however, that this time it was slightly dangerous due to the fact that you cannot see very far in thick mopane forest. We make sure that we don’t see any fresh bu� alo tracks. It may sound strange, but we are much less weary of elephant, rhinoceros, or lion tracks.

www.UPSell.Be | VeldkanT 39 | 2550 kOnTicH

UP magazine24 UP magazine 25UP magazine24 UP magazine 25

r e F e r e N c e S t o r Y

VREG, de “Vlaamse Regulator van de Elektriciteits-en Gasmarkt”

(Flemish Regulator of the Electricity & Gas markets), was working

on an outdated infrastructure for their email. They thus were

hindered by technical limitations. When it was time to migrate

to Windows 7 and Offi ce 2010, VREG decided to complete a TCO

study. They ultimately concluded that it would be better for them

to choose for an external email infrastructure in the cloud via

Offi ce 365.

The implementation occurred in 2 phases to prevent any

interruptions for employees. The pc’s were fi rst upgraded to

Windows 7 & Offi ce 2010. Then, IT integrator ICTinus migrated all

mailboxes to the cloud. VREG bought Windows Smartphones for

the management staff so that they could access their mails on the

road.

As government agency the VREG receives thousands of emails

daily regarding gas & electricity utilization. Last year they decided

that their mail infrastructure needed to be renewed. The servers

were outdated, the disks were nearing full capacity, and the

systems could not longer be expanded. In addition, they began

to notice the limitations of Offi ce XP; often Excel sheets could not

accommodate the large amount of customer information.

tco advaNtage

“Before implementation I completed a TCO study,” explains Karel

Vranken, IT Manager at VREG. “In the study I compared the cost

of all the options. We could buy new infrastructure, upgrade the

current systems, or decide place to everything externally. The

choice to go with cloud was clearly the best option for us, even

taking into consideration being able to write off the hardware after

5 years. By choosing an external solution via cloud we pay a fi xed

price per month including licenses, maintenance, management,

and security. When one choses to host their own infrastructure, all

these costs are supplementary.”

After the TCO study VREG chose Offi ce 365 for email. The pc’s

were upgraded to Windows 7 & Offi ce 2010. To manage, guide, &

complete the implementation VREG contacted ICTinus, part of the

Cronos Group who was their partner for installation & confi guration

of their hardware. “By choosing a cloud solution VREG moved from

a CAPEX to OPEX model,” adds Tom Verté, managing partner at

ICTinus, “enabling them to estimate IT costs in a much

more accurate way & respond quicker to changes.”

fast & effective implemeNtatioN

Karel Vranken: “One expects that a government

agency is always available, thus we needed guarantee

the stability of the systems during the transition.

We could afford to lose any emails. For that reason

we preconfi gured the pc’s fi rst, and then moved the

environment into the cloud. To be certain we pulled

in emails for one day on both the old & the new

systems.”

To ensure smooth migration to Windows 7 & Offi ce

2010 all employees participated in short training

sessions in small groups for which Cronos provided

pc’s preconfi gured with the new software. Thus,

the day after the migration, the employees could

immediately start working in the new environment.

“It’s now possible to confi gure multiple pc’s in a few

hours because the installation of the software & tools

occurs rapidly over the network. It used to take half a

day to confi gure 1 pc,” explains Tom Verté, “Now it

takes us 1/4th of the time, and so we could migrate the

entire computer park in a few weeks.”

flexible & reliable system

“Thanks to the cloud we can count on a reliable and

fl exible system,” explains Vranken. “Microsoft is

responsible for the security, the completion of the

updates, the maintenance, & the management of the

systems. Adding or removing users is much easier,

without having to worry about licenses or suffi cient

space on the server. It only takes a few clicks to add

a new mailbox. A user to access multiple mailboxes

at once thanks to Offi ce 365, which is very useful for people or departments

who perform two or three different functions using shared mailboxes.”

“We at VREG have to guarantee continuity, and that is why we have ensured

a thorough backup & disaster recovery plan,” says Vranken. “Our document

management platform runs on an internal server next to 2 other servers that

host the Windows network. The web server, database server, and application

server are hosted externally. Our new Windows 2008 R2 servers are set up

to ensure maximum uptime. Both servers divide the workload, and can each

handle the entire workload should one go down. The application environment

for the document management platform has suffi cient backup capacity via

the utilization of virtual servers.”

a mobile & uNlimited Work eNviroNmeNt

“Since the implementation we have received very positive reactions. I can

work much more effi ciently now. Because I can access email from outside

the offi ce, being constantly present and/or on call is no longer a must. We

can count on ICTinus, the Cronos Group, and the Microsoft specialists to

solve any potential mishaps. Of course I remain responsible for the entire

IT environment, but I can rely on a team of experts to back me up,” explains

Vranken.

Vranken adds, “The employees are no longer hindered by the technical

limitations of Offi ce XP Excel or other tools. Mobile access to email & calendars

has been very enthusiastically received. Email is crucial for our business

processes. Teleworking is easier, and people can access their calendars from

home meaning last minute changes are possible. All management received

Windows Smartphones so that they could also access their emails, contacts,

& calendars on the road. The entire project has meant a great improvement

for our organization.”

do Not uNderestimate small implemeNtatioNs

“We’re a small organization,” explains Vranken, “We have approximately

70 mailboxes, and so it is easy to underestimate the migration. I would

recommend, however, to always consider the impact of the project on

business processes. I do believe the positive TCO analysis can also be valid

for larger implementations.”

Tom Verté from ICTinus adds, “Replacing an email system is relatively

invasive for any organization, and so must be carefully prepared for. One

must fi rst be very clear what the

email infrastructure & attached

environments looks like. Some

applications & systems do their

reporting via mail; if you start

adjusting the infrastructure,

the history does not always

automatically shift as well. We

made sure to ensure all these

issues were covered.”

compaNy

VREG, de “Vlaamse Regulator van de

Elektriciteits-en Gasmarkt” (Flemish

Regulator of the Electricity & Gas

markets) is responsible for the regulation,

control and transparency of the energy

sector in Flanders. VREG was founded

in December 2001 and is part of the

Department of Environment & Energy of

the Flemish government. The agency has

35 government employees.

challeNges

VREG’s email infrastructure was

outdated. The Microsoft Exchange

servers were at least seven years old,

the disks were almost at full capacity,

and it was no longer expand the current

systems. The software needed an update

because the users were becoming

hindered by technical limitations. The

document management system needed

to be integrated in the new solution.

solutioN

- An upgrade to Microsoft Windows 7 &

Offi ce 2010, solving user issues

- Smooth integration with EMC

Documentum

- Email in the cloud via Offi ce 365

advaNtages- quicker ROI

- possibility to integrate with mobile

devices

- availability

- certainty about functionability

- no longer dependent upon limited

server capacity or licenses

- assurance of business continuity

- disaster recovery

- smoother collaboration

- easier teleworking

Project Integration Architects

“BY CHOOSING A CLOUD

SOLUTION VREG MOVED FROM A

CAPEX TO OPEX MODEL, ENABLING

THEM TO ESTIMATE IT COSTS IN A

MUCH MORE ACCURATE WAY.”

UP magazine26 UP magazine26 UP magazine 27

Who is Nmc sa?

When driving onto the NMC property, one is immediately impressed by

the tranquil & green environment in which they work. Founded by Gert

Noël in 1950, NMC is a family company that has gone international. Their

group headquarters are located in Eynatten, Belgium in the scenic German-

speaking East Canton region.

When Mr. Noël started his company he set out to be an industry leader

in the distribution foam sponges & synthetic household products.

Throughout the next decades the company registered the fi rst patents &

their business evolved to include production. In the 1970s the company

became the pioneer in the production of decorative profi les made out of

polystyrene foam, creating an alternative to plaster moulding products. The

next decades saw much growth through the expansion into subsidiaries in

multiple Western European countries & the United States. Since the new

millennium the company has expanded into new markets in Eastern &

Southern Europe and the Nordic Region.

Today the company is led by CEO Hubert Boston, and can boast a turnover

of 180 million, 11 production plants, 19 subsidiaries, & more than 1100

employees worldwide. The current NMC portfolio includes foam solutions

for multiple industries & uses including: architecture & design, thermal

& acoustic insulation, ventilation, decking

& fencing, leisure & gardening, packaging,

& industrials solutions. Throughout

the years NMC has dedicated itself to a

strategy of growth through innovation,

employing 35 researchers in their R&D

center in Eynatten. They have acquired

numerous patents & maintain a close

collaboration with universities & other

research entities. NMC is also greatly

dedicated to maintaining a sustainable

development vision, illustrated by the

launching of their “Responsible Care”

initiative implementing “company-wide

uniform compliance to environmental and

safety standards”.

What Was their challeNge?

In spring 2011 NMC decided to take on the

ambitious project of implementing SAP

for their production site in Eynatten. It is a

very important decision, but a needed one;

their current ERP solution simply did not

hold up to ever growing business needs.

The “ERP switch” project is critical for

NMC’s business due to the interconnection

of their Northern European sites with the

headquarters. There cannot even be one

hitch in the project, as it would not just

impact one site, but multiple other sites

would be affected as well. Furthermore,

the ERP software is essential for NMC’s

main business processes; NMC cannot

afford a period without ERP, nor can be

allowed that the new SAP environment

becomes unavailable, either completely or

partially, not even for a few hours.

partNeriNg With uptime group

Having already been Uptime Group

customer since 2007, NMC was not

surprised when their account manager

mentioned that the group could also

provide a solution for their SAP project.

He suggested they contact Tyrion, Uptime

Group’s SAP team.

Tyrion pride themselves on being a strong,

talented team of individuals providing

quality SAP technical services with over

ten years of experience on average. Jochen

Van de Perre, Tyrion’s Managing Partner

explains, “We don’t speak in slogans; we

speak in results. Our team strives to not

be ‘just another SAP service provider’.

Due to our strong partnerships in Uptime

Group, we can serve our customers with

a end-to-end solution from infrastructure

to managed services.” Tyrion’s impressive

list of references speaks truth to his claim.

NMC’s IT Operations & Infrastructure

Manager Dieter Huppertz explains: “We

wanted to make an informed decision so

had contact with several SAP specialist

companies. We quickly realized, however,

that Tyrion and Neoria’s skillsets where

simply better than the rest. It didn’t take

long before we dove into the project

together.” The choice for a partner that

was the right fi t was particularly critical

for this project because NMC’s internal

SAP skills are limited. They needed to fi nd

a team of specialists they could put their

faith into.

the solutioN & their satisfactioN

The NMC team was taken to the SAP headquarters in Walldorf, Germany,

and NMC’s needs and wants were measured, and then projected onto

possible landscape solutions.

Tyrion and Neoria (Uptime’s NetApp team) managed this process, and

fi nalized a solution based on a central NetApp storage unit, with a server-

and-switches solution on top that allows fast access and virtualized SAP

environments. A 2nd storage unit takes care of DRP needs, and backups

are done using snapshot technology.

This technology not ony provides fast backups without using server

resources, but it also allows Tyrion to create new SAP instances, or refresh

existing instances, while needing as little time as possible.

The SAP landscape was rolled out on time, at every milestone. Gradually,

more production plant in other countries switched from the old system to

SAP, and joined up with the rest. Next to the SAP ECC6 landscape, PI- an BI

landscapes were set up as well.

All the while, Tyrion kept a watchful eye and provided support on the fl y;

NMC’s SAP environment is covered by a Managed Services “Enterprise”

framework, and the production systems are monitored in-depth, 24-7.

Minor issues were dealt with swiftly, and promptly, far exceeding SLA

needs. Major issues did not occur, another proof of the quality of the

proposed solution. Tyrion’s monitoring setup, which uses a combination

of Nagios and ApplicationManager software, makes sure than nothing

escapes their attention.

When asked how a company located in the remote East Cantons of Belgium

found their way to Uptime Group in Kontich, Mr. Huppertz smiles and says

“We heard they were the best in NetApp, and we want only the best. It’s

as simple as that.” Over the past 5 years the collaboration between NMC

and has grown beyond the NetApp realm to include VMware project with

Uptime Group daughter company ePact & a contract with the group’s

managed services provider Hestia. When completing projects together

NMC has been impressed by how willing & available the Uptime Group

teams are. “Even if we run into problems on weekends, we know we can

always count on Uptime’s teams to respond quickly. We get the feeling that

the different competence centers truly function as one team to provide us

the best possible solution,” explains Mr. Huppertz.

r e F e r e N c e S t o r Y

WE QUICKLY REALIZED THAT TYRION

AND NEORIA’S SKILLSETS WHERE SIMPLY

BETTER THAN THE REST. IT DIDN’T TAKE

LONG BEFORE WE DOVE INTO

THE PROJECT TOGETHER.

UP magazine 27


We at Uptime Group strive to be an entrepreneurial

and innovative partner to our customers. One of

the ways we do this is by setting up frequent CXO

roundtables with small groups of customers to

exchange ideas, brainstorm & get feedback about

our & our vendors’ solutions. Because the healthcare

sector is one with which we have collaborated for

many years, we decided to set up an event that

was sector-specific. We wanted to expand our

concept, however, to also include a workshop in the

morning, in addition to lunch. We knew there would

be several crucial topics to discuss & we wanted to

launch a platform linking IT & Healthcare to prepare

for the future. The “Uptime Group ICT Healthcare

2020 CXO Workshop” was born.

After several weeks of planning & inviting our

customers, it became clear that we were going to

accomplish our goal of having the leaders of some

of the country’s core hospitals together in one room.

We were over the moon. After several months of

planning, on Friday, October 19th, it was finally

time. The tables were set & the nametags printed.

Our apprehension about having enough conver-

sation to keep the event going quickly disappeared.

We had a well-prepared list of topics that we had

previously checked off with several members of

the healthcare community. Our moderator, Roger

Heijmans, founder of Amuzega, opened the forum

at 10 am with his list in hand, comprised of: Bring

Your Own Device (BYOD), the growing healthcare

shortage, & electronic patient dossier (EPD). After

the introduction by our CEO Rita Verreydt, it became

quickly clear that we were dealing with a group who

was definitely not shy. Slowly but surely, ideas &

issues were being exchanged across the room, so

fast, in fact, that my pen had trouble keeping up.

Now we had to start worrying if we would make it

to lunch on time…

briNg your oWN device

Roger opened the floor with BYOD, a hot issue across

all sectors, not just in healthcare. Confirmed by

nods across the room, everyone agreed that BYOD

is something they are & have been confronted with.

The most demand comes from the doctors. They

want to be able to access patient information from

anywhere, whether it be from a hospital campus

or a home office. The issue with this, however,

is that doctors, as all consumers, have varying

preferences of technology. The CIOs expressed

that standardizing on 1 technology is preferred,

however, unfortunately next to impossible. They

have so many issues to address in IT, that there is

little time left to “play” helpdesk for Apple iPad,

Samsung Galaxy, and other tablet users.

When we started brainstorming about a next CXO roundtable event, we

knew we were being ambitious when we set our goal to get the leaders

of the prominent Flemish & Brussels hospitals at the table together.

Would they be interested? What topics would we address? Would there

be enough conversation to keep the roundtable going for several hours?

e V e N t : H e A L t H c A r e i c t 2 0 2 0

uptime groupict healthcare 2020

Workshop

by Tamara Vyncke


Another factor contributing to the complexity are

the wishes of the patients. “When people come to a

hospital today, they expect to have access to the same

luxuries as at home. This is their right, of course,

especially if they are staying with us for a longer

period of time. What can we do, however? Provide

tablets & wifi for every department?” mentioned a

CIO of a large hospital in the West Flanders region.

The consensus was that BYOD is “nice to have”, and

the IT departments would like to oblige, however

are confronted with so many other issues that this

sinks lower on their list of priorities. “After all, isn’t

‘bring your own device’ just a fancy way of saying

‘bring your own Apple?’” asked a CIO of a university

hospital, rhetorically.

the healthcare shortage

Risking opening a can of worms, our moderator

breeched the topic of the “healthcare shortage”. It is

an issue that is international & not always associated

with IT. We do not have enough doctors or nursing

staff to sustain our patients now, let alone our

patients in the future, whose numbers are growing

due to the aging of our population. Next to that,

we are in the midst of a long-term financial crisis

that puts pressure on all businesses to do more

with less.

Can IT help hospital staff do more with less? “Yes!”

was the enthusiastic response of the group. “We

need to make helping solve this issue our priority

to secure the future of our hospital. The shortage

calls for ‘all hands on deck’, and this includes us,”

declared a CIO of a hospital in the Province of

Antwerp. An example cited was the streamlining

of nurses tasks via the use of digitalized dossiers

& digital tracking devices, for example, chips in

diapers. If a nurse can check on his/her monitor

which diapers need changing, she/he avoids

having to check every patient’s room, saving lots

of time in the process. In this way, the nurse is free

to focus on other tasks in the meantime.

All the hospitals in the room, whether large or

midsized all agreed. They need to find answers &

come up with more innovative solutions like the

one above, to conquer this shortage. Politicians,

hospital management, HR, and IT need to work

together. It is an issue that we unfortunately could

e V e N t : H e A L t H c A r e i c t 2 0 2 0not solve in our morning session, however we

had the distinct feeling the simply talking about

the issues amongst peers provided solace for the

group of concerned CIOs.

electroNic patieNt dossier (epd)

To say that EPD is a controversial topic is an

understatement. The level of conversation and tone

of voices immediately shifted when the moderator

brought up this topic. What was interesting was

that the group was “mixed” in terms of their

experience with EPD. Some hospitals are in the

middle of EPD projects, others have not yet begun,

nor want to do so. The feedback was composed of

a mix of information.

As a layman one thing became abundantly clear

to me, EPD is definitely not a project stepped into

lightly. Access and security are critical. Does one

give patients access to all the information in their

file? What happens when they don’t understand

something? The doctors fear they will become

“a help desk” for patients. Some patients look

things up online & have all the information

they need, while other patients prefer to hear

information directly from the specialists. This is

reflected by the diversity that exists in our society

between generations and levels of education.

“Who is going to ‘translate’ the doctor’s notes

into a language that a patient can understand?”

expresses a CIO from a hospital in East Flanders.

The question is met with nods across the room.

“Not only that…who is going to teach our older

generation physicians that they need to type in

patient information & not write it down on paper?”

adds a university hospital CIO.

One of the remarks that struck me the most as

observer was: “Bits & bytes are easy. It’s the

adjustment in way of working & culture that is

extremely difficult.” We were no longer having a

discussion about IT, but about medical personnel.

Who is going to create a structure in medical files

& teach doctors and nurses to go digital? Is this

IT’s responsibility? The answer lies somewhere

in the middle. A university hospital CIO states,

“Simplicity is key! If we can’t make EPD simple,

than people won’t use it & it won’t help the

patients.”

To conclude this topic the moderator expressed

his curiosity as to whether or not there would be

a possibility to standardize 1 platform for EPD

for all hospitals so they could help each other

through the process. After several seconds of

thoughtful silence, the group slowly began to nod. One voice rose

above the murmur, the CIO of a mid-sized hospital in the Province of

Antwerp:“Yes. The Belgian market is so small. Why do we need so

many different solutions? We want one solution we can all use &

tailor to our needs. We want to decide, and don’t want the software

companies to tell us how we need to ‘do’ EPD.”

other topics

We were pleased to discover that the roundtable conversation also

spread further than our pre-defined list of topics. The general trend

that IT managers & CIO in healthcare are experiencing is that they have

become “consultants”. “We used to present our users with products

& they didn’t ask many questions. These days consumer products are

developing faster than business technology, thus it is they who are

asking the questions,” explains a CIO from a hospital in the Province of

Antwerp. Medical staff are actively searching for solutions & presenting

them to the IT department to consider. On the one hand, it is helpful to

have input, but on the other hand, IT does not have the time nor liberty

to consider everyone’s suggestions, unfortunately. This sometimes

leads to frustration because the boundaries of IT’s “core business” are

being redrawn. Conclusion? “We are expected to do more with less,

but often the board of directors does not fully comprehend how little

the ‘less’ actually is. We need to be able to keep the hospital running

24/7, but on the other hand, also need to keep our ‘customers’ [doctors,

nurses, patients] happy. What is more important? Prioritizing our tasks

correctly is crucial, yet also very complex.”

After the roundtable we made our way to the terrace to conclude our

productive morning with a glass of cava and to enjoy the weather

miracle happening outside. (How often do you get to experience 24°C

and sun at the end of October in Belgium?) Small groups formed and

the conversations continued... “Have you started implemented EPD?”…

“Do your doctors also use Dropbox to share medical information with

each other?”… “Have you started with email in the cloud, too?”

The CIOs enthusiastically exchanged stories & advice throughout

lunch. When 3pm rolls around, almost everyone is surprised it’s

already so late. As people start to leave, I hear: “Thank you so much

for the invite. When are we doing this again?” I dare say… it was a

successful workshop. We look forward to hosting these healthcare IT

leaders again next year.

“We are expected to do

more With less...

We Need to be able to keep

the hospital ruNNiNg 24/7,

but oN the other haNd,

also Need to keep our

‘customers’ happy.

What is more importaNt?”


addressiNg the fragmeNted data challeNge

In the early days of Mimecast we started thinking about problems that

business management faced and one of the key things we identifi ed was

that fi le sizes continue to grow and grow…and so does the available space

in an entry level hard drive. But while fi le sizes grew, it meant that business

management had to start making decisions about what to do with those

fi les. And because storing data is a costly exercise, almost everybody

we speak to is looking for ways to derive real business value from their

archives and at Mimecast we’ve got that right with email.

Going back as far as 2008, Mimecast started talking publicly about the

“Information Bank” as a concept and we put plans in place to ensure our

development path prepared our platform to accept more than email data.

Fast forward to 2012, and the fi rst publicly facing change to our platform

has begun to show the inevitable turn of our business to head towards

the goal of Information Banking. This is the introduction of Mimecast

File Archive, a service that allows customers to archive more than their

email with us. Mimecast customers can now archive and explore their

home directories, network shares, SharePoint

libraries, Dropbox and Box.

Mimecast is carrying these same tenets

of interactive archiving across to our fi le

archiving product, making sure that business

management can truly get a handle on

what types of data are being stored in their

environments. But perhaps more importantly

we’re providing users with the tools to be

able to fi nd what they need, quickly, in ways

that suit their personal preferences. In short,

archiving is not just about what goes in; it’s

how useful it is when it comes out.

For the past 10 years, Mimecast’s mission has been to help businesses

cut the cost and complexity of managing their corporate email. We built

a platform from scratch using cloud computing and we’ve been delivering

world class email security, integrated email continuity and lightning fast

email archiving ever since. Our unifi ed approach to email management

has been adopted by over 6,000 customers worldwide and we are now

working on the next challenge: extending our platform to all unstructured

data.

from email archive to file archive to iNteractive archive

S p o t L i g H t o N p A r t N e r S

about mimecast

Mimecast is a leading provider of essential cloud services

for Microsoft Exchange. Mimecast delivers enterprise email

management services that include email archiving, continuity

and security. This suite of services provides total end-to-end

control of business email, while minimizing risk and reducing

both cost and complexity.

Founded in the United Kingdom in 2003, Mimecast serves

more than 6,000 customers worldwide and has offi ces in

Europe, North America, Africa and the Channel Islands.

We took fi ve minutes to chat with Alan Kenny, General

Manager for Mimecast Europe, about how he sees Mimecast’s

future developing in the Benelux region:

What caN mimecast offer compaNies iN the beNelux?

Mimecast has seen an extraordinary level of growth since

we started in 2003 and we are keen to develop that within

the wider European market. With our recent $62 million

investment and the introduction of our new archiving

services, we are in a really good position to offer something

unique to businesses in this region.

What does the partNership With up-time meaN to mimecast?

We are excited to be working with an organisation

that shares the same values as us – reducing IT

complexity and delivering great service.

The combination of our technology and Uptime’s

strong customer relationships presents a huge

opportunity for both of us to help businesses control

their email environment and secure fragmented data.

Where do you see mimecast iN the future?

The future is defi nitely moving towards information

banking and the interactive archive, and we’ve just

made the fi rst step towards that with the introduction

of File Archiving. We will always provide email

management services but our ultimate goal is to

help businesses across the globe derive value from

the data they hold so they can make better business

decisions.decisions.

wHaT’S neXT?Find out more about Mimecast and how we are tackling the data challenge; register for our webinar in conjunction with Uptime Group on December 18th at 11am via [email protected]


We took a moment to talk to Peter De Tender, Managing

Partner of ICTinus, about his Microsoft adventures. He is,

I would almost dare say, Microsoft’s number 1 fan. His

passion for the technology has driven him throughout his

career. 3 years ago he became Microsoft Certifi ed Trainer

(MCT) and has been on an international fast track ever since.

peter, We kNoW you as ictiNus maNagiNg partNer here at uptime group, but perhaps you could briefly iNtroduce yourself to our readers? Of course. Well, i’m turning 37 in a few weeks, have been

married for almost 16 years to Els, and am the proud father

of 2 daughters (Kitana 8 and Kaylee 13). I started working

for Uptime in December 2005 as a Microsoft consultant, and

founded ICTinus 3 years ago, together with Tom Verté. My job at

ICTinus is a mix of presales, technical consultancy, partnership

contact, managing partnering, training and speaking.

besides beiNg the maNagiNg partNer of ic-tiNus aNd beiNg a microsoft coNsultaNt, you are also a microsoft certified traiNer – mct. caN you give some backgrouNd oN that as Well?True. When I started working for Uptime, Cronos was al-

ready famous for its training division “The Campus”. Be-

sides having their own trainers, they relied on technical

consultants from the different group companies to give train-

ing to customers. After about 2 years, I took the necessary

steps to become a Microsoft Certifi ed Trainer. This involved

passing some technical Microsoft exams, as well as being

evaluated during classroom training by an external party.

Why did you decide to become aN mct af-ter all?As a technical consultant, one of the best ways to show

your expertise to customers is by becoming certifi ed. With-

in Microsoft terms, the highest level of technical certifi ca-

tion is called MCSE – Microsoft Certifi ed solution Expert.

From a training perspective, MCT is the only offi cial title to

prove one is an experienced trainer on Microsoft products.

caN you share some stories about hoW becomiNg aN mct has chaNged your life?Once I got my MCT certifi cation early 2010, it didn’t meant

that much. At TechEd 2010 in Berlin, I registered to become

member of MCT Europe, a community of European MCT’s.

Being a part of this community has allowed me to get in con-

tact with other MCT groups across Europe, sharing stories,

issues about training material or classroom labs,… I imme-

diately discovered this was a very active community! Due to

my dedicated involvement in the community, I was offered

the opportunity to become Vice President of the Belgian MCT

community a few months later. Becoming country lead for

Belgium and Luxembourg rapidly followed in February 2011.

coNgratulatioNs! i caN imagiNe that such a positioN meaNt iNterNatioNal exposure, right? Yes. The MCT community organizes 2 live summits a year, one

in Europe and another in the US. June 2011 was my debut as

hoW becomiNg aN mct (microsoft certified traiNer) chaNged my life…

an international speaker at the MCT summit in Stockholm, fol-

lowed by San Francisco in Octo- ber 2011, Minneapolis in April

2012, Warsaw in September 2012, and Seattle this past October.

impressive. i assume that meetiNg the iN-terNatioNal commuNity has alloWed you to further NetWork & expaNd upoN your curreNt role? Indeed. Recently, I became mem-

ber of the Microsoft Learning

Advisory Council, a small group

of 8 MCT’s worldwide, selected

by Microsoft’s Learning and

Training division in Redmond,

WA, USA. This earned me a

free visit to the Microsoft Head-

quarters in Seattle beginning

this year. It was a dream come

true. Besides the international

experiences, I’ve delivered mul-

tiple sessions in Belgium as well, ranging from voluntary

sessions in high schools, seminars at customer sites, and

Microsoft / Tech Data roadshows in 5 different cities last

week for more than 500 SMB partners. I’ve been busy…

We assume you also get some sleep oNce iN a While? Smiles. Yes, every once in a while… somewhere in between vis-

iting 12 countries, 4 US states, and speaking for 2500 people.

hoW do Next year’s treNdiNg techNolo-gies like cloud computiNg, byod, etc. relate to your mct Work?Well, fi rst of all, the best trainer is the one who knows his top-

ics, and is ahead of the curve on upcoming releases or new

trends. As such, a lot of material is available from Microsoft

towards the MCT community about these new trends. Being a

worldwide leader in cloud computing, Microsoft’s cloud solu-

tions range from Offi ce365, Windows Azure, Windows Intune

for public cloud, and System Center suite and Server 2012 in

the private & hybrid cloud area. Windows 8 and more specifi c

its tablet based devices andMicrosoft Surface in particular,

will give a response to the BYOD challenge at organizations.

you are Quite dedicated, peter. besides the opportuNity to speak for microsoft, hoW has beiNg mct chaNged you iN a persoNal Way?One of the most signifi cant changes of becoming an MCT,

is the fact I have come out of my shell. Where I have always

been a rather shy, quiet person, I am no longer so when

speaking in front of a classroom or an audience in general.

I’m still not one of those guys who will climb on a table to en-

tertain people, but when I’m on stage for training or deliver-

ing presentation, the audience energizes me. Standing there

sometimes makes me feel like I’m someone else.

Who? Peter Parker as Spiderman, in some way (although I’m more

a fan of Captain America…) So even when I’m not “the

trainer or the presenter”, by being an MCT and speaking

that much in public, I have gained the self-confi dence

to walk over to a stranger and start a conversation. This

is something my wife and close family never really

understand, how a rather quiet person that I am, can

turn into such an enthusiastic speaker when on stage.

Well, i hope you have iNspired some of our readers. What do you Need to become aN mct actually?The requirements themselves are not that diffi cult. In

short, you need to pass a technical Microsoft exam, on

any technology. Besides that, you need to “prove” your

presentation skills. This is one of the more fl exible rules within

all Microsoft, as there are no clear guidelines for this. One of

the best ways I suggest to accomplish this is by attending

a “presentation skills” training we organize regularly out of

the MCT community. If readers are interested in this training,

they can contact me. Even someone who wants to become

a better presenter or speak in public with more confi dence

could register for this training, it is not only to become an

MCT.cOnTacT inFO

Email: peter.detender@icti nus.be

Twitt er: @pdti t

LinkedIn: htt p://be.linkedin.com/in/pdti t

Blog: htt p://trycatch.be/blogs/pdti t


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@ Den Breckpot, MechelenMarch 2013Job Fair AntwerpKdG, Artesis, Plantijn

March 20 & 21

Storage Expo, Brussels

HUB Job Fair

Brussels

December 18MimecastWebinar

March 2013Healthcare ICT 2020

Workshop

March 5 & 6 & 7

Microsoft Techdays2013

February 2013

Uptime Group & IBM

CxO Roundtable

@ ‘t Zilte

December 6Neoria Customer Symposium

@ San Marco Vi l lage

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@ Kontich

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