One of the core principles at Global Vision Technologies is “solving the unsolvable.” As the Director of Infrastructure at GVT, I help manage our infrastructure systems, such as our data hosting facilities. There are many times when we’re faced with that “unsolvable” challenge, and I love the opportunity to tackle it.We have a lot of customers who rely on our data hosting. My primary job is to make sure those systems are up and running 24/7 and without a hitch. I am also there to make sure all of the data our customers have entrusted us with stays secure.

Every month, we work through a laundry list of tasks, repeating many steps over each month to ensure our systems and security protocols are operating to the highest standards. On top of that, we look at customer projects and the issues they may have. We then take those issues and look for technology-based solutions for them. Or, if our own team is running into a problem, they can call me to remove that problem, or at the very least, make it easier to handle. I love the process of solving those challenging problems from start to finish.

An Example for Drug Testing

One challenge we helped to solve involved drug testing. The time spent on drug testing is massive, so we looked at the process and found there were ways to streamline it. For example, when an individual is asked to do a drug test and provide a urine sample, that sample goes into a large machine that tests the sample for a number of different things.

In the past, two to three people were needed to handle the testing steps of a single drug test from start to finish, ending with redundant data input for the customer who requested the test. Now, much of that is automated and the results go directly into our software and to the customer. What used to take 80 to 120 man-hours to complete now only takes about 30.

Security Matters

Aside from making things easier for customers, security is a big issue. We have two datacenters — one in Nashville and one in St. Louis. Each one is packed with security, from 24-hour staff monitoring to secure locks. This is what stops the kind of hacks you see in the news. When facilities are run properly and are properly maintained, those kind of things just don’t happen. Hackers are out there to create mayhem with the least amount of effort possible. I’m there so you don’t have to worry about security. We take it very seriously and we take it off your plate.

When I’m not using my time to solve problems or protect our customers’ data, I like to get out and race sailboats. During the summer, and usually on weekends, I like to get out and travel to different bodies of water around the country. My father was into sailboat racing when I was younger, and it stuck with me. Over the years, I’ve found that sailboat racing creates strong team relationships. You’re out there fighting against adversity, while learning what you’re made of. That’s something I can bring back with me to GVT as we work to strengthen our own team and protect our customers’ data