Job Title
Managed Services Team Leader
What does Alexander do at Rubicon 8?
Alexander is the team leader for Rubicon 8’s managed services team, which is a group of professionals who are responsible for networking equipment deployment and delivering manage services, including mobility, ICT, unified communications and cloud deployment services.
Many clients will employ Rubicon 8’s services for a specific project, and Alexander is there to help them with the transition from project to ‘operation mode’. This means Alexander can help clients integrate one-off solutions to ensure they can be suitably applied to ongoing, every-day operations. Organisations that adopt a cloud solution to overcome a specific challenge, for example, will work with Alexander to evaluate the larger business requirements to transform and migrate the whole operation into a cloud-based solution set.
Alexander and his team serve both internal and external clients, so no two days are ever the same. Alexander might help a colleague recover a password or troubleshoot a faulty laptop one moment, and then help a client with issues on their mobile device management platforms the next. Whether the issue is a minor nuisance affecting someone’s productivity or a major tech issue that could impact an entire company’s network connectivity, Alexander is Rubicon 8’s first responder.
Alexander prides himself on the fact that he and his team are not simply ‘level one’ operators. In other words, he does not accept job tickets only to forward them to other departments. The managed services team’s value is that they manage issues or incidents from start to finish, not only providing solutions but making suggestions that optimise operations in the long term.
“Networks, service issues, equipment issues; I suppose we are a one-stop shop for support,” Alexander says.
“At the end of the day, it’s all about making sure the customers are happy and that the solutions are fit-for-purpose and a value add.”
Alexander’s first encounter with tech
Alexander’s earliest and fondest memory with tech involved his first Nintendo.
“My first game was Super Mario. I remember thinking, ‘wow’, when I first turned it on and saw the screen light up,” he said.
Decades on, Alexander hasn’t forgotten that feeling and still loves playing video games. Despite the giant leaps and bounds that gaming has taken since that time, Alexander still enjoys that original feeling of wonderment, and prefers to play retro arcade-style games in his media room and kick back with a sense of nostalgia whenever he has time.
“When I turn it on, it’s just like the old days!”
What has Alex seen happening in the tech world?
Like most in the tech sector, Alexander has been keeping a close eye on artificial intelligence (AI) and its growing influence is many facets of society.
From automatically scanning and recording barcodes in the retail space, to identifying and separating visitors and burglars in home security, AI is already making a big impact on how we live and work. It has even shown aptitude in generating music and art, and through content generation programs like Chat GPT it’s clear that AI will influence all facets of society, not just tech and big business.
Alexander believes that it’s time for us to take a more active role in the coexistence between people and machines. AI is not just a way to create smarter homes or make funny art on the internet. Organisations need to consider how its applications will change roles (more so than it already has), skills, and the way products and services are deployed.
“We have seen here how AI is mature enough to be transitioned into automatic networking equipment deployment, so we need to be prepared for how that shapes the tech industry the next 10 years.
“AI is definitely a powerful tool but it shouldn’t mean that people are allowed to become irrelevant.
“We need to make sure we have proper policies in place to ensure that we use it to the best of our ability.”
What’s great about Rubicon 8?
Alexander believes that the services Rubicon 8 provide in an increasingly digital world is not only valuable, but essential to allow society to function.
“We are delivering a lot of network infrastructure across Australia, which is an incredible value-add to society over the next 10 years,” he said.
“Without the right infrastructure, there’s no point in talking about AI, or connectivity. You can’t be connected to digital capabilities without the right equipment in place and we are helping to enable that connection.”
Being part of a team that helps people connect with the future of not only business but everyday life gives Alexander a strong sense of pride in his role. He also says it’s enjoyable to work with a team of like-minded professionals that help him solve problems and have fun while doing so.
