Scott Nursten
Managing director, s2s; director of systems integration, NG Bailey
Career so far I was born in Zimbabwe and started my first IT businesses there, including the country's first ever internet service provider when I was 15 years old. I moved to the UK in 2000 and s2s was formed shortly afterwards as a small consultancy. S2s was acquired by Bailey Teswaine in December 2007; as an NG Bailey company, s2s now has the ability to provide sustainable solutions ranging from the cabling infrastructure and secure communications platforms through to application delivery.
Do you care about green IT? Absolutely. Isn't it amazing that technology can drive efficiencies and improve processes across any business as well as help those businesses do their bit for the planet?
If you could be in a rock/pop band, which one would it be and who would you be? Metallica - as myself on the drums.
What is the best corporate jolly you have ever been on/taken partners on? A trip to Las Vegas - all details classified!
Has 2009 been as bad as everyone said it would be? The market has presented challenges but has also brought about many very positive changes such as the way companies do business, the way they take products and services to market and the shifting view of the marketplace. Overall, despite the challenges all businesses have faced, 2009 has actually brought many positive things.
Have any of your predictions come true this year? I thought that Cisco would ramp up its acquisition strategy and I also predicted the HP versus Cisco datacentre war.
What do you see as the channel's biggest challenge in 2010? The channel will have numerous challenges across different verticals and sectors but one challenge that does seem to be common is the low-cost war. The continuous competitive undercutting by channel companies to gain market share is an unsustainable model and will prove extremely damaging if not tackled.
What is the best part of your day? Going home for ‘lunch'!