Steve Cox
Chief technology officer, TSG
Career so far My first role in IT services was with Ford Motor Company, building, installing and managing the internal communications system across their European network. From there, I moved on to Moore Stephens where I sat on the IT committee, looked after the partners and managed the transition from IBM OS2 to Windows, providing support for offices throughout the UK. My next move took me into the world of financial services, and after sitting my FSA exams, I provided desktop support at International Finance Data Services for four years before taking on the role of client relations manager working with major global institutions including Barclays Capital, State Street and Jupiter. It was during this time that I really began to understand business and focus on how technology can be applied to create real impact in a business context. Prior to joining TSG in 2009, I spent five years getting to grips with the very different challenge of applying technology solutions within SMEs for a London-based reseller and IT services company, where I took on both operational responsibility and drove strategic direction. Now, in my role at TSG, I’m translating what I learned working at an enterprise level in a corporate environment for the benefit of SMBs. I’m convinced that if they get it right, technology can give them a real competitive edge.
If you could be anyone else for a week, who would you be? It would have to have been Steve Jobs, just to get a glimpse into his incredible insight. He was the master of simplification with an amazing ability to deliver what consumers need and the bit of magic they never knew they needed. His unwavering focus on achieving a goal allowed him to change the face of technology and still retain control of a massive business.
What will next year’s most overhyped industry buzzword be? I’ll let you know when I get back from WPC! Hopefully not “superjazzed” – which might just become the vajazzle of the IT world.
Has 2012 been a good, bad or ugly year? It’s been a great year for TSG – especially considering the state of the economy. But it’s been a confusing year for the IT consumer with a raft of new technology and acronyms. Our role has to be to translate the simple and impressive benefits that will help them make the right decisions and yield significant results.
What would you have as your last meal? Chicken tikka jalfrezi from my local curry house in Danbury washed down with a few pints of Cobra – the perfect combination. (A bit like the perfect blend of technologies we combine for TSG customers!).
What keeps you awake at night? Not much really but if there is one thing that always plays on my mind me it’s the industry’s obsession with overcomplicating what really can be simple solutions for business.
What piece of technology could you not be without? It would have to be my smartphone – I like to be in touch with what’s happening. Although, I don’t let it keep me awake at night!
Have any of your predictions come true this year? I predicted that TSG wouldn’t be shortlisted for the CRN Channel Awards. Although that’s probably because we didn’t enter. Next year will be different!
What it the best partner/customer trip you have ever been on? We travelled with a distributor on a private plane to Reims for a tour around a champagne factory, and that was followed with a night at the Aviator Hotel in Farnborough. Hard to beat but I’m open to suggestions.
What do you see as the channel’s biggest challenge in 2013? We need to cut through the complexity of an ever-changing technology landscape. Our role must be to keep pace, evaluate new products and present simple and elegant solutions for our customers to enhance their businesses and deliver results.