Matthias is a passionate globetrotter and End-User & Datacenter Architect
Matthias has been part of our team as End-User & Datacenter Architect since September 2019. Meanwhile, everyone in our team knows him as a social and energetic person with a healthy dose of humor. Besides being a good-humored colleague, he is also motivated and driven to discover new things and to deliver good results for our customers.
Some facts about Matthias
- 29 years old, going on 30.
- Globetrotterwith the goal of visiting every continent and continuing to discover beautiful places. On top of the wishlist? Australia and New Zealand!
- Secondary education in Economics – Modern languages enriched by a VDAB course general IT, with the aim of starting to work as First Line Support employee.
- End-User & Datacenter Architect at ePact since September 2019.
- Professional goals:Continuous growth and developing new knowledge within IT, more specifically within the fields of VMware, Network & Security.
STARTING AT THE BEGINNING, WHAT WERE YOU DOING BEFORE YOU STARTED AT EPACT?
After finishing my secondary education in Economics – Modern Languages, I started a college education in Finance. I soon felt that this was not for me and therefore decided to quit. After that I successfully completed the VDAB course general IT support. This was a logical decision for me as I always loved to play and work with computers.
After completing this course, I started working as an IT consultant in May 2014. Within this position as a Support EngineerI was mainly assigned first line support projects. The first line support is often the first point of contact between a company and a customer and/or manufacturer.
If the problem is too complicated and/or cannot be solved immediately by the first line support, it will be passed on to thesecond line support. Over the years I have also built up experience in this position and I also worked as an IT System Engineer.
WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST INTRODUCTION WITH AND IMPRESSION OF EPACT?
I had never heard of ePact before. From my VDAB course and interest in IT I was already familiar with Cronosbecause this is of course the largest ITconsulting firm in Belgium. Via LinkedIn I came into contact with Uptime Group, which quickly led to a first conversation with Annemie (HR).
It was a very nice conversation where she sought for the perfect match between me and potential, new employers. During this search she took my interests and skills into account. Soon ePactcame up as a possible match and to be honest, to me it felt like the best match from the start.
The following job interview with Christof and Philip, Managing Partners of ePact, was very different from previous interviews with other companies. It was straight to the point, yet informal and loose.In fact, quite the way I know ePact right now!
As mentioned earlier, ePact was my favorite from the start and this feeling was only strengthened throughout the application process. Besides the interviews and the company environment, thejob itselfalso appealed to me. It was, and still is, a very challenging job with enough variation. Because of my service desk background, I already had my first experience with VMware. I quickly realized that I found this software/technology interesting and that I wanted to continue working in this domain. With this job as an End-User & Datacenter Architect, I have the chance to focus more on the End-User computing part, namely VMware Horizon. In addition, I also find the infrastructure part itself very interesting. In short, a great opportunity that I absolutely could not resist.
WHAT DOES A JOB AS AN END-USER & DATACENTER ARCHITECT ACTUALLY ENTAIL?
For the End-User part I mainly focus on setting up a VMware Horizon Infrastructure and creating virtual desktops using golden images. This allows people to work from a virtual desktopwherever and wheneverthey want. When implementing such a technological, software-basedsolution, we always put the end-user first and take into account the user experience, performance and security.
Data center is mainly about setting up and managing vSphere and vCenter components. vSphere, formerly known as VMware infrastructure, is VMware’s server virtualization product. This means that physical machines are virtualizedinto virtual machines (VMs). VMware’s vCenter, formerly VirtualCenter, acts as the central management tool for data center services.
WHAT GIVES YOU THE MOST JOY IN YOUR WORK?
As I already mentioned, I have already acquired some experience as a service desk employee where my job mainly consisted of handling IT-related problems. My current job gives me the opportunity to look at things from the other side. I can now actively implement, improve and follow up on solutions and services. My current job is still varied, but is more focused on VMware and everything related to it. This allows me to grow and specialize in the domain(s) that interest me the most!
I also get satisfaction from delivering well functioning projects to customers. It’s nice when a customer calls to say that he notices the difference in speed, way of working, ease of use and that everything is running smoothly.
HOW DO YOU LOOK BACK ON YOUR TIME WORKING AT EPACT?
I look back with a very positive feeling. I’ve learned a lot in a relatively short time and I personally notice a huge growth compared to my first 4 months as End-User & Datacenter Architect. We get a lot of opportunities, trust and time to learn and grow here. In addition, you are also part of a team you can count onwhen there are problems or when you have questions For example, I now know perfectly well that I can go to Bavo and Thomas for anything related to vCenter and that especially Michael can help me with anything related to Horizon.
There is room to take several training courses and to obtain certificates. For example, my interest lies mainly in VMware Horizon and I have already obtained two certificates in this, namely VMware vSphere Foundations and VMware Certified Professional – Desktop and Mobility.
Thanks to these training courses and the support of the team, I can now say that I feel comfortable and confident to implement these solutions at customers.
WHAT WAS YOUR MOST CHALLENGING PROJECT UNTIL NOW?
My first (big) project was also the most challenging so far.It dates from this summer, around May, and involved setting up a Horizon infrastructure from A to Z for a customer. This involved 30 users switching to the use of a virtual desktop. Normally this project would only take about two weeks, but due to unexpected discoveries this was quickly extended by several weeks and then several months. This project was not easy and caused me a lot of stress at times, but I learned a lot from it. More than I initially expected.
WHICH EVENT HAS BEEN THE MOST MEMORABLE SO FAR?
Because of Corona I haven’t been able to participate in many events, which is a pity because normally ePact organizes events on a regularly basis. The only event I have been able to do so far was last year’s New Year’s event. We had dinner with the whole team at Black Smoke in Antwerp. Since I had only been working at ePact for a few months at the time, this was the perfect opportunity to get to know everyone in a different, informal way. Besides the delicious food, it was especially cozy and fun!
FINALLY, HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE WORKING AT EPACT?
The working environment at ePact is very open and you are part of a close team that supports you. By this I mean that there is always someone you can go to if you have problems or questions. Philip and Christof take our wishes into account and encourage each of us to find our own way and to grow at our own pace. There is no micromanagement and there is mutual trust and respect. In short, the best job I have had so far with the best management.
Would you also like to be part of our young and motivated team? Then keep an eye on our vacancies on LinkedIn or send a spontaneous application with cover letter to info@epact.be. Who knows, you might soon be our new colleague.
Matthias Saelens
End-user & Datacenter Architect
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