Michael knew from an early age that IT was the way to go.
Michael has been part of our team since March 2016 and celebrated his five-year work anniversary last week. He started as a Virtualization expert but has developed his skills over the years and recently added Technical Teamlead EUC to his job title… and this position really suits him! Why? When you think of Michael, you automatically think of someone with a wide range of technical knowledge who is always ready to help his colleagues.
Some facts about Michael
- 30 years young
- Family manwho has always dreamed of a career in IT. Traditional “house-garden-baby” goals? Check, check and CHECK!
- Bachelors degree in Applied Computer Science.
- Started in March 2016 as a Virtualization Expert and worked his way up to End-User & Datacenter Architectand Technical Teamlead EUC in 2021.
- Professional Goals: Start from a broad knowledge within the different facets of IT and then continue to specialize. Not just doing what he is good at, but looking at the things that are going on within the market and what is coming up in order to keep moving forward and keep learning.
FIRST THINGS FIRST, WHAT DID YOU DO BEFORE EPACT?
Ever since I was a little boy I have known that I wanted to do something with computer science in the future. I actually ‘inherited’ this from my uncles and my grandfather. . As long as I can remember people around me have been busy with computers and so I automatically got into it. I have always made my study choices with a future within the IT sector in mind, even in secondary school.
During my bachelor’s programme I had to do an internship like everyone else. I did mine at Uptime Group, more specifically at Hestiain the database team. At that time I already had a preference for virtualization and storage and yes, I’ve already got my eyes on ePact! Unfortunately there were no opportunities at that time and so I started at HP via Talent Planet as a Flex Deploy Engineer.
As a Flex Deploy Engineer I mainly did migrations from Windows XP to Windows 7. At first glance this was something completely different from my current job, but when you look a little further, there are some similarities. For example, I worked there with a tool that has a lot of similarities with the System Center Configuration Manager(SCCM or ConfigMgr), part of the Microsoft System Center Suite. I often use it with EUC and it is responsible for the management and inventory of PCs and servers.
HOW DID YOU FIND YOUR WAY TO EPACT?
After my internship I always kept following Uptime Group. Out of interest, but also to see if there were any new opportunities. When I decided to look for something new, I was lucky because there was a position as a virtualization expert open at ePact. I decided to take a chance and it was a match from the start, a very good match in fact!
During my job interview with Annemie, HR employee at Uptime Group, I was introduced to Christof Ugau. At this moment, he is of courseManaging Partner, but at that time he was still working as Lead Architect. This conversation was very down to earth and informal. We talked about myinterests, experiences and expectations for my next job. After this interview, I had a very positive feeling and knew that they would make me a financial offer.
Besides the job itself, this conversation was definitely a deciding factor to start at ePact.. If I’m honest, the team and Christof and Philip as managing partner are a very important reason why I’m still working here after five years
WHAT ARE YOUR INTERESTS?
When I started at ePact five years ago, it was mainly storage and virtualization, but these interests have evolved over the years. As an End-User Architect I focus on the modern workplace and where we can further optimize the work of employees in order to increase their productivity. Then of course I also define the technologies we need to make the project work. Besides that I am also interested in securityand some other ‘next-gen’ developmentsthat gained my interest such as cloud native and modern management. At this moment I don’t work with this often, but I’m just very interested in how this all works.
WHAT DOES YOUR JOB ENTAIL IN CONCRETE TERMS?
I regularly do projects as an End-User Architect and recently added my tasks as aTechnical Teamlead EUC which include the training and support of my EUC colleagues Matthias, Sam and Serge. It gives me great satisfaction to see that I inspire them with my enthusiasm and that I can hand things over with confidence.
As an architect, I determine the architecture for projects, see how we can set everything up, what we need for this and how all these pieces fit together. I still often do (part of) the implementation myself, but in time I would like to phase this out and mainly support the others.
While configuring and setting up I mainly work with VMware, but throughout the process you also come into contact with other products. For example, you often have to check how the network– the load-balancing – has been set up, but you also come into contact with Microsoft technology. Just think about active directory, exchange or Office 365. Every project is different, but VMware is often the core of it all.
HOW DO YOU LOOK BACK ON THE PAST FEW YEARS?
Very well. I have learned a lot and I was always lucky to have colleagues with a lot of knowledge. This ensures that you learn a lot in a short time. At ePact you also get the chance to obtain certificates. For example, this year I earned my VCP(Digital Workspace), DCV(Data Center Virtualization) and VCAP(Desktop and Mobility Design) from Horizon.
In the past, I also certified myself in Trend Micro products, which was Office Scan and Deep Security back then. Because I’m less involved with this now, I didn’t pursue this any further. Don’t get me wrong, I still have enough knowledge to support the team or check the set-up on new projects. It’s just not my ‘core job’ anymore.
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?
Even before I started at ePact, one of our customers had made the choice to switch to VDi. This stemmed from the idea that IT needed to be approached in a more structured way and that everything needed to work more uniformly. From this starting point they ended up with VMware’s Horizon solution.
Now, a few years later, I have taken over this client from one of my colleagues and we have already completed some projects in the past. This is because a new project already comes up when the previous one has just been completed. For example, a few years ago we had just finished switching to Windows 7 and already had to switch to Windows 10.
Right now we are working on another new project. We are streamlining everything and are creating a new image to enable the transition to Office 365. By doing this project, I’m aiming to set up and implement the infrastructure in such a way that we can do everything more streamlined in the future. So that, in other words, we no longer have to work in project mode, but in operational mode.
When I finish this project, the circle is complete. This was my first solo project and I learned a lot from it. In addition, I have already been able to reuse the knowledge and experience in other (smaller) projects.
WHICH EVENT HAS BEEN THE MOST MEMORABLE SO FAR?
Actually, there are two events. First of all, the ski trip 2 years ago. This event was set up to get to know vendors in an informal setting. In short, this was just a really fun week, especially since I hadn’t snowboarded in a long time and have always loved doing so. Secondly, this is without a doubt the annual Cronos party for ‘Sinterklaas‘. Not only the kids look forward to this event, but we do too. It’s a whole day of fun… and of course lots of food and drinks!
FINALLY, HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE WORKING AT EPACT?
Your job will definitely be very challenging, but you have to be able to bring structure within your day and job. Don’t get me wrong, you’ll be part of a close group of colleagues that will always be willing to help you with questions or problems. It’s very nice to work here, I have nothing to complain about!
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.
Michael Franck
Technical Teamlead EUC & End-user & Datacenter Architect
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