The true Servcorp Difference is our commitment to the best floors, the best addresses, the best team members and our commitment to the very best IT infrastructure. Servcorp has spent over $40M on our own global IT network.
Based in Sydney, Australia, Servcorp is a 'small' global corporation that has big ideas! As I researched the company's background and portfolio of services, the words 'Five Star' appeared everywhere. When I think of Five Star, I think of a fine hotel. To my surprise, when I entered their offices in the 'Terminus 200' building on Piedmont Road in Atlanta (Buckhead), Georgia, I felt like I was in a five star hotel! Servcorp is an executive suite and virtual office provider but their greatest value to the small or virtual customer is an IT infrastructure that helps their customers without worrying about speed, reliability, security and even storage.
I spent some time with Scott Kelly, IT Operations Manager. Scott has traveled the world personally and professionally, speaks three languages fluently and has enough professional certifications to fill a second business card!
We talked at length about the changing landscape of certifications and HP's ExpertONE program. I asked him if certifications were a qualifier for seeking new hires. I shared with him that CIO's that I recently spoke with said that certifications help them create a short list in a flooded market. Scott's response was, "We take certification over education. It's the only way we can validate a candidate/new hire is qualified to work on our systems. In a down economy we don't have the time or resources to 'train' our new hires. They need to hit the ground running." He also said that even though he has about a thousand resumes in his inbox, networking is still the most effective way to find good talent.
Servcorp is every bit an HP customer. From hardware to software to storage, there was evidence of their strong 19 partnership with HP on every desk in every office and in every center around the world! When I asked why, Scott said, "The systems are reliable and the services is dependable. We had one system go down this past year. It was a laptop that someone accidentally dropped. It was immediately replaced." That's not a bad track record!
Here's the rest of my interview with Scott:
Q: What is your role at Servcorp?
A: I am Servcorp's IT Operations Manager for the United States. I lead an exceptional team of professional Information Technology Engineers and Administrators responsible for ensuring the incessant operation of Servcorp's high-performance data and voice solutions throughout North America.
Q:How many systems do you manage and where are they located?
A: Servcorp's U.S. IT Team manages 21 floors across 13 U.S. cities. Our network consists of 110 Servers and more than 120 workstations. Servcorp has chosen SolarWinds Orion Network Performance Monitor for network and systems monitoring and we've recently added HP Systems Insight Manager to assist our staff with managing our HP servers.
Q: Describe your IT infrastructure - servers/ storage/networking?
A: Each Servcorp site has been designed for high availability with the capability to become fully self-sustaining in the event of Internet or a regional hub failure. Our sites are equipped with two call controllers, voicemail server, domain controller, and two additional servers running Servcorp's proprietary software. We utilize Cisco Systems for our routing and switching platform and APC for our UPS requirements.
Q: What is your greatest IT challenge?
A: Standardization has been the biggest IT challenge for Servcorp's U.S. operations. While having each of our sites completely standardized may make the IT Team's life a bit easier, meeting the dynamic needs of our clients often requires we make exceptions to our goals of standardization.
Q: In your business, you are constantly adding users. How easy is it to scale without compromising customer satisfaction?
A:Servcorp has developed a proprietary system that manages staff and client accounts. Our proprietary system has scaled to thousands of users in several countries without compromising client satisfaction.
Q: Do your clients typically ask for an SLA (service level agreement) from Servcorp?
A: We have found that our clients expect service excellence and typically require an SLA for IT Services. We have dedicated ourselves to an exceptional level of service by providing an SLA to our clients and staff that is second to none in our industry.
Q: Do you ask for an SLA from Servcorp IT vendors and service providers?
A:Servcorp doesn't just ask for an SLA from its vendors, we demand one. Our IT Team prides itself on providing an exceptional level of service to our staff and clients and we demand the same from our vendors. In order for Servcorp to exceed the expectations of our clients, we must ensure our vendors share the same dedication to exceptional service quality by standing behind their products and services.
Q: Tell me about your Internet pipe -VoIP? Is it the same in all your locations?
A: In order to meet the demands and expectations of our clients, a significant majority of our locations have been deployed with a 100M fiber Internet connection. A small number of our sites operate using 10M fiber but are all expected to be upgraded to 100M before the end of the year. Additionally, Servcorp uses the Cisco Unified Communications Manager and Cisco Unity for our Voice over IP call control and voicemail at every site around the world.
Q: In today's world of mass file transfer/up load, what IT storage are you utilizing? Do you have plans for growth?
A: Mass file storage hasn't yet posed a challenge for Servcorp in the United States. We back up our critical systems each night which are stored using HP StorageWorks tape drives. We are expected to seek out a more efficient HP SAN system later this year for backup and file storage.
Q: What HP products and solutions does Servcorp use and why?
A: HP Servers and Workstations. HP's reliability and remarkable Customer and Technical Support make for an outstanding vendor choice that keeps with Servcorp's 'five-star standard'. Additionally, features such as HP Insight and Integrated Lights Out have simplified managing HP Servers and Workstations by increasing IT Staff efficiencies and minimizing IT administrative overhead.
Q: What keeps you up at night?
A: I am pleased to say that most of our nights are spent sleeping soundly. Servcorp's insistence on high quality hardware and software, proactive monitoring, high service standards, and dedicated IT staff has made for a network with very little cause for sleepless nights.
Servcorp offers you a global network of the world's finest Executive Suites and Virtual Offices.
A premier address, the finest corporate facilities, 5-star service and world class IT and communications - without the long term commitment or cost.
A Servcorp Executive Suite is a fully-managed, fully-furnished Executive Suite with:
- A telephone number and a dedicated receptionist
- Access to a global network of meeting rooms
- Industry leading IT and communications infrastructure
- Secretarial support when you need it
- A portfolio of IT solutions
A Servcorp Virtual Office® gives you access to the facilities and services of a Servcorp Executive Suite without the cost of a full-time office:
- Work from home or another location, yet maintain a professional image
- Sign up online and be operational in less than five minutes
- Be in control of all your services online, anywhere, anytime
Interview by Nina Buik
