DEEP DIVE
WE ‘ DEEP DIVE ’ WITH ARON BRAND , CTO , CTERA , WHO TELLS US ABOUT LIFE INSIDE
AND OUTSIDE THE OFFICE .
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What would you describe as your most memorable achievement in the data centre industry ?
Perhaps my most memorable achievement has been receiving my first patent on the concept of Edge-to-cloud storage . The patent describes a device for integrating a local network and a cloud storage system . The architecture of my invention encompasses a new kind of storage system that delegates the bulk of the storage with its associated maintenance tasks to the cloud while leaving a small device at the Edge locations , which takes the role of a cloud gateway .
Back in 2008 when I filed this patent , the Edge-to-cloud concept was quite novel and ground-breaking . The market was not ready and , at CTERA , we were hard-pressed to find enterprise companies willing to utilise cloud storage for their primary data . Today things have changed beyond recognition , with Edge-tocloud becoming almost the norm in storage architectures and giants , such as HPE and Dell , racing to dominate this Edge-tocloud transformation .
What first made you think of a career in technology / data centres ?
When I was seven , my parents bought a computer for their business , the original IBM PC 5150 , with 128K RAM . It was the
WHEN I WAS SEVEN , MY PARENTS BOUGHT A COMPUTER FOR THEIR BUSINESS , THE ORIGINAL IBM PC 5150 , WITH 128K RAM .
first in our neighbourhood and together with a loud daisy-wheel printer , the computer cost my family as much as a new car . I remember people coming to our house to witness this futuristic marvel . The hefty , solid-metal IBM was not much of a gaming machine , with its monochrome , text-only interface . But as it turned out , the phosphorus green glow of the tiny , 14-inch CRT had a magical appeal , inspiring me to explore . I toiled to figure out the BASIC manual that came with the machine and succeeded in creating my first computer programmes . I was hooked . Since then , I was always tinkering with computers .
What style of management philosophy do you employ with your current position ?
You may think of a chief technology officer as somebody who views the technology from 10,000ft working on the long-term vision of the company and high-level architecture , and you ’ re probably right . But at least for me , the CTO role is more about the details . It ’ s about being in the trenches , day in and day out , helping the teams – product management , engineering , marketing – in solving problems while helping them to understand what they are doing and why they are doing it and keeping the departments aligned with each other . It ’ s about driving the product forward in small incremental steps while keeping it on a steady course toward the long-term vision of the company .
The key to being a successful manager in a software company , in my mind , is not being the smartest person in the room but creating a community where employees feel valued , feel effective and feel that they understand the goals of the company .
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