The multicultural atmosphere at SilverDane continues to grow as we add our latest recruit, French Canadian Eric Dumouchel, to our Edmonton office. Eric is our new Premium Systems Engineer and has made the move west after working as a systems administrator for a few companies in Montreal, Quebec.
 
Here’s the Top 13 things about Eric (Top 10 wasn’t enough!)    
 
1.       What is your earliest IT memory?
Working for an outsourced tech support company, when the world only had dial up! You could only provide support if they had a second line, if not they would try the fix we provided, if it didn’t work then they would have to call back for step two! So you would have to keep your line open so you could call them back! Now that’s tech support

2.       What gadget or software can’t you live without?

The remote for the TV, remember when we actually had to get up to turn the dial on the TV to change the channel? 

SilverDane is thrilled to be attending Brainshare 2011 as a sponsor. Novell’s Brainshare has always been an excellent forum for connecting with other professionals in our industry and catching up with what our peers are doing “at their place”.

Adrian, Henrik & Taryn will be showcasing both SD MeetMe™ and SD Archive™ this year. Who knows, you may even meet Doug and Art?

Registration is $1,600USD.

We have two fantastic new editions to the SilverDane All Talk and Colouring In departments in our Edmonton Office, that have joined us over the last month, in continuing with our theme of hiring foreigners, Adrian is originally from the UK and Henrik is from Sweden!

ADRIAN LE COYTE
VP of BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT & MARKETING
“Eh hello chaps…”
The very witty and talented Adrian Le Coyte has joined us full of energy and ideas to transform our business development and marketing into something out of this world. He leads our small but effective team. Look out for the fruits of his labour over the coming months

HENRIK ALMSTRÖM
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT EXECUTIVE
“Hej allihopa…..”
Henrik joins us after deciding that the life of a professional tennis player wasn’t going to be as fun as working for SilverDane, (and frankly I would have to agree).
As our multi lingual BDE Henrik is excited to sync his teeth into new and existing customers in both North American and Europe, and has already managed to make most of us feel redundant in the European conference calls.

We had a chat with both of them to get to know them a little better.

Adrian:

1) What is your earliest IT memory?
Being presented with a mainframe computer at age 13, i was told that it could do anything, so i asked it, ‘where is merlin buried ?’…. my journey with technology ever since has been about managing expectations. (they had computers when you were 13?)

1) What do you do to relax?
Reconcile my bank statements

1) What is your least favourite chore?
Reconciling my bank statements

1) What five things do you make sure you have when travelling for work?
Trouser-fly in upright and locked position, a return date, as little luggage as possible, slip-on shoes, poker face.

1) Favourite sport?
Watching England lose (everything)

1) Do you have pets?
Children: emma-6 and William-3
Hates: slow drivers, repetition, bad grammer.

1) Any tips for beginners?
Everyone is beginning something, everywhere

1) Who do you admire?
High rise window cleaners

1) Looking back, what advice would you give yourself now if you were starting out?
Work less, play more.  Every person has their own needs, frailties and sensitivities – and they are not going to be the same as yours.  To get the best out of others, you have to take them into account.

1) Favourite meal?
Indian curry and EVERYTHING my wife cooks (irrespective of the taste).

1) Favourite film?
Life as a house

1) Favourite Book?
A happy death – albert camus

2) Favourite TV Show of all time
The Shield

1) What are you hoping to achieve in the next 3 months?
Relocate my family to Alberta AND avoid divorce
Gain intimate knowledge of the product
Understand how the good ship ‘SilverDane’ works best; those who stoke the boiler, those who hold the tiller and those who man the pumps. ( at first glance though, I do note that there are more people than life-jackets).
Establish a clear marketing road map
Earn the trust and respect of my colleagues  ( preferably)
Generate interest and enthusiasm from those out there who we know need our product and the care of our services.
Sign customers.

And Henrik:

1) What is your earliest IT memory?
The screeching sound of a dial-up modem

1) What do you do to relax?
Watch sports, play the electric guitar, hiking and camping in nature 

1) What is your least favourite chore?
Cleaning bathrooms

1) What five things do you make sure you have when travelling for work?
Credit card, iPhone, business clothing, business shoes, bathroom kit

1) Favourite sport?
Tennis

1) Do you have pets?
Sadly no

1) Any tips for beginners?
The will to succeed must be greater than the fear of failing

1) Who do you admire?
My wife and Ikea

1) Looking back, what advice would you give yourself now if you were starting out?
Just do it

1) Favourite meal?
Smörgåstårta

1) Favourite film?
Saving Private Ryan

1) Favourite Book?
Lord of the Ring

1) Favourite tv show of all time
Family Guy

1) What are you hoping to achieve in the next 3 months?
To learn the ropes of my role at SilverDane inside-out and acquire a new customer to our organization

Look out we are about to unleash these two guys on you!

Our Edmonton office have finally found their roots and after a trying week of moving furniture equipment and IP addresses have begun to settle in to our new premises in Edmonton.

The historic one hundred year old building, LeMarchand Mansion is our new home and offers us a great place to get creative, and inspired as we come up with new ways to help you discover the answers!

SilverDane will be closed this year between Christmas Eve – Friday 24th December 2010, 5pm until 8am Tuesday the 4th January 2011.

Support will be available for our customers based on your individual support contracts.

For Silver Support customers, support will be unavailable on regulated public holidays which are:

Monday 27th December 2010 – Christmas Day regulated public holiday
Tuesday 28th December 2010 – Boxing Day regulated public holiday
Monday 3rd January 2011 – New Years Day regulated public holiday.

Please log your support calls via the support web site to ensure fastest response times.

It has been an incredible 2010 for SilverDane with us seeing incredible growth in our Australian, New Zealand and North American Offices.

We have made LOTS of new friends. Some have decided to join our team, many have decided to become our customers, and we have created many great partnerships this year as a result of our growth.

We would like to thank each and every one of you for your encouragement and your continued support. Without you, our products and our business would not exist.

So raise your glasses one and all to a very Merry Christmas and ding a ling ringing in of 2011!