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Senior IT Consultant Jay Ritchie has been with NSK Inc. for exactly one year last week. Prior to joining NSK, Jay worked as an IT Manager for several local software companies. Jay’s experience includes managing data center environments and hosting Point-of-Sale and business to business applications in tightly regulated industries. He enjoys working in the IT industry because it allows him to solve complex problems while protecting his clients from digital threats.
Jay helps clients of all varieties with long-term and short-term projects; some of his bigger clients call for multiple on-site visits and establishing entire networks, while some of the smaller clients require one-off solutions, such as replacing an FTP server.
What is the main difference between working with smaller and larger organizations? “Smaller organizations tend to put things off until the last minute when it’s nearly impossible to implement a proactive approach to IT management. My responsibility is to anticipate needs and take small steps to drive system security and stability, like making sure updates are happening and that virus definition files are current. I try to understand each client’s circumstances and tailor a service level that makes sense for them while making sure they are protected” says Jay.
Currently, Jay is working with a large Boston hotel to untangle a complicated network of wires that has not been touched in years. No documentation exists explaining what is plugged in, where, or why, and the relationship between the hotel and tenants is strained. Jay must unravel the mess, essentially serving as a “high tech” janitor.
As far as the future of computing, Jay believes that virtualized desktops are on the horizon because they maximize resources and could minimize security risks. “With virtualized desktops you are able to access the same resources from multiple devices and multiple resources from the same device, while maintaining a secure partition between corporate and personal uses on each device. In the future it may be possible to turn on your home PC, or smart phones, or tablet and then choose whether to boot to a virtual operating system from your office so you can access corporate resources or to a local operating system for personal use. This would help reduce security issues inherent in a world overrun by connected devices.” Jay explains.
Even though he works with computers daily, Jay says he is “the worst example of a computer user.” He rarely uses technology outside of work, preferring radio to TV, rabbit ears to cable, and a sun-dial to a watch. Instead, Jay enjoys fishing, and spending time with his family in his South Shore home.