| QUESTION & ANSWER |
Expert profile: Rod Trent |
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By SearchWinSystems.com editors
13 Jan 2005 | SearchWinSystems.com |
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 Rod Trent, manager of myITforum.com and a Microsoft MVP, is an expert on Microsoft Systems Management Server. He has more than 18 years of IT experience -- eight of which have been dedicated to SMS. He is the author of Microsoft SMS Installer, Admin911: SMS, and IIS 5.0: A Beginner's Guide and has written thousands of articles on technology topics. On the side, Rod is an avid Sci-Fi fan and loves blogging and basketball. But beware if you ever send him an Adobe PDF document! Find out why in this expert profile.
How long have you been an IT professional/worked in the IT industry?
Trent: I have been in the IT industry for 19 years. I spent several years as a computer salesman, but spent most of that time troubleshooting computers on the hardware level. That led me to taking a job as a service manager for a computer rental company. After working as a service manager for five years, I moved on to a Fortune 500 company as its Network Administrator. During my tenure there, I found the "religion" of Systems Management. Once that took hold -- there was no looking back. Systems Management is the technology of the present and future.
What is your proudest IT accomplishment?
Trent: Building and maintaining myITforum.com -- the Microsoft recognized and largest systems management community in the world.
What is it about your profession that you enjoy most?
Trent: Helping people. I've spent the past seven years as a leader in the Microsoft communities for Systems Management, and the last five years as a Microsoft MVP for this reason. I was a Microsoft MVP even before the word "MVP" became a common buzzword. I've dedicated my professional life to helping folks who need answers for managing their enterprise environments.
Is there something in your career that particularly frustrates you when it comes to technology? Do you have a pet peeve?
Trent: Pet peeve = Adobe Reader. If you send me a document in PDF (Adobe) format, you can forget it. Send me something else. I am boycotting Adobe products until their developers "get a clue" and fix the issues they've imposed on the end-users.
If you could tell us one thing about yourself that you would like our readers to know about you, what would it be?
Trent: I'm an avid Sci-Fi fan. Anything that has a Sci-Fi bent, I'll give it a chance. If you have the chance to watch me on a daily basis, you'll see I'm scouring the Direct TV channels for more and more Sci-Fi programming. Of course, everyone loves the original Star Trek series, but Stargate SG-1 is my current favorite. Stargate Atlantis is making huge leaps to procure my enjoyment.
What is your favorite pastime?
Trent: Hehe -- working in the computer industry. What can I say? I'm a complete geek.
What are your hobbies?
Trent: Blogging. Basketball. Taking care of my family.
Is there anything else that you would like our readers to know about you?
Trent: I'm a family man. I've spent my life in many different industries and industry jobs. I'm a technologically experienced individual -- but my heart belongs to my family. I made a successful career, climbed the corporate ladder and then found a way to spend more time with my family.
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