March 13 Changes Everything
Published on 2 Mar 2006 · Filed in Personal · 514 words (estimated 3 minutes to read)Well, everything will change on March 13. OK, maybe not everything, but lots of things. On March 13, my company—Mercurion Systems—will end its five-year run. It’s been a great five years, but the time has come to pursue new horizons. Unfortunately, those new horizons can’t be attained working for myself.
As I mentioned last week when I discussed an important career decision (now you know what that decision was), I find my greatest job satisfaction comes from building things. Specifically, I enjoy designing and implementing complex network systems. Technologies and products like multilayer switches, storage area networks (SANs), virtualization, and clusters are the things with which I really enjoy to work. I like designing Active Directory and Exchange installations, and planning large-scale migrations, and creating server farms. Those are the horizons I want to pursue, and those are the horizons that I can’t attain by continuing with Mercurion Systems.
Mercurion’s customer base has always been made up of smaller companies, and these companies just can’t sustain the kinds of technologies and products that I really enjoy. These smaller companies don’t need and can’t justify the kinds of certifications that I want to pursue, such as the advanced Cisco and Citrix certifications. In order to get there, I have to join forces with a bigger organization. In my case, that bigger organization is ePlus Technology.
I’ve worked with ePlus before as a subcontractor, and I know many of the people over there. It’s a great group of people, all of whom I respect greatly. I am very confident that the excellent working relationship I’ve had in the past with them will continue moving forward, and I’m excited to get the opportunity to dive right into some of the advanced technologies for which I’ve been targeted. Already they’ve told me they want me to focus on some of the VMware products, which is perfectly fine with me!
Of course, this transition is not without its drawbacks. It will be more than a bit depressing to have to give up the “dream” of owning your own company, and the possibility of that company growing to become something more than it is today. But when you look at it again, you see that it’s not just about money, or finances—it’s also got to be about the “non-quantitative” things, like what brings you job satisfaction and, perhaps most importantly, where the Lord is leading you. Ultimately, it’s those things that tell me that this is the right decision.
So what does this mean for you, the readers? Nothing. I’ll still be posting out here, hopefully with more material and material of a more technical nature. I’ll still look forward to hearing your comments, your suggestions, and your feedback.
To those of you who were or are customers of mine, thanks for the opportunities you’ve provided over the last five years. It’s been a blessing from the Lord to have met each and every one of you, and I consider you friends as well as customers. Feel free to continue to stay in touch with me using this e-mail address.