Around Errol Rasit from Gartner in 10 Questions

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Today we ask our probing questions of Errol Rasit from Gartner. Errol (Linkedin, @ErrolRasit) was runner up in this years IIAR Analyst of the Year for 2015 as voted by analyst relations professionals.

1. What are your coverage areas?Errol Rasit / Gartner for the IIAR Around 10 Questions series

I typically describe my coverage as all things in the data center that you can kick, not that I would advise it. Percussive maintenance is not a first option! This translates to servers, storage, integrated systems, Hyperconvergence, and a special interest in in-memory computing. I also run a global team of analyst who specialize in Data Center Infrastructure technologies. We focus on both technology provider and end-user advice.

2. What are your opinions of the IT Analysis Marketplace?

I think the future looks good for IT analysis. Well, specifically advisory – representing the market we are in. As IT becomes more pervasive, and enabling, the breadth of people who require advisory services will increase. From an enterprise perspective, IT is much more accessible, and user-friendly today than it has ever been, and that trend will only continue. But the demand on IT organizations, whether centralized or distributed will grow, as IT becomes more integrated into the business. Today, I don’t know many CIOs who say they’ve got no IT problems. I think every expert group can benefit from expert advice today and in the future.

3. What’s your typical day like?

It starts quite early to catch our Asia Pacific (AP) clients, or my team members in AP. Usually a 7 am start, perhaps 6 if I want to catch Australia, or New Zealand at a decent hour. Throughout the day, a mixture of client calls, internal meetings – all of which are via video, so there’s a definite need for a shower and a shave at some point! Typically the working day flows into the evening seamlessly to catch our East Cost and West Coast clients and my team members that are based there. And sometimes very late evening calls to catch Australia and New Zealand in the AM! This is typical when I’m not travelling to see clients or present at our global events. It’s a fairly demanding day, but I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t love it.

4. Now, c’mon, tell me an AR horror story?

I’m not sure it qualifies as an AR horror story, but AR were certainly present when it occurred. At one vendor event, I noticed at breakfast I was getting a few funny looks as I sat and drank my coffee. I realized I was dressed exactly like the wait staff in that hotel (or they were dressed like me). This culminated later in the day in someone approaching me to place a coffee order whilst I was walking through the terrace.

5. How do you position your firm? 

Gartner, Inc. (NYSE: IT) is the world’s leading information technology research and advisory company. The company delivers the technology-related insight necessary for its clients to make the right decisions, every day. From CIOs and senior IT leaders in corporations and government agencies, to business leaders in high-tech and telecom enterprises and professional services firms, to technology investors, Gartner is the valuable partner to clients in approximately 10,000 distinct enterprises worldwide. Through the resources of Gartner Research, Gartner Executive Programs, Gartner Consulting and Gartner Events, Gartner works with every client to research, analyze and interpret the business of IT within the context of their individual role. Founded in 1979, Gartner is headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, USA, and has 7,100 associates, including more than 1,500 research analysts and consultants, and clients in 90 countries. 

6. What is your research methodology?

My personal methodology is mulit-mode – it has to be. Objectivity is key. Research is the job title, research is my mode of operation. My main source of insight is definitely from speaking to our end-user clients.

7. Any favourite AR professional you’d like to mention? 

I don’t think I could – I have so many favourites, it would be impossible, and futile to try and rank them. I would consider a dozen or more among the best in my humble opinion. When I think of these professionals, they are expert in helping me do my job and facilitating key insight. But more than that they are fantastic people to work with, and to socialize with – which is a very key point.

8. Tell us about one good AR practice you’ve experienced or one good AR event you’ve atttended.

Again there would be too many to list here. My favorite practice is pro-activeness – I don’t know what I don’t know, and there are many professionals that know me, and my research and will prioritize key insight via key contacts, without me needing to ask, or in some cases having thought of it.

9. What are your offerings and key deliverables? 

Through the resources of Gartner Research, Gartner Executive Programs, Gartner Consulting and Gartner Events, Gartner works with every client to research, analyze and interpret the business of IT within the context of their individual role. Founded in 1979, Gartner is headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, USA, and has 7,100 associates, including more than 1,500 research analysts and consultants, and clients in 90 countries.

10. Any hobbies or favourite restaurant/food that you’d like to share?

I don’t get too much time for hobbies, I certainly have been kicked off a few sports teams for not turning up enough due to travel and evening calls. But I like to run, swim and bike from a sports perspective (I’ve learnt to align to non-team sports). I also like to collect antiquities – you will see a 100 year old type-writer in the background of my home office video link! More importantly, food! I like to get around as many Texas/Carolina BBQ restaurants in London and sniff out (and drink) craft beers. But my favourite pastime is to spend time with my wife searching out and ranking our favourite hard to find, through scarcity or quality, food dishes in London. At the moment, we’re scouting as many Thai restaurants to get the best phad thai in London. Last challenge was to find the best Dan Dan Noodle!

11. What is your biggest challenges for the upcoming 6 months? And for the next 30 mn?

The next six months’ biggest challenge will be to keep my travel in check, and to keep on top of my research goals. For the next 30 minutes, try not to be distracted by googling more thai restaurants to try – I’m hungry now!

 12. Is there another analyst whose work  you rate highly?

All of those I have the pleasure of working with closely. It’s a fantastic industry.

 

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