Q&A: Michael Styer, country manager of NetApp South Africa
MyBroadband BussinessTech got together with Michael Styer, country manager of NetApp South Africa, for a bit of Q&A about the current state of tech in SA, and what he does when he’s not bustling away at work.
What is the growth path like for storage solutions in SA?
Storage grows irrespective of the macro conditions ….. There has been much belt-tightening over the last year or two – and this is starting to catch up with companies.
These companies now have to expand dramatically, and there are also regulatory requirements which are driving storage growth. In short, the storage growth path for SA is in line with global trends and looks good.
Will we see a new disruptive innovation in 2012?
Cloud is the buzz it is going to be disruptive as companies evaluate whether they go into this space and how deep they jump into it.
What is your biggest challenge, what keeps you awake at night?
The changing dynamics of the SA marketplace keep me awake at night; these include, but are not limited to: a volatile exchange rate; the volatile economic environment – especially in the lead up to elections this year; inflation caused by global events like floods and earthquakes; the brain drain; and the China Syndrome.
What margins are you working on?
Netapp has a number of go-to-market models, and margins depend heavily on what the route taken is. If we are doing high-volume, low-end product – the margins are predefined and low, in order to be competitive in a very tight market segment (namely the low-end storage market segment).
The Netapp value proposition is also dependent on both hardware and software – the blend of both dictates the margin.
What do you do when you’re not at the office?
I have three school going daughters who keep me very busy and when they don’t have me slaving away I do metal work and metal casting.
What gets you out of bed in the morning?
I love the challenge of being new kid on the block with a world-beating product – with a mandate to establish a viable business with a plan to capture significant market share.
Did Santa spoil you with any new tech gadgets over Christmas?
Yes he did! I got a new house, which needs to be kitted-out with all of the gadgetry that a techno geek like myself needs (laughs).
What is your industry bugbear?
The gap between early adopters and conservative implementers is wide, thus we have many generations of technology in the marketplace at any given time and this creates immense complexity which is difficult to manage.
Any favourite apps in your library?
Sound Hound, Mixmeister, Angry Birds and Photoshop
Online video in enterprise? Yes or no?
YES most definitely, however South African Bandwidth still has a way to go!
Social media – yes or no?
Yes! Linkedin is fantastic as a personal/work tool – and BBM is fantastic as a communication tool. I do find Facebook tedious and keep a very low profile there. I love Twitter for sports scores and pig spotter.
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