Our prospects are the guts and soul of all the pieces we do at Cisco and every one in every of them has an fascinating story to inform! Our Q&A collection permits us to shine a highlight on a few of our most passionate buyer advocates as we be taught extra about their tales and backgrounds.
Cisco’s advocacy neighborhood, Cisco Insider Advocates, brings our prospects collectively and offers a manner for them to make highly effective connections, develop their skilled and private networks, and be taught from high consultants of their area. One of our objectives with our advocacy neighborhood is to deepen {our relationships} with our prospects and right this moment, we’ve one of many friendliest faces locally becoming a member of us for a chat. I’m excited to welcome Rik Aragoza from Kinly.
Welcome, Rik! Let’s kick issues off by speaking about what you needed to be once you have been 16 years outdated?
Like most youngsters, I needed to spend my time on leisurely actions, issues like enjoying my guitar or on-line gaming. Interestingly, my expertise with on-line gaming is what sparked me to lean in direction of a profession in IT and pursue a level in Information Technology from Saint Louis University.
I really feel like on-line gaming is a good preliminary gateway into IT, for certain! Where did you begin your profession, and what skilled resolution or alternative helped lead you to your present function?
I began my profession in IT Administration with my first firm, Datacom Connect, which led to a fruitful five-year profession. Together with my superior staff (DSC – Myke, James, Paolo, Laurence, Francis and Mark), we dealt with each aspect of IT, from end-to-end deployments of latest Line of Businesses to publish Operations Support. Due to a number of circumstances, I made a decision to enterprise abroad to my present function as a specialist in Unified Communications for Kinly (which was then named Visions Connected). I wish to thank Marco Faassen and Jeroen Beek for offering me with this chance! I’ve realized lots of real-world IT fundamentals, skilled expertise, and adjusting to completely different cultural expectations in work ethic, all of which has helped me to this present day!
That’s an unbelievable journey you’ve been on Rik, and I can recognize how a lot your organization leaders and staff have helped you in your profession. How has partnering with Cisco helped you in your function?
Cisco has been instrumental in my skilled development. I used to be in a position to attain working data of Cisco merchandise and {hardware} via self-paced trainings and official certifications, just like the Cisco Certified Network Associate certification throughout the early days of my profession. This has opened lots of doorways for me. I’m now centered on Unified Communications, as Kinly is a video conferencing service supplier. Cisco has been our mainstay within the collaboration platform that we provide to our prospects, alongside different industry-leading distributors within the video conferencing area.
What’s been your largest problem in your organization not too long ago, and the way did you overcome it?
As with most firms, the impacts of COVID-19 had utterly shaken the {industry}, and it’s nonetheless felt right this moment. Cisco’s Unified Communications options (Cisco Collaboration Suite, and Webex extra not too long ago) have immensely helped us overcome the restrictions of the standard working mannequin led to by this example, in addition to lengthen this resolution to our prospects by way of the providers that we offer.
You touched on some key collaboration challenges that I believe lots of companies are nonetheless struggling to beat, because the begin of the pandemic. Let’s transfer on to our buyer advocacy neighborhood. How would you describe it to these aren’t accustomed to it?
To put it merely, Cisco Insider Advocates is a web-based neighborhood the place likeminded Cisco prospects within the IT area can collect to acquire and share sources. The neighborhood affords a ton of advantages, each bodily and digital in nature, within the type of networking alternatives and precious technological nuggets via articles and information. The neighborhood actually is a one-stop-shop on your day by day Cisco wants!
You’re one in every of our neighborhood “Rockstars.” What made you wish to be a part of, and the way has being a part of this neighborhood impacted you each professionally and personally?
I joined to get “Insider” info (pun meant)! Being a part of this neighborhood has been a tremendous journey for me, ranging from a newbie member who was initially simply casually dropping in on-line to The Global Gateway (now known as Cisco Insider Advocates). The neighborhood is how I hold updated with the most recent information from Cisco. I used to be additionally in a position to cease by the Cisco Insider Advocacy sales space on the latest Cisco Live EMEA 2023 occasion in Amsterdam.
You have been one in every of our “Road To Cisco Live” winners—congratulations! We would like to know extra about your expertise at Cisco Live this previous February. And, what would you say to those that are on the fence about going to Cisco Live, based mostly in your expertise this 12 months?
It was a tremendous expertise, as I acquired to fulfill individuals locally in actual life! Being in an surroundings which has large quantities of technical and enjoyable periods is a “must have” within the IT area. For those that are lacking out, I encourage you to attend a Cisco Live convention—and higher but, be a part of the Cisco Insider Advocates neighborhood!
Cisco Live conferences all over the world all the time provide lots of enjoyable sales space actions, periods, and experiences. Which have been your favourite actions from Cisco Live 2023 in Amsterdam, and why?
I most loved the technical periods that have been aligned with my present function in Unified Communications. The periods offered an immense quantity of precious data, from introductory matters to technical deep dives, in addition to product roadmaps which helped me be prepared for what’s coming subsequent with Webex and its highly effective interoperability. Meeting Cisco’s Global Advocacy Team is after all additionally one in every of my favourite experiences! Hopefully, I’ll once more be capable to spend extra time with the staff on the subsequent Cisco Live convention.
We’re glad we acquired an opportunity to spend extra time with you, as effectively, Rik! You additionally had an opportunity to fulfill for the primary time/reconnect with a few of your friends from the neighborhood and members of Cisco’s Global Advocacy staff! How did you take pleasure in that reconnection?
After just a few years locally and solely seeing thumbnails of member profile footage, it was good to lastly meet and discuss to my friends in individual, in addition to meet the Cisco staff who manages the Cisco Insider Advocates neighborhood!
We’re virtually on the finish of the interview and we’d love to complete with three issues you’ll be able to’t reside with out?
- Family
- Food
- Technology
It’s been a pleasure to talk with you Rik, thanks once more for becoming a member of us!
You are welcome, Rashik!
Read extra advocate interviews
You may take pleasure in this interview with Girgis Hady.
Join us!
For our prospects who’ve already joined our Cisco Insider Advocates neighborhood, say whats up to Rik in the event you haven’t met one another but. And for these Cisco prospects who haven’t but joined, take into account doing so. You’ll be capable to:
- Connect with friends in a gamified, on-line neighborhood
- Have a possibility to fulfill with Cisco’s executives
- Share your suggestions, questions, and greatest practices
- Get entry to ‘insider’ content material and sources
- Grow your skilled and private model
- Amplify your organization’s success story with Cisco expertise
Ready to get began?
Head over to the Cisco Insider Advocates Community and say whats up!
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