Hot Seat - Dr Zafar Chaudry

What was your first job and how did you get into IT?
When I changed careers from being a medical doctor to IT, my first job was teaching medical IT at the City Colleges of Chicago.

Which IT vendor do you think has been the most influential in the past 20 years?
Dell. It has been able to drive down costs for hardware and make PCs and laptops accessible and affordable to everyone.

Is there any piece of technology legislation that will have an effect on your business?
Within the NHS we have various rules to follow around data protection and information security and these affect our business constantly.

Which mobile device do you currently use?
I recently got a BlackBerry Bold 9000. I check it as soon as it flashes – I’m addicted.

What technology would you save in a fire?
My first PC, the Acorn Electron. It has huge sentimental value.

If you were not in IT, what would you be doing?
Treating patients in an acute care setting.

Which technology would you most like to have invented?
Park assist. The Mercedes B-Class system simply parallel parks the car itself. How cool is that?

Is now a good time for people to enter the UK IT profession?
Yes, especially those who have a business background as well, because the recent cutbacks have forced IT to find new ways to deliver business benefits.

What has been your biggest tech challenge?
Ripping and replacing the entire server and storage infrastructure as well as migrating 1,500 users from Novell to Active Directory for the Liverpool Women’s Hospital in less than six months.