Hot Seat: Jain Giles

What was your first job and how did you get into IT?
When I first left school I worked for an insurance company, then a friend took me to one of those new-fangled computer clubs, and I was hooked. I went back to “school”, did a degree, and, after graduation, became the systems administrator for a local company. After a few years there, I left to join Naim Audio as IT manager, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Which IT vendor do you think has been the most influential in the past 20 years?
There are so many, but I suppose Microsoft has done more than any other to raise awareness of computing, particularly in schools and homes.

Which mobile device do you currently use?
I have an XDA Orbit-2 ­fantastic little gadget, which fulfils my every whim (although it does not make toast ­yet!)

What coming government legislation will most affect your IT operations?
Anything concerning data retention and security.

If you were not in IT, what would you be doing?
Drinking rum on a desert island. Seriously, I would probably have gone into teaching. I just love that moment when the light bulb lights up and you know the person you are teaching has understood.

Which technology has had the biggest impact on your working life?
There are so many. Primarily, it was probably the advent of the desktop computer, coming as I do from a background of mainframes and dumb terminals.

Which technology would you most like to have invented?
The ubiquitous mobile phone in its modern guise as the tool you absolutely must have.

What keeps you awake at night?
I am concerned about mobile data security, and the best way to make sure it doesn’t end up in the wrong pocket. Also, keeping the bad guys away from my networks and users, while, at the same time, not restricting the activities of the user any more than absolutely necessary.

Is now a good time for people to enter the UK IT profession?
I think so. It really depends on the area you are interested in. The speed with which technological developments emerge can make it difficult to keep ahead, but it is the challenge that is part of the fun.

How often do you check your BlackBerry?
Don’t have one ­ the XDA syncs with my Exchange server and all for free. I check it every few minutes, unless I’m in the office (where my desktop mail client pokes me when new mail arrives), in a meeting, or driving.