Working at Pixafy for over a year has been an incredible time filled with challenges, growth, lots of enthusiasm and productivity. We have a talented group of people with specialized expertise in a number of core areas. It takes an amazingly-synchronized effort across team members to ensure all projects run smoothly, with many “unsung heroes” working hard behind-the-scenes to ensure that operations go off without a hitch. The IT / DevOps team is definitely such a group.
While most IT teams are usually off in some dark recess of the office, Pixafy’s IT / DevOps is deeply engaged with the rest of the team, actively knowledge-sharing and working together on projects with developers, other engineers, and Quality Assurance. This type of interactivity adds unique value — supportive communication and cooperation between team members creates a truly connected team that is better equipped to provide robust solutions to complex project goals, resolve issues quickly, and utilize resources efficiently.
Companies such as ours grow and function with underlying technology and infrastructure that supports its operations. At every level, we rely upon stable infrastructure and expect it to be working at all times. We often take for granted that our networks, emails, servers, etc. all function without any hiccups. We expect all the appropriate software installed so we can do our jobs properly. While we do not necessarily think about the details of what goes on under the hood on a daily basis, we do appreciate that everything is in great working order. The IT / DevOps team is one such valuable group responsible for getting all of the essential “behind-the-scenes” work streamlined and optimized.
Typically out of the spotlight (unless something breaks!), IT and DevOps are integral because they help all team members and clients function at their best. Managers can perform at their peak when all of the tools that they need, including their desktop, internet, intranet, and more, are functioning properly. Our clients who host their sites with us are thrilled because their web servers are properly configured and optimized. Developers can showcase their innovative work because their code works as expected on properly configured environments.
A top-notch IT / DevOps professional has expertise in multiple disciplines across various hardware and software paradigms. Knowledge of Linux administration, network security and administration, database configuration, load balancing, load testing, complex cabling, configuration of switches, routers and WiFi is essential. They monitor host systems, troubleshoot outages, build and plan scalable systems and servers that failover to backup systems. They analyze network traffic, cleanse network viruses, configure network topology that serves to isolate and protect critical elements of the systems from attack. Beyond this, they are often called in the middle of the night to fix production problems before everyone else wakes up. We rely upon them 24/7.
As we previously mentioned, Pixafy just moved to a fantastic new location! Our HQ is now located at 810 7th Ave, 37th floor. The amount of work involved in setting up an office at least 300% larger than the old one was an amazing task. This required planning, advanced network configuration, new sophisticated equipment, manual testing of every desk, and much much more. All of that was done behind the scenes by IT and DevOps. For everything else involved in such a large move, Pixafy team members pitched in to ensure a smooth transition. I was struck by how much unity all team members displayed, working hard around the clock to do everything from packing to cleaning. On our first day at the new office, all of our systems were already set up, with minimal loss in productivity. Pretty incredible!
On the critical path for success in 2014 is an evolving infrastructure. Our IT / DevOps team will play a critical role in making that happen. While everyone here plays an essential role in making Pixafy great, we can all thank our IT / DevOps department for providing the foundation and support to make that possible.
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