Data Systems West – Thomas J. Ackermann

Senior Systems Engineer
April to December 1994

Data Systems West
Woodland Hills (Los Angeles), California

DSW’s main focus:
Selling Unix & Novell-based professional services, and NCR mid-range computers.

My role:

Provided extensive consulting and implementation services for this network integration company based in the San Fernando Valley north of Los Angeles throughout the greater LA area from Santa Barbara to Orange County and to Riverside (Inland Empire)
Implementation services
Internet seminars on the evolving Web technology for companies such as:
- Disney
- TransAmerica
- Prudential Healthcare
- Eastman Kodak
- AT&T and its GIS Division
- LA-basin-based DoD Defense Contractors
Consulted the City of Burbank on the deployment of city-wide SONET rings to provide high-speed communications to the local movie studios
Presented for Eastman (Office Depot), representing AT&T and its GIS Division, introducing the Internet and the Worldwide Web to over 400 business owners at the Long Beach Conference Center (details under the picture)
Installation of Macintosh-based SNA terminal access via Novell gateways and Novell GroupWise at Prudential Healthcare in Woodland Hills, providing online transparent interaction between email and calendar functions of the client-server GroupWise system and East Coast based IBM mainframes running VM Office systems for the entire division.
Novell and UNIX (SCO, HP, NEC) server and peripheral installations and upgrades for multiple clients throughout Los Angeles.
Installation of the companies’ first Web Server and browsers, online Novell MHS Email system, SMTP Gateway to MS Mail clients and corporate UseNet news server.

Small tidbits:

I found the job in Los Angeles via the Internet (!), applied via the Internet, and picked this one from the three interviews and job offers I had.
Getting the H1-B visa was fairly easy being European / German