I had already been designing and installing networks for 5 years when Sherlock Systems' clients began requiring that engineers achieve certification in various areas of expertise. Vendors were also beginning to require that certified engineers were on staff in order to be eligable for preferred status and to be able to sell higher end products. I completed the Novell CNE requirements in August of 1993 and continue to re-certify as requirements change. I designed and maintained a demonstration and testing lab where Sherlock's salespeople could show potential clients our abilities. For example, Netware, Windows NT, OS/2, Apple Macintosh, and several variations of Unix were all communicating seamlessly and accessing SQL Server and other network applications in the lab environment. Sherlock Systems was the 2nd largest Digital Equipment Corp. value added reseller (VAR) in the Chicago area. This was largely because we used DEC PCs in the vertical markets we participated in. Chicago's Federal Reserve Bank, The Braidwood Nuclear Plant (among the 10 largest in the country), and several universities were among Shelock's long list of clients during the years I worked there. |