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16 August 2020

Mental Health

Hey you, it’s time to talk!

Although my website suggests that everything is tech, I have wanted to talk about Mental Health for a long time. A recent blogpost from someone in the vExpert Community has made me decide it was time [link].

**Please consider that the following subject involves my personal experience. Names have been left out due to privacy and that others might have experienced it differently.**

Mental Health and subjects around it has always been close to my heart, as I was struggling myself when I was young. Starting from an age of 8, I was extensively bullied at school and my local sports club. I was a skinny young boy with a lack of confidence and social skills. Being a gymnast also didn’t help, wearing a tight leotard/maillot was the “perfect reason” to bully me. As I didn’t know how to handle bullies, I was eventually always the one that got angry and therefor expelled. This anger stayed with me for a long time, getting me into trouble even more.

After years of trying different therapies, my parents decided to put me on a after-school youth care (best decision ever!). During my time there I had Social Skills Training to learn to talk about myself. Having others around me with similar problems also gave me the feeling that I wasn’t alone. Because feeling alone is something that I really struggled with besides anger. And that loneliness was killing me, literally.
It took the caretakers over a year to get me back up my feet. Loving myself and taking care of myself mentally was something I learned during that time. And things changed, majorly. I went to a different school to leave behind the bullies and have a new start. I quit the local sports club and took on self defence courses to gain confidence. When I was a little older I started going to the gym, to gain some weight and also as an outlet for stress. Working out is something I do till this day, it’s a great stress relief and also good for your physical health, win-win:)

During the following years I always tried to improve myself mentally, while helping others by talking with people with similar issues. I still struggled with anger issues sometimes, but it was less and less. I even considered becoming a Psychiatrist, but I loved technology too much to not do something with it. I eventually did Electrical Engineering with a minor in Embedded Systems, can’t go more technical than that.

When I joined VMware, I noticed that Mental Health was something quite big on the agenda for a tech company. It amazed me that within such a big company, there was a form of openness about mental health I hadn’t seen before. One of the programs that VMware has for instance, is the Mental Health Programme. Having a team across NEMEA with Mental Health First Aiders to reach out to whenever needed. With my background in Mental Health issues, I felt like I had to be part of that. And so I did, I became a Mental Health First Aider. The first line of psychological support for employees. Attending the MHFA course to get more insight into mental health issues helped me mentally but also enabled me to help others in a better and structured way. I am currently also a member of Mental Health Steering Committee within VMware, creating more visibility for Mental Health within my region.

In sharing my story I hope to inspire others with Mental Health Issues. You are not alone in this world and it’s okay not to be okay (sorry Joe Baguley for stealing your line):

If you have any questions please reach out to me.

You can also reach out to [email protected] or see the VMware website at https://benefits.vmware.com/gb/worklife/nemea-mental-health-programme/

18 March 2020

COVID-19

These are special times. First of all, I would like to express admiration for how everyone interacts to date. The care people have for each other and the flexible attitude of many employees is special.

Everybody should be focusing on their well-being and the ones around you. Follow the guidelines of the government and adjust the measures where necessary.

I wish everyone the very best in this difficult period and empathize with people who are sick and family members who have lost a loved one.

Stop the spread of germs, Source: CDC

And for them who are suddenly working from home, it can be hard. Check this Infographic for some tips:

How to Work from Home, Source: MadeSimpleGroup.com

Cheers,

Remi

22 January 2020

VMware Announces Intent to Acquire Nyansa

On 21st January 2020, VMware announced its intend to acquire Nyansa (“knee-ans-sah”) . This announcement does not completely come out of thin air, as it part of the vision VMware announced back in January 2019:

Revolutionising SD-WAN with Network Edge

‘Network Edge connects and enables critical functions where the customer requirements for transformation reside — at the Edge of the Enterprise — at the branch, in the cloud, and in the data center..’

With this acquisition, VMware keeps building on its belief that SD-WAN has unlimited potential in supporting technological advancements in the networking world.

So, who is Nyansa?

We’re Nyansa (“knee-ann sah”). It’s a word from the Akan language spoken in Ghana that means wisdom from learning. Go figure. Engineers named the company, what do you expect?

Yeah we’re weird––but wonderfully humble. Unlike a lot of folks, we don’t think of ourselves more highly than we ought, but we ARE wickedly smart.

We dig data, I mean REALLY dig. It’s as simple as that. We have a bunch of PhDs from MIT, and MBA types from Harvard, Cisco/Meraki, Aruba Networks, Google guys and so on and so forth. And we’re as diverse as diverse gets. Despite all that, our geeks know how to code, right, the first time, every time. And it shows. We hope. 

https://www.nyansa.com/company/

“The acquisition of Nyansa will accelerate VMware’s delivery of end-to-end monitoring and troubleshooting capabilities for LAN/WAN deployments within our industry-leading SD-WAN solution,” Sanjay Uppal, VP and GM of VMware’s VeloCloud Business Unit. “Nyansa is a proven solution that solves many of the shortcomings of today’s vendor-specific solutions.”

As you can read, VMware keeps investing in technology to suit their customers and give them the best possible products. And with this acquisition, VMware keeps building towards a better and true SDDC (Software Defined Datacenter).

Additional resources to read:

26 September 2019

Diary of a Solution Engineer – Remi Schipperus

My name is Remi Schipperus and I am a VMware Solution Engineer for Healthcare & Education in The Netherlands. Two years ago, I completed my Electrical Engineering degree at the University of Rotterdam in The Netherlands. I was ready for a challenge, and the borders of my home country could not stop me. Joining VMware’s Graduate Academy program was the perfect decision! Fast forward and I am working in the field, in my home country meeting customers every week and speaking at events.

With each day bringing new challenges, being in the field can be a tough but also a very satisfying role, allow me to share with you my diary of a typical week.

Read the full blog here!

30 November 2017

VMware Sales Academy 2017 Spotlight Series – Remi Schipperus

When I started at VMware in Cork, Ireland, I wrote a blog to share why I joined VMware.

I’ve always been interested in technology and helping people with technical problems. After working part-time in sales and finishing my Electrical Engineering Degree, I wanted to combine both my technical knowledge and the sales experience. Making the decision to enter the SE Sales Academy was easy because it combines both at a company that is on the edge of technology.

Remi Schipperus

Check out the full blog!

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