Engineers fix problems by building better solutions. VLCM engineers, titled Solution Architects, bring years of experience and certifications to building the right solutions for our customers. Our engineers go far beyond implementing products, they build ongoing relationships and continuously teach best practices in IT. Meet one such VLCM solution architects, Fred.
Fred Steinhorst is one of VLCM’s experts—working and assisting in the many aspects of storage, networking and virtualization. In his role, Fred helps VLCM customers in assessing and planning proper implementation strategies for varying solutions. Twelve years of storage-specific experience has made Fred an expert in data storage. He previously spearheaded the entire SAN storage system of a Fortune 500 company and came to VLCM to share his skills with our customers. Fred has implemented and maintained storage solutions all over the US and Canada.
Passionate about engineering and resolving customer problems, Fred builds ongoing relationships with VLCM clients to continuously assess and analyze the solutions that will keep their data center strong. Like VLCM as a whole, Fred educates his customers on best practices and trains IT professionals on the best solutions for their environment. When asked about notable experiences he's had working with VLCM, it was hard for him to settle on just a few.
When people change positions and new-comers must learn about managing a new IT environment, Fred is there to help. Committed to checking in with customers and resolving any new issues, he takes the time to make sure things are going smoothly after any service. There were times Fred found issues that would have otherwise been overlooked, just by checking in with his customers, monthly. When a business needs advice on how to handle a solution, Fred answers.
"We don't just sell products, we want to have clients for life.” Fred Steinhorst, VLCM Solution Architect. We train our customers and educate them on maintaining their system and assure appropriate utilization of resources. When we realize a company is misallocating resources or using oversized machines, we get in there to help.
Our customers have trusted Fred Steinhorst with over a half-dozen Virtualization Optimization Assessments. Fred mentioned the result of these assessments saying, "At each client I found ways to optimize their virtual environment by correctly sizing virtual machines, improving processes for notifications and alerts, changing storage practices to increase stability, and understanding where the virtual environment was stressed so resources could be added or migrated to improve performance."
Though Fred graduated with a degree in finance, he found his abilities misused in that industry. At the same time, he was helping people build computers on the side and decided that building solutions was what he wanted to do. He went back to school in 1998, received his certifications, and has spent a long 17-year career in a field he takes pride in. View his certifications, below.
VLCM is extremely confident in the abilities of our solution architects, like Fred. We're also dedicated to ensuring our team have a happy work life, and home life. Fred likes to landscape, tinker with things in his garage, and basically likes to work when he’s not working. He says engineers solve problems and make things, and that doesn't change at home. When he's not improving his property, he spends time with his three kids and enjoys getting involved in their activities like soccer and gymnastics.
Check out our website and contact us for more information on our team.
Fred's Core Competencies
NetApp • Brocade • 3Par • VMWare • SAN • Project Management • Technical Documentation • Leadership • Fibre Channel • iSCSI • NFS • CIFS • FTP • Microsoft Windows Server Infrastructure design and support • VMware • Problem Solving• Process Analysis and Design • NDMP • Tape Backup • IBM Storage Systems • HP Storage Systems • Technology Architect • Budgeting • Contract Negotiation and Management • Excellent Communication Skills• Financial Analysis • Vendor Management • Process Improvement • Root Cause Analysis • Planning and Scheduling• LUN Management • Disaster Recovery Planning • Data Deduplication · Storage Growth Management • Storage Performance Management · Patch Management · Upgrade Planning & Coordination · Pre-Sales Engineering
