Fixing The Internet's Pipes

Sydney Morning Herald

Tuesday November 7, 2000

Philippa Yelland

Peter Stevenson started out wanting to be a rock star, but has ended up being what he calls a network plumber. As a network architect, he heads the network team for the Internet-based application service provider (ASP) Interpath Australia.

``Network specialists are basically the plumbers of the Internet," he says. ``They make sure people can actually get to Web sites through the multiple pipes that underlie the visible side of the Internet."

He says ASPs are a relatively new breed within Internet services and, as such, there are no rulebooks on how to build an ASP. ``This is one of the most exciting aspects of the job: the opportunity to take a new service model and mould technology to support it."

Stevenson has been in the IT industry since graduating from university in 1988. Initially specialising in microwave communications, he found ``there wasn't enough flashing lights to make that area overly interesting". He was recruited to Computer Power after its on-campus career visit in his final year. ``Information technology seemed such an exciting area. At the time networking was still relatively primitive. The entire field has just exploded over the last 10 years. It has moved at such a rapid pace that there is no time to get bored."

After 18 months installing networks at the new Parliament House, Canberra, in 1988-89, Stevenson was headhunted to the local branch of what was then Case Communications. In 1991, he moved to Sydney to start a band with his brother, and began looking for a job. He was introduced to Geoff Letts at JNA. ``Geoff was the most significant career mentor I have had. He embodied everything I wanted to be as a professional in this career he was thoughtful, creative, highly intelligent and somewhat eccentric."

In 1996, Stevenson gave up hope of becoming a rock star but still wanted an interest outside work to maintain a balanced mind. He began studying naturopathy part-time at Nature Care College, St Leonards, to graduate next year and practise part-time.

Stevenson began consulting work to Alta Internet Business Centres early last year. ``I thought the Alta team were offering some innovative services and I could see that the work I was doing here was having a direct and immediate impact on the business. After a year of working with a fun and dedicated bunch of people as an outsider, I decided it was time for a performance commitment and joined the company in early 2000. It has since been acquired by a US ASP and is now known as Interpath Australia."

It is now possible, Stevenson says, to specialise in subdivisions of the field. ``Delivery of multimedia for the domestic and commercial sectors will continue to present new challenges to the Internet `plumbers' as the Internet revolution expands."

The most useful things he's found in his career are:Individuals who have acted as mentors and shown, by example, how one should behave as a professional;Working with fun, motivated, intelligent and moral individuals;Maintaining a diverse set of interests with some depth outside of work.His advice for people moving into this area:Get a grounding in the basics and understanding first principles, find someone with experience and learn from him/her, don't believe everything vendors tell you about design and product, explore options with all technology;Do an undergraduate engineering degree specialising in digital communications. Any degree considered should have a good balance between hardware and software and theory and practice. Be wary of universities with courses sponsored by vendors;University should be mind expanding, notlimiting.Experience: run up to speed for the first few years in an operational or field service area because it will force you to learn quickly and develop good trouble-shooting skills. Then move to an area where you are exposed to commercial realities with your technical skills. Try to develop project-management and especially time-management skills. www.PhilippaYelland.com.au

PROFILE: Peter Stevenson

Title: network architect. Age: 33.

Qualifications: B Eng in communication electronics.

Job Description: Leads a team that is responsible for all aspects of networking for an Internet-based application service provider.

Highs: Working with great people and seeing 12 months of contemplation, design, and planning become a working system.

Lows: Getting up at 3am to monitor the implementation and cut-over of new systems.

© 2000 Sydney Morning Herald

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