OpenDNS Celebrates System Administrator Appreciation Day
OpenDNS Community Rallies to Give SysAdmins the Credit they Deserve
Jul 27, 2007 — SAN FRANCISCO – OpenDNS, the award-winning DNS provider that makes the Internet safer, faster, smarter and more reliable, today is celebrating the eighth-annual System Administrator Appreciation Day, drawing attention to the people who fill one of the most invaluable roles in an organization.
System administrators are responsible for keeping all aspects of an organization’s computer system functional, which then provides employees the tools they need to do their job. Unfortunately the role is often a thankless one and system administrators are frequently the unsung heroes of their organization.
According to SysAdminDay.com, the idea for System Administrator Appreciation Day is credited to IT professional Ted Kekatos, who himself was inspired by an Hewlett-Packard printer ad depicting droves of employees bearing gifts for the IT pro who purchased an HP printer. The ad reminder Kekatos of the lack of recognition for his hard work and the following day he sparked the idea for System Administrator Appreciation Day.
During the eight years since its inception, adoption of the day has been wide, with several industry organizations publicly recognizing it, including League of Professional System Administrators (LOPSA).
To increase awareness of System Administrator Appreciation Day, OpenDNS celebrated the day throughout the month of July, each Monday announcing a challenge and each Friday announcing the winner. Challenge four winner Patrick Farlay, System Administrator for Florida Drug Screening Inc., tell of a scenario familiar to most, if not all, system administrators.
“It’s hard to get a lot done when I have to stop constantly to help someone track a problem. No big deal, that’s what I’m here for,” says Farlay. “What bothers me is that Monday and Tuesday everyone took the time to come to me for something, but no one had the two seconds afterward to say thanks. Anyone in IT has had that ‘not appreciated’ feeling.”
“There are few individuals in an organization that carry a role as important as the sysadmin’s,” said OpenDNS CEO David Ulevitch. “We take technology for granted – being able to check e-mail and connect to the Internet. But it’s important that we consider the person who enables us to have that luxury, and further, to make it work so well that we don’t need to think about it. Happy System Administrator Appreciation Day. Make sure you show yours that you appreciate his or her hard work.”
About OpenDNS
OpenDNS makes the Internet safer, faster, smarter and more reliable. Based in San Francisco, the company operates a large distributed network that powers a new kind of recursive DNS (Domain Name System) service that provides all Internet users increased security, reliability and performance. OpenDNS is thoroughly committed to building and operating the best DNS platform in the world and to improving the Internet. For more information about OpenDNS, please visit: www.opendns.com
System administrators are responsible for keeping all aspects of an organization’s computer system functional, which then provides employees the tools they need to do their job. Unfortunately the role is often a thankless one and system administrators are frequently the unsung heroes of their organization.
According to SysAdminDay.com, the idea for System Administrator Appreciation Day is credited to IT professional Ted Kekatos, who himself was inspired by an Hewlett-Packard printer ad depicting droves of employees bearing gifts for the IT pro who purchased an HP printer. The ad reminder Kekatos of the lack of recognition for his hard work and the following day he sparked the idea for System Administrator Appreciation Day.
During the eight years since its inception, adoption of the day has been wide, with several industry organizations publicly recognizing it, including League of Professional System Administrators (LOPSA).
To increase awareness of System Administrator Appreciation Day, OpenDNS celebrated the day throughout the month of July, each Monday announcing a challenge and each Friday announcing the winner. Challenge four winner Patrick Farlay, System Administrator for Florida Drug Screening Inc., tell of a scenario familiar to most, if not all, system administrators.
“It’s hard to get a lot done when I have to stop constantly to help someone track a problem. No big deal, that’s what I’m here for,” says Farlay. “What bothers me is that Monday and Tuesday everyone took the time to come to me for something, but no one had the two seconds afterward to say thanks. Anyone in IT has had that ‘not appreciated’ feeling.”
“There are few individuals in an organization that carry a role as important as the sysadmin’s,” said OpenDNS CEO David Ulevitch. “We take technology for granted – being able to check e-mail and connect to the Internet. But it’s important that we consider the person who enables us to have that luxury, and further, to make it work so well that we don’t need to think about it. Happy System Administrator Appreciation Day. Make sure you show yours that you appreciate his or her hard work.”
About OpenDNS
OpenDNS makes the Internet safer, faster, smarter and more reliable. Based in San Francisco, the company operates a large distributed network that powers a new kind of recursive DNS (Domain Name System) service that provides all Internet users increased security, reliability and performance. OpenDNS is thoroughly committed to building and operating the best DNS platform in the world and to improving the Internet. For more information about OpenDNS, please visit: www.opendns.com
