We’re excited to bring you the latest installment of our Unsung Heroes series. BDx is filled with dedicated individuals who put you, our customers, above all else. The Unsung Heroes series gives us an opportunity to shine the spotlight on them! In this edition, we meet Smita Roshan Rasam, Assistant Manager PR/PO and Invoice Operations.

Rasam is located in Mumbai. While BDx doesn’t have data centers in India (at least not yet), the nation carries much significance in the Asia-Pacific data center market. With more than 560 million internet users, India is home to the second largest population of internet users worldwide, making it a ripe nation for data center infrastructure that supports the internet, as well as having an exceptional workforce that knows the data center industry. Rasam is one of many committed and experienced employees who makes it a priority to put our customers above all else. 

During this Q&A with Rasam, we talked about data center management across the Asia-Pacific region, the future of the IT industry as a whole, and being a female leader in a male-dominated field. Let’s meet Rasam! 

“You have to compete against yourself and work on betterment each day.” – Smita Roshan Rasam, Assistant Manager PR/PO and Invoice Operations for BDx

How has data center management changed over the past year, specifically across the Asia-Pacific region?

The APAC data center business has seen acquisitions as well as expansions of services by the data center companies. I anticipate that this trend will continue as data center operators want to be closer to the customer and offer them a multitude of services. I believe that the data center operators that performed well and sustained growth during the COVID-19 pandemic will continue to do well and experience even more growth over the next five years. 

What is the single most important area of data center management and colocation that needs to be considered as company’s prepare for the future?

I see a few trends developing in this area. Customers need data center services that are robust and readily available, and they need their data center partners to manage their assets with maximum efficiency. The ability for data center operators to cater to businesses of all sizes, including small businesses (SMBs) all the way up to large enterprises, will determine their growth potential. But most importantly, creating a system and a culture where customers are heard, addressed and treated well is the ultimate key to success. Customer experience is the best way to determine your future as a business. 

What is the biggest accomplishment you have achieved over the last year?

A big moment for our team this year was moving our manual purchase request / purchase order process to be fully digitized. This creates a much more simplified system for our customers and the BDx team. I played a small role in implementing this solution that goes a long way toward providing quicker and better visibility into our customers’ assets. I give all the credit to our team who worked hard to bring this to fruition!

What are some of the challenges you have faced?

In the IT industry as a whole, women are underrepresented. The data center sector is no different and a lack of women is evident. BDx has made great strides by not only hiring women, but by putting women, like myself, in key leadership positions. The rest of the industry could benefit greatly from this example and place an emphasis on hiring women for leadership roles. Women have a lot to offer data center companies and their customers by bringing a different set of soft skills and perspectives to the table. 

How has the pandemic impacted the way you approach critical operations? 

The pandemic has shown us the importance of having a flexible work environment. Not only do we ourselves need to be sure we can do our jobs anytime and anywhere, but we have to provide the reliable, secure and scalable data management solutions that our customers require for their remote workforces. The pandemic has also taught us a lot about trust. Allowing our teams to work remotely has helped us to understand that our employees can work anywhere at any time and maintain the level of quality our customers have come to expect.

How would you describe BDx’s response to data center management and operations throughout the pandemic?

BDx has implemented strict policies and procedures to minimize the risk of operational impact and to protect the health and safety of our customers, partners and employees. More importantly, BDx has worked hard to make sure the level of expertise and response time our customers have come to expect is not at all impacted. I’m proud of how hard our team has worked to maintain this BDx standard! 

What’s your favorite destination in India? 

I love the Konkan part of India. It’s an area along the midwestern coast filled with islands, river valleys and hills. It’s beautiful!

When you’re not managing mission-critical infrastructure and data centers, where can we find you? 

My other 24/7 mission-critical job is being a mother. After work, you can find me wherever my young son is. We enjoy watching movies together. I also like trying my hand at cooking in my free time.

As an unsung hero of BDx, what advice can you give to those looking to break into the data center space? 

The data center industry has vast opportunities to learn and collaborate with multi-faceted personalities. Experience in this field would add a new dimension to anyone’s professional and personal development.