Steve Adams

Project Manager & Social Media

Background - Coming up on 30 years in information technology Steve started out working in microfilm, moved onto clustered mini-computers then caught the Unix wave at the end of the 80s (all at British Petroleum – BP). Joining Oracle Corp in 1990 saw evolution from deep technical roles into consulting via technical support and technology specialisation roles with the rise of web technologies through the 90s. Since 2000 Steve has worked in a variety of roles (sales, technical, consulting, project management) specialising in web technologies and their application within private and public sector, large and small organisations.

Special Attributes - Understanding the technology and relating it to customer requirements. Steve speaks fluent geek-speak and business-lingo!

Loves - Music (jazz, rock, contemporary), coaching kids football (FA qualified coach), the Internet and Open Source software. Indian Food. Oh... and coffee!

Dislikes - Negativity and Inertia. People who STILL want to FAX documents (it's 2011 people!).

Steve's IT career began in the 80's at British Petroleum, working in the micrographics lab reducing shelves of paper reports to microfilm/microfiche. Steve moved into the computer operations group on a large DEC VAX Cluster environment before migrating to a Unix system Administration role which led to joining Oracle Corp in 1990.

Specialising in large servers (clusters, SMP) Steve was drafted into a specialist consulting team to work on what became the worlds first deployment of digital Video-on-Demand (VOD) for British Telecom in 1994. With the rise of Internet and multi-media technologies Steve worked within a specialist "Emerging Technologies" group, charged with accelerating the adoption of new technologies in Oracle's EMEA territories. Steve moved through a number of roles, including customer support, technical pre-sales and consulting roles during the late 90's, a period of explosive growth in the IT sector.

In 2000, Steve joined a start-up venture as technology director with Grammy winning classical music producer Michael Haas. The new company foresaw the coming revolution in digital music distribution and sales, although venture funding was not forthcoming.

Since then Steve has worked in a variety of roles.

Internet hosting and Application Service Provider Interliant (now Navisite). This hybrid role saw Steve responsible for hands-on technical work (server deployment and support), aspects of business development (service and proposition definitions, partner recruitment), sales support (technical pre-sales and customer meetings).

Relocating from the South East to the North East (North Yorkshire) in 2002, Steve was recruited by London based Content Management specialist service supplier Object 1 Ltd (now merged to form LB Icon UK) to perform technical sales role within the New Business team. Working for Object 1 gave Steve great experience of the Content Management market and technologies, along with exposure to customers in both Public (Central and Local Government) and Private Sectors, and across industries.

In the Summer of 2004 founded NorthStar Consulting Services in order to work as a freelance IT consultant and offer services via partner organisations.

In 2005 Steve was recruited into the role of Sales Director at Italik Ltd in Wetherby. A small company specialising in provision of IT solutions and consulting services in the UK before resuming his activities via NorthStar in 2007.

Through NorthStar Consulting Services Steve has provided IT Services (technical and project management) to schools and SMEs with a focus on innovative use of technologies and services to provide solutions for business requirements. Steve has primarily worked with partner organisations, delivering services on their behalf to their customers.

Main activities:

  • Consulting: Technical and strategic advice (technology selection and procurement, IT alignment with business goals)
  • Project Management services to help control and drive organisations' adoption of new systems
  • Tailored training and coaching of staff to enable successful adoption of new systems and services
  • Implementation: Installation and configuration of software products

Technologies:

  • Web: Internet, Extranet, Intranet
  • Social Media
  • Adoption of Open Source software and web based services ("cloud computing")
  • Green IT (reducing power consumption, getting more from existing IT investments, utilisation of mobile computing to enable efficiencies)

Steve lives with his wife and son in North Yorkshire where they have established themselves within a village community. Steve acts a parent governor at his son's primary school, coaches football at weekends and helps run the local sports association.

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