Systems Manager and Web Master... Pieter got involved with the IT world at the Free University of Brussels where, between touring with his band and recording sessions, he mastered database and graphic design. During that time, Pieter met Namahn founder Joannes Vandermeulen, who was managing one of the bands he was playing in... Joannes later asked him to join his firm.
At Namahn Pieter is responsible for day-to-day and long-term information systems management along with the maintenance and implementation of network servers. He is also the first stop when it comes to troubleshooting.
Some of us, like myself, have been around practically since Namahn's inception, some have left and come back, and some of my colleagues are new. But Namahn still has the same vibe. With the exception of a few 'error messages' we've made sensible operational decisions. There's a minimal amount of red tape, decisions don't get thrown at us and I have a degree of autonomy that I wouldn't find at another company in an equivalent position. I like the fact that frequently it's impossible for me to have a routine here. My job is all about the unexpected.
In my job, colleagues' demands drive my knowledge. I see the interaction between components becoming much more complex and that requires a lot of on-the-job training for me. My colleagues' IT needs are evolving faster. They have higher expectations of technology because they need to be able to access information from wherever they are. There's an increasing level of sophistication in the ways you can interact with all the information out there and it's become much more complex-dealing with client firewalls, etc. My colleagues really challenge me; but I love keeping up with things. It keeps my job alive.
I've noticed that clients have a much better recognition of the need for a good user interface. You don't have to explain that to them anymore. Interaction design has become much more mainstream, accepted and understood.
I see the Internet evolving in a more democratic way and being put to innovative uses, with alternative browsers that are faster and safer. People who've become frustrated with traditional forms of communication have launched web logs, RSS readers, movies and the like.
Computers require me to be highly structured and organised in my thinking, whereas music calls on my creativity and capacity to free associate. I think these complementary abilities have helped me a great deal when switching between the roles of Systems Manager and Designer. Plus, the Internet is a great tool to promote my music!