Convergence and switching to digital television is all the rage the past few months, one of our alumni, David Dellacca (2000), assists people with this changeover and was interviewed by The Daily Reporter in Greenfield, Indiana.
Below is a portion of the interview.
David Dellacca serves as vice president of Consult IT, a Greenfield business that provides hardware, software and process solutions for information technology customers. The Daily Reporter asked Dellacca about his work in the IT field, including his work in helping people with the switch to digital television.
Reporter: Tell me a bit about yourself. How did you get into the information technology field?
Dellacca: Computers and all things "techie" are probably just in my blood.
Growing up, my dad was a computer operator for an energy company in Indianapolis back in the days of mainframes. From his enthusiasm for computers and my experiences in grade school, I was regularly using Apple IIe, Amiga and Commodore computer systems at a young age. I stayed with this as a hobby and interest all through high school and when it came time to pick a college, I ultimately picked Ball State University for its telecommunications (video production) program.
While at the university, I decided to seek a double major and graduated cum laude with a dual degree in telecommunications and an all-grade media services state of Indiana teaching license. After completing my internship, student teaching requirements and graduating, I did not feel as though I had all I needed to complete my formal education goals, so I entered a master’s degree program at Ball State as well at the Center for Information and Communication Sciences. This program pushed me in ways that I believe few other programs do across the country -- it was truly a life-changing experience providing both technology training and business knowledge. …
Reporter: What does it take to be successful in your field? What have you learned along the way that’s most beneficial to you today?
Dellacca: I believe there are a handful of important characteristics an IT professional must possess to be successful in this field. Being "good at computers" is simply not enough.
No matter the position, there needs to be a deeper understanding of how a person’s role impacts the rest of the organization. Successful IT professionals must have business knowledge, be flexible and not averse to change, be able to prioritize tasks, possess technical aptitude, have desire to continually learn and be a true believer in the high value of great customer service.
A key aspect of being successful in any career is to understand your function. As I told my students, the true function of any information technology role from computer technician to chief information officer is to bring the company or client value. This value comes in many forms: better business operations, enhanced productivity and business efficiency, increased profits, decreasing expenditures on alternate solutions or methodologies and providing stability to existing systems.
Due to the reliance on computers and communications in today’s business environment, technology and technology workers are foundational to the operations and success of most businesses. Technology workers are obviously around to make the technology work, but the successful IT professional makes the technology work for the business. Consult IT works tirelessly at ensuring our services bring value to our clients on each and every project, getting the technology to enhance or improved business functions.
Reporter: Technology is changing faster than ever before. How do you keep up with all the trends and developments?
Reporter: Give me a thumbnail sketch of Consult IT. What do you like best about your work? What’s the most difficult aspect?
Reporter: We talked recently about your company’s involvement in helping people with the transition to digital television. How have you gone about helping people, and what kinds of questions have they asked as the switch date neared? Has your work changed at all now that we’ve passed the switch date?
Reporter: I’m sure there are plenty of technology trends that the general public should be aware of. What are a couple of the major ones?
Want to learn more? Please visit The Daily Reporter's Web site.