Born in Saronno (Varese) in July 1965, Marco Villa joined the Rittal team in May 2003 as General Manager and later also CEO. His strong managerial and commercial skills, market knowledge, engagement and teamwork, shared goals, strong customer focus, and trust in the work of his closest collaborators are the characteristics that define him in leading the company. His professional journey began in 1987 when, at just 22 years old, he worked as a salesperson for a major German company that is a leader in automation and testing systems in the automotive sector. Over 14 years with the same company, he held increasingly important positions; from Junior Salesman to Senior Salesman and subsequently Area Manager. Then Sales Manager of the balancing machines division and later Service Manager for the four company divisions. He continued by holding the position of Division Manager, always of the balancing machines division, concluding his professional growth with his appointment as CEO.
What is meant by “Security and availability of the infrastructure for computer networks”? A computer network is like a chain, where each link is crucial to the performance it must guarantee. A weak link would therefore affect the entire chain, making it unsuitable for the strategic importance it holds. Computer data is a strategic asset for all business activities, from Small and Medium Enterprises to large Enterprises, as it allows their management and development, as well as ensuring control. For this reason, the computer network represents the essential tool and engine for operations as it protects data and makes them available. Hence the need for Security and Availability of computer networks, which is gaining increasing importance and awareness from professionals, who guarantee this vital service to the company. Thanks to technological evolution of systems, whether hardware or software, such as Intrusion Detection, Anti-spamming, Antivirus, Identity Management, Content Management, etc., which today ensure logical protection of networks, the greatest criticality is found in the Physical Security of the service, that is, in the Infrastructure supporting the computer network. New Servers, such as those with innovative Blade technology, ensure, for example, better performance but require more stringent infrastructure requirements since their power generates heat that is increasingly complex to dissipate. New IT technologies like PoE (Power over Ethernet) and VoIP (Voice over IP) bring significant benefits but similarly require important requirements to ensure their service. Considering the economic factor as well: increasingly, the competitiveness of available solutions on the market is measured both on the investment cost related to the infrastructure and the operational running costs. An effective and efficient solution must therefore necessarily safeguard: space, which represents a significant cost, energy consumption through system efficiency that traditionally causes waste due to low yields, costs related to supervision and maintenance and assistance services to ensure service availability. To respond to market needs, we have developed an innovative solution: an integrated on-demand platform for the physical infrastructure of computer networks. The features that distinguish it compared to any traditional solution are mainly the hot-swap flexibility and scalability of all its components, as well as the ability to interact and control each element remotely. In particular, the ability to expand the infrastructure at any time without interrupting the service guarantees the opportunity to manage the investment truly effectively. It is no longer necessary to oversize air conditioning systems, energy backup (UPS), etc., as these can be expanded and extended in a modular and hot-swap manner. This allows targeted investment according to the actual infrastructure needs without paying for oversized systems at power levels that will only be necessary after years of development, perhaps! In this way, investment is only made in what is indispensable with the current loads, generating considerable savings on the investment. The hot-swap interchangeability of each individual element also guarantees the possibility to replace failed hardware in zero time, thus ensuring the restoration of the redundancies necessary to guarantee service security with significant savings on operational costs, thanks also to an intelligent remote monitoring and management system. Our RImatrix5 solution, which we named so because it consists of a matrix of 5 elements: RACK, POWER, COOLING, SECURITY, MONITORING & REMOTE MANAGEMENT, guarantees Security and High Availability to the IT infrastructure, safeguarding investment and operating costs thanks to the innovative concept of a modular and integrated platform.What is the state of the Italian market for IT infrastructures and what are the prospects? The Italian market is only now preparing to face the severity of the new requirements generated by new IT technologies (Blade, PoE, VoIP, etc.); however, often this task is fulfilled at the building level, thus addressed during the construction phase of the facility or otherwise considered the responsibility of departments in charge of electrical/plumbing systems which, depending on company size, might be identified as General Services Department, Plant Department, Building Maintenance Department, Facility Management, etc. Increasingly, however, the IT Manager or head of the IT service acquires awareness of the strategic importance of the service they ensure and consequently becomes demanding in generating requirements but above all in ensuring Security and Availability of the infrastructure. For this reason, the market trend and the growing needs especially for effective cooling and power supply, as well as intelligent monitoring systems, along with the need to safeguard the TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) of the infrastructure, guide the trend that sees greater involvement due to increased responsibility of the IT function in companies, which is more attentive to network performance issues and thus more competent in choosing systems related to infrastructure. This greater competence and responsibility precisely drive decisions increasingly towards solutions like RImatrix5 for the benefits obtained, for the guarantee the solution provides, and for the significant savings generated.What is the relationship of Italian companies with IT infrastructures? Italian companies are adapting to the requirements imposed by the directives, but above all they are always attentive to finding the best solution at the best price. There is certainly awareness of the strategic importance of the IT “Network,” but much work is still needed in the “Educational” field to increase sensitivity to issues related to network performance.What is RITTAL’s vision? Rittal is the world-leading company in systems and infrastructures for Information Technology and Industrial Automation, always committed to research and development of innovative solutions. Nanotechnology applied to processes, CO2 air conditioning for environmental protection, Fuel Cells (Hydrogen fuel cells) are just some of the solutions that, as a trend-setting company, we are developing. Our tendency toward innovation, combined with our quality and expertise, allows us to meet the fast-evolving market needs in a timely and effective manner. The broad range of solutions, products, and services that we offer guarantees us the ability to satisfy any type of need. Thanks to our global partnership with leading hardware OEM producers such as HP, IBM, Dell, we have the opportunity to know in advance the technological evolution the market will face. For this reason, we have solutions ready as soon as the market feels the need for them, ahead of our competition. For this reason, for example, we now expect strong demand for innovative air conditioning systems designed to counteract the heat dissipated by increasingly powerful but also increasingly delicate servers due to the constantly increasing heat dissipation. Our RImatrix5 solution is based on a revolutionary system that generates active cooling directly on the servers in a homogeneous, constant, and redundant way, capable of dissipating heat levels that no traditional ambient cooling method could guarantee. We consider this a fundamental Key Success Factor for our success.Who is your typical customer? Our commercial and technical organization mainly targets Enterprise and SMB (Small & Medium Business) markets. Thanks also to consolidated partnerships with the distribution channel in Networking and with Resellers, our Premium Partners in a more strictly IT field, we ensure a strong presence and penetration. Our customers include public administration structures, utilities, facilities with NCPI (Network Critical Physical Infrastructure) needs such as research and supercomputing centers, hospitals, airports, banks, universities, industries, as well as all other companies that face the necessity to guarantee their sustenance, ensuring Security and Availability of their strategic assets: data.Who are your competitors? The Italian market consists of many companies operating in the IT and plant engineering sectors offering their expertise on the market. However, the solutions proposed are traditional and thus do not guarantee the benefits described above. Only recently have we seen some large multinational companies begin to focus on developing integrated and intelligent solutions like RImatrix5, which convinces us we have taken a path rich in good prospects so far.What does RITTAL offer more compared to competitors in Italy, why choose you? Rittal has an edge! A structure in Italy composed of over 100 people who provide proven technical-commercial support and expertise. Beyond our Headquarters in Milan, 3 other branches in Padua, Bologna, and Rome guarantee us a widespread presence throughout the territory. Our 7 Service Centres across the territory provide great reliability. The competence and quality of a large global group, world leader for 40 years in IT and Industry solutions and present in over 70 countries, gives us great credibility. But above all, it is the advantages that our innovative technological solutions confer that make the difference.How did the last year go and what are your future goals? Our successes represent our best business card. Rittal is constantly growing and specifically grew by 8% in Italy in the last year. The IT Division grew by 25%, with even higher rates in a market where Rittal in Italy does not hold an important share like it does in the industrial market. Especially the RImatrix5 solution drives our growth. Less than a year after launch, we have realized over 100 data centers and physical infrastructures of computer networks, including at least ten of national prominence and resonance. Thirty certified partners have already joined our Premium program and dozens of distributors and Resellers of our products operate across the territory. Our goals are simple and clear. To continue growing with humility and commitment by serving those who have a market need to meet and therefore require proven experience consultancy from a leading company in the sector that focuses primarily on customer satisfaction. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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