265: Interview With Mark Larocque, Sales Manager of Synology America Corp
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This week we have the pleasure of being joined by Mark Larocque, Sales Manager of Synology America Corp.
Mark's Bio:
Founded in Vancouver, Canada up until 2015, where I relocated to Seattle, I have a Computer Programming diploma as well as an Adult Education diploma. Have always had passion for all things tech with a major focus on Apple products, which seemed fitting in me working at Apple Retail from 2011 – 2016. I have had several roles in account management at various tech firms and currently manage a California book of System Integrators and Re-Sellers at Synology. I acquired a DS412+ back in 2012 and integrating this unit within my Apple household has allowed me incredible freedom with the many features that Synology provides, as well as the quality of the product and the support offered. I also have the most adorable Siamese cat named Cobalt.
Some background on Synology:
Founded in 2000, Synology creates network-attached storage (NAS), IP surveillance solutions, and network equipment that transform the way users manage data, conduct surveillance, and manage network in the cloud era. By taking full advantage of the latest technologies, Synology is committed to delivering products with forward-thinking features and best-in-class customer service.
-Mark and the CCP crew talk about some of the hardware that Synology produces
-Jerry asks Mark to describe the naming schema of the product line
-Similar to Apple's take, Synology supports the latest Disk Station Manager (DSM 6.2) on hardware that goes back a number of years
-Mark speaks to the fact that any security concerns are often addressed and patched within a 24 hour period
-The Package Center is a nice advantage of DSM - downloading apps like Photo Station, Media Station, Moments
-QuickConnect is a very nice added benefit of DSM in that it can perform "port punching" to open accessibility to your Synology storage without managing ports on your firewall
-Sam asks about the number of customers moving to Synology from macOS Server and Mark discusses the ability to work directly from the box over the network
-Many of the Synology units support a 10 Gb connection to allow for incredibly fast throughput with supported network equipment and workstations like the iMac Pro
-Synology offers a "product selector" on their site to offer options for compatibility: https://www.synology.com/en-us/support/nas_selector
-In discussing hardware, the topic of hard drives is discussed along with the partnership with Seagate's line of products, such as the IronWolf series.
-Some Synology units have m2 slots for caching. You can use both for read & write caching
-Jerry talks about an alternative to companies like Box in Cloud Station. Synology has built in features for HIPAA Compliancy
-Sam talks about the high level of support for any issue that arise
-Joe has a Synology use case of his own while living on the road
-Synology is a perfect solution for Time Machine backup destinations, especially in the wake of Time Capsules no longer being produced
-Jerry brings up Synology's router line as well. The RT1900ac & RT2600ac units. Mark goes on to say that the RT2600ac will act as the backbone of their mesh products
-Mark makes the CCP crew aware of the availability of their partner program! Some of the benefits of the partner program:
--Technical advice and discovery calls
--Special approved discounted pricing
--NFR units - substantial discounts for partners once per calendar year
--Loaner units to use for 30 days as a proof of concept for the clients before purchase
-To find out more about the partner program, call them directly at 425-818-1587 or visit https://www.synology.com/en-us/form/inquiry/sales