Aaron Denton –IT Infrastructure Engineer, boosts inControl’s IT/OT capabilities
With 25 years of network, server, workstation and cyber security installation and support experience — Aaron has gone from ‘pool hustler’ — to become an inquisitive IT infrastructure engineer for Operation Technology (OT) projects
inControl is delighted to welcome Aaron to the team here at Chesterfield, as he joins us to support our ever-growing number of ongoing industrial digitalisation projects. It’s where the industrial world of operational technology (OT) meets IT infrastructure — automation systems cannot function without their network connections correctly working with enterprise software systems.
Aaron’s interest in IT started at school, fixing friends broken PCs and this interest helped him to start a career, from school, via IT support to network installation, configuration and maintenance.
Initially self taught, Aaron has bolstered his knowledge with certificates with CompTIA Network+ and is currently studying towards a part-time degree at Lancaster University.
Over the past two decades, he has been working for MSPs (managed service providers) as a field service engineer, supporting clients IT networks — and also as a Senior Engineer for a MSP specialising in servers, active directory and projects in a diverse range of sectors from charitable foundations to Diocese / Cathedrals — quite different to the type of industrial applications that drew Aaron to inControl Systems.
Bridging the IT & OT great divide
A lifelong learner, Aaron was fascinated by the integration of IT & OT networks, so the role at inControl was one that his inquisitive character couldn’t ignore. “I was intrigued by the idea of combining the IT and OT systems and integrating them rather than keeping them as separate entities which has been the norm for as many years as I can remember,” said Aaron about his initial interview at inControl.
And what has being a pool hustler got to do with anything? Well, he’s probably not a hustler, but winning 26 games ‘on the trot’ shows that he’s something of a perfectionist. And, whilst diving from the comfort of IT into the ‘shark infested’ waters of the great IT/OT divide might scare some people, not Aaron, he’s already proven himself as a PADI certified Scuba Diver, so he will say focused now he’s swimming with some real sharks…
