Travel Tech Q&A: Citrix's Peter Brockhoff
Vice president of Citrix Australia and New Zealand, Peter Brockhoff, has been with his company since 2001. But while he's stayed at one firm for a decade, he's not had the luxury of staying in one place, travelling often for business. He talks to us about his time on the road.
Peter Brockhoff
(Credit: Citrix)
What tech do you travel with and why?
Peter Brockhoff: I keep tech to a minimum as I like to travel very lightly. That said, if I travel for a day or two, I will take my BlackBerry for easy access to my emails and iPad for everything else I need to do in a short period of time. Any longer and my laptop comes too. If I travel less than two days, I can get away with reading and reviewing things: the real estate on the iPad is enough for me. For longer business trips, I generally need to do some more intense work and therefore need the power and input convenience of a laptop.
I really see the world of devices changing. Smartphones like my BlackBerry and others' iPhones I really see for information 'snacking', browsing an email here and reviewing a document there. Laptops on the other hand are for full 'dining', to really get to grips with creating a spreadsheet or a presentation. My iPad is somewhere in the middle — 'grazing' — to be able to browse simply while also having the ability to edit documents where I need to.
What tech do you miss from home?
My 27-inch desktop is what I miss the most, it makes it easier for me to multitask documents while I'm working at home. My BlackBerry, iPad and laptop are ideal for travelling but the screen-size of each can only do so much for me.
What tech do you love from abroad — where and why?
I was in China recently, and it was a fantastic experience seeing a country so geared toward innovation and rapid technological development. The pace of change and the proliferation of ideas is really inspiring to see in action.
Otherwise, I was very interested to see the Cisco Cius recently. The tablet space is obviously exploding at present, and the way that these primarily consumer devices adapt and change for the enterprise is going to be one of defining trends of the year. The Cius showed one intriguing way of doing that by integrating software like virtual desktops and unified communications alongside the more personal, consumer applications.
What's your favourite phone app for travelling and why?
For business productivity, I mostly use my Citrix Receiver app, which gives me secure access to my corporate desktop and apps from wherever I am. Not only does it give me a working desktop, but it also provides peace of mind when it comes to security. If I manage to leave my smartphone in a hotel room or in a taxi, for example, I know for certain that the confidential information I was working with on the device is safe in the datacentre rather than on the BlackBerry.
What was your most memorable travel experience?
My favourite recent travel experience was a trip up the East Coast of Australia. A number of friends and I loaded up a van with our supplies and surfboards and toured a few of this country's beautiful beaches. It was fantastic to turn off my BlackBerry and my iPad and really concentrate on relaxing; looking forward to the next wave rather than anything else.
How do you deal with jet lag?
To be honest, I try my best to tough it out as much as I can during my journey to a destination. The way home is a different story though, sleep assistance on the plane helps a lot!
What, if any, travel websites do you use?
While I don't use travel websites specifically, I am in the enviable position of having a wide and varied network of local Citrix offices across both Australia and New Zealand and throughout Asia. That has meant that when I'm travelling I have access to some fantastic local guides who can show me the best hotels, restaurants and locales with a true personal touch.
To be honest, I try my best to tough it out as much as I can during my journey to a destination. The way home is a different story though, sleep assistance on the plane helps a lot!