60-second interview
Joseph Langford, Product and Sales Specialist at Capita IT Services
What keeps you awake at night?
At the moment it’s probably the 18-month child in the house next door. Either that or my never-ending list of things to do that just never seems to get any shorter. If I’m thinking about the industry, it’s about the horrible backlog currently faced by Openreach, which impacts on every company that’s relying on having fibre in the ground.
Which business idea do you wish you’d thought of first?
From a technology point of view, I’d say video on demand. Offering the capability to the consumer to choose how they watch telly is an amazing concept. All my friends and family now have their own way of watching what they want, with no worries about TV schedules any more. If we’re looking outside the technology world, I wish I’d thought of remote farming. There’s a guy I heard of in Italy who has allotments on his farm where people choose what to grow and he does it for them. They call up and order, and he digs it up and delivers.
A big house in the country or a flashy penthouse apartment?
I’ve been lucky enough to have lived in both town and country, but if I could choose it would be somewhere deep in the countryside. That’s where I see myself living in the future.
Which five words best describe what you look for in a provider of connectivity solutions?
‘Innovative’ has to be most important, and I’d say ‘supportive’ too. Then I’d say ‘dynamic’, ‘collaborative’, and a partner that’s ‘fast’ in every way.
What advice would you give a school leaver interested in a career in technology?
Don’t allow your careers adviser to steer you towards just one technology. You want to look at it in the most general way possible, as every technology area has an impact on others.
Describe the first car you ever owned
A black F-reg Ford Escort – all of a sudden I had something that could take me anywhere I wanted to go.
