Name Rune Bråthen

Role/title Senior Network Engineer

Where do you live (city) Victory, New York, USA

Originally from Porsgrunn

You originally come from Bluetree, which has just merged with Sicra. What do you think about the merger, and what are your expectations for the transition from Bluetree to Sicra?

I have been employed at Bluetree for 4 years, and during that entire time I have worked full-time contracted to GlobalConnect – in addition, I live in the US and work remotely from here. So in day-to-day terms, the merger hasn’t changed that much for me operationally. At the same time, I see it as a positive that Sicra is a larger and more established professional environment within security. I hope the merger provides better opportunities for professional development, access to more colleagues with complementary expertise, and perhaps broader project opportunities in the long run.

What do you work on, and which technologies do you use in your job today?

I work as a network engineer contracted to GlobalConnect, and I am responsible for technical support, troubleshooting, and implementing network solutions for enterprise customers. In my day-to-day work I use Versa SD-WAN, Cisco ISR routers, MPLS VPN, DMVPN, BGP routing, Multicast, Aruba wireless networks, and ClearPass Policy Manager for network access control.

What does a typical workday look like for you?

Since I’m based in the US and work remotely toward Norway, I start my day at 02:00 with a coffee. At the same time, I wish everyone on the team “good morning” via Teams.

I work in a team called “Nordic Architects - Advanced Solutions”, with people from Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and me in the US. We are used to working independently, while also using modern tools to stay closely connected.

A lot of the day is spent on projects for both existing and new enterprise customers at GlobalConnect. I also try to be good about taking breaks (traditionally I haven’t been very good at that), and I often jump on the treadmill around 05:00 while my Nordic colleagues are having lunch. The second half of the day continues in the same vein, before I finish at 10:00 local time.

What is it like working remotely from the US for a Norwegian company?

To be completely honest, I love being able to get up in the middle of the night when everything is dark and quiet. It’s far away from all the noise that normally comes with having a job, a family, and a house to take care of. I work best when I can focus in peace and quiet.

Don’t get me wrong – I also love travelling to Oslo to meet colleagues and do something social. I’ve tried to make that happen once per quarter, and it’s always great. But it’s also nice to come back and feel “productive” again. It has struck me how much “good” time many people have around the coffee machine at the office. It’s not meant as a criticism of others, but perhaps more as a reminder to myself to be better at taking small breaks from time to time.

Aside from that, I’ve worked remotely from the US for GlobalConnect for 13 years. First as a direct employee, and later as a contractor.

What does success mean to you in a work context?

Success for me is when a customer experiences that the network just works – that they don’t have to think about it. That means the troubleshooting is thorough, and the solutions are robust. The documentation needs to be good enough for others to build on it.

I also like the feeling of finishing things properly. That means both documentation and customer training are completed at 10/10. Positive feedback from customers is especially rewarding, because it often means you’ve delivered above average (how easy is it not to only give feedback when things don’t work?).

What motivates you in your day-to-day work? What do you find most rewarding to work on?

What motivates me most is making complex things simple, and then being able to implement them in phases. I’m happy to bring the customer along throughout the process, with good communication along the way. That gets the customer engaged and builds trust.

It’s important to remember that I work with people, not technology (don’t get me wrong). Building those relationships is something that really motivates me. I’ve often come into a deadlocked situation with a customer who needed a bit of extra follow-up and tried to understand the issue. Then I’ve had the opportunity to solve it, while the customer ends up very satisfied. There’s nothing that motivates me more.

What are you looking forward to most in the time ahead?

I’m looking forward to getting to know the broader professional environment at Sicra. I’m excited about the opportunity to collaborate with more colleagues within networking and security.

I have quite a bit of expertise that I may not be able to fully utilize in a large company like GlobalConnect. There is naturally a strong focus on processes and standardized deliveries. That can leave less room for creativity and development. I’m very excited to find out where I might fit in at Sicra. Who knows – maybe the Norwegian market will become too small?

Which app or tool (it can be anything) do you use the most in everyday life, and why?

I use SecureCRT, Teams, Versa Director (SD-WAN), and Aruba Central the most.

I use SecureCRT because I still enjoy logging into the CLI and tinkering. I use Teams for meetings and staying connected with colleagues and customers. I use Versa Director because it is the platform for SD-WAN, and Aruba Central because it is the platform for what we call MLAN (Managed LAN).

Do you have a favorite quote?

I have a quote hanging on the fridge that I think is very good. I try to live by it. It is supposedly from Abraham Lincoln:

«In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.»

What do you like spending time on when you’re not working?

I obviously spend a lot of time with my family and everything that comes with owning a house.

I also really enjoy just sitting down and reading. And I try to get in a workout almost every day.

Do you have a favorite podcast or book you would like to recommend?

Podcasts:

Left, Right, and Center (David Greene), United We Podcast (Ken Wasenius-Nilsen), Heavy Networking (Packet Pushers) (Ethan Banks and Drew Conry-Murray), UNO (Jon Martin Henriksen, Fredrik N. Filtvedt and Eivind Holth)

Books:

The Foundation Series (Isaac Asimov), Dune (Frank Herbert)

What do you prefer?

Home office or the office? Home office – when the nearest office is on the other side of the Atlantic, the choice is pretty simple!

Biometrics or code? Code

Face ID or Touch ID? Face ID

Gaming or TV? TV

Book or podcast? Book, but preferably both

Vacation in Norway or abroad? Vacation in Norway