It’s James Hartley’s turn in the spotlight this month – here, he talks AI, Apple watches and the need to banish acronyms once and for all.

How did you first get into the world of tech?

I came back from travelling and got a job at Virgin Media Business as a telemarketer. I haven’t looked back.

And what is your earliest memory of tech in your life?

It was probably downloading music from the web – using dial up!!

What’s the one quality you need to thrive in this environment (especially at Vapour)?

Passion! We’re unbelievably committed to delivering the best solutions and service levels into the market. So many businesses talk about passion, but it’s just marketing speak. Not here.

And what is the one thing you would change about the tech sector?

Less acronyms! I know all my colleagues say it and I share their frustrations. There’s something wonderfully clever about keeping things simple, especially when speaking to customers and concentrating on what matters – how they will benefit.

Why do you think Vapour stands out in the channel?

We have our own end to end cloud infrastructure and are agile enough to tailor our solutions and services to every specific customer need. This is pretty rare – certainly in the cloud field, and especially while delivering genuinely great, personable customer service.

Complete the sentences:

The best piece of tech ever invented is… the internet. That or the radio.

The next purchase on my (personal) tech wish list is… an Apple watch.

A tech firm that has really stood out for me in the last 12 months is… Peak AI in Manchester. There are lots of brands in the AI space but they’re doing some incredible things with household names and comparatively unknown disruptors.

The biggest misconception in the channel is that… price means value.

By the end of 2020, our tech will have made organisations far more… efficient, productive and ready for the new norm.