Andrew Stock: Co-Founder and Senior Consultant at MTT Consulting Shares His View on Docking Stations

Find Out How Docking Stations Enhance the Information Technology World

MTT Consulting is a Veteran owned company based out of Orange County, California. Founded in 2013, business partners Andrew Stock and Martin Romero have a never-ending goal to be the premier IT solutions experts in the area.

Andrew Stock took the time to answer a few questions to help break down his excitement around technological advancements, his favorite tech products, and what Targus item he uses the most on a daily basis.

1. You’re Co-Founder and Senior Consultant of MTT Consulting, how did you decide that this is a career path that you are passionate about?

I suppose I’ve always been doing IT consulting in one way or another. I got my start in high school by handing out business cards to people I met while working retail jobs, helping people set up new computers and printers they bought. Eventually, I was supporting small businesses, and it just grew from there. A big part of being successful in IT is being a tenacious problem solver and having an innate desire to help people. I’ve always enjoyed working on complicated problems and being challenged – working in IT has plenty of challenges to offer!

2. What type of IT technological advancements excite you the most?

It’s a very exciting time in IT right now! There are incredible advancements in automation and artificial intelligence that will completely transform every aspect of our lives - from personalized medicine and advancing cures for diseases, to research and development in self-driving vehicles and transportation of goods. Blockchain is another very exciting technological advancement that will have an impact far beyond simply cryptocurrency, promising to transform the way we transact globally. It will revolutionize logistics like tracking of produce and manufacturing, with massive implications in how the global financial markets interact with each other.  It’s the ‘early days’ of a revolution right now, and everything is advancing so fast that it’s difficult to predict how our lives will look even 10 years from now.

3. What technological products help you do your work most efficiently?

Flexibility and mobility are key in IT – there’s an expectation to be able to connect and be fast and effective no matter where you are. This makes having a laptop, with all your tools installed and ready to go, a must. The problem with laptops and mobile devices is that they’re generally smaller and harder to work on when you have complex work to do that requires multiple screens and a standard keyboard/mouse to work efficiently. Most laptops don’t have the ability to use multiple screens innately, so having a good docking station at your disposal is crucial to working efficiently. Having a desk set up and ready to go with your monitors, keyboard, and mouse all connected to a docking station makes it as easy as plugging in a single cable to get a desktop-like experience. When on the road, having all the various adapters at my disposal, and a convenient way to organize and transport them, is also pretty crucial – I always seem to need an HDMI adapter or a USB ethernet adapter, and keeping them organized and easy to find minimizes time spent rummaging around or asking to borrow tools, making me appear more organized and prepared at client sites. 

4. How do docking stations help make information technology better for you and the end-user?

Having a single mobile computer that you can effortlessly move between a portable and a desktop-like experience, and not having to worry about messing with multiple monitor adapters, drivers, cables, and wires is extremely convenient. For end-users, it makes setting up their computer in the office straightforward and simple – no confusion over what cables go where, and how to reattach everything. They just plug in a single cable in the morning, and their computer is ready to go. For IT professionals, making end-users’ lives easier means cutting down on repetitive calls to IT for support, which makes everyone more productive. Standardization is also a huge benefit – everyone has a consistent experience, making support a breeze. 

5. What key features do you look for in a docking station?

Support for at least two monitors is a must – more is better! With larger display resolutions becoming commonplace, having support for multiple 2K or 4K monitors is also increasingly important. USB-C is also rapidly becoming standard on all devices, which is great for compatibility and simplicity of connections, especially if power delivery is included (one less cable to take out of your bag!). Lastly, having a large enough USB hub to hook up all your peripherals is pretty key – mouse, keyboard, security key, USB drive, and any number of other adapters.

6. What Targus products do you like using the most?

I’ve used a Targus USB-C docking station at my office for quite some time and can’t really see living without it. I’ve also used a variety of Targus backpacks over my years in IT – great for carrying around my laptop and all the various tools, cables, and adapters that I inevitably need while on the road or at client sites.

The everyday life of being an IT consultant is everchanging and exciting. A special thank you to Andrew Stock and Martin Romero at MTT Consulting for taking the time to share their experience with us.