Co-founder & CEO
Zella DC
Angie Keeler is co-founder and CEO of Zella DC. With more than a decade of experience within the IT and micro data center industry, Angie has practical hands-on experience bootstrapping a company and growing a business with sales and international distribution across six continents and a broad product range. As the CEO, Angie has built and developed distribution channels and support systems across Australia and into both North and South America, Asia– Pacific, Africa, and the U.K.
As a leader and innovator, Angie is well respected and held in high esteem by her peers and industry colleagues, which has been recognized in a number of industry awards.
How can telecommunications technologies help humanity?
Telecommunications technologies play a pivotal role in enabling and enhancing human connections, fostering global communication, and facilitating socio–economic development. Through ubiquitous access to mobile phones and the internet, telecommunications bridge geographical gaps, enabling instant communication and information exchange. This connectivity empowers remote education, telemedicine, and remote work, fostering inclusivity and overcoming geographical barriers. It’s particularly exciting to think about how the improvements in telecommunications are benefiting emergency services and enhancing disaster response. This is particularly true in rural and underserved areas, where telecom technologies bring essential services, empowering communities economically and socially.
How can corporations and researchers best serve the next generation?
While the metropolitan– first world takes ubiquitous communications for granted, this is not always the case in rural, remote, and developing nations. As technology advances at an exponential rate, so does the appetite for high bandwidth communications and low latency applications. In under–served areas, increased communications demands are at odds with constrained communications and local, distributed applications. Corporations and researchers can serve the next and subsequent generations by continuing to develop communications solutions that provide bandwidth that is both fast to deploy and scale, and further compliment this with new ways of delivering local content and applications while ensuring homogeneity of experience on a national or global level.
If one thing should be redeveloped within the telecom and related industries, what should it be?
One crucial aspect that should be redeveloped, or at least improved, within the telecom and related industries is the enhancement of cybersecurity measures. As the industry becomes more interconnected and reliant on advanced technologies like 5G and edge computing, the threat landscape for cyberattacks expands. Strengthening cybersecurity infrastructure is imperative to safeguard sensitive data, protect communication networks, and ensure the integrity of services. The increasing prevalence of IoT devices and the interconnectivity of various systems heighten the vulnerability to cyber threats. A proactive approach to cybersecurity not only safeguards the interests of telecom companies and their customers but also fosters trust in the reliability and security of telecommunications services.
Is it important for companies to continue to innovate their organization or offerings, and why?
Ongoing innovation is indispensable for companies in all sectors. Technological advancements, particularly the advent of 5G and edge computing, require a proactive approach to stay competitive. Innovation allows companies to meet and exceed customer expectations, thrive in competitive markets, improve operational efficiency and cost-effectiveness. By anticipating and adapting to industry trends, such as the growing demand for edge services and connected devices, companies can capitalize on emerging opportunities. Regular innovation also serves as a strategic risk mitigation tool, enabling organizations to identify and address potential challenges in a swiftly changing technological environment, ensuring sustained relevance and success.
What value does PTC hold for you/your company?
PTC holds significant value for Zella DC by serving as a strategic platform for networking, planning, and staying abreast of the latest developments in the global communications industry. The PTC Annual Conference offers a valuable opportunity to connect with industry leaders, potential partners, and clients, fostering collaborations and business growth. Additionally, PTC provides a forum for Zella DC to gain insights into emerging trends, technologies, and challenges within the ICT sector, ensuring the company remains positioned to add value at the forefront of innovation and market dynamics.
How does PTC fit your company’s goals or career purpose?
PTC aligns with Zella DC’s goals and career purpose by offering a premier stage to highlight our expertise, engineering and manufacturing excellence, and innovative solutions in the field of edge computing. The Annual Conference’s focus on telecommunications, planning, and industry networking provides Zella DC with a platform to reinforce our position as a leader in overcoming challenges associated with edge and distributed deployments. The Annual Conference serves as a strategic avenue for Zella DC to engage with a diverse audience, explore collaboration opportunities, and contribute to shaping the future of the ICT industry.
What advice would you share with current and future graduates interested in this field?
Any graduate interested in telecommunications or edge computing, should prioritize continuous learning to keep up to date with the rapid technological changes in this dynamic field. By cultivating practical skills through internships or entry-level positions, graduates can build a strong foundation in networking and computing fundamentals. Another piece of advice would be to find mentors within the industry who can provide guidance, share insights, and offer advice based on their experiences. Mentorship can be very valuable for young graduates. Lastly, don’t be afraid to challenge the status quo – just because something hasn’t been done before doesn’t mean it can’t be done!
What is something that not that many people know about you?
In my youth, my aspiration was to become a sports psychologist, and I pursued registration as a clinical psychologist. Surprisingly, my journey led me to establish a micro data center company instead!
About Zella DC
Zella DC is a market leader in edge-enabling solutions. With a comprehensive range of indoor and outdoor micro data centers and scalable containerized data centers, Zella DC offers a standard turn–key configuration ready for swift deployment and installation, enabling secure, reliable, and controlled environments for IT and OT equipment anywhere.
With expertise gained over the past decade, Zella DC has deployed micro data center solutions worldwide, meeting diverse requirements across numerous industries and environments.
Zella DC excels in overcoming the unique challenges associated with edge and distributed deployments, providing standardization and proven solutions.