Getting to know datacenter employees: Mike Korte
Microsoft’s success depends on our people. We are proud to introduce some of the talented folks in your community who work in our global datacenters. Discover what inspired them to seek a career in the tech industry, the different pathways they pursued, and what a day in the life of a datacenter employee looks like.
Introducing Mike Korte
Logistics Technician, AMS Circular Center
Middenmeer, Netherlands
Employee since October 2022
Early days
Mike grew up in Medemblik, North Holland, near the Microsoft datacenter facilities. After middle school he gravitated toward technology as a mathematics specialty, his interest piqued by the datacenter under construction nearby. Mike recalls seeing the datacenter from the highway: “I drove past a couple times and saw what was going on. I already had a bit of interest in what it could be.” He grew interested in someday working there.
The path to technology
After the datacenter opened, Mike learned that his school offered an internship in partnership with Microsoft. He applied and was accepted into the program. Mike was part of the first group of interns to work at the Netherlands datacenter location in 2020. Upon completion of the internship, Mike landed a full-time job as the first logistics technician at the AMS Circular Center in Middenmeer, an industrial area northeast of Medemblik. The Circular Center manages equipment logistics for reuse or recycling in support of Microsoft’s commitment to zero waste.
Superpowers
Mike’s superpower is to bond with people he meets. His ability to get along with coworkers and work effectively in a team is crucial to his role, which involves coordinating logistics across many people and teams. For example, Mike may work with shipping, receiving and disassemble outdated server racks from server rooms. He relies on his communication and people skills to make sure these complicated processes run smoothly.
A day in the life
After a while servers get outdated and need to be replaced. Mike and the Circular Center team ensure that the technology is reused and recycled to prevent waste. This process involves collecting the old servers, removing the parts that are still useful—CPUs and memory, for example—and sending these components to another company for reuse. Additionally, some decommissioned servers are finding a second life in schools as a resource for skills training programs. When no servers need replacing, Mike draws on his internship experience to lend a hand across the datacenter as needed. For example, he might work together with Microsoft IT, helping users resolve issues with laptops and printers. Or help receive and install server racks. No two days are alike.
Favorite childhood food
When Mike was in elementary school, he would go to his grandmother’s house for lunch. The two would sit together and enjoy a freshly baked croissant with ham and cheese for their midday meal.
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