Amazing experience working with IBM China

I have very good memories from working with people in the AsiaPac region, both as a guest speaker at it-security (BlackHat) conferences in Hong Kong and in performing some forensics work for the Internal Security Department in Singapore.

This week I had my first experience in working together with team members from IBM in China. In one word: amazing! Let me tell you why:

Following the partnership that IBM and my company started this year (see this link >>), we needed to start supporting the non-western character-sets in our DNA solution in order to perform data collections on Lotus Domino servers in China.

For this purpose, Viktor Kranz (IBM's TF/DNA coordinator inside IBM) brought me in touch with Mr. Lin Tang of IBM China or 'Forest Soup' for those who get to know him ;-)

My encounters with Forest Soup:

• setting up a complete C++ dot Net 2003 IDE, including Notes C-api 
• understanding code logic for 9,000 LOC (C++): 25 minutes
• installation of a new Domino server: 5 minutes
• limit questions to just 4 sharp & smart ones: 5 minutes
• coming up with a plan
• daily status updates
• superb documentation
• clarity in communication
• entire new code done within a matter of days

Over the past 12.5 years in Trust Factory, I've met -and worked with- several uber-specialists such as Bill Buchan, Daniel Nashed, Richard van den Berg, Michael Dudding, Stephan Wissel, to name a few.

I'm ready to add another uber-specialist to my list: Amazing Mr Tang :-)