The Hardest-Working Man In The Software IndustryThe Hardest-Working Man In The Software Industry

Al J. Monserrat is the hardest-working man in the software industry.

Monserrat is vice president and general manager for North America for Citrix Systems. During a brief lunch presentation at the information Spring Conference at Amelia Island, Fla., on Monday, Monserrat described how his company's products helped him keep working during Hurricane Wilma. While the wind and rain bore down on his Fort Lauderdale, Fla., home, Monserrat kept working."It was 107 miles an hour and the power was out, but I never lost connectivity," Monserrat said. He maintained 100% productivity while his house was pounded by wind, rain, and debris. When the power went out, his cellular modem--and Citrix remote-access software--never even hiccupped. Later, he and his family evacuated out of the country to Costa Rica, and he worked on his laptop computer on the plane, synching data and sending E-mail when the plane landed. Still later, his laptop crashed, and he was able to connect to his enterprise applications using Citrix middleware over an Internet kiosk.

Monserrat's work ethic is much better than mine. Open letter to my editors: Dudes, in the event of natural disaster, I am so not working. We don't have hurricanes at my home office in San Diego, but we do have earthquakes, and when the Big One hits and California falls into the ocean, I'm definitely taking a personal day. Maybe two.

Citrix is a sponsor of the conference.