Successful information technology companies must not only keep up with the times; it’s much more complicated than that.
In reality, working in the IT industry means scrambling to think ahead of the times and ensure there is an answer to every type of problem and threat that exists, while keeping an eye on what’s looming – quickly – on the horizon.
Imagine throwing a box of marbles onto the floor, then furiously trying to track the progress of each marble. Welcome to the new world of computing.
“I would say the No. 1 thing has been being able to adapt,” said Austin Bates, director of sales at Arkansas. The pinnacle of computing. “When our company was growing during our growth phase, the main thing we focused on was fixing faulty hard drives. These days, everything is in the cloud. There are a lot fewer breakdowns and repairs on the hardware side.”
Austin Bates
When it comes to business technology, something new seems to emerge every day. Yet, conversely, the same people and companies that once rewired hard drives are becoming trusted leaders in a new-age field.
Perhaps it’s best to talk about the basics of the IT industry first. David Holzhauer, division president at Datamaxstarted at the company as an account executive in 1985, back when computers were large, clunky boxes and cybersecurity was defined as remembering to lock the door behind you when you left the office for the day.
David Holzhauer
Today, concerns focus on optimizing artificial intelligence while keeping our eyes open to ever-evolving cyber threats. This is all great, but it’s no use if the office copier doesn’t make copies.
That’s why, while keeping an eye on the data, Datamax keeps one foot firmly planted on the hardware side. Document management, phones buzzing, and printers printing may not be the most exciting IT services, but they’re still critical to every business’s bottom line.
“It’s extremely important when it comes to the workflow and expenses that flow through a business,” Holzhauer said. “It’s critical. Just like a doctor, our organization comes in and approaches it like a doctor and diagnoses the problems within an organization and how we might be able to plug in our technology to help it become more profitable and more efficient.”
This requires knowledge, constantly evolving knowledge, because every business is unique with its IT needs. Sometimes data needs to be protected and workflows streamlined, and sometimes the printer needs to stop consuming paper.
“Computing was very different in 1989,” said Ryan Flynn, CEO of Network Services Group. “It’s definitely evolved and grown. Probably the biggest part of our work is partnering with the companies that we work with, just on how they can use technologies like IT, artificial intelligence – things that help their company achieve their goals. Then probably the next biggest thing that we do is try to train people on proper use of cybersecurity.”
Ryan Flynn
It’s not a reassuring thought, but the cybersecurity field is experiencing a period of hyperactive growth simply because scammers, hackers, and predators continue to develop better toolsets. The best IT companies don’t just sell security products; they enter into true partnerships with their customers, providing people, guidance, compliance training, and plans to recover data in the event of a breach.
All of this means a total commitment to training and professional development. Technicians need to be knowledgeable about data, cloud storage, AI, etc., and sales staff need to be knowledgeable enough to be able to answer a customer’s questions on the spot.
“I can’t stress this enough,” Bates said. “It’s all about getting your certifications, whether you’re in sales or technology. It takes hours and hours to study these certifications, on the sales side or the technology side. You have to earn at least 80% in most cases. You have to have the necessary knowledge. On our sales team, we encourage them to occasionally work with our techs, to take a tour, so to speak.”
Given the current state of modern business technology, IT companies need to be on top of everything because it’s rare that one thing isn’t connected to another. The best IT companies are called upon to achieve a purpose that goes beyond showing up when something goes wrong. Instead, consultation plays a huge role, with technicians examining a client’s business functions in their entirety and then proposing possible solutions.
“We need to look at all aspects, from management to optimization of workflows,” Holzhauer said.
This has led some companies to offer a range of managed IT services. For a flat fee, businesses can consult with an IT company and then “leave it to the professionals,” as one might say.
Nowhere is this more important than in the rapidly expanding field of AI, a technology that manages to seem both ubiquitous and mysterious. In the modern era, no one can go online or turn on their TV without hearing about AI, but the ways to use this technology remain shrouded in mystery for many. The owner of a pet grooming business, for example, probably knows a lot more about puppy shampoos than how to optimize AI.
More than ever, this gap is being filled by IT services. Network Services Group, for example, helps customers install and learn to use Microsoft 365 Copilot, a tool that connects ChatGPT AI to traditional Microsoft applications such as Excel, Word and PowerPoint.
Because there is so much yet to be discovered when it comes to AI, having a plan of action to optimize the technology while staying safe remains critically important.
“AI is the buzzword of the last few years, and so is cybersecurity,” Bates said. “The biggest thing I see coming is just rapid adoption from the top to the bottom, and by top to the bottom, I mean from the government side all the way down to schools and your everyday businesses like law offices and health clinics.
“The scariest part is the lack of controls in place. Many people have acknowledged that it may be too early to pull the trigger on AI, but ultimately, we’re already there. Companies are already doing it and they’re adopting it.”
For any IT business, the end goal remains preserving and improving a client’s security, workflow, and efficiency. All the pieces that come into play, every piece of technology and consulting, seems to add up more and more with each passing year.
“I think the whole industry is changing dramatically,” Holzhauer said. “Everyone is obviously worried about the extent to which technology is going to replace people, but in our industry we have to touch things to provide the services we offer. Luckily, we’re in this type of business.”
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