Ryan Flynn, CEO of Network Services Group, started working for the company by cleaning offices as his first job while in high school.
“Network Services Group has been my primary place of employment my entire life,” said Flynn, whose father, Gary Flynn, and his business partner, Richard Beard, founded NSG. “I have worked in the technology field since I graduated from high school in 1998. Computers and other technology have always been interesting to me and a major part of my professional career.
“In 1998, I began working here full time. My first full-time position was as a telephone system installer. I quickly transitioned to sales. In sales, I had some very early successes, including being the top sales agent for all of Southwestern Bell in 2000.”
NSG started as a telecommunication consulting company in 1989. Since then, it has evolved numerous times, providing many different products. It transitioned from offering Southwest Bell telephone system services to now providing managed services and cyber security services.
NSG has increased from 11 to 85 employees in the past 11 years. Flynn primarily attributes that growth to the desire to provide a great experience for clients.
“As we have expanded our footprint throughout the state, the additional employees have been vital to providing quick service and experts in the many areas of managed services,” said Flynn, whose company has locations in North Little Rock, Fayetteville and Lake Village. “Most of our staff can telecommute, depending on their roles and responsibilities. Our flexible work policy enables our staff to choose the best location and time for their tasks, as long as they meet the deadlines and quality standards. We believe that this policy enhances the productivity, creativity and well-being of our staff.”
Most of the company’s technical staff have associate’s or bachelor’s degrees in the tech space. They also have vital certifications from Microsoft, Cisco and others, as well as from security vendors. Flynn said he finds technology in general an exciting field to be a part of, especially considering the expansion of artificial intelligence.
“It feels each year, there is always something new and exciting to learn about,” Flynn said. “My favorite part of this job is the people I work with daily. That includes the employees at NSG and the many businesses and individuals who trust us to provide IT services and support. The toughest part of this job is knowing how vital the network and computers are to the people we support. The reality is that people hire us because there will be computer and network-related problems from time to time.
“Our job is to be proactive and minimize those problems and issues, but it’s impossible to remove those risks completely. That means when problems do arise, it is critical that we provide an immediate response. That fact keeps our leadership team always striving to get better at what we do in regard to our support experience, what cyber security tools we use, and how new technology can help us and our clients.”
Information technology support is essential for ensuring the security and reliability of data and systems, which are critical assets for any business. A breach or downtime can have severe consequences, including financial hits. Flynn said his company’s goal is to restore some dignity to the IT support world.
“We provide the people, processes and technology to manage risk and detect and respond to any threats in better, faster, more scalable and more cost-effective ways,” Flynn said. “Technology is an integral part of most businesses, and we want to be a trusted resource for our clients. We provide our clients a unique IT support experience because we aren’t afraid to be different. We run screaming from technical stereotypes, and our primary focus is developing a strong relationship with each client so we understand their people, their business, their goals and what it takes to make them love their IT support experience. We know how to take care of our clients, not just their computers.”
Businesses are increasingly adopting cloud storage solutions due to cost-effectiveness, scalability and flexibility. Enhanced security and compliance features, such as encryption, backup, disaster recovery and access control, are needed to protect data from cyberattacks and meet regulatory standards. Flynn said there is more integration and interoperability with other cloud services and applications such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, analytics and collaboration tools to enable data-driven insights and innovation.
When Flynn is not helping clients with their IT needs, the Cabot resident said he enjoys his free time. He and his wife, Mizti, and their four children — ages 9 to 19 — spend a lot of time at the lake, attending sporting events and “just hanging out on the back porch.”
READ ALSO: AMP Top Ten: Mark Lee, Common Ground
