Successful information technology businesses do not just have to stay with the times; it is far more complicated than that.
In reality, working in the IT industry means scrambling to get ahead of the times and making sure there is an answer for every sort of problem and threat that exists, all the while keeping an eye on what is — rapidly — coming in over the horizon.
Imagine dumping a box of marbles on the floor then furiously trying to track the progress of every single marble. Welcome to the new world of IT.
“I’d say the No. 1 thing has been being able to adapt,” said Austin Bates, sales manager at Arkansas-based Pinnacle IT. “When we were growing as a business during our growth phase, the main thing we focused on was fixing failed hard drives. Nowadays, everything’s up in the cloud. There’s a lot less breaking and fixing on the hardware side.”
Austin Bates
When it comes to business technology, something new seems to be emerging on a daily basis. Yet, conversely, the same people and the same companies that were rewiring hard drives in the old days are emerging as trusted leaders in a new-age field.
Perhaps it is best to talk first about the foundations of the IT business. David Holzhauer, division president at Datamax, started with the company as an account executive in 1985, back when computers were large, cumbersome boxes and cybersecurity was defined as remembering to lock the door behind you when leaving the office for the day.
David Holzhauer
Fast-forward to today, and concerns center on optimizing artificial intelligence while also keeping all eyes peeled on ever-changing cyber threats. All of that is great, but it does not do much good if the office copier is not making copies.
That is why, even while still keeping an eye on data, Datamax keeps a foot firmly planted on the hardware side of things. Keeping documents managed, phones humming and printers printing may not be the sexiest of IT services, but they remain vital to each and every business’s bottom line.
“It’s super important in regard to the workflow and expenses that flow through a business,” Holzhauer said. “It is critical. Much like going to the doctor, our organization comes in and approaches it like a physician and diagnoses what the pain points are within an organization and how we might be able to plug in our technology to help them become more cost-effective and efficient.”
That takes knowledge, ever-evolving knowledge, because each and every business is unique with its IT needs. Sometimes data must be protected and workflows streamlined, and sometimes the printer needs to stop eating paper.
“IT was a lot different in 1989,” said Ryan Flynn, CEO at Network Services Group. “It’s definitely evolved and grown. Probably the biggest part of our job is partnering with the companies that we work with, just with ways they can use technology like IT, artificial intelligence — things to help their company reach their goals. Then probably the next biggest thing that we’re doing is we’re really trying to coach people up on proper cybersecurity usage.”
Ryan Flynn
It is not a comforting thought, but the field of cybersecurity is in a period of hyperactive growth simply because scammers, hackers and predators continue to develop better sets of tools. The best IT companies do not just peddle security products; they enter into true partnerships with their clients, providing people, guidance, compliance training and plans to recover data in the event of a breach.
All of that means a total commitment to training and professional development. Technicians have to be fluent in data, cloud storage, AI and more, and sales personnel have to speak knowledgeably enough to be able to answer a client’s questions on the spot.
“I can’t stress it enough,” Bates said. “It’s all about getting your certifications, whether you’re in sales or tech. There’s hours and hours and hours that go into studying for these certifications on the sales or on the tech side. You have to make at least an 80 percent in most cases. You’ve got to have the knowledge there. On our sales team, we encourage them to work with our techs occasionally, to go on a ridealong, so to speak.”
Given the state of modern business technology, IT businesses must be conversant in everything because seldom is one thing not connected to another. The best IT companies are called to a purpose higher than just showing up when something goes on the fritz. Instead, consultation plays an enormous role, technicians viewing a client’s business functions in full and then providing possible solutions.
“We have to look at all aspects of that, from management to workflow optimization,” Holzhauer said.
That has led some companies to offer an entire breadth of managed IT services. For a flat rate, businesses can consult with an IT company and then “leave it to the professionals,” as one might say.
Nowhere is that more important than in the exploding field of AI, a technology that manages to feel ubiquitous yet mysterious all at the same time. Nobody in the modern age can log on or turn on their televisions without hearing about AI, yet the ways and means of using the technology remain shrouded in mystery for many. The owner of a pet-grooming business, for example, probably knows quite a bit more about puppy shampoo than how to optimize AI.
More than ever, that gap is being filled by IT services. Network Services Group, for instance, helps clients install and learn to operate Microsoft 365 Copilot, a tool that connects ChatGPT AI with traditional Microsoft apps such as Excel, Word and PowerPoint.
Because there remains so much to be discovered when it comes to AI, having a gameplan to optimize the technology while also staying safe remains critically important.
“AI is the buzzword of the last few years, right there with cybersecurity,” Bates said. “The biggest thing that I see coming is just rapid adoption from the top down, and by top down, I mean from the government side all the way to the schools and your day-to-day businesses like law firms and health clinics.
“The scariest part about it is the lack of controls that have been in place. A lot of people have acknowledged that it’s maybe too soon to pull the trigger on AI, but at the end of the day, we’re already there. Companies are already doing it, and they’re embracing it.”
For any IT company, the end goal remains preserving and improving a client’s security, workflow and efficiency. All the things that go into that, every piece of technology and consultation, seem to add up more and more with each passing year.
“I think the entire industry is changing dramatically,” Holzhauer said. “Everybody is obviously concerned about how much technology is going to replace people, but in our industry, we have to touch things to provide the services that we do. Luckily, we’re in that type of business.”
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