JAY BEEMAN:
"I first studied Geekwonese over 20 years ago when I backpacked across Silicon Valley. My early translations were sketchy, but over time I learned to love the language."
ARRON GASS:
"It’s true--I do speak Geek. And I do enjoy it. What started off as a one-man comedy routine at holiday parties, turned into a passion for the language of technology."
JEFF GREER:
"As a boy, I built computers from scratch with my Dad, soldering iron right to the circuit board. That was the kindergarten introduction leading to my pursuit and mastery of a geek education, and I’m currently fluent in all technology-based dialects."
Jay, Arron and Jeff’s experience as small business computer support and IT consulting specialists demonstrate their ability to be successful in network assessment, purchasing, implementing, monitoring and troubleshooting diverse personal computer, servers and network systems problems. They are proficient with data integrity & recovery, contingency planning, network & systems security, cost analysis and network design.
In a recent interview with the LRS Network Support team, Jeff Enlow, LRS Web Solutions Manager commented, "We are noticing an increased need for network expertise in today’s economic condition. Businesses still need technology to function: they just don’t need someone on staff full time. That’s where we step in."
He added, "Local businesses recognize LRS Network Support for the level of expertise our specialists bring to the table. That’s why many of our new clients come from positive referrals from their colleagues."
Here’s what the 'tech guys' have to say.
WHY DO YOU THINK THIS TYPE OF TECHNICAL SUPPORT IS NECESSARY FOR BUSINESSES TODAY?
ARRON: We all know that Information Technology is a vital part of every modern business, no matter the size. Without having someone to turn to with the knowledge to solve their technological problems, businesses waste valuable resources trying to get their business operational again when something goes wrong.
JAY: That is very true. With the many IT issues and problems that can arise – even in a small company with a few computers – businesses need someone with a broad range of technical expertise who can help them.
We believe the people who are running businesses should be able to focus their attention on their job and not things like virus protection, server crashes or setting up wireless networks. It is our job to focus on those types of issues.
ARRON: That’s where we can step in and be a tremendous resource to any business that might need help with all the troubles that come with having computers, servers, Internet connections and everything else that goes with an IT network.
In fact, our specialty is saving business owners from massive IT-induced migraines.
JEFF: Small business owners face many of the same challenges as larger companies. Storage and data security are a high priority. But many struggle with no full-time staff and often rely on an office manager to perform IT-related tasks including one of the most important – information backup. With just a few hours per month of IT support, we can show businesses how to use technology to help gain a competitive advantage and free up internal resources.
WHAT IS THE GREATEST CHALLENGE REGARDING TECHNOLOGY YOU SEE FACING BUSINESSES TODAY?
ARRON: Keeping up with it.
JAY: The world of Information Technology does change very rapidly. Unless you deal with it every day, it is easy to fall behind in the needed skills and abilities to keep even a small business network functioning. Most people running a small business don’t have time to keep on top of the constant shifts in the IT world.
ARRON: Like Jay said, technology continues to develop at an ever increasing pace, and it can be exhausting to keep up. This is especially true since Microsoft has recently released the Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 operating systems.
A lot of things have changed on the surface but even more has been changed behind the scenes. Most of what businesses learned about the Microsoft Windows Experience has been thrown out the Window (yes, I made the pun…), and it’s time to start over again.
JEFF: Finding reliable products and services offered by companies with consistently good support and customer service is definitely a challenge. Products we recommend and partnerships we enter into affect how our customers view us. We need to be vigilant about keeping up with technology, but not presenting the customer with too many confusing choices.
WHAT IS THE ADVANTAGE TO USING LRS NETWORK SUPPORT AS OPPOSED TO HIRING ADDITIONAL IT STAFF?
ARRON: It’s simple really. They get the benefit of a full-time IT staff without having the extra expenses associated with an in-house staff.
JAY: Most small businesses don’t need a full-time IT staff. They probably only need support for a few hours a week. Another benefit is there is no need to budget for continual IT training.
ARRON: Plus, they can just call us when they need us, and we are there.
JEFF: Hiring one person may not provide the same wide range of knowledge as multiple consultants backed by a strong local company. Each of our specialists manage 10-15 assigned customers, so we are exposed to various network hardware and software configurations, services and technology deployments, which helps us to recommend best practices.
HOW DO YOU DIFFER FROM OTHER WELL-KNOWN TECH-HELP SERVICES?
ARRON: First, we don’t need gimmicks to get and maintain customers. Gimmicks and flashy slogans distract customers from the fact that businesses may not know what they are doing. Sitting high school students in front of computerized tests and teaching them how to drive a special car does not make for a good IT staff.
The same goes for IT staff that gets certified by taking boot camp courses. They guarantee you’ll pass because you spend a week studying the answers instead of performing hands-on training.
Hands-on experience is something that takes time to acquire. With all three of our specialists, we have combined experience of over 35 years.
JAY: Not to mention, we get to know the company quite well over time. With our services, the businesses always have the same support staff helping them; whereas with a bigger service, you may get different people for every issue that comes up.
JEFF: And while we do try to maintain a consistent relationship of support staff to customer, we also try to overlap at times so each customer will be familiar with two or even three of our specialists. That way if one of us gets busy with another customer or is unavailable, the customer is already acquainted with another specialist who they have dealt with previously.
WHY DO YOUR CUSTOMERS LIKE WORKING WITH YOU?
ARRON: We are personable, friendly, knowledgeable, and aren’t afraid to tell the customer what they need to hear to make their IT Network perform at its peak. Also, in my experience, most IT companies look to pass blame somewhere else when something goes wrong. But we just want to get it fixed so our customers are happy, and we can feel satisfied that the problem is solved right.
JAY: I think they appreciate the working relationship we have within their offices. We get to know the employees, and the employees feel comfortable around us. And they trust us to get their issues resolved quickly and correctly.
JEFF: I think it boils down to listening to what the customers want or need to find the proper solution. It is not just about selling hardware. Sometimes the answer is a purchase, while other times it is just utilizing something they already own that can be repurposed or reconfigured. Also, customers like that we give them what they are lacking in their current IT support company.