Hear Our Story
Delivering trusted business applications and network services for two decades.
Meeting the needs of Northwest businesses for nearly 20 years, ICS Support has become the trusted technology partner for hundreds of companies that have come to rely on our knowledge, integrity, and commitment to always act in their best interest. And it all began in a friend’s spare room, with 36 hours notice when Jeff Mack founded the company back in 1989.
They were humble beginnings to be sure, with four people sharing a desk and a phone. “We initially started out deploying and servicing Open Systems accounting software and SCO Xenix systems,” Jeff explains, “and within a few months we expanded the line to include the highly sought after Sage MAS 90 accounting software line.”
In our second year of operation, Jeff reached out to some past colleagues, Chris Faist and Ron Taylor, and the pair quickly found a new home at ICS Support. It wasn’t long before Chris had us doing SCO Unix systems to go along with the growing mix of servers and networks. And by 1992, Ron convinced us to become Master Developers for the Sage MAS 90 and Sage MAS 200 suite of accounting software products. That opened up several new doors and challenges for us. It gave us the opportunity to tailor solutions to a client’s exact specifications, as well as to integrate numerous systems together for purposes of sharing and consolidating data.
And then came the Internet and Y2K
In 1995, the Internet was thrust upon us. Clients were clamouring for business class Internet services. In those days, there were none to be found. So, in May 1996, we launched Internet Services of Washington to meet the Internet needs of thriving businesses. We operated ISW successfully for 5 ½ years and then sold it to an aggregator.
Also in the mid 90’s time frame, we started encountering more situations requiring enterprise class business management systems that our Sage MAS 90 and 200 systems were not ideally suited for. After evaluating countless products for over two years, we finally settled on the Microsoft Navision product line. By the end of the decade, the Internet was changing our business model and eroding product margins on computer equipment (can you say “dropping like a rock”?). Revenues continued to climb, however, so it was a mixed blessing. We were evolving from a predominantly Unix shop to a more traditional Microsoft/Intel shop and we were recognized for three straight years as one of Washington’s Fastest Growing 100 Privately held companies.
ICS Support had grown to a staff of 29; yet just two months after the new millennium was ushered in, the bottom started falling out for technology companies. It continued falling for the next two years and then stayed flat on its back until the second half of 2004. The downturn left many of our competitors and peers in its wake. We had shrunk to a staff of eight in order to survive; but survive we did. “You know what they say about ‘what doesn’t kill you will make you stronger’,” Jeff explains.
Growing to serve you better
In 2003, Sage Software acquired Timberline Software, a software package designed specifically for the construction marketplace. Due to our stellar track record with Sage’s MAS 90 and 200 ERP product lines, we were subsequently asked in 2004 by Sage to launch a Timberline Office practice. And so we did.
In the last several years, we have continued adding staff and capabilities to serve you better. We outgrew our Kirkland offices and in 2006 ICS Support moved to our expanded Redmond location.
In 2007, we launched two new offerings within our network infrastructure group. The first is our Managed Services Practice that provides remote network monitoring and maintenance services for a flat monthly fee, thus designed to lower your total cost of ownership. The second is our VOIP integrated communication systems (phone, MS Outlook, PDA).
Looking forward, our industry continues to undergo rapid change. All software publishers are abuzz about SaaS (Software as a Service) which promises to deliver on the notion that software will no longer be installed and configured on a server in your premises, but rather the publisher will simply provide you access to operate the software via the web. The publisher and/or some third-party data protection firm will securely store your data. This will likely have a big impact on our business when it comes about. And then there is all the talk about SOA (Service Oriented Architecture), Web 2.0, and mashups (web applications that combine content from more than one source). It is not nearly as clear what impact those will have on our business so we will just wait until they sort themselves out better.
The world of operating systems (O/S) is changing also with the advent of Web 2.0 and enhanced web services. Some might argue that an operating system is no longer required. After all, if you can access the desired service via the web, who cares what O/S was used to get there. The same might be said for servers. With the proliferation of virtual server technology and the ability to run multiple instances of an operating system and its associated business applications on a single server (when properly provisioned), we will surely see a consolidation in the number of servers required to run an organization.
One thing that we don’t see changing anytime soon are the principles of rock solid service. In spite of the changes in technology platforms, we still need to provide highly responsive competent service to our clients when and where they need it. Technology will surely have an impact on the delivery mechanisms of that service and its associated efficiencies. At the end of the day, however, we still need to earn your business by doing things the right way and doing it in a way that is convenient for you.
“Technology will surely have an impact on the delivery mechanisms of our services; yet we feel that by continuing to stay at the leading edge of technology, and delivering services that can make technology work for your business, ICS Support will continue to be your technology partner for today and tomorrow.”
- Jeff Mack, President & CEO