We live in an evolving digital world, where everything we aim to accomplish on technological platforms becomes accessible to a variety of problematic consequences, leaving those of us without the high-tech savvy to be confused, bewildered, or even at risk. Luckily, there are companies out there whose mission is to help protect our information, all while offering services that allow business owners to focus on the logistical side of their companies while leaving the tech related concerns in hands of those more knowledgeable and capable.
On Line Support, established in 1998 by President Eric Olmsted, offers solutions to the aforementioned concerns, serving as a guiding light in a tunnel of digital turbulence and offering clients both clarification and results in a space that can oftentimes feel as overwhelming as it does daunting.
To learn more about On Line Support and its mission, we spoke with Olmsted as well as his wife Nancy, the VP of the company’s communication strategies to discuss the company’s success over the years and how they measure that success across their client-related endeavors.
“I’ve been married to the company for a long time, but I am really only a newcomer of about eight years to On Line Support, having spent most of my professional career as a marketing executive in finance,” says Nancy. “I was happy in my career path and was happy to let Eric do his own thing but ultimately I loved the idea of working in a family business.”
While Nancy may be a “newcomer” to the business, Eric certainly is not, having nearly a thirty-year career in the technological industry, starting as a computer programmer for the US Army before macheting his way through a vast jungle of robotic, tech, and telecom related work. However, after recognizing a need for tech support for businesses of a smaller scale, Eric compiled both his wealth of tech knowledge and his passion for being an entrepreneur to establish On Line Support. However, just what is IT support and what problems can derive from it?
“If you’ve ever had the experience where something didn’t work with your computer, or couldn’t get a printer to function, or your password no longer worked, really all of those frustrating problems are what we fix for small businesses,” says Eric. “Small to medium businesses don’t have their own full-time IT staff so they hire us to make sure the network is stable and that they have support. Our motto is ‘every business deserves technology that is predictable, efficient, and safe’.”
“We provide a whole team of people with expertise and certifications for the same price it would likely cost to just have one or two full-time IT employees,” adds Nancy.
To date, On Line Support offers services in backup management, vendor management, systems monitoring, system security, tech strategy, plus so much more, including a 24-hour help desk.
“We have experts that live answer your calls during business hours, but after business hours we have an on-call rotation to guarantee your needs or problems are addressed,” says Eric, who notes the company’s partnership with different vendors to help insure these needs.
“We have automated monitoring that monitors all kinds of problems, like what’s going on in the server or is there anything scary happening with the network,” says Nancy. “If so, we get notified in the middle of the night so that the client doesn’t come into the office with the problem, and we can jump on it as quickly as possible.”
Now, one major problem in today’s digital world is the threat of cyber security, which is why we asked both Eric and Nancy to delve a bit deeper into the topic and see what’s being done to help prevent these online attacks.
“Protecting is super important,” says Eric. “Putting the tools in place to combat this stuff, such as a proper firewall, putting endpoint protection on the devices, adding software that scans the network for any vulnerabilities so we can update the software on any necessary devices. We have an amazing amount of stuff. We also have three people out of twenty-five that are dedicated to cybersecurity, ready to respond instantly.”
“We don’t just train our employees on it, but we train theirs (clients) too,” adds Nancy. “88% of all hacking within organizations happens because of human error. No matter how many tools you put in place there’s going to be a brand new thing that comes up because hackers out there are super smart, so it’s important you keep your employees trained on how to be suspicious of everything.”
So, if you’re a potential small to medium sized business looking for tech support, then consider On Line Support’s service packages based on your needs.
“There’s usually two types of service packages, the first being ‘Break/Fix’, where you break it and we fix it,” says Eric. “The second would be some type or fully managed service, where you pay a flat monthly rate and everything is taken care of. The ‘Break/Fix’ you pay by the minute.”
“We are so reliant on tech to do our jobs,” says Nancy. “So, if your tech isn’t working then your business isn’t working. You can’t do your day-to-day, help your customers, or grow in today’s tech focused world. Our clients rely on us so that they don’t have to focus on that stuff. We’re helping them plan for the future.”
What’s so impressive about the company is their true love and passion for both the community and the businesses they serve, as demonstrated by their willingness to assist multiple non-profits over the years with tech services that would typically cost a pretty penny.
The digital world is evolving, and it’s important to evolve with it. On Line Support currently services clients in Oregon, Vancouver, and Seattle. Visit them at www.on-line-support.com.
