Data Balance Profiled in Tampa Bay Technology Forum Member Spotlight
Member Spotlight
Jon Lawrence, President
Data Balance, Inc.
Tell us about Data Balance.
Data Balance takes IT worries off our clients’ to-do lists so they can stay focused on building their business. It’s easy for a manager to become distracted by non-core, non-revenue generating activities, even when the non-core business function is strategic – like IT in a service business. Having a knowledgeable, reliable and focused partner is critical in this situation.
Our services include the traditional IT pyramid of strategy, software applications and IT infrastructure, plus information security, unified communications/VoIP and a flourishing managed service practice.
We focus on companies in legal, financial, medical and professional services with 20 to 250 employees. We also serve some government clients. Our ultimate goal is the increased productivity, creativity and financial success of our clients.
We focus on companies in legal, financial, medical and professional services with 20 to 250 employees. We also serve some government clients. Our ultimate goal is the increased productivity, creativity and financial success of our clients.
What trends have you spotted among businesses in terms of technology practices and innovations?
Software-as-a-service (SaaS) and cloud computing are important trends. Moving applications from internal, company-owned servers to a vendor-managed cloud can deliver flexibility and cost advantages. A paradigm shift seems to be taking place, where companies transition their focus and dollars from “how to run it” (infrastructure) to “how to support the business” (application software). This is an important step up the pyramid – a step in the right direction.
For us, the skills needed to manage technology in either place – on-premise server room or in the cloud – is about the same. We’re agnostic in our approach: buy, build or run the application where you want it. Wherever that is, we’ll research, design, manage and/or support it all, with the reliability of a dial tone.
Another area in which I’m seeing a lot of activity is virtualization and hardware consolidation. This movement is driven primarily by the cloud computing trend, easy cost savings and environmental concerns.
Mobile computing is getting a lot of press. After surviving the mainframe centralization of the 70’s and client-server in the ‘80’s and ‘90’s, I’m excited to see architecture settling into a reasonable compromise. We’re around the corner from having structured information delivered from a secure, intelligent business repository to any gadget on your desk or in your hand.
Access to the repository by any device will be independent of the communication channel or client platform – whether broadband, Wi-Fi, 3G, Web browser, iPhone, Android, iPad, X-Box – whatever. New, loosely coupled Web service standards like SOAP and WSDL are converging to make this architecture a reality, with potentially very large productivity gains and cost savings for service businesses.
What are the top reasons to choose outsourced IT rather than relying on an internal IT department?
Major benefits include the freedom to focus on your core competency, improved service levels with reduced technology cost, and a steady, predictable IT budget.
Data Balance has clients who outsource everything to us, from the CIO function down to the cables in the wall. Others choose to engage only when needing specialized skills for projects. We’re flexible in our approach, but the common denominator shared by our clients is that they recognize IT as a critical success factor, but not a core competency.
What do you like best about the Tampa Bay business community?
Our family came to Tampa Bay in 2001 to start this business. Our decision was based on the cost of living, lifestyle and business climate. Now having been here almost 10 years, I am happy to report that every aspect of living and working in Tampa Bay has exceeded our expectations. The business community is energetic and increasingly sophisticated. Everyday I’m pleasantly surprised by the quality of people and how fast everything moves in this town.
What is the number one tech gadget you cannot live without, personally?
It’s a close race between the CardScan 800C for capturing business cards and email signatures into Microsoft CRM and the iPhone for just about everything outside the office. I’m a lifelong techie, but increasingly a late adopter – my wife had an iPhone before I did. Arrows-in-the-back and grey hair tends to temper the “new gadget enthusiasm.”
