Press
Tampa, Florida - September 11, 2006
TBTF Newsletter
Executive Profile: Sam Sandusky
President, Big
Sur Technologies
Q. Tell us about Big
Sur.
A. Big Sur Technologies is a top Managed
Services Provider in central Florida, serving
small and medium size businesses, offering complete
Network Design, Network Integration, and Network
Support Services. Our successful Professional
Services model was built on our world class technology
supplier model, in which we have offered software
licensing, and enterprise server and storage
solutions to many large state and local government,
education, and health care accounts throughout
Florida and the southeast.
Q. You do a lot of business with state and
local government. What is the most challenging
thing about serving the government sector in
contrast with private enterprises?
A. Our
recipe for success the last four years has
developed from our commitment to specialize in
only a handful of solutions, with a select group
of non-competing manufacturer's, which includes
HP, Novell, Messaging Architects, APC and Microsoft.
So when customers are looking for solutions from
these manufacturers, they will first think
of Big Sur.
Our state and local government clients
who have enjoyed our exceptional customer service
and competitive pricing throughout the years,
would also prefer to chose Big Sur in many situations
where they feel we would bring the best solution
to their organization, but the government purchasing
- process often dictates that they chose the "low bidder."
Many times our account team, along with the
client team, will work for months to create a unique
solution, that's high in value to the client, only
to be lost at the last minute because the
client had to get "two more bids" in order
to satisfy purchasing regulations. Our
personal investment in the "value model"
is often lost in the strict government - bid process.
Q. Big Sur literally got its
start in your garage. At what point did you
know it was the right time to move the business
out of the house and into an office building?
A. When we started
the company, Lisa and I had two small children
at home, girls ages one and three years. They
banged on the "home
office" door every day, "we can hear
you in there, why can't we come in?!" We
only lasted three months in the house before
we had to move out. We shared office space
with another small company for the first two
years to help cut costs. It was fun to
be in the same office space with another growing
company. Challenging
at times, but rewarding overall.
Q. Do
you find it hard or easy to find the talent here
that you need to grow your business?
A. Since
when has it been easy to find great employees?
Staffing your team with great people is just hard
work, plain and simple. We
are truly blessed with the team we have right
now. Their
high caliber and commitment to high standards
makes it that much harder each time we add
a new member! The
Tampa metropolitan area is huge. Good
talent is here, maybe not easy to find, but
they are here.
Q. You and your team are
big supporters of TBTF and the Tech Jam in
particular. What
is the greatest benefit you derive from being
involved with TBTF?
A. The leadership
team at TBTF is committed to networking
IT people in many sectors. They
are also a very professional, very unselfish
bunch, and because of these qualities,
they have always made us feel very important,
like our company is a vital part of the
technology ecosystem in Tampa Bay. I have
always felt like TBTF truly operates as a "non-profit"
whose primary interest is to support the IT community,
to connect people, to help it grow.
The
Tech Jam is simply one of the most creative ways
I've seen yet to support a good
cause. The
CompuTer-rific Committee is packed with
talented people who are sincerely eager
to help kids in the Boys and Girls Clubs.
Youth is where my heart is. Volunteering
for Big Brothers & Big
Sisters of Tampa Bay for 7 years was
one of my more rewarding experiences
in life. Anything
I can do to bring a child hope and expand
their horizons is where I want to be.
They are God's gift to us, our
chance to make the world a better place.
About Big Sur Technologies, Inc.
Big Sur Technologies,
Inc is a services and consulting organization that
provides Information Technology Solutions to commercial,
government, medical, and educational accounts throughout
the Southeastern US. We provide a single point
of contact for a wide variety of network services,
hardware sales and software licensing. Big Sur
Technologies has developed a consulting team that
offers unique technical skills for Novell, Linux,
Timespring Cisco, Messaging Architects, and Microsoft
Software Technologies. We have an impressive success
story that spans the last 6 years, covering medium
to large, to enterprise accounts. More information
about Big Sur Technologies, Inc. can be found at
www.bigsurtech.com .
About Tampa Bay Technology Forum
Founded in 2000, the Tampa Bay Technology Forum
(TBTF) is a professional association whose members
work together to make the Bay area a place where
technology and innovation thrive. TBTF's
400+ member organizations represent more than
40,000 employees include technology entrepreneurs,
business and community leaders, investors, government
representatives, researchers and educators. For
more information, visit www.tbtf.org.
Press contact: press@bigsurtech.com |
