Whether it is businesses, government institutions, or NGOs, the accurate exchange of information between a consumer and a service provider has always been the milestone to judge the effectiveness and value that any industry provides its customers. Streamlining and securing this vastly immense amount of information data that billions of people put out on the World Wide Web on a daily basis is the foundation of modern-day information technology.
Being a tower of strength to their clients are Arkansas-based IT service providing veterans, Edafio Technology Partners. Founded in 1999 and with the mission statement ‘to provide intelligent technology solutions that help our clients preserve, protect and grow their businesses’, Edafio has been in the business for the past 22 years and have established itself as market leaders, aiding and assisting companies across multiple industries with information technology management and technology consulting.
Kenny Kinley, President & CEO of Edafio Technology Partners, explains to us how his company has stayed a cut above the rest even with the regular change and upgrades in technology and fierce competition in the sector. With offices in North Little Rock, Conway, and Rogers, Arkansas, they bring to the table a range of the latest IT and cybersecurity services.
Primarily working with hospitals and large clinics, Kenny has found that many businesses and organizations can benefit from their technology. From a complete network assessment to draw the most feasible IT road map; to high-performance customized cloud computing solutions and data backups; to the latest cybersecurity solutions, Edafio provides on-site services as a client’s technology leader down to the most tangible and responsive help desk services.
“Intelligent Technology Solutions. Powered by People”
Edafio is a professional IT service provider which is defined by the professional skills and customer-centricity of each of its employees. In Kenny’s years of experience, he has noticed how a lot of clients consider the technology industry as inaccessible, fragmented, and dogmatic. He has seen companies hire IT firms, but clients have expressed reservations when dealing with an IT service provider due to not getting adequate support. At Edafio, though, it is their unique ability to first understand the need of every client and then give them precisely tailored “Intelligent” solutions to their requirements, all while carefully ensuring that every customer gets the same care and personal attention, regardless of their size.
"We believe we must comprehend the needs of the client's whole business if we are to provide true technology excellence, and we are dedicated to walking side-by-side with them every step of the journey."
Kenny tells us that their most effective and successful business model has been to be present on-site with the client as much as possible. He has observed that many companies prefer to deliver their services in a remote-only support fashion. Since Edafio strives to be an extension of their client’s business, by being physically present for as long as it takes and putting clients’ needs first, they have the upper hand over all their competitors.
A strong code of conduct is also honed in every Edafio employee towards their customers. By employing experienced high-level senior engineers and highly qualified analysts who have vast knowledge and technological mastery of the industry, clients can be confident that their networks are in the safest hands and remain stable and efficient.
The Edafio edge
To understand what differentiates Edafio from the others and what best defines them, Kenny reiterates how each employee in the company strongly believes in and follows Edafio’s core values and culture. Kenny and his team are committed to delivering value to their clients not just by being an on-site team of highly skilled professionals but also by having a shared outlook and centralized approach of being ‘One team unified by humility and mutual respect, a team having ‘Unquestionable integrity’ with the force of ‘A relentless commitment to client success’ propelling them further.
Furthermore, as the largest managed IT service company in Arkansas, with teams of specialists spread throughout the state, Edafio has a competitive advantage when it comes to size and scale. Kenny says, “We are confident in our ability to provide mid-level to enterprise companies access to world-class expertise with the most talented team of specialists in the industry.”
"Our goal is always to be the most accessible, responsive, indispensable technology specialists in the region. The feedback we get from our clients indicates that we mostly succeed in achieving that goal."
From humble beginning to market leaders
Edafio technology was born when a Little Rock-based accounting firm was not getting the precise tech support they needed back in 1999. The accounting firm’s partners decided to start their own IT firm and be their first clients. Although an uphill battle with all the challenges that a start-up faces were eminent for the team, which was also making a shift from accounting into IT, the persistent team persevered and overcame every obstacle they came across. In 2010 Keith Woodruff was hired as CEO with his wealth of industry knowledge and business experience, launching the company on the path to longevity and success by implementing its client-first approach.
More recently, even with the Covid-19 pandemic, the company has been seeing steady growth. Ranked as one of the nation’s top managed service providers (MSP), they currently employ 107 associates, certified specialists, and engineers, expected to cross 120 by the end of 2021. Quickly adapting from an in-office model to a home-based model, the teams saw a few challenges at first, but they managed to overcome them in no time. Seeing as how many employees were more productive working from home, Kenny considers the transition as a learning experience and foresees it helping the company in the long term.
“Progress and innovation must include developing, nurturing, and enabling talent and skills throughout the organization,” Kenny says, “Having the right, digital-savvy leaders in place is one of the keys to success in any transformation program.” The company encourages its employees to adapt and learn new ways of working by calculated risk-taking, increased collaboration, and more client centricity. There is constant personal development and empowerment instilled in employees all across the board.
"There can be no progress that does not include attracting, motivating and retaining outstanding people."
Looking ahead, Kenny is all set to lead the company into growth both from a geographic perspective as well as by offering more products and services to their clients over the coming years. With clients changing to more of a home-based work model post the pandemic, Kenny is looking forward to a fast-paced growth with clients now being more open to remote help.
Even with all the constant changes in technological trends and the business environment around us, Edafio’s CEO, Kenny Kinley, always has and will continue to have an unwavering and steadfast commitment to their clients. “The richness of what we do and the most meaningful rewards come from helping people,” says Kenny.
