Information Technology is a critical feature of our modern lives. This rapid evolution in the field brings with it a whole new world of opportunities and threats. As the technology world grows by leaps and bounds, so too does the need for more effective ways to build safer and faster communication networks that safeguard data and information while also identifying and troubleshooting issues in a timely manner. In simpler terms, IT contributes to the positive growth and development of ourselves and everyone around us.
Mytech Partners was founded in 2000 in Minneapolis, MN, to do exactly that. Since then, co-founders Day James, Lyf Wildenberg, and Nathan Austin have been assisting and consulting with small and medium-sized enterprises, first in Minnesota and then at a second office in Colorado. With their help, organizations in both areas can ensure they get onboard the IT train, to not get left behind in a rapidly developing digital world.
With their motto “Make IT Easy,” Mytech Partners works with their clients to implement a proven IT strategy that can deliver four times more value and productivity from their IT investments. Mytech works to truly understand their clients’ business requirements and goals, in order to make technology seamless and hassle-free.
Complete IT support with proven results
Ever since the IT revolution, smaller organizations have been playing catch-up as larger enterprises put more and more funds into developing their technological assets. This has changed the dynamics and patterns of consumer buying, tilting in the favor of technology-savvy enterprises, often leaving smaller establishments behind.
Mytech empowers and enables these small and medium-sized businesses with the platform and tools required to be more adaptable and relevant in today’s fast-paced and ever-changing business environment. Most of their clients have between 15 and 500 employees, and most of these businesses are located within an hour from a Mytech location.
“Our managed IT and security services leverage our proven IT strategy, that provides our clients consistent, reliable, secure results while minimizing surprise IT costs.”
While IT is a broad spectrum, the company’s focus is on building and maintaining both on-premise and cloud networks and intentional, scalable tech infrastructure. Mytech’s team of experts have devised a distinctive and proven fully managed IT and security service strategy that has brought their clients long-lasting results; a strategy they continue to use to date. They also deliver personalized, local help desk and professional services to their clients to stay operational and productive through the lifecycle of their technology investments.
Empowering local businesses with the right tools
Co-founders Nathan, Lyf, and Day recognize the impact that even small IT problems and disruptions can have on a small to medium sized business. Many of these frequent issues and subsequent surprise IT costs can be avoided by proper planning and strategic technology investments. That is why Mytech’s solutions are built around strategic business conversations and proven industry best practices in order to provide better security, consistency, productivity, and predictability when it comes to IT and its operation costs.
Many clients choose Mytech because they are seeking a proactive, proven IT solution that can deliver the functionality and organizational protection they require. Mytech forms collaborative partnerships with its clients from the start, advising on strategic processes and IT roadmaps for their clients at their very first client meetings.
Mytech serves many industries including medical, professional services, manufacturing, and others where security compliance regulations and confidentiality are ever-present concerns. They also provide solutions for many not-for-profit organizations (NGOs), helping them carefully invest available tech funding to maximize their IT experience.
“Organizations invest in IT for a variety of reasons; some of them are hoping to see measurable improvements to their productivity, and others just want to protect themselves against the unthinkable.”
Mytech Partners has seen continued success due to its personal commitment and ability to form long-lasting relationships with clients. They encourage their employees to go the extra mile to provide clients with ‘The best IT experience in North America,’ which is also their vision statement. Not only will the Mytech team proactively deploy the most effective tools for their clients, but they are committed to mitigating any and all surprise costs through their tried and tested strategic planning process that directly engages an organization’s executive leadership in the decisions being made.
Furthermore, while many service providers are geographically centralizing support personnel and outsourcing IT functions, Mytech is committed to keeping its support staff local. Mytech employs dedicated, full-service IT support teams in both Minnesota & Colorado, so that when a client calls Mytech the same team will help them every single time, thus ensuring faster support and quicker recovery times from staff who remember their clients’ IT needs.
A clear, well-defined road to success
“Our managed service offering is tailored to a very specific target client profile, which means that clients who join are well-suited to the solutions we provide. Their needs are proactively addressed and they experience enhanced security and backup solutions because our services match their need so closely,” says Lyf.
Mytech takes its brand promise – “our clients will achieve 4 times more value and productivity” – seriously. Working with clients who share their priorities and philosophy ensures that Mytech can deliver on that promise every time. With a distinguished strategy in place and a steadfast commitment to achieving the highest possible value for its clients, Mytech reduces the amount of time clients spend on IT problems by four times on average, and sometimes even more.
At Mytech, there is a shared passion for innovation and an aspiration to have a bigger and better impact on its clients, vendor partners and community, to help them grow and develop. With constant technological and personnel advancements in areas of research and development, business management, and customer service, the company has made available the solutions and resources that small businesses need to grow and be more adaptable.
As an add-on to their managed services, Mytech has also invested in business services to improve the communication, collaboration, and overall productivity of their clients through better utilization of the Microsoft 365 suite of applications. The company offers training and software solutions to organizations and their employees, training them and their teams how to master and use Microsoft 365 Suite to its fullest potential.
Working together to achieve great results
When it comes to work culture and employee development, very few organizations have as many avenues as Mytech does. Their mission statement “To grow, help, make a difference” has been thoughtfully created by the founders, is instilled into each employee, and resonates in all activities and operations of the company.
Mytech employees are encouraged to live in an atmosphere of openness and support. The organization intentionally fosters a collaborative outlook, which then translates to advantageous customer service for the clients. Employees are given due recognition and credit for their positive contributions and innovations.
For instance, Mytech Donuts is an internal app that is used to encourage team members to recognize other team members based on a company value that they emulated. The recognition is visible to anyone at Mytech and a notification is sent directly to the team member and their supervisor.
Similarly, culture interviews and onboarding processes run by the company’s hiring committee ensure that employees are hired for both their skills as well as the values that inform their workplace behavior, such as Mytech’s values like “Practice Confidence and Humility” or “Embrace Uniqueness.” This keeps Mytech’s teams cohesive and cooperative, while allowing candidates an opportunity to honestly evaluate Mytech and determine for themselves whether they would thrive while working there. The end result? A committed, productive, and confident working environment for all.
Local culture committees are appointed at all Mytech offices and are responsible for maintaining a thriving culture through employee engagement events and activities. Through games, competitions, meal events, and other projects, this team works to “create fun and a little weirdness” – another one of Mytech’s company values.
“Mytech is a professional services organization, and we strive to have a brand that portrays professionalism, and one that does not take ourselves too seriously.”
Mytech has always been thoroughly invested in contributing to the growth of others around them, be it their employees or their clients. They have even developed the ‘Make a Difference’ grant that identifies and partners with local not-for-profit organizations (NGOs). To selected organizations, Mytech offers three years of free managed IT services: a value of up to $250,000. Programs like this position Mytech as frontrunners in the IT development space for both for-profit organizations as well as not-for-profit ones.
Keeping up and staying ahead
Nathan, Day, and Lyf started Mytech Partners more than 2 decades ago. Each founder came from different backgrounds but all worked for the same dot-com company. In September of 2000 however, all employees of the company got a shock of their lives when everyone’s pay checks bounced because the company’s investors had pulled out their funds. Realizing that they did not ever want to be beholden to outside investors again, they formed the idea for Mytech Partners and soon thereafter it was launched.
Initially doing small IT jobs like moving a dial-up internet to high-speed internet, making branded email accounts, and putting up firewalls, Lyf, Day, and Nathan have witnessed vast and fast-paced changes in the Managed Services Provider (MSP) industry. “We joined and participated in industry peer groups, financial benchmarking, and business coaching/consultants over the years and that has helped us grow, build a quality business, and establish a great culture that can deliver a premium experience to our clients,” says Nathan.
More recently, the company that has always been focused on being physically present for their clients dealt with the unknown challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic. They pivoted from having multiple in-person events, visits, and trainings to instead hosting virtual events and helping their clients adapt to operating virtually. A long-time fiscally conservative approach that the Mytech owners had in place ensured that no employee lost their job through the pandemic, helping the company navigate successfully through the storm.
“My co-founders and I love a challenge; we are driven to solve problems and we enjoy the innovation that comes with growing and helping others along the way.”
Looking into the future, Mytech is always preparing to deal with the increased challenges of managed services, like disruption, disaster, and cybersecurity threats. Every modern business faces IT challenges, and often it’s not a question of if disaster will strike, but when. Clients who are diligent regarding their security and investments will likely steer through, thanks to Mytech’s proactive approach to IT.
While no formal blueprint exists outlining the functioning of MSPs, Mytech has a few big-picture goals: 10 geographic locations, 500 Mytech team members, 2000 clients, and 20 pro-bono community partner charity clients. That will certainly take some doing, but Mytech is always innovating and growing, seeking other MSPs who would like to collaborate. They continue to look forward, improving and expanding on their shared cultures and values, to Make IT Easy for their clients every day.
