After working as technician and engineer for several IT services companies over the previous 10 years, Daniel Watson decided to strike out on his own and founded Network Innovation in 1998. He started out with a lot of support from family and friends, a few clients he had previously worked with, and not much else.
The workload was extraordinary at first. Within a couple years, he had hired sales and support staff, but was still the only technician at the fledgling company, and it was quite common for him to put in 60-hour weeks doing nothing but technical work.
In the early days, almost all the work was related to supporting the legacy Novell Netware server operating system, Windows PC’s, and connecting our clients to the internet for the very first time.
In 2001, Dan hired Roger Mauck to be a second systems engineer. Roger had worked as a tech previously at a local computer store (remember those?) and as internal IT support for a software development company. Along with some much-needed expertise in Windows Servers, he brought with him the ability to translate technical jargon into everyday English. Almost immediately, clients started asking for Roger by name, and the business expanded rapidly.
As technology advanced, so did the skill set of the Network Innovation technicians. We transitioned our Novell Netware clients onto Microsoft Server solutions, and then again to cloud solutions when advantageous. We fought through the early pain of integrating Apple and Linux computers into Microsoft networks. We integrated smart phones into our clients’ networks, first with Blackberry, Palm and Windows Mobile devices, then onto the iPhone and Android devices we use today. Internet access moved from a convenient tool for businesses to a necessary utility that they can’t live without, and we have grown in knowledge and experience to keep our clients connected wherever they may be.
Along the way, we strived to hire the most talented people we could find for every position. During this time, we brought in Angela Beach as dispatcher in 2003 and Ryan Mulcahy as technician in 2007.
In 2019, Network Innovation became Network Innovations to reflect the way IT had changed since the company’s founding. Rarely do we have to come up with creative solutions to unique issues; in most cases, we can implement quality innovative products out of the box to quickly and reliably provide the services that your business needs.
At that time, Roger took over as Operations Manager while continuing to perform systems engineer duties. Dan is working as a full-time systems engineer, and we have added Jesse Schatz as a technician and Skyler Ross in sales and marketing.