Celebrating 25 Years of IT Industry Experience

Written by Sterling Ideas

June 7, 2024

Since 1999, we’ve helped our clients implement technology solutions to strengthen their companies.  

We’re proud to have made this 25-year milestone together. And it hasn’t always been easy. We’ve made it through phones that didn’t ring, and not having clients when Charles first decided to take a leap of faith and open this company.  

For close to 20 years, he worked alone to support our clientele. And thanks to hard work, honest business practices, and many (many) late nights the company has taken off. Client by client, Sterling Ideas IT has grown, and we’ve grown with many of you. 

To commemorate just how far we’ve come, let’s look back at the IT industry experience we’ve gained and have been able to implement for clients in our 25-year history.

Where We Started & Memorable Moments 

The late 90s was a period of rapid technological advancement, where every new development felt like a step into uncharted territory. The first widespread use of the Internet, the rise of personal computers, the initial foray into mobile tech, and the sounds of dial-up connections.  

But those early tech innovations shaped the path of Sterling Ideas – pushing Charles to learn with each new IT advancement. 

Then in 2018, Sterling (yes, we named the business after our firstborn son) joined his father at the family business. And to ring in the New Year in 2022, we joined forces with Todd Long, who had been like family to us for decades. Todd & Charles had even worked together when both were starting out in the IT field and have enjoyed working alongside one another again. 

We are so proud of the team – our family – we’ve built that can handle all the IT demands of our clients.  


What Some of Our Oldest Clients Say About Sterling Ideas IT
 

You, the clients, mean the world to us. We want your team to work as efficiently as possible — for their good, for your company’s good, and for the good of those you serve. It’s our why.  

It is a badge of honor that several of Charles’ original clients are still on the books today! Thank you all for your kind words and partnership for over 20 years. Here are just a couple of testimonials that truly help keep us pushing to provide the best quality IT support possible: 

  

“Charles and his company have provided IT services for my company for over 20 years, and I’ve never had a time where he or his staff didn’t respond to my emergency needs. They have treated me like family, and they will continue to have me as a client for as long as they will have me.” 

– Owner and President • Land Acquisition Firm • Client since 2001 

 

“We have been using Sterling Ideas for our IT needs for over 20 years. From the beginning when they rescued us from disaster to our continued expansion to over 250 computers on our campus, they have been there. We have had very little downtime over the years compared to my peers. If you do what Sterling Ideas says to do, your system will work. They always respond to your questions or needs the very same day. I’m sticking with Sterling Ideas!” 

– Operations Manager • Large Local Church • Client since 2002 

 

Our Industry Expertise 

 

We have always believed small businesses to be the backbone of our country, and we work hard to make sure clients have thrived through quality IT support.  

We can’t wait to see the progress the IT industry will make in the next 25 years, and where we’ll continue to grow to support our clients’ ever-changing IT needs. These are just a few of the managed IT services that have developed since our inception.  

 

Data Protection  


Protecting your data
has long been one of our highest priorities! For over 20 years, our remote IT team has helped business owners identify where their data lives and deploy systems to backup and protect that information. 

The threats have evolved since the late 90s – ransomware, hackers, and so much more. Plus, the usual IT issues of hardware failure, natural disaster, or a hundred other crises – we work hard ensuring you have peace of mind because your data is safe.  

 

Cybersecurity 

 

The truth is that if you have any data that you need access to, you have a worthwhile target for an attacker.  

Cybersecurity threats (and how we respond to them) have certainly progressed in the past 25 years. Over the years, we’ve adapted to protect devices with advanced antivirus systems, the Huntress threat hunting system, anti-malware programs, the Ironscales anti-phishing platform, anti-spam protection, and password managers and 2FA multi-factor authentication.  

You can trust us to continue to deploy security systems, working alongside you to design new, secure methods of work, and evaluate your IT options when your needs change.  

 

Staff Support  

 

Just like our starting days in 1999, your staff likely ranges from those who struggle with technology to those who push the boundaries. Wherever your employees fall in that continuum, we’ve been proud to be partnering with clients.  

It’s been our 25-year standard to prevent problems by being proactive, not reactive. But whenever you need us, our team will always answer the call and help answer IT questions quickly. Our goal is to get to the root causes of problems and resolve those annoying IT issues. 

 

IT Support: Always a Sterling Idea 

Since our start in the summer of 1999, we’ve been here to help small businesses with good technology, comprehensive IT strategies, and ways to protect data better – always a sterling idea.  

Any reputable Managed Service IT company can keep your computers on and printers printing, but only a true partner can help you strategically use technology to solve business problems.  

That’s where we come in. This is the 25-year Sterling Ideas story so far, and it’s just the start of great things to come. 

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