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By Adam Elitzur

Two Decades of Empowering Clients: The I.T. Solutions of South Florida Journey

Read Time 3 Minutes

As the 20th anniversary of I.T. Solutions of South Florida approaches, the company’s founders reflect on a history marked by growth, innovation, and an unwavering commitment to client satisfaction.

The Pizzos, Deana Pizzo, CEO, and Jason Pizzo, CIO, founded I.T. Solutions of South Florida out of their living room when they had two young children. The company is a technology services provider based in Hypoluxo, Florida that quickly evolved from a break-fix operation to a managed service provider (MSP).  Today, I.T. Solutions of South Florida boasts a robust portfolio of services, including helpdesk support, cloud infrastructure management, and cybersecurity.

“We make sure your mouse works when you click,” Deana Pizzo remarked. “Just as important, we make sure no one else can click that mouse for you, or watch you when you click. What we do is all behind the curtains, like the stage director of a show with lots of special effects. Until an end user calls us, of course – then our team goes front and center.”

One of the most exciting projects in the company’s history involved supporting the Porsche Motorsport North America racing team, setting up their line of sights and telemetry. Each race car was equipped with seven servers, communicating back to the pit various data points such as tire pressure and fuel levels. Porsche needed to ensure that this telemetry data was transmitted in real-time without interruptions for the fast-paced car racing environment, so they leaned on I.T. Solutions of South Florida.

The company places an emphasis on customer education. They have found that educating end users leads to fewer problems. Additionally, the company’s status as a woman-owned business sets it apart in the I.T. industry, bringing diversity and a unique perspective to the forefront.

All of I.T. Solutions of South Florida’s offerings are included for a single price, with their all-inclusive pricing model. Their target market includes organizations that are headquartered in South Florida but with multiple locations throughout the United States. They aim for a strong corporate relationship through in-person meetings. They boast low client turnover, attributing their success to these relationships. Each client has a dedicated account manager, with weekly calls. They recently held a wine event for their clients to get together.

The company prides itself on its proactive approach, ensuring that clients’ technological needs are met before issues arise. This strategy has not only fostered a loyal customer base but also garnered significant accolades, including Pizzo being featured on the South Florida Business Journal’s Top 25 Influential Business Women list. The company’s culture is another cornerstone of its success. Recognized as one of the South Florida Business Journal’s Best Places to Work, I.T. Solutions of South Florida understands that satisfied employees lead to satisfied customers.

I.T. Solutions of South Florida has a team of 20 dedicated professionals, serving almost 50 clients with 2,500 end users. The company is expanding its services to include a new division focused on Governance, Risk Management and Compliance (GRC). This addition is particularly timely, as businesses increasingly seek to navigate the complex landscape of government regulations and compliance standards. The new GRC division will assist clients by conducting audits and helping them develop internal policies tailored to their specific needs, particularly in the area of cyber insurance.

For more information about I.T. Solutions of South Florida and its services, visit I.T. Solutions of South Florida.

By Nancy Dahlberg

Member Spotlight | I.T. Solutions of South Florida & Deana Pizzo

Read Time 4 Minutes

Business: A managed service provider specializing in solving IT and business challenges for small to medium size businesses.

HQ: Lake Worth

Year founded: 2004

Founders: Deana Pizzo (CEO) and Jason Pizzo (CIO)

No. of employees: 16

Website: www.itsolutions247.com

 

 

I.T. Solutions of South Florida  has racked up a lot of industry and community awards. But the one CEO Deana Pizzo is most proud of is being honored as a Best Place to Work by the South Florida Business Journal last year.

“That was a really big deal to me. Best Places to Work means that you have the right people in the right seat on the bus. They like what they’re doing,” Pizzo said about her Lake Worth-based company. And it’s her people, she says, that drive her business forward while keeping the businesses of her customers running smoothly.

Pizzo started I.T. Solutions of South Florida with her husband, Jason, in 2004 in their living room, and they evolved the company over the years into a Managed Service Provider overseeing the networks of dozens of small and mid-sized companies. Services of the certified woman-owned small business include managing everything from cloud services to local servers to phones to copiers and more. “We do a lot of 24-month technology road mapping with our clients” so there are no surprises, she said, along with ongoing consulting and educational training.

Clients include SunFest, Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium, United States Polo Association and United States Polo Global Licensing, among others. I.T. Solutions of South Florida manages networks in some unusual places, too.  “We are part of the Porsche North America racing team,” Pizzo said. “One single race car has seven servers, which is surprising to a lot of people.”

Feeding South Florida in Fort Lauderdale, the third-largest food bank in the country, is also an I.T. Solutions of South Florida client. For Nonprofits First, I.T. Solutions of South Florida not only supports its network but also teaches classes for the nonprofit’s clients on everything from cybersecurity education to how to use Microsoft Teams – big requests during the pandemic.

 

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE PEOPLE

What sets her company apart from the competition, Pizzo says, is a people-first mission and approach.

“When you grow your team with great people, the client’s come,” she said.  “We hire for personality and sharpen the tech. You can teach tech but you can’t teach personality,”

To find the best people skills, I.T. Solutions of South Florida doesn’t even talk about the tech with job applicants until the end of the second interview. “The very first interaction with us is a video submission. Can they talk to people and make eye contact? … And then we test the tech,” Pizzo said.

It’s working. I.T. Solutions of South Florida has had very low turnover, Pizzo said. “I can count my turnover in 17 years on one hand. I have people that been with me 10 years.”

‘NO GEEK SPEAK’

I.T. Solutions of South Florida’ 16-person team is nearly half are women, very unusual in tech. The ways the team goes about treating customers differently starts with no geek speak, Pizzo said.

“We do not do that. We want plain old conversation. Nobody wants to be talked down to, which my industry is full of.”

Once new team members are on board, they get an education plan. “We get them certifications and they’re part of their onboarding as part of their first year. They are doing ongoing technical training — sharpening the sword is very important.”

Since 2016, I.T. Solutions of South Florida has been on South Florida Business Journal’s fastest growing companies list. With COVID-19 in the picture, growth is down a bit this year, but growth will still be in the double digits, thanks to getting an early start following its disaster recovery plan, Pizzo said. “We actually are getting ready to hire two more people by the end of the year.”

I.T. Solutions of South Florida went 100% virtual early in the crisis and then worked quickly to get its customers — about 1,700 people — virtual in a period of two weeks. “We were prepared and had a plan. And that’s something that we do with our clients. Every year we sit and we revisit their disaster recovery plan. I don’t think anybody could have planned for this but having those plans in place was a huge help in helping all of our clients get all of their employees remote.”

 

COMMUNITY FOCUS

Pizzo is active in the community. She was selected for the Palm Beach Tech Association’s Board of Directors this year, a position she is very excited to hold. “I love the mission of creating a tech hub in the South Florida region — it is very needed. I’m excited for what they’re doing and I want to help them be better at what they do.”

Pizzo also serves on the Board of Governors for Leadership Palm Beach County, is a member of the Board of Directors for Nonprofits First and is a corporate member of the BDB and a Corporate Trustee in the Palm Beach North Chamber of Commerce.

In her new role on Palm Beach Tech’s board, Pizzo says she is looking forward to listening to the community, finding out what the demands are and helping Palm Beach Tech meet those needs. She also has some of her own ideas.

“We need our college graduates to stay here. We need to lure college graduates to this area. We need to become that tech hub. Joe [Russo] has definitely made some waves, and we are moving towards that.”

 

Shown at top of post: I.T. Solutions of South Florida’ co-founders, Deana (CEO) and Jason Pizzo (CIO), at a Leadership Palm Beach County event. Photos provided by I.T. Solutions of South Florida.

Two Decades of Empowering Clients: The I.T. Solutions of South Florida Journey
Member Spotlight | I.T. Solutions of South Florida & Deana Pizzo