Company Spotlight - Dataprise Inc.
In the latest tech company spotlight, dcTechSource.com's Avery Fellow sits down with Dataprise, Inc. out of Rockville, MD.
By Avery Fellow | February 5, 2010
Rockville, Md.-based IT services provider Dataprise Inc. just celebrated 15 years of operation as a company focused on giving IT support to small and medium sized companies. The 112-employee company offers tuition assistance, a grocery store delivery service, and an in-house game room, some of the reasons it was recently recognized in the Washingtonian’s 50 Great Places to Work in the "Work Hard, Play Hard," category. Since the firm was founded, it has never laid-off an employee, frozen salaries, or cut bonuses. Dataprise plans to launch a government services division in 2010.
Company name:
Dataprise, Inc.
Year founded:
1995
Company background:
Dataprise is an information technology services provider and systems integrator that solves the technology challenges of small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs.) Headquartered in the Washington, D.C. metro area (Rockville, MD) and with offices in New York, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Washington, DC and Northern Virginia, Dataprise helps organizations manage their networks, leverage their technology investments and offers affordable technical support and consulting services including its Signature® Network Support monthly service plans together with its FantasTECH™ customer service.
Number of employees:
112
Key executives:
David Eisner, Founder, President and CEO
Scott R. Gordon, Chief Operating Officer
Mitchell Paige, Chief Financial Officer
David A. Dekowski, Vice President of Business Development
Charles "Chaz" M. Chalkley, Director of Support Services
Michael Fallon, Director of Enterprise Design
Travis L. Woodroff, Director of Enterprise Services
Eric J. Leff, Director of Carrier Services
Target market/key customers:
Small and Medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in the D.C. metro area.
Market differentiators:
Dataprise helps organizations manage their networks, leverage their technology investments and offers affordable technical support and consulting services including its Signature® Network Support monthly service plans together with its FantasTECH™ customer service.
Company success story:
David Eisner, president and CEO, graduated from University of Maryland with a computer science degree in 1990. He began his IT career working for IBM, SRA and I-NET; in 1995 he founded Dataprise. The company grew from a one-man operation in a Rockville, MD apartment into a thriving, business that remains headquartered in Rockville. Organically grown into a nationally-recognized IT services provider, Dataprise evolved on a promise the company established when it was founded 15 years ago: to become a comprehensive technology partner for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in the D.C. metro area.
Throughout its 15-year history, Dataprise has been critically acclaimed and has been recognized with numerous awards including the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 (recognized four times) and Fast 500 and the SmartCEO Future 50. In 2009, and for the third time, the firm was also listed on the Inc. Magazine 5000 list. Dataprise was recently ranked number three in The Gazette of Politics and Business’ 2009 list of the 53 top businesses and organizations in Maryland.
Most recently, Dataprise was recognized as one of the 50 "Great Places to Work" in the Washingtonian magazine’s biennial "2009 Great Places to Work" award issue. The firm was featured in the ‘Work Hard, Play Hard’ category.
Additional regional awards include being ranked number 17 in The Washington Business Journal’s 2009 list of the top small technology companies in the Washington, D.C. metro area and on The Washington Business Journal’s list of "Best Places to Work" in Greater Washington for 2007 and 2008 in the medium-sized business category.
In recognition of Mr. Eisner’s business leadership, he was named Ernst & Young’s 2005 Entrepreneur of the Year in the "Realizing Business Potential" category. This category recognizes companies that effectively leverage technology to grow their business.
Plans for 2010:
Dataprise plans to continue growing organically and plans to invest in several new geographies as well as forge ahead into new vertical markets, including the launch of a new government services division.
Company location:
Rockville, MD
Dataprise was recently listed in the Washingtonian’s 50 Great Places to Work in the "Work Hard, Play Hard" category. To what does the company attribute this recognition?
The firm provides an employee-focused environment. In addition to receiving a year-end holiday bonus, all employees are recognized and rewarded for going beyond their expected job responsibilities. Nearly every department has implemented a monthly bonus structure where employees are acknowledged for their outstanding efforts and dedication to the firm and its clients.
In these challenging economic times, the firm’s leaders feel an extra level of responsibility to their employees to ensure that the business is succeeding and jobs are secure. While many other companies are shrinking their workforces, Dataprise has experienced job growth. The firm has increased headcount by 20 percent over the last five years. While many companies are looking to cut costs by eliminating employee benefits and developmental programs, at Dataprise these offerings are non-negotiable. Since its inception, the firm has never laid-off an employee, frozen salaries, or cut bonuses.
Training, job-related courses and seminars contribute to the positive feedback about the firm’s exceptional service to its employees. Employees are encouraged and financially motivated to enroll in job-related courses, professional conferences and management seminars, and to obtain technical certifications. Dataprise pays the fees for seminars and certification courses, while tuition assistance amounts are decided on a case-by-case basis.
At Dataprise, effective communication is the norm. The firm provides an environment where employees can begin a career as well as grow one. Every employee has the opportunity to develop and be promoted. In fact, nearly every member of the 19-person management team was internally promoted.
While the IT industry is demanding, fostering a work/life balance is essential and Dataprise encourages employees to incorporate healthy lifestyle options on the job and at home. Dataprise offers a grocery store delivery service which allows employees to choose healthy food options. To help employees decompress, the headquarters features game, relaxation and workout rooms and monthly sports-related activities such as softball, flag football or Ultimate Frisbee.
Dataprise also created an internal "kudos" email distribution list where any employee can be publicly recognized by their colleagues who have gone above and beyond.
These and other quality-of-life benefits contributed to the firm’s inclusion in the ‘Work Hard, Play Hard’ category of Washingtonian magazine’s biennial "Great Places to Work" award. We value hard work, and promote it with a balanced work environment. Dataprise has always tried to promote this culture at the firm.
Company contact info:
Cristin Kellogg, Dataprise: ckellogg (at) dataprise.com, 301.945.0574.
Debbi Mayster, DMM Communications, debbi (at) dmmcomm.com, 240.988.6243.
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