ORBIT Systems, Inc.

ORBIT Systems, Inc. is a managed service provider headquartered in Eagan, MN. Founded in 1999 by Steve McFarland and Phil Palmquist, ORBIT Systems provides comprehensive information technology (IT) support for small and medium-sized businesses in the Twin Cities metro area.

ORBIT Systems “provides assessment, design, implementation, and 24/7 management of networks, Internet access, servers, applications, hardware, and software. Clients don’t need to work with separate vendors for these services.”^[1] ORBIT also dispatches technicians to a client site when there are problems and decides when upgrades are needed.^[2]

ORBIT is an acronym for Office Ready Business Information Technology.^[3] OfficeReady business products are their trademark – allowing ORBIT to load a stored machine with the same applications a company has been using and deliver a copy of the workstation to the client whose computer has gone down.^[4]

Although ORBIT Systems offers a range of information technology products and services, they embrace a seemingly anti-IT mission statement: We will be the best customer service organization in the world. ORBIT's President, Steve McFarland stated, "Our whole message is, 'Focus. Minimize your distractions, focus on your core business, lead your people, and transform your organization."^[5]

History

Founders Steve McFarland and Phil Palmquist met as co-workers in the mid-1980s at NSP Company in St. Paul, MN. They continued working together on various projects, until both left NSP in 1996. Steve joined the Minnetonka offices of Comdisco Network Services, a Chicago, based company. Phil moved on to work with Deluxe Corporation in St. Paul. In 1997 Phil teamed up with Steve once again, as an employee of Comdisco. Together they worked on building data systems for large companies.^[6]

After a few years, they realized that the projects they were working on for large, Fortune 500-sized companies were not impacting the way that companies did business. Instead they were delivering upgrades that allowed for more efficiency but did not impact the dynamics of the business.^[7] As a result, McFarland and Palmquist decided to bring their knowledge to small and medium-sized businesses, by establishing ORBIT Systems Inc.

In recent years, the market for IT outsourcing has grown. Companies have realized that they can reduce the headache of IT related problems and expenditures, by outsourcing the IT department. Some of the benefits that outsourcing provides are: “cost savings, flexibility, scalability, standardization and improved computer performance.”^[8]

In 2009, ORBIT Systems acquired Voyageur IT, a website design and development company located in St. Paul, MN.

Awards

• U.S. Chamber of Commerce "Small Business Blue Ribbon" Award—2007, 2008, 2009 & 2010
• Honoree of Inc. Magazine's "Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Private Companies In America" -- 2007, 2008 & 2009
• Upsize Magazine "Business Builder - Best Practices in Customer Relations" Award – 2007
• Honoree of the Twin Cities Business "Small Business Success Stories" – 2006
• Upsize Magazine "Business Builder - Best Practices in People & Workplace" Award – 2006
• The Business Journal "Growth 50" Award—2004 & 2005
• The Business Journal "Great Places to Work" Award—2004

References

1. ^ “Always On” by Gene Rebeck. Twin Cities Business Monthly. April 2005.
2. ^ “Giving IT The Boot” by Steve Alexander. Minneapolis Star Tribune. June 20, 2005.
3. ^ “Filling the IT Gap” by Scott Carlson. St. Paul Pioneer Press. January 16, 2005.
4. ^ “Always On” by Gene Rebeck. Twin Cities Business Monthly. April 2005.
5. ^ "IT Management That's Not About the Technology" by Andrew Bacskai. Twin Cities Business. December 2006.
6. ^ “Always On” by Gene Rebeck. Twin Cities Business Monthly. April 2005.
7. ^ “On The Right Track” by Andrew Bacskai. Minnesota Technology Magazine. Winter 2005.
8. ^ “Giving IT The Boot” by Steve Alexander. Minneapolis Star Tribune. June 20, 2005.

External links

• ORBITs.net