For over two decades, ByteLogic Solutions of Phoenix was all about
the telephone. From handsets to private branch exchange (PBX), and
from voice mail systems to cell phones, ByteLogic has been a solid
player in telephony.

But when the recession hit, ByteLogic President Todd Henry knew it
was time to take action on a plan that had been noodling in the back of his
mind. As the voice and data worlds were combining into an integrated
strategy, Henry realized his company might be left behind as technology
raced ahead.

“Every time somebody would ask, ‘Can you do this for us?’ I was
finding more and more times I was saying ‘no’ and we were missing that
opportunity,” Henry recalls. “As things started to slow down, we wanted
to diversify.”

Henry made the leap of faith and hired long-time associate Terry Runion
to be the chief information officer of a new division that provides IT
solutions and support along with hosted voice mail, e-mail, online storage
and video conferencing.

Now the company’s mantra is, “If it is technology, we say yes.”
ByteLogic’s technology has supersized the capabilities of small to
medium-sized businesses and downsized the pricing. “It’s given us the
ability to provide enterprise-class functionality at a small business price,”
Runion says. “It’s the same system that Fortune 1000 companies use.”
“A year ago if you wanted that feature, you would have to buy a phone
system and software that would have been very costly,” Henry adds. “We
can provide those features that can help increase revenue and productivity
without that upfront cost.”

For companies that have reduced their IT staff, ByteLogic offers call
center overflow support so that customers don’t have to wait long for
service. “We can set up their phone system so if a user calls their IT
department and if that person is busy, we can set it up to come to us,”
Runion says.

The key to the successful launch of the division was tapping into
ByteLogic’s customer base, finding out what issues were confronting them
and figuring out which products and services could help. “We started forming
our solutions around that feedback from our customers,” Henry says.
“That was huge for us,” Runion adds. “It took a lot of guesswork out of
where we are headed during the next five years.”

The new division has helped increase the company’s revenues, and eight
new employees were hired to handle the increased workload. But the major
impact was on employee morale. “It has rejuvenated all the employees who
were already here,” Henry says. “We’ve shown our employees and our
customer base that we have a solid plan, we have a vision, and when this
thing turns around we’ll reap more benefits.”

By putting the customer first, these companies are finding the strength
to weather the storm with innovative ways of filling the customer’s needs
while boosting vital revenues.