When he arrived , the Red Cross had been using a paper system , meaning there were literally truckloads of paper being shipped to South Dakota to be input into a digital system . Needless to say , this was not efficient , taking months for people to find out where and when their loved ones had checked into a shelter after a disaster . With so many lives on the line , Stephen and his team jumped into action , building a digital solution utilizing a batterypowered server and satellite uplink . The critical information was uploaded directly from the disaster area into the American Red Cross ’ s Washington , DC , servers in real-time . And all this effort did not go unnoticed ! Afterward , Stephen and his team proudly accepted an award from Bill Gates , which Stephen speaks of as the pinnacle of his career at Microsoft .
TECHNOLOGY CAN TRANSFORM LIVES
However , his experience with the American Red Cross had planted a new seed in Stephen ’ s mind . You see , Stephen ’ s wife , Stephanie , had been a nurse practitioner all her life , meaning , like Stephen , she ’ s no stranger to utilizing technology to help improve people ’ s lives . So , he had a choice : stay in his comfort zone at Microsoft or push himself to establish his own IT business dedicated to helping people and improving lives . In 2010 , Stephen moved on from Microsoft to establish US Medical IT with his wife , which he later rebranded to USM Technology .
Not long after founding this new company , Stephen and his team created a successful telemedicine solution that allowed medical specialists in Dallas to communicate with their physician peers in rural communities . The specialists helped rural providers determine if patients needed to be care-flighted into Dallas . This revolutionary system enabled previously out-of-range patients to receive the best medical attention . As a result , USM Technology got a lot of positive press , but for Stephen , it reinforced a growing belief that well-designed technical solutions have the ability to transform lives .
CYBERCRIME IS A WORLDWIDE CANCER
As time went on , USM Technology continued to grow and see success . Today , they still specialize in providing custom IT solutions for the healthcare industry , but they ’ ve also expanded into other sectors such as oil & gas and finance . As USM Technology enjoyed consistent growth , other significant changes in the digital landscape had been simmering below the surface . But it wasn ’ t until one evening in 2016 that Stephen realized this was a pressurized issue that was about to explode . This issue , of course , was cybercrime .
“ I was driving home one evening when I got a call from another IT professional who told me that his doctor client had been attacked by ransomware ,” Stephen recalls . “ Their server had become infected , and the ransomware crawled into the backup , infecting that as well . Listening to my
As one of the early adopters of cybersecurity protection services , USM
Technology has prioritized staying ahead of the game by continually searching for new solutions to protect their customers while providing 24 / 7 support .
colleague explain the situation , I remember gripping the wheel tighter as I realized this would be yet another turning point in our business . Clearly , cybersecurity was no longer something we could keep on the fringe of our offerings . We needed to pivot and shift our focus to help our clients prepare for what I knew would become a worldwide cancer .”
As one of the early adopters of cybersecurity protection services , USM Technology has prioritized staying ahead of the game by continually searching for new solutions to protect their customers while providing 24 / 7 support .
And this support is built into their DNA at USM Technology , thanks to their 60-second response guarantee . Yes , 60 seconds . So , that means no matter what issue a client experiences , they can call the team at USM Technology and connect with a certified technician in under 60 seconds . This hyper-responsiveness is a key element of how USM Technology operates because Stephen knows firsthand that mere seconds can be the difference between a positive and a negative outcome .
Nowadays , with USM Technology firmly established and growing to 15 employees , Stephen has time to pursue other technology-related endeavors , such as volunteering with the CyberPeace Institute and participating in panels with the FBI , where he discusses the impact of today ’ s cybersecurity landscape . He ’ s also involved with Voices for Innovation , a business advocacy group that collaborates with politicians on ways to improve legislation that will enhance privacy and security for Americans .
Ultimately , Stephen and his team at USM Technology constantly strive to find innovative technology solutions that will help change lives . “ We ’ re the ones helping the people who help the people ,” says Stephen . “ With an IT firm like USM Technology in your corner , you can sleep soundly knowing that all your IT needs are being handled by the best in the business .”
So , no matter if or when disaster strikes , you can trust USM Technology to deliver transformative tools that will not only safeguard your business but help it thrive .
Visit www . usmtechnology . com to learn more .
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