Our history
Supporting Canadian businesses since 2011
Our business roots go back to 2011. Over that time the technology our customers depend on has changed enormously, and so has the way we deliver support.
At a glance
- Business roots
- 2011, roughly 15 years of continuous operation
- Then
- Technology support for small businesses with on-premises servers and desktop software
- Now
- Scoped managed IT, Microsoft 365 and cybersecurity services delivered mainly remotely
Continuity matters in IT support
A managed IT provider holds the keys to your business systems: administrative accounts, network configurations, backup schedules and vendor relationships. Choosing one is partly a judgement about whether that provider will still be there, operating the same way, in several years. Podium Catchers has been in business since 2011, which means we have worked through several generations of technology alongside the organizations we support.
We do not publish a list of milestones or clients on this page. What we can tell you is how the work itself has changed, because that change explains why our services are structured the way they are today.
How the service model has evolved
These are the broad shifts in how small and mid-sized Canadian businesses use technology, and how our way of supporting them changed in response.
From the server closet to the cloud
In the early 2010s many small offices ran their own email server, file server and backup drives in a back room. Today most of that has moved to Microsoft 365 and cloud services, so our work shifted from hardware upkeep to identity, licensing, configuration and data protection.
From call-when-broken to maintained on schedule
Hourly break-fix support made the quietest month look cheapest, even when nothing had been patched. We moved toward recurring plans where maintenance, monitoring and documentation are part of the work, not optional extras.
From the office to everywhere
Remote and hybrid work, field crews on tablets and staff signing in from home made the office network less central. Device management through tools such as Intune, and remote help desk support, became the core of day-to-day service.
From optional security to baseline security
Phishing, account takeover and ransomware made security a basic operating requirement for even a five-person firm. Multifactor authentication, endpoint protection and verified backups are now treated as part of a sound environment rather than an upgrade.
From verbal arrangements to written scope
As environments became more complex, informal understandings stopped being enough. Every engagement now starts with a written scope that lists what is covered, what is excluded and how pricing works.
Where that leaves us today
The organizations we work with still look much like they did in 2011: teams of roughly 5 to 200 people who need technology to work without hiring a department to run it. The difference is in the tools, the threats and the expectations. Our services are now organized into three groups, managed IT, Microsoft 365 and cybersecurity, and can be bought as fixed assessments, recurring subscriptions or scoped projects.
As the work has broadened, we have also been clear about where it stops. Specialized AI and custom software work sits with our sister brand Mars Innovation Technology, and enterprise-scale cloud architecture with CloudArchitects.expert, so Podium Catchers can stay focused on dependable everyday IT.
See how we would support your organization today
Our history is a starting point. A consultation shows what our current service model would look like for your team and systems.