By Annika Hedstrom, IMA global social media team

As an organization, IMA is dependent on having vendors who understand our needs and recognize that our members on the Executive and National Committees are working with IMA in their spare time. We are privileged to work with TECcompanion, who manages the Office365 suite and related services for us. In this interview with Jeannot Muller, Co-founder of TECcompanion GmbH, you will get a chance to get to know this small, agile tech company based outside of Munich, Germany.

Thank you for taking the time to speak with us, Jeannot. To start off, can you tell us about the unique approach TECcompanion takes in providing Microsoft support for IMA?

-  Absolutely. One key aspect is our licensing model. Since we're a Microsoft partner, our pricing aligns with the official Microsoft price list. There's no extra cost for customers; they just need to order through us. We receive royalties directly from Microsoft, however not for IMA accounts as Microsoft sponsors these for not-for-profit organizations. ensuring a seamless experience for our clients.

This business model is no different from other cloud service providers, but it's crucial for us that support doesn't end with the purchase of licenses. Licenses can be compared to memberships at a fitness club, where you might forget to cancel or explore new products and better terms. We see ourselves as fitness club managers who don't hesitate to inform our customers about new and more affordable options, for instance, by analyzing their past usage patterns.

That sounds straightforward. What sets TECcompanion apart in terms of services and expertise?

- My business partner, Marcel Schaller, and I come from corporate backgrounds, holding CxO positions. Our forte lies in programming and IT consulting, focusing on crafting individual solutions that automate repetitive tasks, such as office automation and intranets.

Impressive. How does TECcompanion address the needs of businesses, particularly smaller businesses?

- Our specialization extends to Microsoft Server in the Azure cloud, a boon for companies lacking a substantial in-house IT department. Unlike larger competitors targeting firms with 50+ employees only, we cater to smaller businesses. We also provide Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), offering MS or Linux servers in the cloud, complete with backups and restoration support. Of course, these IaaS models can as well be extended to a full managed Platform-as-a-service product. It is solely up to the customers and their needs.

Our strength is mainly built on three pillars.

• First, we assist customers in finding the best price solution for their individual ”cloud suite“, while also regularly adjusting it (downscaling or upscaling).
• Second, we provide guidance on security challenges like encryption, backup, monitoring and security solutions, which is becoming increasingly important in the current geopolitical climate.
• Thirdly we are able to develop secure and efficient individual solutions where needed.

It's great that you consider the needs of smaller enterprises. How does TECcompanion handle support for a voluntary organization like IMA?

I think we are comparatively very flexible in finding fair solutions, especially for small companies and for NPOs. However, the reality is that our customers should ideally comprehend our circumstances as well and recognize that we cannot provide everything for free.

Recognizing that IMA members often work during their spare time, we extend our support beyond regular office hours. We understand the unique demands of their schedules and aim to be flexible and accommodating.

Your commitment to IMA members is evident. Lastly, can you share how TECcompanion has grown and the role word of mouth has played in your success?

- We've always valued organic growth through word of mouth. While we have our limits, we're open to seizing opportunities to assist IMA members. Our extensive international network allows us to find suitable partners if needed, ensuring our clients get the best possible support.

Could you share a success story or a notable project where TECcompanion made a significant impact on a client's operations, demonstrating the effectiveness of your tailored solutions?

We maintain strict confidentiality regarding our customers and their activities. Our strength undoubtedly lies in our ability to successfully guide customers into the cloud, particularly those who previously found "everything with IT" to be a major obstacle.

Last but not least, we have certainly been able to help many customers outsource smaller processes to an internal intranet when proven processes cannot simply be used for various legitimate reasons, such as outsourcing to MS Teams.

Given the global reach of TECcompanion, how do you navigate and address challenges related to cross-cultural communication and varying business practices when working with clients from different regions or industries?

We have certainly benefited from our experience of how “brutal” translations from German into other languages can be for readers from other countries ;-).

Since we often communicate via tickets and in written forms for efficiency reasons, the interpersonal aspect is unfortunately missing. In this respect, emojis are not only colorful, but a real blessing, even if they are frowned upon in a business context in Germany, for example. ;-)

And last but not least, that's likely why we maintain a modest website and aren't especially active on social media. Tastes vary across countries, so we prefer to concentrate on our core business.

Thank you so much for your time today, Jeannot!

Interested in connecting with Jeannot and TECcompanion?

Please take a look at their website https://teccompanion.com/ or write to jeannot.muller@teccompanion.com