Company History

At Rent-A-Geek, LA we work hard to raise the bar of expectations for an IT Support company. This is a short history about our company to help you understand where we’re coming from… We are the one-stop shop for your IT needs.

Roots

Beginning in 2005, we started as a mobile PC and Mac repair shop. We still maintain a core business repairing computers – removing viruses, doing hardware repairs such as LCD replacements for laptops, and assisting with network setups in people’s homes and businesses. Our goal is to provide reasonably-priced computer repairs as quickly as possible to keep people up and running. We are constantly improving our customer communication – we always try to keep you up-to-date on the status of your repairs. Also, if you leave us a message or email us, you will usually get a reply within minutes.

IT Support Contracts

Starting in 2009, we began providing supplemental and full service support contracts for maintaining networks and computers at businesses. Currently, our clients range from local law firms to international corporations with full-time IT at their offices in LA that need extra help. We support Windows, Linux, and Apple OS X desktops and servers, and we manage and integrate cross-platform networks.

Something is Changing…

Over the past few years, we have seen that the world of business is changing. More than ever, people are working from their homes, their cars, and from other people’s offices or homes. This means that the world of IT was changing. Additionally, technology started moving toward hosted services such as cloud computing and SaaS (Software as a Service) was quickly becoming an IT household name… We began to believe that most companies do not need a full-time IT person on-site all day who spends most of their day waiting for a “fire” to put out. We provide cost-effective alternatives to hiring a full-time IT staff by using mixed prepaid and flat-rate contract based support options. One of the founding principles at Rent-A-Geek, LA was to break the common negative stereotypes associated with IT professionals. These are some of the things that make us a valuable alternative or addition to using a completely in-house IT staff.

Problems and Solutions.

1. COMPLEXITY PARADOX

   No IT person wants to work him or herself out of a job by making things too transparent or work too well. If systems are configured well, there is less need for an IT person. Therefore, IT support  are not incentivized to make things simpler but instead to make things more obscure and complex. Who is going to take simplicity into account when designing a network?

   

   Our pledge: Transparency.

   • We want to empower the people that run the business by giving them access to the information that normal IT people will keep hidden. When we send you a bill, it contains the detailed time-tracking notes from our technicians down to every task they complete on the clock. Also, we provide excellent technical documentation for everything we do. We create a user-friendly guide for companies owners, administrators, and other IT people to have at their fingertips – please feel free to ask us for an example of our documentation.

2. BUDGET AS A SANDBOX

   Almost every IT guy wants to play with the newest technology. They want this exposure so that they can put it on their resume and eventually get a higher paying job. Therefore, the company’s IT budget tends to fund their sandbox where they can learn on the company’s dime. What can keep the IT person’s goals balanced with the business’ goals?

   

   Our answer: Aligned IT Strategy.

   • We custom-tailor our services to provide solutions that answer our clients’ needs. Instead of looking to spend your entire budget, we will strive to find ways to help you save money and we will do research to find the best solutions to make your technology work for you. Together, we will find a solution that works to help you accomplish what you need to do on a daily basis.

3. BEING THERE (VIRTUALLY)

   Due to the decreased cost of bandwidth over the past few years combined with the increased stability of internet connectivity, supporting networks remotely is more of a reality than ever. Almost any basic day-to-day issue or question can be resolved remotely. Many desktop support technicians working at large companies already use remote desktop applications to troubleshoot users’ computers from their desk – saving them a trip across the office or across the country.

   

   Our foundation: Trust.

   • We have a strong respect for privacy. That’s why we are able to continue maintaining the trust of 100′s of people who allow us to access their computers and networks remotely. Not only is it important to us to be able to provide fast expertise in a broad range of technical topics, but also to help our client’s keep their data safe and secure. Our remote support software uses SSL/TLS certificates and end-to-end encryption that is all at top industry standards.

1. WORKLOAD VARIATIONS ARE HIGH

   No matter what the IT person or people at your company is responsible for, do they either seem to be doing nothing or are too busy to help you in a timely manner? This is because in IT when it rains it pours, and every problem is an emergency when business communication or workflow is threatened by malfunctions.
   

   • We have built a team of expert technicians so that you will always have your emergency issues treated as such. Usually, we respond within minutes and our client’s are often surprised with the speed at which we can dispatch someone to their location when needed. We also build “support days” into our contracts for doing proactive maintenance or answering questions in-person for non-urgent technical issues.

Part of providing computer services in Los Angeles is maintaining an excellent response time. This is built into our contracts. Now we provide computer service contracts for technical support for supplementary and full-service IT.

Deployment and Virtualization

Starting in late 2010, we began providing deployment services where we put together a team of experts to help you find innovative ways to meet your technical needs. From virtualization and cloud migration to Cisco UCS installations, we are excited to align ourselves with a new range of companies to bring advanced technologies to our clientele at reasonable rates.

To learn about our promotional or project rates, please contact us.