The Value of Being a Change Agent in IT

Change is a constant in the world of technology, and those who resist it often find themselves left behind. Conversely, organizations like iuvo that embrace change and actively become agents of it position themselves as indispensable players in the ever-evolving landscape of IT. Adaptability is not just an asset; it’s a necessity.

Recently, I was looking at some data around how much experience we had migrating our customers to newer technology and found that over a 15-year period, we spent approximately 6,254 hours migrating data or technology for our customers. It emphasized our deep expertise and how I often tell people, we’ve seen it, we’ve done it, and, in some cases, we wrote the book on it.

A Historical Journey Through Change

When iuvo first started, the technological world was vastly different from what it is today. Over the decades, both myself and iuvo have witnessed monumental shifts in how systems are designed, implemented, and managed. Each stage of transformation required not just an understanding of new technology but also a willingness to let go of legacy systems and embrace the unknown.

Take, for instance, migration from BSD Unix 4.3 to SunOS. In my first job out of college at StorageTek, I was involved in moving the entire engineering team from centralized servers to distributed Sun workstations. At the time, Unix and VMS were the backbone of enterprise computing, and moving between versions or platforms was a significant undertaking. Later at NOAA, we transitioned from VMS to HPUX and SunOS, and that required deep expertise and a clear strategy to ensure systems remained operational during the transition.

When UNIX became the big thing, we had HPUX, Solaris, AIX, and IRIX all doing similar things in different ways, and it was challenging to put my arms around all those operating system subtleties. Then came Linux, the various flavors, consolidation, and evolution that is still going on today. Each migration represented a fundamental change in how organizations approached scalability, performance, and cost-efficiency. Linux, once considered an outsider, became the cornerstone of modern computing, disrupting established norms and redefining enterprise IT.

The Era of Connectivity and Collaboration

Beyond operating systems, iuvo has also navigated the terrain of infrastructure changes. Networking changes in both speed, structure, security as well as from static to dynamic configuration have been constant. When manage switches and VLANs came into existence, you could wire once and change a devices network without physically changing the cable.

Now, managed networks, AWS, and Azure can be handled via infrastructure as code, as the devices can receive their configuration through a very controlled and scalable process. Suddenly, IT was no longer about maintaining hardware, it was about managing services and ensuring uptime in a virtual environment.

The Phone Systems Evolution

Even communication systems underwent a dramatic transformation. When iuvo started in 2007, customers still wanted classic PBX phone systems, even while we started our business running the open-source IP Phone system Asterisk. We ended up implementing many Asterisk systems, eventually moving to cloud-based platforms, and today we largely utilize Teams phones in Microsoft 365. Every component of the technology we have implemented has undergone a fundamental change.

The Rise of Automation and DevOps

Perhaps one of the most exciting changes iuvo has been a part of is the shift from manual processes to automated workflows. DevOps practices have emerged as a cornerstone of modern IT, enabling organizations to deploy faster, reduce errors, and respond more agilely to market demands. Our Cloud Launchpad infrastructure allows our customers to have reliable, scalable, and automated compute and storage environments in both AWS and Azure.

What about AI?

As I noted before, being a successful change agent is a lot of work, but the rewards are tremendous. Like most of you, I get dozens of emails and LinkedIn messages about AI-enabled services. Those who seemed to rush to market on this buzzword end up with AI features with very little value.

We took a very pragmatic approach to AI to understand it at a fundamental level so we can guide this next era of change. I am excited about how deep our expertise has become and our ability to guide our customers’ complex AI challenges, even being called in to correct implementations that hired experts were originally brought in to do.

The Role of a Change Agent

Throughout all these transformations, one thing has remained constant: the need for reliable change agents. Whether it’s migrating systems, redesigning infrastructures, or implementing new processes, organizations require teams like iuvo who can ensure these transitions happen smoothly. Being a change agent isn’t just about technical expertise, it’s about leadership, communication, and foresight.

As an organization that has orchestrated these changes time and time again, iuvo realizes the immense value of this role. A change agent isn’t just an implementer; they’re a visionary who sees the potential of new technologies and guides their organization toward it. They ensure that transitions are seamless, disruptions are minimal, and opportunities are maximized.

The Power of Adaptability and Resilience

As the technology landscape continues to shift, the need for change agents like iuvo will only grow. The challenge is not just to keep up with these changes but to lead them—to be the reliable force that ensures transformation happens smoothly and seamlessly. In my book “Leadership at the Edge’, I talk about how to build a culture of resilience and adaptability, so essentially, being a company that can guide change in others comes from the culture of the company.

Since its inception, iuvo has seen the world of technology change in ways that were once unimaginable. From operating systems to communication tools, from centralized computing to the cloud, from manual processes to automation to AI—the pace of change has been relentless. Through it all, one truth has stood out: those who embrace change, who led it, and who ensure it happens seamlessly, become invaluable.

Looking for a trusted change agent?

Whether you’re planning a migration, modernizing your infrastructure, or navigating the rise of AI, iuvo has the expertise to support you. Contact us today!