As Featured in Twin Cities Business Magazine February 2012

Woman With a Plan

Ideal System Solutions

Headquarters: Minnetonka // Founded: 1997 Employees: 40, 10% minority

Website:

idealssi.com

Photo: Elise Hernandez

In technology, an industry dominated by white men, Elise Hernandez is a rare Latina. Askedwhether being a woman or Latino presented the greater challenge, Hernandezretorted unequivocally: “Woman.”

Hernandez, 46, is the president and co-founder of Ideal System Solutions, a fast-growingcompany that provides information technology (IT) services to companies and government agencies.

“Sixteen years ago, there were very few women-owned technology companies,” says Hernandez. “Even today, I can be in a group of people, and someone will only address my male employees.”

She learned responsibility early. The daughter of a Mexican immigrant father and a Mexican-American mother, Hernandez’s parents divorced when she was young, and her mother raised four children on welfare. When Hernandez was about 10 or 11, her mother went to school to become a registered nurse and then joined themilitary when Hernandez was still at St. Louis Park High School. “When my mother was gone for extended periods in boot camp, I took over the house,” recalls Hernandez. “My mother instilled in me independence at a young age. I had to make lots of decisions on my own.”

“I always knew I would go to college,” Hernandez says. “I did not want to end up like my mother, relying on the welfare system.” After putting herself through college at the University of Minnesota, she enrolled in the MBA program at Metropolitan State University. Her master’s thesis was to develop a business plan for a start-up technology company.

“While going to school, I worked for small technology companies that didn’t have a plan,” says Hernandez. “They didn’t have a strategy. In those days, it was easy for anyone to be successful in the business. You didn’t need a strategy, but I knew that would be short-lived. I knew the industry was changing, becoming more competitive.”

Business plan in hand, Hernandez and her husband, John McGuire, launched Ideal System Solutions in 1997 with $1,000. At that time, the company was a value-added reseller of technology products from IBM, Cisco, Oracle, Hewlett-Packard, and others. Hernandez was aware of the advantages that being a women- and minority-owned business offered and sought out the Small Business Administration to become an 8-A (socially and economically disadvantaged) certified business, which allowed her to bid on government contracts. “It was a nine-year program that opened doors for us,” she says. “We have graduated from that program.” Customers include Lockheed Martin, the U.S. Army and Navy, and the Department of Energy.

For the first 10 years, Ideal System Solutions remained a reseller of technology products, but the industry started to shift again, becoming more commoditized with smaller profit margins for resellers. “Five years ago I began building out technology services: communications and IT consulting,” says Hernandez.

To do that, she made two strategic acquisitions, Minnetonka-based Excel Systems in 2010 and Minneapolis-based Creative Vision Technologies in 2011. Excel Systems specializes in unified communications, putting together voice, video, and data, while Creative Vision Technologies focuses on consulting services and solutions.

Hernandez used the sluggish economy to focus on strategic planning. Now, she says, “Business is good.”

“People can’t hold off any longer. They are spending money. They are upgrading their technology infrastructures. We’ve been awarded numerous contracts. I’m seeing expansion from both the commercial firms and the public sector. Demand for both technology products and services is increasing simultaneously.”

Today, Hernandez’s husband plays a much smaller role in the business and a larger role at home with the couple’s children, while she keeps an eye out for the next industry shift.

The CRN Tech Elite 250 is a definitive list of solution providers with deep technical expertise and premier certifications in the data center market. The list was developed by CRN editors and is based on the level and depth of technical certifications from EMC, IBM, Cisco, VMware, Citrix, Microsoft, Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Symantec and NetApp.

Pine River, MN (December 3, 2012) — Ideal System Solutions, Inc. (ISSI), recognized as one of the fastest growing woman- and minority-owned technology solution and service provider companies in the U.S., has been awarded HUBZone Small Business Concern status by the Small Business Administration.

The Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) Program stimulates economic development by helping small businesses in urban and rural communities gain preferential access to federal procurement opportunities.

About ISSI

Ideal System Solutions, Inc. provides clients with “best-in-class” technology products, enterprise and managed solutions and professional services. As a strategic partner with the most innovative technology manufacturers, we solve complex business challenges by leveraging technology solutions that reduce costs, minimize risk and optimize productivity.

Since 1997, ISSI has become an industry leader in support of government, education and commercial organizations nationwide to design and implement custom IT solutions that achieve our client’s business objectives. As a single-source technology provider, our teams of competent, highly-trained and certified professionals provide clients with a broad range of integrated solutions – from the desktop, to the network, to the datacenter and everything in between.

For more information on ISSI, please visit our website at www.idealssi.com or contact us at sales@idealssi.com.

Contact:
Carol Irish, Marketing Director
sales@idealssi.com
218-568-8898

Ideal System Solutions, Inc. has released an improved IdealCare Client Portal in order to better serve our clients and provide faster customer service. The Client Portal allows customers to access our Order Support Portal, Tech Support Portal and Online Ordering E-Commerce Site from one location.

The IdealCare Order Support Center allows clients to create and view requests for post-sales support including order status and tracking, returns – Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA), Report Requests, Contract Support and General Support.

The IdealCare Technical Support Center allows clients with existing service contracts to create a service ticket and review a ticket’s status online.

The Online Ordering E-Commerce Storefront (e-store) offers our government and contract purchasing clients a secure, reliable and cost-effective online e-store offering over one million technology products. Our online e-store accepts all major credit cards with secure, immediate processing. Custom storefronts are available for our contract clients.

To access the IdealCare Client Portal, go to www.idealssi.com/clientportal. If you have questions, please contact our administrative team at 888-696-1044.

As quoted by Elise Hernandez, President of ISSI, “it is indeed an honor to be ranked as one of the highest producing integrators and solution providers.  Our sales and services organization have worked hard and have earned this ranking.  Our customers will attest to this.”

Since 1997, ISSI has become an industry leader and advisor in support of government, education and commercial organizations nationwide to design and implement custom IT solutions that achieve our client’s business objectives while increasing productivity and reducing costs.  Most technology providers focus on a specific area of technology – but In The “Ideal World”, IT’s All Integrated. As a single-source technology provider, our team of competent, highly trained and certified sales and engineer professionals provide clients with a broad range of innovative solutions and services – from the desktop, to the network, to the data center and everything in between.

Minnetonka, MN and Santa Fe, NM, May 14, 2012 – Ideal System Solutions, Inc. (ISSI) - was presented the “HUBZone Small Business of the Year Award” at the 13th Annual Department of Energy Oak Ridge National Laboratory Small Business Subcontractor Awards Program held March 30, 2012, at their Conference Center in Oak Ridge, TN.  The Small Business Award was received by DOE Senior Account Executive, Fran Melia, from the Santa Fe, NM sales office.

For over a decade ISSI has provided technology products and services to many Laboratories within the Department of Energy with a high level of customer satisfaction.  ISSI’s in depth understanding of the unique business practices of the Department of Energy allows us to provide exceptional service and support for the IT needs of the Laboratories and other DOE offices across the country.

About Ideal System Solutions, Inc. (ISSI)
Since 1997, ISSI has become an industry leader in support of government, education and commercial organizations nationwide to design and implement custom IT solutions that achieve our client’s business objectives.  Most technology providers focus on a specific area of technology – but in The “Ideal World”, IT’s All Integrated. As a single-source technology provider, our team of competent, highly-trained and certified professionals provides clients with a broad range of integrated solutions – from the desktop, to the network, to the datacenter and everything in between.

About Oak Ridge National Laboratory
The U.S. Department of Energy is the largest civilian contracting agency within the Federal government.  Oak Ridge National Laboratory is a multi-program science and technology laboratory managed by UT-Battelle for the Department of Energy’s Office of Science.  Scientists and engineers at ORNL conduct basic and applied research and development to create scientific knowledge and technological solutions that strengthen the nation’s leadership in key areas of science; increase the availability of clean, abundant energy; restore and protect the environment; and contribute to national security.

1.  Know your environment

Unified Communications – presence-enabled communications that integrates telephone, desktop and business applications to deliver a unified user experience and to streamline desktop and business processes.

Benefits of UC

• Enhanced workforce productivity through accelerated communications
• Enhanced workflow productivity
• Enhanced customer service through improved responsiveness
• Improved collaboration

• • Increase collaboration and productivity among employees, customers, suppliers
  • Improve customer service
  • Increase employee mobility
  • Consistent user experience across locations/devices
  • Reduce costs (ROI)
  • Reduce business travel and improved environmentalism

Reasons to Deploy

Minneapolis, MN, July 25, 2011 – Ideal System Solutions, Inc. today announced that Elise Hernandez,
President, has been recognized as a Power 100 Woman of the Channel by CRN Magazine. The “Who’s Who”
list recognizes female executives for their accomplishments over the past year, based on their achievements as
executives and the amount of influence they wield over the technology channel. This year’s Women of the
Channel were chosen by the editors of CRN Magazine from a field of vendor channel organizations,
distributors and solution providers.

“This year’s Power 100 Women of the Channel list honors the most successful and influential women in the IT
channel – a traditionally male-centric industry. The Power 100 list is an elite subset of our annual Women of
the Channel list, which recognizes the 100 most influential women of the channel based on their overall
achievements, and their influence in the technology industry,” said Kelley Damore, VP, Editorial Director,
Everything Channel.

The Power 100 Women of the Channel will be listed on CRN.com. The overall Women of the Channel list
appeared in the July 2011 issue of CRN Magazine.

About Ideal System Solutions, Inc.
Founded in 1997, Ideal System Solutions, Inc. has become a trusted technology advisor to government,
education and commercial organizations nationwide by providing “best-in-class” technology products,
professional services and enterprise solutions to meet our customer’s dynamic business needs. To learn more
about Ideal System Solutions, Inc. visit us at http://www.idealssi.com. Follow us on Twitter at
http://twitter.com/#!/Idealssi and Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/Idealssi.

About Everything Channel
Everything Channel is the premier provider of IT channel-focused events, media, research, consulting, and
sales and marketing services. With over 30 years of experience and engagement, Everything Channel has the
unmatched channel expertise to execute integrated solutions for technology executives managing partner
recruitment, enablement and go-to-market strategy in order to accelerate technology sales. Everything
Channel is a UBM company. To learn more about Everything Channel, visit us at
http://www.everythingchannel.com. Follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/everythingchnl.

About UBM plc
UBM plc is a leading global business media company. We inform markets and bring the world’s buyers and
sellers together at events, online, in print and provide them with the information they need to do business
successfully. We focus on serving professional commercial communities, from doctors to game developers,
from journalists to jewellery traders, from farmers to pharmacists around the world. Our 6,000 staff in more
than 30 countries are organised into specialist teams that serve these communities, helping them to do
business and their markets to work effectively and efficiently.

For more information, go to www.ubm.com

1. Flat rate I.T. services:

• Support and maintain your entire Organization Remotely
• Phone Support
• Remote Assistance (Desktop Sharing)
• Live Meeting (Online Collaboration)

2. Managed Services:

• 24x7x365 Network Monitoring
• Over 255 Events/Services Monitored
• Critical Services Automatically Restarted
• Ensures Maximum Uptime for Critical Equipment

3. Vendor Management:

• Manage all Vendor Relationships
  – Phone and Internet Service and Providers
• All Voice or Data Network-Connected Equipment
  – Phone Systems
  – Faxes
  – Scanners
  – Copiers
  – Proprietary Software Applications

4. Professional services:

• Technology Solution Design and Development
• Proof-of-Concept Lab Testing
• Onsite Implementation
• Project Management
• Disaster Recovery Planning and Response
• Intrusion Detection and Security Testing

5. Software and Application Development:

• Custom Database Design and Maintenance
• Custom Application Development
• Web-Enabling Application Services
• Legacy Application Rewrites
• Custom Report Generation
• Hosting Services for High Availability

To learn more about the technology solutions that Ideal System Solutions, Inc. offers, click here.