CIO Bulletin

We Believe Better IT Management Means Better Business: O-Lux Technologies

With the advent of the internet and management information systems, businesses have been able to transform from local mom and pop shops to international household names. In order to keep up with competition as a result of internet commercialization, companies are increasingly turning to information technology, or hardware, software and telecommunications networks, to streamline services and boost performance. As such, IT has become an essential feature in the business landscape.

Today companies have to change according to the changing demands in the market, so they must ensure that their Information Technology Services continue to offer high standards of operation and processing integrity, while also providing round-the clock availability, security, and performance.

Organizations are unable to keep pace with the transforming IT industry and in turn fail to benefit from the production and efficiency their company needs to thrive. So, we have the best partner to cater all your IT needs.

O-Lux Technologies is a leading full-service IT company serving the Chicagoland Area. With 10+years of experience in the industry, they help businesses of all sizes increase productivity, enhance stability, and amplify security using computer technology.

"White glove service, 24/7 support, & fully managed IT solutions. That’s O-Lux Technologies."

We interviewed Gus Ochoa, Chief Executive Officer and Founder, to help us understand more about the company

Q. What unmet needs in the industry is O-Lux Technologies providing?

Typical IT firms provide antiquated and outdated solutions packages that most people aren't aware of. Consequently, they have to choose between services they might not need or cannot obtain services they do require. Our amenities don't limit themselves to those we can readily offer. Clients are always our priority, not us. While some businesses require solutions related to networking, computers, and cybersecurity, as well as monitoring, etc., others need to focus more on a particular technology.

The services we do not offer, such as website and software development, are handled by our partners. Innovative technologies help us understand the unique tech needs of today's businesses, and I am always striving to stay on the leading edge of technology. Because we have deep industry knowledge, we are able to identify weaknesses, provide innovative solutions, and effectively manage our clients' IT systems. We are a company founded and managed by IT experts. Therefore, the entire company is able to foster a culture of in-depth tech understanding. As a result, our clients get faster solutions, fewer problems, and a more efficient IT team.

“From restaurants and retailers to engineering firms and government agencies, modern businesses need modern tech to thrive. Using our wide range of experience and expertise, we’ve helped businesses from these industries do just that.”

Q. Many companies claim to work for customers, but fail to provide best results. How customer-oriented is O-Lux Technologies?

As an Engineer for over a decade, I was able to perfect the strategies that make the end user experience the best experience. These strategies consist of personalize their experiences, build connected experiences, instill trust with protecting their data and actively engage with them. At O-Lux, we encourage client-centric behavior in our team. In order to drive the right attitude, we often measure it with metrics and reward it with compensation. Compensation plans for our resources align with faster response time and higher client satisfaction.

Q. Could you tell us about your leadership style?

Delegation and communication are my strengths as a leader. These strengths are reflected in my leadership style. Whenever possible, I delegate tasks to the person with the best skills for completing the task, and I communicate clearly about what needs to be done, and why. There is no back and forth, no rework, and no mistakes. Both taking time to communicate effectively at the beginning of a project, and delegating properly, are essential to saving time as a project progresses.

Q. According to you, what qualities must one possess to be an effective leader or a CEO in today's world?

A CEO in today’s world requires to be open minded and adjust to change. For example, adapting to run a business while your employees are working remotely. Not all CEO’s can accept that change and that can lead to employees changing employers, working for competitors that are offering that work from home role. I believe certain qualities will never change and it does not matter on the generation you are a part of. These qualities are vision, lead by example, demonstrate integrity, communicate effectively, make hard decisions, recognize success, empower others, motivate, and inspire.

Q. What does innovation mean to you?

The creation of something new that creates value. An item can be a product, a service, a process, or a business model. It can be new to the world, your industry, or your organization, with varying levels of impact. This word, value, is the most important word, since it goes beyond revenue and taps into the emotional benefits of an innovation depending on its context.

Q. As a leader in the technology space, how do you stay on the pulse of the rapidly growing sector? How do you keep up with the developments?

It is not an easy task to do. I follow a lot of big tech companies like Microsoft, Cisco, Barracuda, Apple and etc. By learning the new technology that is being developed, it allows me to research and see how that technology can be implemented in the business world. In the IT industry, if you stop learning and don’t develop your skills, you will get left behind. Technology is growing fast and it grows every year. The certifications are probably the most difficult to obtain. You have to be skilled and knowledgeable, with a thorough understanding of the critical functions required by an organization to actively protect their data and have the ability to grow and adapt with an organization’s evolving data protection needs.

Q. How are you challenging the status quo at O-Lux Technologies?

Identifying what the team or organization accomplishes is the first step to this process not what you say you do or what your customers think you do, but what you do. As soon as you gain an understanding of your own situation, you should ask yourself: Why are we doing these things this way? Identifying the elements in the status quo that prevent innovation is not necessarily the point of asking the question.

As a matter of fact, there are often good reasons for the ways organizations operate and there is no need to change something that doesn't need to be changed. Your team may struggle to explain why certain things are done a certain way, leading you to conclude that those good reasons have either disappeared or require rethinking. If that's the case, there are two possibilities: past leaders decided to make things that way because they saw merit in now-irrelevant factors, or they lost sight of their original purpose over time by losing sight of their original intent. You have either made it happen or let it happen.

Regardless of which approach an organization takes, its people are responsible for how things are, and only they can change things. When you ask your team to "challenge the status quo," be aware that you may be asking them to challenge your leadership and decisions. To achieve innovation, you may need to change your values and decision-making. The innovative process is not simple, and many organizations fail due to their inability to change their status quo.

Q. How important is it to have a healthy work culture at the workplace? How do you define the work culture at O-Lux Technologies?

Positive emotions and well-being in the workplace lead to greater success over time. As a result, people develop better relationships with each other and are able to express themselves more creatively. As a result, employees are able to bounce back from challenges and difficulties more quickly, while improving their health at the same time. Additionally, it attracts talent, making him or her more loyal to the leader and to the organization, as well as bringing out the best in them.

Q. What does the road ahead look like for O-Lux Technologies? What are your long-term ambitions?

Our road will be to continue to service all businesses in the Chicagoland area as an IT provider and ensure our quality of service remains excellent as we continue to scale. Our long-term ambitions are to open offices across the country.

Meet the legend

Gus Ochoa is the Chief Executive Officer and Founder of O-Lux Technologies, responsible for overseeing operations, engineering, and procurement. Gus has over a decade of experience working with fortune 500 companies, military, and small business as an IT consultant. Certified in Microsoft, Cisco, Veeam, Sonicwall and more. Holds a double major in cybersecurity and information technology for my BA.