Video on How Ripple Handles Mistakes

By Joshua Flail

When we started working with Studio Lotus, Kim Bergonzi at the Forsyth location asked if we could make it possible for her to connect to her work server from home. Sure! That’s a pretty common request. So, after getting their network all setup, Ripplers set out to get Kim going with VPN access to the Studio Lotus server. And we did… to the Emory location’s server. Hmm, that’s no good.

It’s not what Kim wanted, and she left us some feedback telling us that we really dropped the ball on this one. Well, what she didn’t expect was how Ripplers sprang into action to not only make things right, but also reassure Kim about her decision to work with us. We did. Check out this video on how Ripplers respond when a mistake it made.

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The Best Partnerships

By Mike Landman

ATV founder David Cummings writes that the Best Business Relationships are the Easiest Ones.

I’ve found that the best business relationships and deals are the easiest ones. Easy, in this case, means that they feel effortless. Both sides are working toward similar goals, have good chemistry, and trust each other. Whenever a relationship or deal feels forced, that’s often a sign that it should be further evaluated.

This is something we’ve learned over the years at Ripple as well. Finding companies that have shared values and complementary cultures leads to productive, long-lasting, meaningful relationships. Like finding great employees, friends, or a mate, it’s much wiser to vet them early, than to wait until it’s too late.

If it is too late, it’s harder. But still better to fire them than to let them compromise your values.

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Ripple is The Official IT Provider of the Atlanta Tech Village

By Mike Landman

When David Cummings set out to create the #1 hub for startups in the Southeast with Atlanta Tech Village, we knew this was an idea so Ripply, we had to be involved.

We set out to see how we could help. After a few months of strategizing, pivoting, and working together, everyone involved knew this was going to be a great fit. One that would benefit all parties, but most importantly Atlanta startups. We share the vision to make Atlanta one of the top 10 startup cities in the country, and as the IT provider of Atlanta Tech Village, we know we can help do our part. What is the partnership exactly?

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Video of Why Octane Chooses OfficeTalk

By Joshua Flail

Octane is one of the southeast’s premier coffee companies. Having opened their third Atlanta location last year, co-owners Tony and Diane Riffel wanted a simple way for customers to place orders, leave messages, and get general information about each location. Longtime Ripple Free WiFi clients, we suggested they take a look at our OfficeTalk phone service. In the following video, we talk with Tony, Diane, and Westside location manager John Cole about how OfficeTalk helps to improve the flow of business at all the Octane stores.

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Video Case Study: Highgroove Studios + Ripple IT Support

By Joshua Flail

Highgroove Studios is a team of Ruby and Ruby on Rails experts dedicated to rapidly developing, deploying and scaling web applications for big and soon-to-be-big companies.

Our former suitemates, they recently moved into a brand spanking new space on the Eastside of Atlanta and became clients in the process. We spoke to Charles Brian Quinn, Jon Woodroof, and Kim Hogan about how Ripple’s Beyond Support (™) service helps them get their jobs done.

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Case Study: Why Pardot Chooses Ripple for IT Support

By Mike Landman

Pardot is a SMB-focused marketing automation vendor, and one of the fastest-growing companies in America. They were recently named the Top Small Workplace in Atlanta by the AJC, and their marketing automation software will be included in Dell’s Cloud Business Applications. Pretty impressive for a company that had only a handful of employees in 2007.

As they were transforming from a startup to a leader in the field, Founder David Cummings knew they’d need serious IT service. His idea? Outsource everything that isn’t core to Pardot’s business to experts in those specific fields. He chose to work with Ripple after getting the lowdown on our unlimited support, managed services, and team of friendly IT technicians. With our Beyond Support (™) service David Cummings can focus on growing Pardot, and his people don’t have to worry about anything other than getting their jobs done.

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Case Study: Why Matchstic Chooses Ripple for IT Support

By Mike Landman

Our friends at Matchstic are top–notch creatives, specializing in brand identity. Their staff is a mixture of full-time, part-time, and freelance employees who work in the office, on the road, and sometimes from home. They need dynamic IT support.

Before Ripple came on board, Matchstic was reliant on a single person who serviced them along with a number of other businesses. People often had to wait until he was in the office to get help, which created a lot of frustration and downtime. In addition, Matchstic’s decision makers needed more strategic consultation to help them improve their processes and keep their technology up-to-date.

With our Beyond Support (™) service Matchstic folks no longer have to wait for help, and there’s no limit on how often they can call in to get it. We also provide their VoIP phone system ( a little something we like to call OfficeTalk), managing everything from the phones themselves to the network they run on.

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Outsourcing to the Experts

By Joshua Flail

Oftentimes as companies grow, they begin to see the value in outsourcing things like payroll, advertising, and yes, I.T. service. Outsourcing allows them to focus in on the core aspects of their business, and leaves the rest to experts in those specific fields.

We recently began working with Matchstic, a creative company based in Atlanta. I sat down with co-founder Craig Johnson to discuss how working with the Ripple team allows them to do what they do best: help companies develop and shape their brand identity.

Click the button below to read the whole case study, and shoot us an email if you have any questions about how we can help your business be as productive as Matchstic is now.

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Management: Hiring the Right People

By Joshua Flail

Ripple Client Pardot is Hiring Oftentimes, I hear people in management say things like, “I wish I had more workers just like [insert name here].” That’s a great compliment of the worker, but what it should be is a wakeup call for those doing the hiring. Chances are, the rest of the employees on staff are either the wrong people for the job, or they’re just not getting what they need to really excel in their positions.

In the first instance, the solution is pretty simple to figure out. Get rid of the wrong fit. For us, one bad apple working in a results-only company can really gum up the works. And the problem is pretty much immediately apparent. But no matter how long it takes to weed out the issue, someone who’s not self-motivated isn’t likely to change. So, okay. That’s the harsh truth, there. But in other instances, it’s not the person who isn’t pulling their weight, it’s their mentors. I use that word (mentors) because 1) my boss hates being called anything close to “boss” and 2) it’s really the job of management to set goals and provide their people with the resources need to get the job done.

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Atlanta’s Top Workplace Works With Ripple

By Joshua Flail

Pardot Named Atlanta's Top Small Workplace By AJC Hot on the heels of being named Atlanta’s best small workplace by the AJC, Pardot has announced that they will be hiring 100 some people over the next 18 months, complete with a highly visible billboard campaign. Why now? And why 100 people? I asked Pardot’s CEO, David Cummings, to give me the lowdown and to fill in the blanks as to why Pardot chose Ripple as their managed IT provider.

JF: Hiring 100 people must be a huge step for Pardot. What’s the story behind it?

DC: Initially, we held back on hiring so we could focus on building an amazing team, and creating a great culture. But now, the marketing automation market is really starting to take off, putting tremendous opportunity ahead of us. So, we’ve made it our goal to grow faster than the market while maintaining our corporate culture at all costs. That requires hiring people who will be a good fit.

JF: What are you looking for in new hires?

DC: We look for people who are positive, self-starting, and supportive. We hire people based on how they’ll fit in with our corporate culture, and require them to use their smarts to get things done.

JF: What makes Pardot such a great work environment?

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