Tech

Rojoli Provides Cloud and Managed IT Services with Strong Local Commitment

Published

7 months ago

October 19, 2023

From his desk in the Rojoli Services, Inc. offices at the Curiosity Lab, Rojoli CEO Gentry Ganote can watch construction progress on more buildings to house self-driving cars.

To anyone familiar with Peachtree Corners and Technology Park — the city’s sprawling 500-acre center for engineering and technology companies — the sight of an autonomous shuttle going down the road still sparks interest.

Along with Tech Park’s 5G infrastructure and numerous prototypes for smart city devices, the shuttle is a symbol of the area’s commitment to innovation and advancements in high-tech.

High-tech can improve people’s lives and continue pushing the limits of what was previously thought possible.

And while Rojoli’s work may not be as visible to someone walking down the street, it’s no less impactful or important. A large number of small businesses in Peachtree Corners and beyond rely on it for cloud and IT services.

From burgeoning tech to established provider

In 2008, cloud computing was just beginning to take off. Amazon had only launched its cloud computing division, Amazon Web Services (AWS), two years earlier. Microsoft followed close behind in October 2008 with the launch of Azure.

Now, multibillion-dollar companies are responsible for the IT infrastructure powering large swathes of the internet.

Many industry experts were unsure if the services that companies like AWS and Azure sold — known as Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) in tech-speak — would catch on in the mainstream. But to Ganote, this emerging market seemed like a good opportunity.

Ganote worked as the chief information officer (CIO) at the PGA Tour Superstore before getting into cloud computing.

During his time there, he and his team began implementing some infrastructure virtualization — one of the main technologies that makes cloud computing possible.

“I really felt that [cloud computing] was going to be big and take off. I had some colleagues that were in the IT field looking to host stuff, and I just thought that it was an opportunity,” Ganote said. “I ended up starting with a couple of customers and started the hosting company in 2008. I was just one man for a year, year and a half.”

Over the next two years, Ganote steadily grew the business, going on to merge in 2010 with another local small business founded by Stan and Brad Allen.

Stan and Brad had some customers in need of IaaS and managed services, a type of outsourcing where a company hires a vendor like Rojoli to manage and monitor its IT network.

With the merger, Rojoli became a managed IT service provider (MSP) and cloud hosting company. The company took on bigger clients while continuing to serve the small business communities of Metro Atlanta and the state of Georgia.

In 2019, the company merged again. This time with a fellow Peachtree Corners-based company called Cloud AG, founded in 2013 by David Huseonica.

Today, Rojoli offers several services, from its original cloud hosting service to managed IT services to data backup and recovery as well as Microsoft 365 and Exchange implementation.

The company operates data centers in New York and Georgia, providing cloud and IT services to national companies in addition to many small businesses in the Peach State.

David Huseonica, Brad Allen, Stan Allen, Gentry Ganote

Local roots run deep

Rojoli originally started in downtown Norcross before moving to Technology Park’s Curiosity Lab around 2015, but the company has deep ties to the area. Ganote himself went to Norcross High School before earning his bachelor’s in computer science from the University of Georgia.

While a student at UGA, he got his first job as a software developer for a company based in Technology Park. Now, nearly 40 years later, Ganote is still happy to call Peachtree Corners home — both for him, his family and the business.

“I’ve had an affinity for this location,” he said. “I grew up here, I went to Norcross High School. So for me, it’s personal… I’ve been here for a long time, and I really appreciate the vibe and the whole area.”

For Rojoli, it’s especially important to be part of the Technology Park business community. Local real estate developer Paul Duke initially envisioned Peachtree Corners and Technology Park in the late 1960s as a close-knit community where people could live, work and play.

He also pictured it as a place to host technology companies to employ new engineering, technology and business graduates from Georgia Tech and UGA.

GE and Scientific Atlanta (now part of Cisco Systems) were some of the first businesses in the office park. It’s only grown since then and includes a number of technology companies, not to mention one of the country’s only roadways for autonomous vehicles.

There is also Curiosity Labs, a business accelerator for companies developing smart city technology. Tech Park has a rich history of technological innovation, and Ganote says it continues to change today.

“It’s got a good atmosphere,” he said. “There’s always something going on.”

Aside from participation in a culture of progress and innovation, being in the area also helps Rojoli provide excellent service to its customers.

Ganote described Rojoli’s cloud hosting business as “high-touch boutique hosting.” He said it provides value to local businesses that need help removing some of the complexity of large cloud service providers like Microsoft Azure and AWS.

Having a local presence makes it easier for Rojoli to help local businesses that may be facing challenges associated with aging on-premises IT infrastructure.

Tech help and peace of mind

As systems age and become outdated, maintaining them can become increasingly difficult and costly for the businesses that rely on them.

Rojoli helps alleviate these pain points for small businesses by either managing on-premises systems or by providing cloud hosting, which generally offers lower costs and better reliability.

This is especially important, Ganote said, for companies with large remote workforces who rely on collaboration tools like Microsoft Teams and Zoom to stay connected.

“It makes a lot more sense to put [IT systems] into the cloud,” Ganote said. “It’s up 24/7, 365. The network connectivity is always on, so it provides a much more solid, secure and redundant system.”

This is Rojoli’s niche, and it’s where Ganote sees the company continuing to expand in the years ahead.

Because of its unique relationship with the local business community, Rojoli can provide more of a boutique experience than might be found elsewhere or with more nationally focused MSPs and cloud providers.

Like buying from a local shop versus a big box retail chain, the difference for Rojoli is about relationships and providing a personalized touch.

This approach makes it a unique member of the local business community in Peachtree Corners and across the state.

Content supported by community-minded companies and organizations like Clearwave Fiber helps us produce editorially independent content. They are companies that underwrite us in additional ways beyond their print advertising.

Photos by George Hunter

Related Topics:Atlanta Tech Park Curiosity Lab at Peachtree Corners Rojoli Services

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Forrest Brown

Forrest Brown is a freelance journalist and content marketer from Metro Atlanta. He has written for Facing South and currently writes Sticky Weather, a biweekly newsletter covering climate and sustainability in the South.

Business

Axon Accelerates Real-Time Operations Solution with Strategic Acquisition of Fusus

Published

3 months ago

February 8, 2024

Peachtree Corners Magazine staff

Real-time crime center

Axon, a leader in connected public safety technologies, announced it has acquired Fusus, a pioneer in real-time crime center (RTCC) technology.

This news builds upon a successful strategic partnership launched in May 2022, marking a decisive leap forward in Axon’s mission to Protect Life.

This acquisition also further catalyzes Axon’s growing presence in retail, healthcare, private security and the federal space.

Fusus excels in aggregating live video, data and sensor feeds from virtually any source, enhancing situational awareness and investigative capabilities for public safety, education and commercial customers.

This acquisition provides Axon with technology not currently in its existing network, and facilitates seamless connections to critical data sources such as camera locations and video feeds from both fixed and body worn cameras during incidents.

Fusus’ technology propels Axon’s real-time operations product roadmap, addressing critical challenges faced in public safety.

It empowers law enforcement professionals with location mapping, escalation alerts, livestreaming, real-time and post-incident visibility, allowing swift decision-making, and responsive actions.

“Throughout our long-standing partnership and investment with Fusus, we’ve witnessed the impact of collaboration in achieving remarkable results for law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve,” said Ran Mokady, Axon’s Senior Vice President of Real-Time Operations.

“This acquisition is a significant milestone in our mission to protect life as it further enables law enforcement and emergency teams to better deter and respond to escalating situations,” he added.

“Our collaboration with Axon has helped Fusus raise the bar on how first responders can affect positive outcomes through open and interoperable systems,” said Chris Lindenau, CEO of Fusus.

“As one team with a shared purpose to protect life, we are poised to rapidly expand this vision into the way law enforcement agencies, governments, businesses and schools work together in support of community safety,” he explained.

Real-time crime centers provide public safety with a centralized facility equipped with advanced technology and data analysis tools that enable law enforcement agencies to monitor and respond to incidents in real time.

These centers can integrate various data sources, such as cameras, sensors, social media feeds and other information systems, to provide a comprehensive and immediate view of ongoing criminal activities or emergencies.

Ultimately, by aggregating all of this information into a single pane of glass for public safety, real-time crime centers enhance situational awareness, improve response times and support proactive crime prevention efforts by leveraging up-to-the-minute information and analytics.

To learn more about how real-time crime centers can increase safety in any environment, see Axon’s latest blog post.

“Real-time crime centers serve as indispensable assets for agencies, offering unparalleled insight and actionable intelligence in one open and unified platform,” said Marshall Freeman, Deputy Chief Administrative Officer for the Atlanta Police Department.

Just like Axon, Fusus and its products are built from the ground up with an explicit focus on ethical and equitable design.

As a joint organization and in partnership with Axon’s Ethics and Equity Advisory Council (EEAC), they will continue their relentless commitment to build solutions that make the right things easier and the wrong things harder, every day.

The terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Axon was advised by Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP and Fusus was advised by Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP in connection with the transaction.

Tech

Pipedream and Curiosity Lab Team Up to Launch World’s First Underground Logistics Network

Published

5 months ago

December 20, 2023

Peachtree Corners Magazine staff

Peachtree Corners has launched the world’s first below-ground autonomous robot delivery system with Pipedream, an underground logistics network.

The new delivery system will bring consumers faster, more autonomous, efficient and cost-effective transportation channels.

Peachtree Corners is the first city to launch and install the underground logistics solution, aiming to eliminate emissions and congestion issues in the current delivery infrastructure.

The system’s installation in Peachtree Corners spans almost one mile and connects a shopping center to the heart of Curiosity Lab’s 25,000-square-foot innovation center.

Curiosity Lab members will be able to order food from a handful of restaurants and select convenience items on-demand, Monday through Friday, during peak lunch hours.

Pipedream’s logistics network uses a physical, underground infrastructure where delivery robots travel back and forth to transport food, packages, groceries, household goods and more.

The autonomous robotics system offers several benefits to city residents and businesses, such as eliminating carbon emissions, reducing traffic congestion, minimizing vehicular accidents, and providing faster delivery of goods.

“We are proud to be the first city in the world to implement and utilize Pipedream’s technology–leveraging its potential to transform logistics as we know it while delivering real commercial benefits and quality of life improvements in our community,” said Brandon Branham, Assistant City Manager and CTO of Peachtree Corners.

This development adds to the city’s ‘world-firsts’ and continues to highlight the city as a blueprint for smart cities across the United States.

The future-forward approach and agile leadership in embracing public-private partnerships enable innovative companies like Pipedream to integrate their solutions into the city.

“Pipedream is about embracing innovation to put the needs of communities first. With this first real-world installation we have proven that underground delivery is not only possible today but easy to retrofit,” said Garrett McCurrach, CEO of Pipedream.

Watch a video of the technology in action here.

Tech

Peachtree Corners Startup to Participate in Grow-NY Food and Ag Summit Pitch Competition

Published

6 months ago

October 30, 2023

Peachtree Corners Magazine staff

Twenty startup companies worldwide, including Peachtree Corners-based Hypercell Technologies, will participate in a live pitch competition.

Grow-NY, the largest global food and agriculture business competition, will host its two-day Food & Ag Summit on Tuesday, Nov. 14, and Wednesday, Nov. 15, in Binghamton, New York.

Twenty startup companies worldwide, including Peachtree Corners-based Hypercell Technologies, will participate in a live pitch competition. Seven winners will be selected to receive a combined total of $3 million in prize money, including a top award of $1 million.

This year, 323 startups from around the world applied for the competition. The 20 finalists were selected in August and have since been matched with a mentor who will lead them through the business development phase of their startup plan.

During the live pitch, each finalist will receive 10 minutes to present their business plans, with the remaining 10 minutes set aside for questions from the panel of judges.

The Summit will feature an Ecosystem Expo and educational symposium, including thought-provoking panel discussions and fireside chats with industry leaders, startup founders and key players in food and agriculture.

The Summit is designed for startups, companies, investors, resource providers, researchers, entrepreneurs and students interested in food production, sustainability and environmental growth.

Attendees and finalists from the competition will have the opportunity to connect with fellow entrepreneurs, industry players, potential investors and other resource providers internationally, creating a space that fosters collaboration, adaptation and innovation.

The Symposium sessions will offer advice to startups while exploring the most significant issues facing our food systems, such as the benefits of digital agriculture on small farms, innovations in the dairy industry and the impact of climate-friendly technology systems.

“Through the Grow-NY Effect, upstate New York’s food and farming community has made an impression on a global audience as an ecosystem committed to innovation, economic development, and resilient food systems,” said Jenn Smith, Program Director, Grow-NY.

The awards ceremony will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Nov. 15 at the SUNY Broome Culinary & Event Center, during which the winners of the $1 million top prize, two $500,000 prizes, and four $250,000 prizes will be revealed.

Attendees have the option to participate in the Summit in person or virtually.

To register for the Summit and learn more about the competition and its finalists, visit grow-ny.com. The symposium sessions, which will occur on both days of the Grow-NY Summit in between the dynamic, live finalist pitches, can be viewed here.

Registration is now open. All-access in-person admission is $65 and $25 for students. Group discounts for school trips or community organizations are available, and no one will be turned away due to the inability to pay. The full pitch competition and symposium panels will also be broadcast live online, and virtual attendance is free of charge.