Vertis transforms businesses with VITAL TECHNOLOGY
THREE YEARS ago, in his parents’ living room, CEO Ryan Sterling and his wife Cameille Sterling started Vertis Technology Solutions Limited. “We believe that technology is vital for any business to survive, grow and innovate,” said Ryan Sterling.
It was this belief that made him see the need for an organisation like Vertis to partner with businesses and capitalise on technology. “We pride ourselves on knowing our customer’s mission statement and from this we are then able to ‘Enable their Best’ in cybersecurity, networking, data centre and cloud and our other services,” added Cameille.
Inspiration can be drawn from many sources, as seen with the infamous story of Isaac Newton and the apple. However, for Sterling, his ‘apple falling from the tree’ moment was in watching a TV show segment called Bloomberg Technology.
That particular segment featured a customer speaking about
how a partnership with his IT service provider helped him accomplish most of his goals. “Looking at it, I realised technology is really that driving force for business globally,” said Sterling. With a passion for IT but not much expertise in the field, he knew he could not do it alone, so, together with his wife, Cameille Sterling, Sterling formed Vertis Technology Solutions Limited in 2014.
Vertis has worked on a variety of projects from small clients to larger entities. Recently, Vertis transformed the service test for a manufacturing company in which they implemented the information technology infrastructure library. This transformation resulted in a 30 per cent increase in internal customer satisfaction and automated services.
The future of tech in Jamaica
WHEN ASKED how to improve the tech industry of Jamaica, Sterling suggested that to compete in the tech world we must introduce our students to it at an earlier age, maybe at kindergarten or primary school. “No school in Jamaica should not have a tech lab. No primary-school student should not have a computer or laptop at school.”
In addition, he stated that we need to ensure technology is a growing space that is supported, whether financially or through concessions and grants. “I do not have all the answers, but I believe that once these things are in place, Jamaica will be able to compete with any country across the world.”
His wife, Cameille, spoke on the experience of being a woman in the tech industry. “In many organisations, we are seeing an increase in women in the IT departments,” said Sterling. She also commented that it is great seeing women doing the ‘heavy lifting’ in IT fields. “It may have been challenging over the years, but each day we are proving that we are just as capable in a maledominated arena,” she explained.
Advice to students going into technology
“FIND YOUR ‘why’ for doing technology. Is it to make money? Because that will not last. But when you find what it is that makes you love technology, then you will always be the master of your destiny. Also, find someone who has done it before, a mentor. Consistently try to learn, read and know more about the technological space. Technology will always be changing and if you can stay on top of that, then you will be fine,” Ryan Sterling disclosed.
As for his wife Cameille, she believes that young persons must be bold in technology and embrace the changes in technology. “Never be afraid to try new things. If you like coding or have an interest in application development, then go out and make an effort to experience it. You may or may not enjoy it, but, at the end of the day, you will start to see what you are passionate about. Just as Ryan said, the evolution of technology is constant, so it is important to stay abreast of trends. A dream or vision will remain just that if you do not take the first step towards it,” she added.
Find your ‘why’ for doing technology. Is it to make money? Because that will not last. But when you find what it is that makes you love technology, then you will always be the master of your destiny.