12/23/2009 6:00:00 PM Joel Bomgar is about IT solutions
Joel Bomgar, right, gives Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant a tour of the Bomgar offices on the Highland Colony Parkway where they provide remote support software to computer technicians. The Ridgeland-based company that employs 125 was recently named the sixth fastest growing computer and electronics company in America by Inc. Magazine.
By STEVEN G. WATSON Associate Editor
RIDGELAND - Joel Bomgar didn't start out to found a multi-million-dollar technology company; rather, he started out to solve an IT problem.
Born out of a simple desire to cut down on his mileage as a computer technician, Bomgar created a device that would give him remote access to a client's computer to provide technical support.
It turns out the system was so good and the need for such a device so great that Bomgar, the company, was born.
"I didn't start out to start a business," the affable Bomgar said. "I started out to solve a problem I had. The business just sort of happened."
And it happened quickly.
In six short years Bomgar has grown from a one-man operation run out of a back room at his "day job" to 125 employees and $20 million in annual earnings in 2008.
In 2009, despite a slumping global economy, Bomgar said his company is projecting double-digit revenue growth as they've seen almost every year since the company was founded.
They've also garnered international recognition as one of the world's fastest-growing tech companies, servicing clients in all 50 states and more than 50 countries worldwide.
Earlier this month, Bomgar's amazing success story spurred Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant to pay a visit to their offices on the Highland Colony Parkway.
Bomgar showed Bryant around his offices, decorated in the company's trademark bright orange with a laid-back feel sometimes associated with tech companies.
The tall, handsome, energetic and talkative young Bomgar isn't the stereotypical techie nerd with glasses. Yet, he sometimes finds it hard to explain what exactly Bomgar does, but telling his personal story helps.
Inspiration from a '79 Buick
Before graduating from Belhaven College in 2003, Bomgar was working in technical support for Business Communications Incorporated (BCI) in Ridgeland.
As part of his job, Bomgar had to to drive hundreds of miles every day to work on clients' computers.
"I was driving a 1979 Buick LeSabre," Bomgar said laughing. "The exhaust was so bad on that thing sometimes you had to turn it off at a red light so it wouldn't catch up to you."
Bomgar said he knew there had to be an easier way to do his job and started looking for a solution.
What he needed was a way to gain access and control of other computers online, thus allowing him to solve problems from his desk instead of driving to the physical location.
It seemed like a simple solution and one that would help millions of IT professionals worldwide, but to Bomgar's surprise almost no one provided the service.
"At the time there were only two companies on the market, but they charged monthly fees that were bizarrely expensive and didn't do basic stuff like reboot the computer," Bomgar said. "It was frustrating. What we had was a real market problem out there, but no vendor."
What happened next was a classic example of supply meeting demand and that demand was high.
Bomgar developed the "Bomgar Box" during his senior year in collge, then shortly after graduating in 2003 he sold his first license while working out of a back room at BCI.
Instead of helping clients with their technical support problems, Bomgar had devised a system that he could sell to technical support professionals, making their jobs easier.
A company's technical support person could gain access to all of the computers being used at the company without having to physically go to the computer having the problem.
The device had incredible potential to revolutionize technical support across the globe, but Bomgar soon realized there was more demand than he could possibly meet.
MTA shows the way
Bomgar admittedly had no experience or expertise running a business.
He knew he was sitting a viable product, but lacked the funds to market or produce it.
"That was our biggest hurdle initially," Bomgar said. "In the early stages we had no capital and no workforce."
Enter the Mississippi Technology Alliance (MTA).
MTA Vice President Tony Jeff said Bomgar is a perfect example of what MTA is set up to do for budding technology companies.
"They knew they had an attractive product, but didn't know how to build a business model around that product," Jeff said.
MTA helped design that business model and introduced Bomgar to investors.
"One of the mistakes some entrepreneurs make is trying to sell the investor on a great product," Jeff said. "What some don't understand is you don't sell the investor on the product, you sell them on the business. They want to see numbers."
The Bomgar business model is built around selling the "Bomgar Box" as well as licenses to use it for around $2,000.
Then, each year following, they charge a maintenance fee that includes technical support and any upgrades the client might need.
It was a solid business model and one MTA helped sell to investors.
The 29-year-old Bomgar credits MTA with giving them that boost they needed at exactly the right time.
Through their help the company not only received the capital investments needed to expand their operation, but located talented professionals to hire and improve their product.
Now, the system can connect to virtually any computer operating system be it Windows, Macintosh, Linus or a variety of mobile devices.
"We can connect to anyone who needs support," Bomgar said. "There's no other product out there with that much coverage."
The company has become the darling of IT professionals everywhere, with many touting the product as easy to use and in some cases essential.
Bomgar himself said it's odd having his name so well known. In some cases the actual act of performing online technical support has become a verb, "Bomgaring."
"When they start using the name of your company like that you know you're on to something," he said.
Setting 'outrageous' goals
Listening to him talk it's easy to see Bomgar believes whole-heartedly in the company he's created. So much so he's set some outrageous goals that he admits may never be met, but that's really not the point.
According to Bomgar, there are 10 million IT professionals and technical support personnel worldwide, each of which they could potentially sell a license to. As a goal for his company he hopes to make one tenth of those professionals clients of Bomgar.
In the company's conference room there are two huge plastic tubes that stand about eight feet tall.
One of the tubes contains 1 million BBs representing those 1 million potential clients. In the other is a BB for each license the company has sold.
"Every so often we gather all the employees together and scoop out BBs to represent the newly sold licenses," Bomgar said. "We make a big deal out of it."
The visual impact of the BBs is powerful and a favorite feature when Bomgar gives tours to VIPs like the Lt. Governor.
"You guys have done some tremendous things," Bryant said after taking a tour of the facilities. "This is exactly the type of business we need. This is they type of stuff we have to develop if we hope to compete in a modern world."
Bomgar and his wife Rachel live in Jackson and have two children, Amelia who is 2 and Simon who is eight months old.
Learn more about Bomgar at: www.bomgar.com.
Reader Comments
Posted: Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Article comment by:
Dave Anderson
I have initiated contact with a few state of MS government and business officials regarding my housing business but this article inspired me to contact MTA, which is my very next effort.
