Supporting the Evolution of Human Interaction
Since its founding in 1983, XETA has been a participant in the continuing evolution of when, where and how people communicate. The company started in a time in which the telephone was a relatively simple, hardwired device, the personal computer was in its infancy and few knew about the Internet.
Succeeding years have since brought enormous change in devices, technologies and culture. XETA helped usher in the on-site PBX system and call accounting practices for businesses and institutions, participated in the convergence of voice and data through IP telephony, and helped customers develop data networks and applications to navigate the dotcom boom and bust. Mobile phones, application-rich smartphones and the emerging importance of social networking and dynamic applications are just a few of the challenges our customers face today.
Early Years – Serving Hospitality
XETA's early focus was on developing products for the hospitality industry – specifically on-premise call accounting hardware and software that allowed hotels and resorts to provide long-distance calling services to guests. In the days before mobile phones, this proved to be a significant profit opportunity, and as a result many of the national hotel chains installed the devices in their properties. Installation, maintenance and support of these public branch exchange (PBX) devices throughout the 1990's laid the foundation of XETA's national footprint.
Growth – Telephony and the Internet
XETA continued its leadership in the hospitality and lodging markets, but begin extending its range of services and branching into other markets and serving larger enterprises. Customers that needed PBX installation and management frequently needed reliable networking and cabling services, which XETA began to provide. XETA also strengthed its government/public sector product and service offerings.
Although PBX systems were relatively easy to manage, customers in the hospitality industry in particular could not afford a minute of downtime, this lead XETA to develop its internal help desk/contact center.
Enterprises began requiring fatter, carrier-quality data networking pipes. XETA was also there for these customers as more of them began utilizing the Internet for core business processes and as voice and data systems began to converge.
XETA's fortunes, like many in IT, rose and fell with the dotcom bubble and burst, but its focus on service quality and prudent financial management provided a foundation to survive and thrive after the bubble burst.
2000's – Diversification Creates Strength
Throughout the 2000's XETA gained strength as it continued to expand its service offerings and became a premier partner for leading voice and data manufacturing vendors. XETA's relationship with Avaya, in particular, has been a prosperous one, with XETA reaching Premier Elite status in 2002, winning Enterprise Business Partner of the Year in 2008 and receiving numerous awards and recognitions.
XETAs also achieved the highest level of certification from data networking equipment vendor Nortel in 2005
Ready for the Future
As the nature of communication continues to evolve, XETA is ready for the changes. The recent acquisition of Nortel by Avaya is creating both challenges and opportunities for customers of both vendors and XETA is uniquely positioned to help customers during this transition.
XETA itself is continuing to shift its focus towards service delivery and support, as well as develop business lines that will help customers take advantage of emerging technologies. Through both organic growth and acquisition, XETA is a company poised for growth and to extend its reach as a leading provider of communications services.