For 25 years, Progressive Computing has adapted to numerous industry innovations while providing vigilant and cost-effective information technology services to businesses in the New York City area and across the country.
The company recently commemorated this milestone at its new headquarters near Midland Avenue in Yonkers with an event attended by several local luminaries. Founded by Chief Operating Officer Robert Cioffi and Chief Executive Officer Ugo Chiulli, who grew up in Yonkers, Progressive Computing has always called the city home.
Yonkers Deputy Mayor Jim Cavanaugh read from a proclamation announcing Progressive Computing Day. “Small businesses are the backbone of any community and for this firm to survive and thrive through so many business cycles is a testament to their success,” he said. “We’d love for them to be here another 25 years.”
Assemblyman Nader Sayegh singled out the achievement along with Progressive Computing’s many years of giving back to the community.
Progressive Computing employees work with local educators to promote careers in technology under the STRIVE program, along with many other volunteer educational and community-building endeavors.
“They are part of the fabric of Yonkers,” said Sayegh, who bestowed Progressive Computing with a special citation from the New York State Assembly. “The most important aspect about this is the way they take a real interest in providing Yonkers students with job training and job placement and helping them achieve positive results.”
Progressive Computing is a mainstay of the Business Council of Westchester, the county’s premier professional and business organization.
“Progressive Computing proves that it’s possible to grow as an organization when you do good things,” said President and CEO Marsha Gordon. “They’re such a valuable company to have in Westchester because they are serious about their obligation to help others and to provide superior services.”
Cioffi and Chiulli, who graduated from Gorton High School in Yonkers, became friends and informal business associates at Iona College during the early home and business computing revolution in the 1980s. They began developing software programs for local businesses with the open source DOS interface, and expanded as computer technology evolved. Their first clients included a telemarketing company, an HVAC concern, and a wholesale meat delivery business.
At first, businesses required the build out of computer networks that could talk with each other, so they installed servers and desktops.
“We worked on the break-fix model with an hourly rate, but this generated the idea of selling maintenance packages with managed services for a flat fee per month,” said Cioffi.
Cioffi and Chiulli began helping their clients gain competitive advantage through budgeting and strategy. They also helped standardize computer systems for clients’ vendors and other businesses with which they interacted.
The cloud, the latest metamorphosis in computing, “changes the nature of what we’re doing and opens up the ability to expand our geographical footprint,” said Cioffi. “When we installed hardware, we had to stay in our own backyard, but now we can connect with anyone.”
In addition to around 80 clients – known as partners – in the New York City-metropolitan region, the company now services businesses in San Jose, Dallas and Denver, along with another firm that supports 26 offices nationwide.
“Ugo and I are two very different people but we share the same core values,” said Cioffi. “We’re fortunate because we’ve been able to surround ourselves with quality people who can live up to those values. The feedback we always get from customers is that we have a great team of people who are a pleasure to work with. Everyone has an inner geek here, and we celebrate that, but we care about being human beings first. We’re more than just technology.”
With offices in Westchester County and Manhattan, Progressive Computing, Inc., is a leader in computer network installation, design and maintenance, offering professional, cost-effective information technology services, computer consulting, technical support and computer repair to leading edge businesses. For more information, visit www.progressivecomputing.com or call 914-800-3468.
