Engineer heeds solo intuition
By KATHY KAHN

It was a giant leap for Damian Colarte when he decided to start his own information technology business.

Colarte started his independent venture in the heart of the region’s Tech Valley corridor, within a stone’s throw of Stewart International Airport. Colarte, a Microsoft-certified systems engineer, took the plunge into sole proprietorship and started DC Solutions in New Windsor in mid-2007.

“High-tech computer systems are no longer reserved for big budgets or big business,” said Colarte. “With so many advances in the world of information technology, high-tech computer networking is within reach for small-business owners, too.”

Changes often come at a dizzying rate, so it’s nice to have your own IT guy come in and handle your systems or do it remotely, he says, noting it’s easy to be overwhelmed by the information highway. He hopes while searching for a cost-effective solution, small businesses looking for an IT manager may decide to give him an opportunity to help them navigate the system.

Colarte selects hardware and software that efficiently and cost-effectively will meet a small-business owner’s computer and networking needs. His services include infrastructure design, assistance with purchasing decisions, and off-site network maintenance and monitoring. Colarte’s company provides 24/7 network security and monitoring, which the engineer says can be costly. “When a system is down, there’s not much employees can do except sit around and wait for someone to fix the problem.”

DC Solution’s systems are specially designed to meet the computing goals and budgets of a small business, says Colarte of his new company. He also provides Cisco Systems infrastructure technology, including voice-over IP, e-mail servers, security, virus scanning and VPN technology. If you don’t know how any of these systems work ­ or work together, that’s where Colarte’s expertise comes into play.

Before going out on his own, Colarte spent eight years as a systems engineer for ENAP, a billion-dollar lumber cooperative headquartered in New Windsor. While there, he built a multimillion-dollar computer network that hosted 45 servers and 100 employees and then he orchestrated the company’s move to its new headquarters in First Columbia’s business park, also in New Windsor.

“My family thought I was crazy when I told them I wanted to start my own business,” he said. “But I felt it was time. I had been with E-Nap for eight years, and there were many internal changes being made. I decided if I was going to start my own business, now was the time to do it.”

So far, said Colarte, his solo venture is keeping the roof over his young family’s head, and “Now my parents are saying they think it’s the best move I ever made. There really is nothing like being your own boss … except the hours are much longer and you really don’t go home when you’re done.”

The Web site is www.dcnetsol.com.

 

 

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