Outside In Podcast: Who Answers the Phone at 2 AM? Redefining the Technology Partner

Ep. 49: Who's Keeping Up So You Don't Have To?

Somewhere along the way, managed technology services forgot about people. As providers chased margin and traded hands between private equity owners, the personalized service clients actually valued became the exception instead of the rule. In this episode, Matthew DeCurtis, Vice President of Business Development at IST joins host Brad Burgess to make the case for a different model built on ownership continuity, hospitality, and outcomes rather than overhead.


Matt draws on 25 years in the industry to explain what real partnership looks like after the contract is signed: the team who answers the phone at 2 AM, the report waiting Monday morning stating everything was handled, and the account people who know your culture so well your own employees think they work for you. He digs into why he hires forempathy over the perfect resume, how AI accelerates his technologists instead of replacing them, and what the certifications every provider rattles off actually mean for the security of your most sensitive data.


The throughline is a challenge to every technology buyer: stop settling for reactive help desks, and find the partner planning years past your contract, making sure you're never left behind. If you've ever wondered who's really looking out for your organization when the alarm goes off at 2 AM, this conversation is for you.

  • Episode Highlights

    Connect with: Matthew DeCurtis | LinkedIn


    Learn More about: AI at IST Management| Positioning AI with your Firm| AI in eDiscovery| Jordan Episode 15| AI in Litigation



    Key Takeaways:


    • The industry optimized people out of the equation. As providers chase margin, the personalized service clients valued has become the exception. Matt's model puts the people experience and hospitality back at the center. 
    • Ownership continuity is a buying signal. Every private-equity turn brings new tools, new leadership, and lost tenure. A stable, single-owner provider protects the tribal knowledge and rapport built with your team over years. 
    • Real partnership starts after the contract. The honeymoon of the sales process means little. Partnership is who answers the phone at 2 AM and who owns the outcome, then hands you a Monday-morning report that says it was already handled. 
    • Culture fit isn't accidental. The best providers embed so well your own employees think they work for you. That comes from research, the right staffing, and matching a client's core values on purpose. 
    • Hire for empathy, teach the technology. Chasing the perfect resume means missing the perfect candidate. Soft skills and bedside manner are inherent; technical skills can be trained on top of them. 
    • AI accelerates people, it doesn't replace them. Used well, AI cuts mean time to resolution 25–30% and frees technologists from backend research so they can be more human on the call, not less. 
    • Certifications only matter if they're real and owned. ISO 27001, SOC, HIPAA, PCI, FINRA carry weight only when a provider holds and renews them directly, not when a piece of it lives with a subcontractor. Ask for the letters, not the acronyms. 
    • Data doesn't stop being sensitive after the case closes. Governance, risk, and compliance apply to data at rest too. If a provider already handles your most sensitive information, the real question is who's protecting the rest. 
    • The best partners are proactive, not reactive. In an industry that lives on reacting, the differentiator is advisory that plans five to eight years out — roadmaps, predictable budgets, and a seat on the technology steering committee.

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