Erick Harlow
Forensic IT
Website: www.forensicit.us
Industry: information technology
Education: AAS in electronics, studied computer science at the University of Missouri-St. Louis
Family: wife, Denise, and four children
What is your mission?
Change the way industry uses information and data to solve issues, but more importantly: “To do the right thing based on forensic evidence.”
What was your first job?
My first job was working for my father on the farm.
What led you to your industry?
A great interest in technology. Computers were just beginning to show their potential in the 1980’s, and I had to be a part of it.
What was the smartest thing your company did in the past year?
I think the smartest thing we have done is invest in creating products to coincide with our services division. We created Trakker, a new customizable software solution to help both small and large businesses take advantage of their data to help them solve problems and grow faster. My partner David Moye is one of the greatest minds in the industry around databases and software development, and he has spent years developing this software to help companies make good, solid, informed decisions.
Who is your industry role model?
Andrew Carnegie. Andrew embraced the technology of his time, building the first steel bridge across the Mississippi River. The world would not look the way it does today without the success of this bridge. Once he made his fortune, he gave away 90% of it to universities, foundations and charities, bettering the world yet again.
How do you try to differentiate your business from others in your industry?
We differentiate from others because we do not guess at solutions; instead, we work strictly with evidence, data and facts. Too many support conversations start with “Try this and see what happens…” No one should accept this. Working on a root-cause basis, we have never had an issue we were not able to resolve.
What’s the hottest trend in your industry, and are you going to jump on board?
The trend toward mobility cannot be overlooked. As more and more businesspeople shift away from desktop computers to laptops and cell phones, we need to offer our data products and services so that they can be accessed anywhere on any type of device. We have started that process with the development of Trakker and will continue to do so.
What’s the hardest part of your job?
We are always on the search for new engineers — ones that can grasp the concept of forensics and data. The IT industry has been flooded with the idea that product knowledge is king… It is not; evidence is king. Not only must they master that, they must be communicators with the ability to solve problems in a “no-fail” environment.
What’s the best part?
To walk into a situation where your customer feels like no hope is left and bring hope.
Teaching and helping people is what I enjoy. There is nothing more rewarding than helping someone in need.
What best advice would you share with new entrepreneurs?
Follow your passion. Do the things you want to do. Be you!
Submitted 6 years 342 days ago