Navigating IT complexity and cybersecurity threats can quickly overwhelm even the most capable businesses. But bringing in the right experts makes securing data and streamlining daily operations far simpler.
From managing cloud migrations to tightening regulatory compliance, Integris brings enterprise-level solutions within reach for small and midsize companies, letting them compete effectively without overextending resources.
Today’s interviewee, Glenn Mathis, CEO of Integris, shares practical advice for strengthening IT infrastructure, achieving lasting security, and ensuring organizations stay ahead of both risks and rapid technological change.
How did Integris get started, and how has the company evolved into a national managed IT service provider over the years?
Integris was founded in 2021 by merging several highly successful IT providers. We’ve combined great people who share important values and strong practices from these organizations to form our company, with a name that reflects our core principle: integrity. And it’s something we aim to deliver, every day. This remains consistent throughout constant change. As a result, we’ve experienced extraordinary growth through both acquisition and organic sales gains.
We’ve grown into a platform MSP with a vision for the future, specialized expertise, and a committed focus on small to midsize organizations. We set ourselves apart through industry and vertical-specific solutions, operational excellence, and a people-first approach.
Can you explain the core services that Integris offers and how these services help businesses strengthen their IT infrastructure and cybersecurity posture?
Integris is a full-service, future-ready managed service provider, offering small to midsize businesses flexible service plans with full cost transparency, as well as individual technology solutions, assessments, fractional IT leadership, and strategic advisory services. All of our services are delivered through dedicated, industry-aligned practices with nationwide reach, ensuring seamless, high-touch service wherever our clients need it.
Our solutions and assessments enable customers to make the most out of their IT environment and ensure that the critical data they collect not only remains secure but also adds value to their business operations. Our latest improvement to our product offering is our Microsoft 365 Security and Compliance Assessment, which provides clients with a comprehensive review of their Microsoft 365 environments, helping them to unlock the full value of their investment while strengthening security and compliance. This assessment is just the beginning of a new rollout of resources that will be provided to small businesses and help further establish Integris as a strategic advisor.
Our ultimate goal, as an organization’s MSP, is to enable them to focus on growing their business, serving customers, and driving product innovation, instead of combatting cyberthreats and researching the latest compliance requirements. Our defense-in-depth and strategic approach to cybersecurity arms our clients with a full suite of cybersecurity tools, that strengthens every aspect of their IT infrastructure and security posture.
What are the most common IT and cybersecurity challenges your clients face, and how does Integris help them overcome these issues?
The most common IT and cybersecurity challenges we see with our SMB clients – especially in regulated verticals like financial services, healthcare, legal, and manufacturing – are rooted in complexity and resource constraints. They’re being asked to meet the same security, compliance, and innovation standards as large enterprises, but without the in‑house teams or budgets those enterprises have.
We consistently see three pain points:
- Keeping up with evolving cyber threats and compliance frameworks in industries where regulations change rapidly
- Modernizing legacy systems and applications so they’re secure, integrated, and able to support digital‑first operations
- Maintaining uptime and productivity without overburdening lean internal IT teams
At Integris, we address these challenges by acting as an extension of their organization, bringing both vertical expertise and enterprise‑grade capabilities in a scalable, cost‑effective way. We build tailored roadmaps that align with their regulatory environment, deploy layered security solutions that meet or exceed industry standards, and proactively manage and automate their IT so they can focus on growing their business, not fighting fires.
In short, we give SMBs in demanding industries the same confidence, security, and innovation leverage as much larger competitors, helping them stay compliant, resilient, and ready for what’s next.
With the continued shift to remote and hybrid work models, how has Integris adapted its solutions to support secure, flexible, and resilient operations for distributed teams?
The shift to remote and hybrid work has fundamentally changed the way SMBs operate, and it’s not just about giving employees laptops and VPNs anymore. Our clients need secure, seamless access to their systems from anywhere, without sacrificing compliance, productivity, or the employee experience.
At Integris, we’ve evolved our solutions to meet that reality head‑on. We design zero‑trust security frameworks that assume work is happening everywhere, enforcing identity management, multi‑factor authentication, endpoint protection, and continuous monitoring, no matter where someone logs in. We implement cloud‑based collaboration platforms and secure connectivity tools that make it easy for teams to share data and work together without introducing risk. We also provide 24/7 support and automation, so systems remain resilient and issues are resolved quickly, regardless of location.
The result is a modern IT environment where our clients’ teams can work confidently from an office, home, or on the road, knowing their operations are both flexible and protected. We see our role as giving SMBs enterprise‑level security and performance while keeping them agile enough to thrive in a hybrid world.
How does Integris empower small and mid-sized businesses to achieve enterprise-grade IT security and support, even with limited internal resources?
Our business model is unique because it is built for the upper SMB. Small and mid‑sized businesses today face the same cyber threats, compliance mandates, and operational pressures as large enterprises, but without the luxury of a deep in‑house IT bench. That’s where Integris comes in.
We empower SMBs by bringing enterprise‑grade tools, talent, and processes to them in a way that’s scalable and cost‑effective. Instead of trying to build and maintain a full IT department, our clients tap into our 24/7 network operations and security teams, our automation platforms, and our deep expertise in regulated industries.
We design and manage layered security strategies, covering identity management, endpoint protection, SOC monitoring, and compliance frameworks. Our approach delivers Fortune 500-level sophistication, tailored specifically to fit SMB budgets and workflows. At the same time, we proactively manage infrastructure, modernize systems, and provide strategic guidance so IT becomes a growth enabler, not just a cost center.
This provides our clients with the confidence, resilience, and innovation leverage of a much larger organization – without having to hire, train, and retain all of that talent internally.
What are some common pitfalls organizations encounter during cloud migrations or hybrid infrastructure deployments, and how does Integris help ensure a smooth and secure transition?
Without the right strategy, organizations can run into serious challenges with cloud migrations and hybrid infrastructure deployments. One of the biggest misconceptions we see is that moving to the cloud – or building a hybrid infrastructure – is purely a technical exercise. In reality, it touches every part of the business.
Common pitfalls include underestimating security requirements, overlooking data governance and compliance, failing to map dependencies between legacy systems, and not having a clear migration plan with rollback options. Many organizations also assume a ‘lift‑and‑shift’ approach will work, only to discover performance, cost, or integration issues after the fact.
At Integris, we guide our clients through this process from end to end. We start by assessing their current environment and business goals, identifying risks and interdependencies before a single workload moves. We design secure architectures from day one, incorporating identity management, encryption, and zero‑trust principles. Our teams then manage the migration in phases – testing, validating, and providing ongoing monitoring – so there are no surprises.
The result is a transition that’s not only smooth and secure but strategically aligned with how our clients need to operate in the future. Instead of the cloud becoming a disruption, it becomes a competitive advantage.
What proactive strategies does Integris recommend to help businesses stay compliant with industry regulations and maintain a secure network environment?
In line with our proactive approach to IT services, we emphasize the importance of continuous compliance monitoring, regular risk assessments, and ongoing employee cybersecurity training for our clients. Yet, even with these measures in place, keeping up with the ever-evolving landscape of regulatory requirements can feel like a full-time job for many organizations. That’s why we take compliance a step further and leverage automated tools for data encryption, access control, and patch management. These solutions not only streamline compliance efforts but also help our clients stay ahead of regulatory demands before they become liabilities.
What key trends, innovations, or threats in the cybersecurity and IT services landscape is Integris closely monitoring, and how are you preparing clients to respond?
Artificial intelligence and its many iterations have remained a consistent innovation trend that we closely monitor as an organization. While innovation and technological advancements are great for the industry, this evolution also leads to the creation of more sophisticated threats. AI-driven cyber threats, in particular, have significantly increased the importance of secure AI integration and the shift toward zero-trust frameworks. We actively educate our clients on responsible AI use while also reinforcing defenses against ransomware and phishing attacks.
What’s on the horizon for Integris as a company? How are you planning to expand or evolve your offerings to stay ahead of client needs and technological change?
We believe the future of managed services goes far beyond keeping infrastructure running – it’s about managing and optimizing the entire digital estate of our customers. For SMBs in regulated industries, that means not only securing networks and devices, but also harnessing their data to drive smarter decisions, deeper compliance, and more efficient operations.
Looking ahead, we’re investing heavily in solutions that bring data visibility, automation, and intelligence directly into the day‑to‑day experience of our clients. That includes expanding our capabilities around cloud data management, compliance reporting, and analytics, as well as building tools that help clients understand where their data lives, how it flows, and how to protect and leverage it.
We’re also deepening our vertical expertise – because a bank’s data challenges look very different from a healthcare provider’s or a manufacturer’s. By combining industry‑specific knowledge with enterprise‑grade technology platforms, we’re evolving into what we call a Modern Service Provider: one that empowers SMBs to operate with the same security, insights, and agility as their largest competitors.
For us, staying ahead means anticipating where our clients’ data and digital operations are heading and being the partner that helps them not just keep up, but lead.
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