Spectrum Technologies has served the El Paso, Texas community since 1903. Originally a Mimeograph machine provider, the company evolved into a regional leader in copier solutions. The Elliott family acquired the business in the late 1980s and eventually set the stage for Spectrum’s next major transformation: expanding into IT services.

The Challenges

By the early 2000s, Spectrum’s copier clients were increasingly asking for help with their IT environment. That demand pulled the company into the IT space, initially through break‑fix work. It quickly became clear that long‑term success would require a scalable and profitable managed services model, not just reactive support.
As Spectrum moved in that direction, three major challenges surfaced:

• Operational Infrastructure: Developing a reliable, scalable back office capable of patching, monitoring, and securing customer environments amid a fast‑changing threat landscape.

• Go‑to‑Market Alignment: Deciding whether copier account executives or dedicated IT specialists should take the lead in selling IT services.

• Commercial Model Shift: Evolving from a payment‑first print model to an IT buying environment where many customers still preferred large upfront purchases.

Building a Scalable Operational Backbone

Spectrum partnered with ConnectWise to gain a mature, scalable operational foundation without hiring a large internal team. This enabled consistent patching, monitoring, and security operations and gave Spectrum the confidence to expand into advanced cybersecurity and co‑managed IT services.

Aligning Sales and Go‑to‑Market Strategy

Spectrum experimented with several sales models before finding the right fit. Their first attempt involved having copier reps sell IT services, but without the necessary technical expertise, adoption lagged. 
They then shifted to a model where dedicated IT specialists owned the entire sales cycle, only to discover that this created unintended silos.

The breakthrough came from blending the strengths of both roles:

• Copier account executives focused on opening doors, nurturing executive relationships, and maintaining account control.

• IT specialists led the discovery, solution design, and all technical conversations.

This hybrid model preserved trust minimized friction between teams and ultimately accelerated growth in managed services.

Moving Clients Toward a Lifecycle‑Based Purchasing Model

While Spectrum had long relied on leasing and payment structures for print, extending that model to IT required significant education. Many IT buyers were still accustomed to large, cash‑funded projects, so the idea of bundling everything into a monthly payment needed reframing.

GreatAmerica played a key role by introducing a financing approach that simplified both purchasing and budgeting. Hardware, managed services, cybersecurity, disaster recovery, and professional services could all be combined into one predictable monthly payment. Customers quickly recognized the value of consistent budgeting and a full lifecycle solution.

Spectrum benefited as well. By wrapping deployment, lifecycle management, and secure disposal into a payment‑based offering, they consistently achieved margins in the 20–30% range.

Jake Elliott, CRO of Spectrum Technologies, explained: “Selling a payment creates stickiness. Customers love knowing exactly what it costs to run IT—security, RMM, firewalls, servers, disaster recovery—all in one predictable payment.”

To support this shift operationally, Spectrum also streamlined the administrative side. Integrations between ConnectWise and GreatAmerica aligned quoting, payment options, application submission, and pass‑through billing with Spectrum’s workflows. The result was a seamless, familiar experience for both their sales teams and their customers, reinforcing the value of the payment‑based model.