99Ten & Encotech
Case Study
Helping an Engineering Firm Scale More Efficiently
Background
Founded in 1990, Encotech is an engineering firm in Austin and San Antonio Texas, specializing in MEP, structural engineering, commissioning, QA/QC, and BIM-driven sustainable design.
Over 30+ years, the firm expanded from a small startup to a team approaching 50 employees, taking on increasingly complex technical projects.
As Encotech scaled their projects and team, they initially relied on a one-person IT support arrangement—not unusual for a small professional services firm.
Challenges
Constrained bandwidth
It became clear there was limited capacity for strategic initiatives like network upgrades, standardizing workstations, licensing analysis, or audio video conference room deployments.
Reactive, break-fix support
Issues were addressed only after they disrupted work, resulting in downtime and lost productivity.
Scalability limits
As more engineers, designers, and project staff came onboard, the entire IT setup was stretched thin.
Security & compliance risk
Evolving threats demanded proactive cybersecurity measures, regular patching,
and darkweb exposure monitoring—difficult to deliver in a oneperson model.
Solution
Comprehensive IT Discovery
99Ten began with a detailed discovery assessment, including:
Dark web exposure scans
Network integrity evaluation
Server, hardware, and workstation performance
Software licensing and patch compliance review
This baseline assessment identified vulnerabilities, performance gaps, and licensing inefficiencies.
Collaborative Action Plan
Together with Encotech leadership, 99Ten mapped out prioritized phases:
Stabilize infrastructure: standardize workstations, ensure backups, improve network resilience
Implement proactive device and patch management
Secure endpoints and deploy cybersecurity protections
Bring in helpdesk coverage for 24/7 support and SLAs
Full Managed Services Rollout
99Ten then took over all aspects of IT support and infrastructure:
24/7 Help desk and rapid response, avoiding disruptions by resolving many issues proactively
Device & workstation management, including lifecycle planning and remote support
Software/application management, ensuring version consistency, proper deployment, and licensing compliance
Cloud services & data backup, plus disaster recovery planning
Security & compliance services, including end-user training and continuous threat monitoring
Consulting and procurement, advising on hardware/software investments and virtualCIO guidance
Business Impact
Scalability
Seamless onboarding of new staff with standardized workstations and software environments
Productivity
Staff regained engineering focus; IT operations run silently in the background
Security & Compliance
Cyber exposure reduced, licensing managed, backups automated, compliance metrics met
Strategic Capacity
Encotech leadership could focus on core services and growth; IT became a partner, not a burden
Takeaways for Growing Firms
Proactive managed services scale with your growth: For consultancy firms, relying on a single IT person only works until complexity outpaces capacity. Moving to a full managed service ensures future readiness.
You don’t know what you can’t see: A thorough IT assessment reveals hidden risks, licensing gaps, and operational issues before they become business problems.
Continuous support beats break/fix: 24/7 helpdesk and remot device management reduce issue severity and restore confidence.
IT becomes an enabler, not a blocker: With IT managed by a partner, internal leadership can focus on innovation rather than firefighting.
Security can’t wait: As cyber threats evolve, proactive compliance, patching, and training become essential.
Final Thoughts
By transitioning from a solo IT support model to a strategic partnership with 99Ten, Encotech Engineering Consultants positioned itself for reliable growth, optimized operations, and elevated security. This case illustrates the journey many professional services firms experience and how a managed IT services approach can drive tangible benefits.
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