IT Support Specialists

What IT Support Specialists does

IT Support Specialists, Inc. (ITSS) is a privately held Managed Service Provider founded in 2008 and headquartered at 9 N Rocky River Dr, Berea, Ohio, serving small and mid-sized businesses across Northeast Ohio in the Cleveland, Akron, and Canton markets. The company is founder-owned and operated by Bill Barlock, with a team of 1-10 employees and an explicit hiring standard that only technicians with 5-10+ years of experience are recruited. ITSS delivers its services on a flat-rate monthly subscription model, covering managed IT, helpdesk, proactive monitoring, cybersecurity, security compliance, cloud IT support, VoIP, virtual/remote work solutions, physical access control, and Virtual CIO (VCIO) strategic advisory. It complements these with two free online assessment tools (Exposure Review and Check Your Email Security Score) used to generate inbound leads.

The company's customer base spans multiple verticals — professional services, financial services, healthcare, legal, manufacturing, and non-profit — with documented clients including Multiplast Systems, National Council of Jewish Women, and Hixson & Malinowski Insurance Agency. Several relationships have been sustained for close to two decades, and ITSS cites a 100% satisfaction guarantee, a one-hour or less emergency response SLA, and a no-jargon communication policy as primary differentiators. Distribution is sales-led and direct: consultative selling, free 15-minute consultations, a client portal, and content marketing across blog, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

ITSS operates as a solo-tier, founder-dependent local MSP with no disclosed external funding, parent company, M&A activity, partnerships, patents, certifications, or revenue figures. Its technology stack centers on standard remote monitoring and management, remote access support, and cloud management rather than proprietary platforms, and no AI/ML capabilities, APIs, or SDKs are disclosed. The business model is structurally recurring (flat-rate managed services) but the firm's growth capacity is constrained by headcount and geography, making it a classic lifestyle MSP rather than a scaling platform.

Name

IT Support Specialists

Legal name

IT Support Specialists, Inc

Website

https://itsupportspecialists.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

IT Support Specialists (ITSS) is a founder-owned Managed Service Provider founded in 2008, based in Berea, Ohio, delivering flat-rate managed IT, cybersecurity, cloud, VoIP, and VCIO services to small and mid-sized businesses across Northeast Ohio.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Berea

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Managed IT Services: Flat-rate fee model for comprehensive IT management including helpdesk, monitoring, maintenance, and support services. Provides predictable monthly costs for clients.
2. Cloud Computing Services: Fully scalable cloud solutions available for flat-rate fee. Scales with business growth.
3. Cybersecurity Services: Security monitoring, threat protection, and compliance services bundled with managed IT or sold separately.
4. VoIP Services: Communication solutions ensuring business communication needs are met.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

IT Support Specialists is a Managed Service Provider (MSP) that delivers flat-rate managed IT services, cybersecurity, cloud computing support, VoIP, security compliance, virtual CIO consulting, remote work enablement, and access control solutions to small and mid-sized businesses in Northeast Ohio. The company combines helpdesk, continuous proactive monitoring, and strategic IT consulting under predictable monthly subscriptions.

Product overview

IT Support Specialists is a Managed Service Provider (MSP) offering a unified portfolio of IT services for Northeast Ohio businesses. The core offering centers on Managed IT Services for ongoing IT management, complemented by specialized services including Cyber Security Services, Cloud IT Support, Security Compliance Services, VoIP Support Services, Access Control & Physical Security Solutions, and Virtual/Remote Work Solutions. Strategic services include VCIO (Virtual Chief Information Officer) Services for technology leadership, plus free assessment tools like Exposure Review and Check Your Email Security Score. The company operates on a flat-rate fee model for managed services, positioning as a comprehensive one-stop IT partner for small to mid-sized businesses seeking to outsource their technology infrastructure and security.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Managed IT Services Comprehensive flat-rate IT management and support including helpdesk, system monitoring, maintenance, and troubleshooting for small and mid-sized businesses in Northeast Ohio.
• Cyber Security Services Cybersecurity solutions including threat monitoring, protection against cyberattacks, and security assessments to keep business data and systems safe.
• Cloud IT Support Cloud computing solutions and support including migration, management, and scalable cloud services available for flat-rate fees.
• VCIO Services (Virtual Chief Information Officer) Virtual CIO consulting providing strategic IT leadership, technology roadmaps, and alignment of IT investments with business objectives.
• Security Compliance Services Compliance-focused IT security services helping businesses meet regulatory requirements and maintain security standards.
• Virtual/Remote Work Solutions Solutions enabling secure remote work and virtual business operations, including VPN setup and remote access infrastructure.
• VoIP Support Services Voice over IP telephone system support ensuring business communication needs are met with reliable VoIP infrastructure.
• Access Control & Physical Security Solutions Physical security systems including access control to protect business premises and assets.
• Exposure Review Free IT security exposure assessment tool that audits current environment to identify security risks and hidden costs.
• Check Your Email Security Score Free email security assessment tool allowing businesses to evaluate their email security posture.

Quantifiable outcome

• Guaranteed emergency response within one hour or less
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• BlackPoint IT Services: Regional managed IT services and cybersecurity firm serving SMB and mid-market clients. Comparable service breadth, helpdesk-led delivery, and emphasis on regulated verticals.
• Ntiva: National managed IT and cybersecurity MSP serving SMB and mid-market clients with flat-rate subscription models. Directly comparable in service mix (managed IT, cloud, security, compliance) and target buyer profile.
• Corsica Technologies: Mid-Atlantic/regional MSP providing managed IT, cybersecurity, and compliance services to regulated SMBs. Comparable in offering breadth, vertical mix (healthcare/legal/financial), and subscription pricing approach.
• NetGain Technologies: Regional MSP with headquarters in the Midwest delivering managed IT, cybersecurity, and cloud services to SMB and mid-market clients. Comparable service portfolio and vertical emphasis on healthcare, legal, and financial.
• InCare Technologies: Regional managed IT services provider offering helpdesk, cloud, and cybersecurity to SMBs in the U.S. Midwest/South. Closely comparable flat-rate managed services model and SMB customer profile.
• Verity IT: Ohio-based managed IT and cybersecurity provider focused on SMBs in the Midwest. Most directly comparable peer given shared geography, similar vertical mix, and subscription pricing model.

Broad incumbents

• ITsavvy: Larger, established IT solutions provider and MSP offering managed services, cloud, security, and hardware distribution nationally. Overlaps ITSS's portfolio but operates at significantly broader scale and scope.
• Stefanini: Global IT services and managed services provider with strong systems integration and end-user support offerings. Overlaps ITSS's MSP and helpdesk capabilities but at enterprise/global scale.

Regional players

• Computers Nationwide: U.K.-based managed IT services provider serving SMB clients with flat-rate support models. Comparable operating model and customer profile, but in a different geography from ITSS's U.S. Midwest focus.

Others

• Datto (now Kaseya): Provider of RMM, backup, and security platforms that MSPs (including ITSS) typically leverage as enabling technology. Adjacent ecosystem participant rather than a direct competitor, but shapes the tooling ITSS can offer clients.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ITSSCLE
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCGcxm2nDupWr3Ovuza5GLrA
• Facebookfacebook.com/ITSSCLE
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/it-support-specialists

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about IT Support Specialists