Chromis spells telecommunications success

• In a sea of professed telecommunications experts%2C Chromis Technology founders Zach Garcia and Jonathan Rusk distinguished their company using a structured team approach instead of a fly-by-night solo operation.

In a sea of professed telecommunications experts, Chromis Technology founders Zach Garcia and Jonathan Rusk distinguished their company using a structured team approach.

That, combined with tested expertise, beyond in-depth industry knowledge and a strong network of partners willing to vouch for their work, has brought success to their Tempe business.

Chromis specializes in Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, that allows users to make voice calls using the Internet instead of a traditional phone line. Garcia and Rusk have earned the reputation of being experts in Digium's Asterisk, the coveted open-source software for this platform.

While Chromis is often called to do the initial setup and service maintenance that follows, Garcia and Rusk also find themselves in situations when companies with Asterisk experience problems or have questions and the person who did the installation is nowhere to be found.

"We'll come in and be a little bit of a savior to them because they have no idea how to administer their system. Most of the time, it's 'a guy' (who does the installation). There are not many teams out there," Garcia said.

Garcia and Rusk launched Chromis from their respective homes in late 2008. A couple of months later, they landed their first client, General Motors' OnStar Division, which moved to an office space in Ahwatukee Foothills when the company moved its proving grounds from Mesa to Yuma in 2009. Chromis sold them the system for OnStar's 20-person team.

In 2013, Chromis' revenue grew 133 percent over 2012, and experienced 225 percent growth from 2013 to 2014, according to company data. Garcia projects a 125 percent growth for 2015.

Early on, Digium offered many leads — including General Motors — that got Chromis, a certified reseller for Digium, up and running. Garcia and Rusk had contacts from their work with previous employers in the industry and carved their niche.

The range of services encompasses physical networking and facilitation of Internet connections to basic phone work and Wi-Fi. Chromis clients run the gamut from home office to medium-sized business telephone systems that have up to 500 users.

One Chromis client, a San Francisco health-savings organization that manages flexible spending accounts, predominantly receives from people wanting to check their balance only. Garcia and Rusk worked with the client to build an application that allowed them to check their balance via an automated system.

"They can take calls from people with specific questions and concerns as opposed to just a balance check. It alleviates having to hire a bunch of people," Garcia said.

John Gaffney manages the Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation's information systems in Tucson. Three years ago, Chromis set up the system for 83 phones at the non-profit organization. Gaffney, who initially dealt with Rusk, immediately was impressed.

"Jonathan has more than just an in-depth knowledge. He lives and breathes it. He's not just an installer or seller," Gaffney said.

Rusk and Garcia continue to respond to any question or challenge Gaffney has, no matter how tall the order.

"Just talking to them on the phone, they were always enthusiastic and professional. Jonathan and Zach, they put a personal touch on it," Gaffney said.

When Brad Holaway , president of Copperstate Restaurant Technologies, wanted to transition to a VoIP system nearly six years ago, his research led him to Digium, which referred him to Chromis. Holaway was pleased with what he saw and said they made recommendations that saved Copperstate money on Internet and other expenditures.

"These guys were seasoned professionals. They knew their stuff … very, very sharp," the Scottsdale business owner said. "They brought in all kinds of things we hadn't considered and showed what technology could do for us."

Being local was a huge plus.

"They have a physical presence here. Being able to have a locally sold, locally serviced (provider) as opposed to someone (who deals with you) only online," Holaway said.

A native of Kenosha, Wis., Garcia caught the entrepreneurial bug early, and in high school started a one-man auto-detailing business. The few hours he spent cleaning each car's interior with a toothbrush yielded good money and happy customers.

Garcia earned his business degree with a concentration in marketing from the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. After working in newspaper production and a one-year stint running a successful bar, Garcia yearned for a change. He had family in Phoenix, and in 2004, Garcia and his wife sold their home and moved.

Garcia met Rusk when both worked for their previous employer that was more of a software manufacturing company, as opposed to Chromis' reseller/integrator model. Dissatisfied with the management style, Garcia and Rusk left to see what they could do on their own.

Both discovered they had a passion for open-source software, which is publicly accessible and free to be downloaded and modified by anyone. They gravitated toward Digium and became the region's go-to source for the product.

An increasing customer base built on Digium leads and word-of-mouth from satisfied clients has put Chromis on solid ground.

"What we do is highly specialized. There are not a lot of people who work on the software we work on and not to the level we work on," Garcia said. "We set them up for success."

Chromis Technology

Where: Tempe

Employees: Five

Interesting stat: VoIP services' worldwide revenue is projected to reach $88 billion by 2018, according to Infonetics Research, a global-communications market research and consulting firm.

Details: 602-357-8070, chromis.com