A Year-End Update From Derek
Wow! 2025 went by fast, didn’t it?
Time flies when you’re having fun, or maybe it just moves quicker as we get a bit older! Either way, here we are at the end of another year, and it feels like a good moment to pause and reflect. I want to share what I saw this year and what I see coming around the corner in 2026.
The pace of change in our industry continues to be blistering. Cybersecurity expectations are higher than ever, and leadership teams are being asked to make more technology decisions with bigger implications than ever before. That is why so many of our conversations this year centered around technology roadmaps. They gave us space to slow things down just enough to think clearly, prioritize confidently, and make sure technology decisions truly support business goals.
I spent a lot of time this year in those roadmap conversations. First it was helping build and update technology roadmaps for our clients, working alongside our incredible account managers and some of our sharpest technical minds at Internetworks. And second, it was working with our clients, from office managers to IT directors to CEOs, working through priorities, adjusting plans, and getting very clear about what the coming months and years should look like. I love talking big picture and thinking strategically. We don’t always get the chance to slow down like that, so it is incredibly rewarding when we do.
One conversation in particular stands out to me from this year with one of our clients. Our main point of contact had recently changed, so we were reviewing their roadmap together for the first time. Like anyone stepping into a new role, they were trying to make sense of priorities, timing, investments, and what really mattered most. As we talked, the most valuable part of the meeting wasn’t about adding more. It was about clarifying what was most important right now and giving permission to intentionally let a few things wait. The conversation became simpler. Priorities became clearer. We left with a plan that felt more focused, more intentional, and better aligned to what mattered most. That kind of thoughtful discipline showed up often this year, and it continues to shape how we think about supporting you going forward.
While I could share stories like that all day, we also had some big milestones inside the company that are worth celebrating. You may have noticed that we dropped Portland from our name and are now simply Internetworks. We have long supported clients outside the Portland area, and this felt like the right moment to reflect that reality. Along with the name refinement, we launched a new website and a refreshed brand look, and we are really proud of how it represents the company we are today.
I am incredibly proud that we made the 100 Best Places to Work in Oregon in 2025, which marks two years in a row that we've made the list. We spent a lot of time talking with our team about what it takes to truly be a great place to work, and we made meaningful improvements together. That commitment ties directly to our identity as a B Corp, and I am happy to share that we just completed our every-three-years B Corp recertification and significantly bumped up our score, which basically means we are like a Super B Corp now!
We also welcomed a number of new clients this year, and that growth means a lot to us. It allows us to bring on more talented people, provide career opportunities for our team, deepen our bench of expertise, and continue building a positive, engaged culture. Every new client brings unique needs and challenges, which keeps our team learning, energized, and excited to do great work. That growth lets us continue investing in people, training, and capabilities, which turns into better support and stronger outcomes for all of our clients.
And of course we need to talk about AI. It is a big and complicated topic, and something I have talked about a lot this year with clients, peers, vendors, and leaders across our industry. If there is one thing this year has shown us, it is that AI has amazing potential, and it also requires thoughtful care. We are doing that here at Inter by rolling out trusted AI tools like Microsoft Copilot inside our own business, and by helping our clients begin to use it thoughtfully as well. We are also partnering with a leading provider in our industry to introduce a new support chat tool that will still be powered by our people, with responsible AI helping quietly in the background. You will see more about this in the coming months.
Thank you for your continued support and partnership. We truly value the trust you place in us, and we look forward to supporting your plans, goals, and growth in the year ahead.
Cheers,
Derek