Tech investments bring new value and opportunity to Central Pennsylvania | Opinion - PennLive

techsooper.blogspot.com

By Deb Pierson

We all want our communities to grow and thrive, and that means investing in our collective future. Creating a better tomorrow can’t happen if we work on our own, we need to think creatively together about how we can use the resources around us to offer new opportunities here in Central Pennsylvania.

In recent years, we have seen an explosion of capabilities coming out of the tech sector. Especially as the pandemic increased our need for digital resources, tech has become more important than ever in linking us and providing important benefits to the growth and development of our region.

Despite the many advantages that tech brings, there are some decision makers pursuing regulatory policies that could have harmful effects on the progress we have been making. It is difficult to understand why some would want to hamstring progress, and it is worth a reminder of the tremendous value that tech is actively delivering to areas like Mechanicsburg where my business is located, as well as how restricting the digital tools and services many of us rely on could hinder the success of our businesses.

As a woman-owned business, I understand firsthand the barriers to entry that small and minority-run businesses often face when attempting to get their footing. For many budding entrepreneurs, these challenges can feel insurmountable at first. But the offerings of tech companies have made a huge difference in having access to resources and being able to build a presence that I might not otherwise have been able to do. By easily connecting in the digital space, my small business can reach the same customers and have the same new opportunities as a larger, more established business.

As my company continues to grow, I rely on the support of tech solutions to ensure that we are sizing up in a stable way, establishing a strong company that now has more than 30 full-time employees. I hope we can continue to expand, and technology implementation will be key to aiding that success.

And tech companies aren’t just uplifting our local and small businesses, they’re helping to build a brighter next generation.

When the pandemic hit, our company was able to use our local configuration center in Mechanicsburg to set up Google Chromebooks for school districts to improve online learning capabilities for students. When the pandemic started in 2020, 400,000 Chromebooks were configured for customers across the East Coast, and an additional 300,000 more in 2021. We are continuing this work in 2022, and I am so happy to be a part of this important effort.

It’s clear that tech is supporting business and career growth here in Pennsylvania and across the country. We should be supporting this advancement through partnerships with tech companies, not restricting services and tools that allow us to move forward.

Efforts in Congress should be making success easier and more attainable, and that means prioritizing good legislation that enhances the capabilities of our communities. I hope our elected officials can be leaders in this space, ending unnecessary fights to regulate tech companies and promoting policy that brings prosperity and opportunity to the Commonwealth.

Deb Pierson is the President and CEO of Pierson (IT Services and Support Hardware) located in Mechanicsburg.

Adblock test (Why?)