The annual conference of MCPc has emerged into one of the most important events in the Midwest for leading makers of computer hardware and software.
Narrow bandwidth might scare off techies, but not a little ice and snow. As an arctic blast kept many indoors Monday, hundreds of software engineers and information technology specialists descended on downtown Cleveland for a conference that exhibits the growing IT power of the region.
They came from near and far for the 2014 National Kick Off of MCPc, a Cleveland designer and installer of computer systems that counts leading technology companies as its partners.
The agenda at the five-day conference, which climaxes Thursday with an open-to-the-public expo, includes addresses by top executives from Cisco Systems, Dell, NetApp and Hewlett-Packard.
Joining the upbeat scene at the Renaissance Cleveland Hotel are dozens of smaller companies that hope their Silicon Valley technology appeals to an emerging Midwest tech industry. No one was going to let a little winter dash their dreams.
"We're looking to become the next technology in the large display business," said Bob Zimmerman, a sales director for a company called Prysm in San Jose, Calif.
He stood in a lobby before a bright, laser-lit display board that measured 6 x 15 feet and that sells, software installed, for about $200,000.
Prysm envisions its LPD system (for laser phosphor display) becoming the choice of corporations that seek to transform the boardroom into a war room. For that, it sent staff into a polar vortex to exhibit at the annual conference of MCPc.
Mike Trebilcock "Well, we're trying to become one of their vendors," Zimmerman explained.
MCPc is, in many ways, a classic Cleveland company. An innovator. A survivor. It began in the mid 1960s selling typewriter ribbons and carbon paper as DAK Supply and evolved to provide state-of-the-art business services to succeeding generations.
Mike Trebilcock, a longtime minority partner, bought a controlling interest in 2002, when the company became MCPc and focused upon providing IT infrastructures to businesses. MCPc designs, builds and monitors the information systems that allow large, often global companies to network their offices and operations.
It works with hardware and software makers like Dell and Cisco to build its products and has become an important bridge between the major tech manufactures and businesses, many of which want to upgrade to cloud computing systems.
MCPc has tripled its sales, to about $300 million a year, since 2002, and ranks as one of the top 100 technology solution companies in the world, Trebilcock said.
In search of young talent, it moved from the suburbs to downtown in 2010. About two-thirds of its 425 employees work out of The Plain Dealer Building at East 18th Street and Superior Avenue.
"It's an industry where our best years are in front of us," Trebilcock said. "Our customers need organizations like us to really support the infrastructure. Not only to design it, but support it. We do anticipate a lot of growth."
The kick-off conference, now in its third year, is meant to foster and guide that growth by bringing together MCPc employees, suppliers and customers for networking and to hear from industry leaders.
The company briefly considered postponing the conference because of weather reports but soldiered on, to gratifying effect.
"A lot of our people are native Clevelanders," said company spokesman Aaron Marcovy. "We knew they would be tough."
Not that they really had to be. Temperatures hovered at a frigid 5 degrees at noon Monday, but the air was still, the sun shone, and downtown streets were cleared and lightly traveled.
More than 300 people attended Monday's conference, about a quarter of them arriving from outside the region. On Thursday, more than 1,000 are expected for "Game Changers," a solutions expo billed as one of the largest tech conferences ever in the Midwest.
Thursday's activities and exhibits are open to the public but registration is required. RSVP at www.anyplaceworkspace.com
Robert L. Smith covers economic development for The Plain Dealer. Follow him on Twitter @rlsmithpd