High-Tech Help
By Meaghan Alvarado
Photo by Kate Gardiner
4900-B US HWY 1 NORTH, SUITE 260 • 904-808-1386 • GWANDA DOT COM
St. Augustine native George Waters is President of Gwanda, an IT services provider headquartered in the North Florida Regional Airport. George says that by having their office based in the airport, “there’s always an interesting aircraft to look at from our break room window, which overlooks the airfield.”
Employees at Gwanda get to enjoy more than a view, though. They’re part of a company that strives to make a social impact in St. Augustine.
Gwanda gives back to the local community by helping to manage the IT systems of many nonprofit organizations, including Betty Griffin House, Habitat for Humanity, United Way, and others. George says it’s rewarding to help these companies and enable them to deliver better services to the community.
In 2004, George joined forces with business partner Rob Miller, now VP of Gwanda, whose
strengths with network operations, deployments, and support have helped lead the company to becoming a successful Managed Services Provider. Today, they employ 14 people and work with customers like Flagler Hospital, Coastal Realty Property Management, City of St. Augustine, Herbie Wiles Insurance, and many other small businesses and medical practices.
They support customers from a variety of industries. Acting as an MSP (Managed Services Provider), Gwanda proactively approaches their clientele’s network health and technology
usage. For a predictable monthly bill, the team at Gwanda incorporates intelligent systems, monitoring, helpdesk services, support, security, and IT documentation.
George says, “We are particularly well-versed at providing IT services to our medical community. Technology plays a huge role in healthcare, and not every IT company is proficient in this rapidly changing industry.”
When George is away from the office, he spends a lot of his time outdoors. He likes to work
in his vegetable garden and is a member of the Florida Native Plant Society, International Carnivorous Plant Society, and various space organizations. As a member of the IUCN SSC Iguana Specialist Group, he assists with conservation projects and says, “I enjoy applying my technical knowledge toward conservation projects and assisting with field research.” Rob enjoys offshore fishing, in his free time, and being involved in the many aspects of raising two boys.
Anyone looking to outsource IT can check out Gwanda’s website, or call 904-808-1386. The company’s 14 years in business and longstanding client list speaks volumes to their high-tech talent.
