By Debbi Strauss
Staff Writer

PALMER — By helping other area businesses to flourish, Computer Systems Integrator (CCSI) of Palmer has in turn seen enough growth to necessitate a move to its new location on N. Main Street.

The company, now sharing its new digs with the local cable access channel, M-PACT, has been in business since 1995, and has seen a rapid change since first opening its doors.

According to Jitu Changela, president and founder of the company, the original purpose of CCSI was to provide service and resale of computer equipment. With most of its original clients stemming from small to medium-sized businesses, the company provides services such as infrastructure management, network installation and maintenance contracts to companies that do not employ their own information technology staff.

“It is a lot less expensive to have a maintenance contract, especially for small and medium-sized businesses,” said Changela.

But the company saw its most obvious growth when it began to expand into the world of the Internet, first by developing e-commerce Web sites for clients, and more recently by getting involved in Applications Service Providers (ASP) models. According to Changela, anyone who has ever used online banking services has used an ASP. The home page is controlled by the bank, but once users select the online banking option, the system is managed through an applications service provider.

Changela said CCSI is investigating several business niches in order to provide what he calls “cookie cutter” programs that businesses can use without the need to hire a Webmaster, Currently, one of the more popular programs the company has already developed include an opportunity for business­es to sell their products via the Internet.

“This gives businesses the ability to easily upload pictures, provide a description and price, and they can easily update it them­selves. We made it very user-friendly,” said Changela. “If businesses did this themselves, it could cost thousands of dollars. But if they do it through us, it is a fractional monthly fee. The clients we serve now are so happy with the services we offer.”

Many area businesses includ­ing Lamcotec in Monson, Jarvis East in Palmer, Wing Memorial Hospital, and Palmer Paving, to name only a few, have taken advantage of CCSI’s services. Changela said the Palmer location has been optimal for his business because it is the home of the size and kinds of businesses CCSI has been targeting. With the new move, Changela said SCSI hopes to hire a new sales rep­resentative, which could eventually mean expanding other staff as well, depending upon the need.

"We want to grow to service from Springfield to Worcester,” said Changela. “With this move, that was one of our goals,”

He said another goal is to become a data center, which means CCSI will manage computer infor­mational updates for businesses.

“As technology grows, the small to medium-sized companies cannot keep up with the changes. We can be their data center,” said Changela.

As for other future plans, Changela said the company will stay in tune with changes in the industry.

“As new technologies keep coming up, we will learn to provide services in that area,” said Changela.

Currently, other staff members of CCSI include Changela’s busi­ness partner, Ken Vaishnav, who is also the CEO of the company, Brian Campagna, technician, and Betsy Palmer, office manager.

Changela, who is an active board member of the Quaboag Valley Chamber of Commerce, said he has enjoyed starting his company in Palmer and encourages others to do the same.

“Anyone who wants to start his own company, I encourage them to do that, but I give them fair warning. There’s a lot of hard work and sacrifice,” said Changela.

To find out more about CCSI, log on to their Web site at ccsinet.net

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