IT-Lifeline Liberty Lake

Steve Tabacek’s plan to launch a company that backs up client companies’ computer data proved prophetic. Today, his company, IT-Lifeline, occupies 1,500 square feet of space within the Liberty Lake Internet Portal building.

Since 2003, the company has sprouted from an owner-only operation in a 300-square-foot office in Spokane’s Steam Plant to a burgeoning business with 13 employees, a half-dozen of whom are computer software engineers.

“We’re protecting data for more than 50 customers today and backing up 800 servers with the capacity to manage 120 terabytes of data, the lifeblood of a company,” Tabacek said during a recent tour of his facility.

Clients now include National Blood Services, the City of Spokane, Spokane Mental Health and HollisterStier Laboratories.

IT-Lifeline was already up and running when Tabacek asked Connect Northwest to help him tweak his expansion plans.

“They helped me refine my business plan as a living document,” he said of the proposal he later presented before a panel of experts convened by Connect Northwest.

“The panel tears apart the business plan. It’s always hard to hear constructive criticism, but in the end most of it was very helpful. It toughens the skin,” said Tabacek, the company’s chief executive officer.

He said threats of disaster, whether natural or man-made, have spawned the crucial niche IT-Lifeline occupies.

“It’s not about the data,” Tabacek said, “it’s about helping people. Data is not just the life of the business, it’s the life of the employees and all the businesses that rely on their services. There are whole economies these businesses support.”

IT-Lifeline also has a suite of computer work stations that enable clients to run their operations from the Liberty Lake building if need be, and to practice disaster recovery plans.

Tabacek said when Hurricanes Katrina and Rita tore through the South, many businesses lost every bit of computer data they had. And because many of their back-up servers and tapes were also in the hurricane-stricken region, they were permanently lost, too.

But Spokane sits in a comparatively secure spot that Tabacek believes is ideal for backing up Seattle businesses, which are IT-Lifeline’s primary growth area.

This region is far enough away from seaports, seismic faults, tsunamis and a host of other threats to serve as a data safeguard, he said.

“They’ve got to the get their data out of the zone of adversity,” he explained.

As a result of the guidance Connect Northwest provided, Tabacek said: “When we went to seek additional funds, the work was done. It was definitely instrumental to the growth of this company.”

Tabacek said IT-Lifeline attracted $500,000 from Win Partners, a private group of angel investors. With this infusion of capital, the company is adding a sales staff to work the Seattle market, among other things.

“Every aspect of this business is a template for growth. Our only real competitors are SunGard and IBM,” he said.