Focus Systems moves into a new space in Kaukauna

Meghan Diemel

Contributor

June 1, 2026

KAUKAUNA – Born out of a desire to lead with a people-first ethos, Focus Systems’ Founder Blake Otto said he wanted to fix recurring obstacles he observed in the IT industry early in his career.

Otto said he saw a demand for affordable partnerships tailored to small- and medium-sized businesses, many of which were financially priced out of meaningful IT services.

When IT issues did arise, he said business owners often had to search for and schedule a reputable IT provider, only to be billed separately for each individual problem rather than long-term solutions.

Once the issue was resolved, Otto said there was little strategic partnership or ongoing value provided.

Security gaps frequently remained, he said, and addressing those vulnerabilities required additional costs.  

Seeing those shortcomings firsthand, Otto said he set out to build a different kind of IT company – one focused on empowering others through technology.

Otto said the business has continued to grow from that initial mission, prompting a move into a new space at the Talisman Park building on Progress Way near Highway 41 in Kaukauna.

“It became our home about a month ago, and through this mission of empowering others through technology, we’re growing and expanding,” he said. “People seem to like our services, and we’re now the No. 1, highest-rated IT support partner in the area [on Google].”

Otto said the company’s growth has largely been driven by strong client relationships, which ultimately created the need for a larger space that better supports team collaboration.

Full-service strategy

Otto said Focus Systems provides businesses with fully managed and co-managed IT services, along with cloud management, cloud and email migrations, video and data security and network management.

For businesses unable to support a full in-house IT staff, he said Focus Systems fills that role through long-term partnership and ongoing support.

With fully managed clients, Otto said Focus Systems is designed to function like a traditional in-house IT department, despite operating remotely.

He said Focus Systems also provides co-managed IT support for businesses that already have internal IT staff but are looking to supplement services or allow team members to focus more heavily on their areas of expertise.

“We can supplement [manpower] around them and empower them through the tools we have on the IT provider side to better leverage what they’re great at, day to day,” he said.

Otto said Focus Systems serves a wide range of businesses across industries, from entrepreneurs launching their first ventures to long-established companies in the region that have operated for more than 150 years.

Working with manufacturers, healthcare providers, nonprofits and other organizations, he said the company is able to apply proven best practices from one client to help others within the same industry achieve similar success.

In the manufacturing sector, for example, Otto said the transition from paper-based processes to digital workflows has helped facilities improve productivity, speed up turnaround times and operate more efficiently overall.

“Limiting scrap, limiting double-work by having it digital and being able to instantly update it and know where it’s at in the process is a game changer,” he said. “We love driving those types of projects, but also, it’s not a ‘set it and forget it’ thing.”

Otto said if a business adopts an automated workflow, his team ensures staff are trained directly on how to use the new tools and offers ongoing support after implementation.

“We know what works when it comes to technology, and we can bring those same tools and resources for future customers as well,” he said.

Providing peace of mind

Otto said IT is often a complex world for those outside the industry, and that no business owner can realistically stay 100% proficient in every aspect of its constantly evolving landscape.

Living in an era where ransomware, phishing attacks, data breaches and security concerns surrounding the use of AI are seemingly lurking around every corner, Otto said it is difficult for the average business owner to keep pace with these risks, while also managing the many other demands of running a business.

“If we can take off the entire IT risk and concern from that business owner’s mind and know we have that completely managed for them, we’ve seen a lot of sense of relief,” he said. 

Otto said Focus Systems supports clients with a wide range of cybersecurity needs, including helping complete cybersecurity insurance questionnaires, conducting full audits of company devices and deploying advanced antivirus protection across all computers.

“They can sleep easy at night, knowing they have a full staff of an IT department constantly watching and monitoring what’s happening in their business,” he said.

On the AI front, Otto said businesses are looking for a trusted technology advisor to help guide them through the next few years of what the application of AI might look like in their company.

“We help build out a technology health check and a technology roadmap that identifies across their organization what some key risks might be, how we would address them, how we can help them, and that’s completely free,” he said. “That’s a huge value for business owners.”

Otto said businesses can either take the recommendations from a cybersecurity “health check” and end the engagement there, or choose to partner with Focus Systems to actively remediate issues and build out a broader plan.

When a company enters into an ongoing partnership, he said that initial assessment becomes a living roadmap that guides the business’s continued IT and security improvements over time. 

“We meet every quarter, every week or somewhere in between – whatever their preferences – and we work on that technology roadmap together,” he said. “That includes things like AI adoption and training, and what risks to look out for.”

Otto said Focus Systems does not approach clients with a risk-first mindset, but instead leads with an advisory approach focused on helping businesses avoid risk while guiding their overall IT strategy.

“We’re not in the business of scaring business owners,” he said. “We’re in the business of empowering business owners.”

Part of that empowerment, Otto said, is knowing there aren’t hidden fees with each transaction. 

One of the biggest misconceptions in the IT industry, he said, is that businesses are billed repeatedly for recurring issues each time they arise, and that improving security always comes with additional separate charges.

That, he said, is not the case at Focus Systems.

“We come at it with a different mindset,” he said. “We are your full IT department.”

Otto said Focus Systems aims to mirror the role of an in-house IT advisor, offering proactive management of infrastructure, compliance and cybersecurity within client organizations.

“When our clients have issues, we’re having issues, too,” he said. “It’s in our best interest to automate that issue and proactively address that issue before it happens.”

Otto said this approach leads to an improved experience for employees and owners alike, shifting away from reactive support toward a proactive IT partnership.

“You’re addressing all these issues that provide some peace of mind, and it helps them budget their month-to-month as well,” he said.

Continued growth, expansion plans ahead 

Otto said his interest in technology began in college and has driven his mission to provide end-to-end IT solutions aligned with client goals.

He said he has also always been drawn to problem-solving and enjoys the fulfillment he finds in owning and growing Focus Systems and tackling problems. 

“I love seeing our team grow and our clients grow, and our clients be happy with the service we’re providing…,” he said. “It gives me such a sense of pride, being able to help our customers with issues that maybe they can’t help themselves with, but it’s exactly what we do, and we can do it well.”

Otto said his long-term plan is to become the top-rated IT support provider in Wisconsin and beyond.

“We love people, we love problem solving and we’re going to continue doing what we’re doing and doing it better than last month or last week or yesterday – continuing to help more and more businesses in the area and in Wisconsin,” he said.

Navigate to focussystems.net for more information.