Cooperative Systems Turns 30

In 1993, database developer and networking specialist Bob DeLisa was working for a systems integrator that was continually being acquired by larger companies. Deciding he wanted to forge his own path, DeLisa quit his job on November 15th of that year and took the plunge into consulting, basing his new business on a side gig he created 10 years earlier called Integrated Software Design. Fast forward 30 years and that early firm has been transformed into Managed IT & Cybersecurity Services provider Cooperative Systems, a company powered by a team of over 40 people and securing dozens of clients throughout the Northeast.

The Roots of CoopSys’ Longevity

Like any company built to last, Cooperative Systems can point to milestones that, over time, help chart and shift direction, making the firm what it is now. The most significant events include:

• 1997—DeLisa and Cooperative Systems make their first hire, project leader—and former client—Jim Crum, who eventually became a partner. The partnership lasted eight years and the firm grew to 10 employees during that time.  
  
• 2001—Cooperative Systems brings Scott Spatz, another key hire, aboard as a service technician. He would go on to become president in 2018.
  
• 2006—The company reorganizes and makes the decision to transition from a “break-fix” and project-based services firm into the proactive managed IT services industry, debuting its NOAH Managed IT Services platform the following year. 
  
  “The shift in direction and introduction of NOAH changed the entire direction of Cooperative Systems and put us on a path for growing into the company we are today,” says founder, partner, and CEO DeLisa.
  
  In 2006, Steve Martocchio, a former client and now COO, came on board as vice president. In addition, Scott Spatz was promoted to manager and a new leadership team emerged.
  
  “The next few years were difficult, but the company survived,” DeLisa says. “We pointed our sails in the direction of remote Managed Services and eventually adopted ConnectWise as our RMM and PSA platform, which was a big step. The implementation of this system is what has allowed the company to scale to this day.”

• 2009-2021—After moving from Hartford (with earlier stops in Bristol and West Hartford), Cooperative Systems relocates to Lamberton Road in Windsor. 
  
  “These were the first real growing years for the company,” says DeLisa. “As the entire team matured and worked together for a longer time, the sense of trust, family, and ownership became a cultural norm. Driven by leadership, the core values of the company were re-established, and after that, things got even better. We lived and breathed Operational Maturity and the Entrepreneurial Operating System.”
  
• 2021-today—Cooperative Systems now has nearly 50 employees, with teams at Day Hill Road in Windsor and in Woburn, Massachusetts.

What’s Next?

“Cooperative Systems is not just navigating the digital frontier; we’re pioneering the next era of technology solutions,” he asserts. “As we look toward the horizon, our commitment remains unwavering: to adapt, innovate, and lead, ensuring our partners and clients are always a step ahead and protected in an ever-evolving digital landscape.”Cooperative Systems offers comprehensive managed IT Services tailored to meet your business’s unique needs, achieving superior performance through its holistic, strategic, and proactive approach, expert and insightful talent, and best-in-class technology tools and resources.