8x8 shines the light on the amazing members of our community. In this post, we spotlight Laryn Mumm, Owner, VisionTeach Computer Services.

8x8: Laryn, tell us about you, your company and your role.

Laryn Mumm (LM): My name is Laryn Mumm. I'm the owner of VisionTech Computer Services, Inc. I provide IT and consulting services for companies in San Antonio, and one of my largest accounts is Fertility Center of San Antonio. I've been working with them for over 20 years and have taken care of anything they need from a technology perspective—including their 8x8 phone system. I've been around long enough to be part of the family there.

8x8: Did you always know that technology was the path forward for you?

LM: Not really. I envied people who knew early on what they wanted to do. I was not one of those people! Looking back, I suppose there was some obvious interest in gadgets; and in elementary school, when the first handheld calculators came out, you know, those were the kinds of things that really piqued my interest. But, my degree is in accounting.

8x8: How did you pivot from accounting to tech?

LM: I worked for one of the big eight accounting firms, Arthur Andersen, in the late 80s, early 90s, and was trying to get my CPA. I kept gravitating toward the computer room. I ended up being the person who maintained the computers and kept them working properly. That was my first inkling that computers were going to play a role in my professional life.

8x8: Please tell us more.

LM: When I left Arthur Andersen, I went to work for HEB in their accounting department. The way I sold myself into that job was that since I had an accounting background, and I also had a computer background, I'd be a perfect fit for their top level accounting department and to support the CPAs who worked there.

8x8: And from there you launched your own business!

LM: Yes, that's essentially what happened. In 1996, I left HEB, and started my own IT consulting business, and I've been doing that ever since. I have about a dozen clients, the largest of which is Fertility Center of San Antonio. They recently transitioned their phone system from AT&T to 8x8.

8x8: Walk us through your 8x8 deployment at Fertility Center of San Antonio.

LM: Going into the project, I had two concerns. The first was call quality. I learned quite a bit regarding how to preserve call quality using my router, and it wasn't an issue. My second concern was our day-to-day users adapting to something new. Their view of what a phone was, was very old school, not VoIP. They adapted very quickly and very well.

We gave every user a handset and a headset. They can call through their computer or grab their receiver—whichever they prefer. 8x8's professional services team were collaborative, cooperative and helpful. They provided good guidance throughout the project. It's working out really well.

8x8: Do you have a mentor?

LM: I have a handful of mentors who have had very successful careers and have innovated in their fields. Many of my clients are older than me and retired. I've had the good fortune to serve some folks who made it to the top of their field. For instance, one gentleman talked about his experiences in World War II and then talked about leading several large companies. And so, an individual like that, when I look at his accomplishments, I have a great deal of respect for how he conducted and finished his career.

From Fertility Center, Dr. Joseph Martin inspires me. He and, and our embryologist Dr. Thomas Pool founded Fertility Center in a time where you would consider that they were pioneers in the field. Dr. Pool still travels internationally to speak to medical groups.

8x8: What are your hobbies?

LM: Cycling and running. I participate in local bike races and cycle with friends. Recently I've been exploring the latest Microsoft Flight Simulator that came out in 2020. There's a lot of realism there. I enjoy taking an hour or two and flying off in the virtual business jet to an airport previously unknown to me.

8x8: How do you approach problem solving?

LM: There are problems that crop up that are repetitive, and we know immediately what to do with that. There are problems that are across the other side of the spectrum, where you search for answers, say on Google—a great tool we didn't always have. But there are some problems that are not widely known how to solve. In that case, I may be on my own, and I may have to dig in and, and use a sort of trial and error technique of sleuthing out the issue. In those cases, the use of virtual machines and virtual networks, being able to create a lab environment where you can walk through the process first and encounter the pitfalls in a non production environment—those kinds of tools have been a great development in our industry.

Want to read another 8x8 Community Member Sportlight? Check out the profile of Cingo Director of Customer Experience, Amye Roberson.