Today we’d like to introduce you to Bjørn Jensen.
Bjørn, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I founded WhyReboot in October of 2010 as a subsidiary of Esoteric Networks, LLC. My passion for the technology industry started at a very early age when I started tinkering with computer animation on my home Amiga computer. Eventually, during high school at Ransom Everglades (after classes), I would assist the animation professor in teaching the classes at Miami Dade Community College in return for the use of their more powerful machines.
During university at Florida State University and working on a business degree, I continued my love for all things digital and learned as much as I could by taking computer courses alongside my other required courses. I have always been an “early adopter” and try to get my hands on just about any gadget I can. I regularly hack my phones, AppleTV, XBox, or just about anything else to unlock additional features just to see what it can do and I’m an avid beta tester for many companies including Cisco Systems and Microsoft. I also enjoy inventing or designing new innovative products from time to time. My favorite invention was the most efficient and fault tolerant hard drive switcher available (until the advent of SATA drives).
Since university, I’ve moved up the ranks of each company I’ve worked for working on everything from corporate server systems, corporate networks, to large residential home automation systems. Each time, learning as much as I could and applying that cumulative knowledge to the next task, I kept the idea of starting my own technology company in the back of my mind. I wasn’t quite sure what it would be but I knew that as soon as I thought of it I would know it was right. That’s when I saw the home automation world merge with the corporate networking world.
The world of IP had started to take over every aspect of the home automation industry. In fact, virtually every new device that comes to market today has an Ethernet port or some kind of Ethernet connectivity. I figured who better to help integrators that aren’t quite ready for this change than somebody who has worked in the corporate world on systems that require high performance and reliability? My experience working as the IT Director of a leading local home automation company (and Platinum Crestron Dealer) for four years helped me marry the two worlds of corporate networking and home automation so that each system we sell is tailored specifically for the home while using the standards and practices that SMB’s and Enterprises count on to keep their businesses running 24/7.
Because of my love for this industry, I have become actively involved as a Subject Matter Expert for CEDIA’s advanced networking courses, trying to give back some knowledge to our community and bring the network foundation to the next level. This includes writing advanced network courses, helping to create the exam integrators take worldwide to become certified, and helping to author the industry book that is now taught in some colleges across the US. I’m also relatively active in the blogging community being an inaugural member of the CEPro Blog Mob and a contributor to both the CEPro website and the print magazine. I was the 2013 recipient of the CEDIA Volunteer of the Year for my contributions there and in more recently received the 2016 Person of the Year from the prestigious HTSA (Home Technology Specialists of America).
I love what I do and I love the people that I get to work with. Even though we are a small company we offer service unlike any other. It is BECAUSE we are small that we can give such attention to detail and personal support to our clients. Leveraging our close ties with our partners, we are able to lean on their support engineers and an expansive pool of knowledge to augment our own skills and take our systems to the next level. I’m proud of this company, proud of our clients, and proud of everything we do, together, to make our industry one of the most enjoyable to work in throughout the world.
Has it been a smooth road?
Because of the niche market we are in, it’s been relatively smooth. Not to say that when I first started out it wasn’t one of the scariest and most stressful times of my life, because it was. Hard work and perseverance has paid off well. The biggest challenge for me was dealing with a competitor who used to be a friend of mine, at least I thought he was. One day I found out he had gone behind my back to one of our largest vendors and lied about how we did business in an attempt to get them to stop selling to us. The feeling in the pit of my stomach was so bad that I felt sick. Not just because of the betrayal from someone I thought was a friend, but also because it could jeopardize my entire business.
Luckily, I had people on my team from the aforementioned vendor that stood up for me and made it clear that we were very good at what we do and an asset to their company. I think of them as part of my immediate team and am so grateful for how they stood up for us. Since then we have solidified our relationship with this company so well that there is no way our competition can cause us trouble any longer.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with WhyReboot – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Our company is dedicated to bringing reliable connectivity to all areas of society, but primarily the home. We tailor some of the best products in the industry to the project at hand. We create corporate grade networks mainly for large home automation systems (smart homes). We are known for working on some of the largest projects in the country and have installations all over the world.
I would have to say that I’m most proud of our reputation. Reputation in business is everything and we strive to never over promise but to always over deliver and I think our partners would agree with that. I’m proud of the friends that I have made and the relationships that continue to grow and flourish with each and every day that we work together.
If I had to pick one thing that I think we’re most known for, it would have to be the speed of our response to our partners, whether it’s sending out a proposal or responding to a service request. We’ve been called the Jimmy John’s of support because we are so freaky fast. Our technicians are available 24/7, even on Christmas Eve or New Years. We are ALWAYS there to support our partners, without whom we would not be in business.
For the past few years, I’ve been working on a product that I believe is sorely needed. When we design a network, most of the time we receive floor plans from our partners with which we create a heat map to show where wireless access points need to be deployed to get coverage in the entire home. Unfortunately, these access points are not aesthetically pleasing so designers and homeowners don’t want to see them. This forces us to put them in closets, behind TVs, etc. where the signal gets attenuated to the point where we have to put more than usual.
On top of that, because the device is not as close to the homeowner as possible, they may not enjoy the higher speeds that they’d get if they were sitting even closer to the access point. So, years ago I decided to make an in-ceiling access point mount that would hide the device well enough that homeowners could put it in their ceiling, paint it, and make it disappear. Of course, we had to make this a universal mount that would work with any AP AND it had to be easy to install and easy to service.
I’m proud to say that we’ve made the best mount available anywhere in the world and we are ready to release it for sale in the next month or so. We call it, the Paramount. It is less expensive than most mounts on the market and it is by far the best mount money can buy for hiding any vendor access point in the ceiling, thus bringing the access point out into the open for better signal, better performance, and less cost because you don’t need to install additional access points.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I moved from South Africa to Miami when I was 3 years old and aside from college I’ve been here ever since. The best thing about Miami is that it’s so close to the United States. What I mean by that, aside from making a joke, is that it is such a diverse city with flavors and cultures from all over the world. I think it’s unlike many other parts of the US for this reason and it makes it different yet enjoyable at the same time.
As many will know, the worst thing about this city is the traffic and this is one of the reasons my wife and I decided to move from the Coral Gables area to the quiet area of Redland a few years ago. Now our kids can play in the street, it’s quiet, peaceful, and people are friendlier. I attribute the additional friendliness due to people not being stuck in traffic, getting frustrated with each other, and bringing that frustration with them when they park their car and get to their destination.
Contact Info:
- Address: 10700 Caribbean Blvd Suite 106 Miami, FL 33189
- Website: http://www.whyreboot.com (Residential Site) & http://www.whyreboot.net (Commercial Site)
- Phone: 877-307-0052
- Email: info@whyreboot.com
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/whyreboot
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/whyreboot
Getting in touch: VoyageMIA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
