Kaylee Simons
Elmore Autauga News
In an industry that never really slows down, making it 30 years is something worth paying attention to. For one Prattville business, staying steady hasn’t meant staying the same. It’s meant learning, adapting, and growing right alongside the technology that’s reshaped the way people live and work. As BWS Technologies celebrates 30 years in business, co-owners Bill Youngblood and Jeremy Jackson are marking a milestone that reflects not only decades of change in technology but also a long-standing partnership that has grown alongside it.
Youngblood, who was interviewed for this story, reflected on just how much has changed and how much hasn’t. When the business first opened its doors, the world of technology looked nothing like it does today. “Slow internet. No high-speed internet. The world was standardized on dial-up,” he said. Most of the work centered around local hardware, and if something went wrong, it meant being physically present to fix it. There was no cloud, no remote access, and no quick way to troubleshoot from miles away.
In those early years, showing up in person wasn’t optional. It was the job. Hours could be spent inside an office working through issues that, today, might take only minutes to resolve. Now, much of that same work can be handled remotely, allowing problems to be spotted, managed, and fixed faster than ever before.
What once required a visit can now often be solved with just a few clicks.
Over the years, Youngblood has watched entire categories of technology come to life, with video conferencing, mobile devices, and Voice over IP phone systems going from non-existent to essential. Along with that growth came something else that has become a major part of the work: cybersecurity.
Thirty years ago, businesses weren’t thinking about cyber threats the way they are now. Today, cybersecurity consulting, management, and compliance are a regular part of the job, reflecting just how connected and vulnerable technology has become.
Even with all of that change, the core of the work has stayed the same. From dial-up connections to cloud-based systems, the focus has always been on helping businesses and individuals keep their technology running the way it should.
That balance, staying grounded while constantly evolving, is what has carried BWS to this 30-year milestone. It is also a reflection of a partnership that has remained steady through decades of change, with Youngblood and Jackson building a business that has adapted without losing its foundation. Because in an industry like this, longevity doesn’t happen by accident. It takes a willingness to keep learning, to adjust when things shift, and to meet people where they are, even as the world around them keeps moving forward.
Thirty years in, the tools may look completely different, but the purpose hasn’t changed. And if anything, the need for that kind of work has only grown.
