Joe Williams is a senior vice president of advisory services at Stratosphere Networks and Converged Communication Systems (CCS).
Growing up in the Chicagoland area, technology has been in his blood since birth: His dad worked in the IT/telecom industry for 41 years, with 22 of those years spent with AT&T. After three years working toward a communications degree at Appalachian State University, Joe made his way back to Illinois to complete his degree program at Governor's State University.
Armed with the gift of gab, he knew he wanted to get into sales, so in 2007 he pursued an opportunity to work as a sales executive for Fusion Connect (formerly Birch/Cbeyond). In this role, he positioned new voice, data, and cellular solutions for businesses in the greater Chicago area.
Shortly after, he was introduced to Stratosphere Networks/CCS. Since he joined Stratosphere and CCS in 2008, he has gained mountains of experience with the telecommunications and unified communications industries and specializes in managed IT services, cloud consulting, contact centers, carrier services and cybersecurity. As part of the Stratosphere and CCS advisory team, he helps businesses of all sizes and verticals navigate the disruption in our industry when evaluating new and existing solutions.
In his current role, he identifies products and services that meet each client's needs based on features, application integration, security, compliance needs, and other factors. He has experience with a wide range of IT solution categories, including Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS), Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS), Workstation as a Service (WaaS), robotic process automation (RPA), customer relationship management (CRM) software, Communication Platform as a Service (CPaaS), business process outsourcing (BPO), cybersecurity, and managed IT services, among others.
One of his notable accomplishments involved helping a popular Illinois-based breakfast and brunch establishment with over 25 locations identify a feature-rich UCaaS solution. The new solution allowed the client to eliminate a costly third-party application, streamlining customer service. Additionally, the UCaaS platform provides self-service options for customers calling ahead with inquiries about directions and seating, lightening the workload for restaurant staff.
Joe currently resides in the northwest suburbs of Chicago with his wife, Sydney, and their daughters, Amelia and Violet. In his free time, he enjoys Blackhawks hockey, smoking meals on his Traeger, and being a #GIRLDAD.