Corporate News2 min

Billy West Ensures Working Solutions is Always On

Nearly 17 years ago, when Billy West joined Working Solutions, he was a rare breed in the brave new world of virtual contract outsourcing–an IT guy.

“In the early days, the IT ranks were pretty sparce,” Billy recalled. “You had me, one young existing IT person and a Russian programmer. That was it.”

Today, as vice president of Technical Infrastructure Services, Billy has all the pros and resources he needs to mesh Working Solutions’ virtual network and on-demand programs with those of our clients.

His Military Roots

“Data and IT systems are at the heart of everything we do,” he said. “Without them, we’d be unable to track our work, bill our clients and pay our contracting agents.”

Billy chose his profession in information technology when he was in the Marine Corps. “The education program was good, and I could choose most any field,” he said. “I chose communication electronics training.”

All these years later, it looks like he made the right choice.

Billy cut his corporate teeth at companies, such as ConferenceCall.com, DaisyTek International and Aegis Communications, where he led the buildout and support of IT infrastructure, including its call centers facilities.

A Host of Achievements

His achievements at Working Solutions are many. Aside from helping to grow the business, Billy established the company as a technology expert in remote customer service.

For instance, the company piloted Amazon Connect, helping develop its groundbreaking platform. Today, the platform is used by corporate leaders, including Intuit, one of our long-standing clients.

With all the successes, there has also been stress.

In the early 2000s, Working Solutions ran its own Genesys call center platform. “We had six or seven clients on it,” Billy said. “And we spent a lot of time maintaining that platform, which was housed in a brick-and-mortar data center. We did it all. It was a 24×7 job.”

While the Genesys platform performed well, the company eventually stopped hosting so that it could focus solely on providing on-demand contact center outsourcing.

Came and Stayed

Originally from Wichita Falls, Texas, Billy is married and has three adult children. And while he spent the early part of his career in Texas, he eventually relocated to Arkansas, where he lives today.

“It’s beautiful here, and I can drop a line into a trout stream anytime I want.”

An outdoorsman, Billy camps and fishes with his wife and family. They also enjoy trips to the beach in Destin, Florida to relax in the sun.

Always resourceful, when his daughter’s wedding was postponed this past year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Billy went online and got ordained so he could perform the ceremony. “We did it in the backyard,” Billy said with a smile.

So, why has Billy spent so many years at Working Solutions?

“It wasn’t my intent to stay for so long, but you’d be hard pressed to find a better place to work. They really care about the people. We are not just numbers.”