Avantages
AOS has a strong technical foundation and excellent front-line employees. There is a recipe that, despite being established many years ago, still fuels the success at AOS. The people that drive the sales and support activity are very knowledgeable and have the client's best interest at heart. AOS receives strong support from Cisco who also steers many customers to them because they are unfailingly loyal to Cisco in return.
Inconvénients
AOS is a privately held company and over the years, the owner, Gary Alexander, has become increasingly arrogant about the success of the company. He perceives that he is the sole reason for the success of the organization and is completely unwilling to retire despite the fact that he is well beyond his productive years. He manages through fear and promotes incompetent managers based solely upon loyalty. AOS pursues litigation for non-compete agreements approximately 90% of the time regardless of whether employment was terminated by employer or employee. This keeps existing employees from pursuing other opportunities that would certainly provide better career opportunity and upward mobility. The other 10% are those who go to work for business partners or clients where AOS does not want to damage the relationship. In the North Central Region, the Regional President, Dan Urzendowski, has filled the management team is filled with individuals that have no previous record of success (unless they are hired from the outside). He has hired and promoted several members of his own family The only internal promotions occur when a struggling, but loyal, employee or family member would otherwise need to be replaced for lack of performance. In many years, I have not witnessed a successful Account Manager, Design Architect or Systems Engineer be promoted ... except temporarily. Apparently, they cannot afford to lose the production and the managers claim success for those left to be the engine for continued success. The economy is regularly blamed and they are simply told, "it's no better anywhere else." Whenever I visit with other previous employees, I hear a common sentiment. "The day I left was like a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders" or "I feel like I can finally breathe again" are common statements. The benefits recede annually and raises are unheard of without promotion.
