eSoft creates small-biz one-stop shop.

• Position: Brief Article

An Internet connectivity formula for small- to medium-sized businesses goes something like this: Hardware + Software + Internet Access + Security Options = Stress x Multiple Suppliers to the nth degree.

But Broomfield-based eSoft Inc. has reduced this vendor-heavy formula to a "one-stop shop." White not a mathematically pure example, combining these variables into one company is right on. "We're not aware of anyone else taking this approach," said CEO Jeff Finn.

eSoft provides Linux-based Internet access and solutions, helping clients with anything they need to conduct business on the Internet. eSoft targets small- to medium-sized businesses.

Since its 1984 founding in Boulder by Phil Becker, eSoft has grown from a family-owned enterprise selling bulletin board server systems, to a publicly traded corporation (NASDAQ: ESFT).

eSoft determines an access technology -- cable, wireless, satellite -- develops firewalls and installs "virtual private networking" for a business' telecommuters and field employees. It advises businesses switching to Netbased procurement rules and processes, as well as those who have grown enough to start moving their back-end operations online.

Possibly best of all to those of us frustrated with day-to-day glitches and hiccups, eSoft also manages this stuff. It is the IT department you wish you could afford and would have instituted if you just had enough time. eSoft's "bundle," including DSL, unlimited e-mail, a small firewall and Internet access, starts at $179 per month. Upgrades...