After 40 years in business, Alvaka Networks is now simply Alvaka!

As a recognized market leader and pioneering IT managed services provider, our success has centered on our ability to innovate new ideas and continue our investment in the right people. We are very proud to have created a culture that aligns the crosshairs of innovation and people with the needs of the companies that we do business with every day.

Alvaka’s History

Oli Thordarson, President/CEO, started Alvaka Networks in 1982 as a computer consultant. Originally focused more on software and applications, the consulting practice evolved towards more broad computer consulting. By the latter 1980s, Oli had been experimenting with early versions of PC networking. Most were not robust enough for commercial use, but in 1989, he installed his first client network running the earliest version of Novell software, a Televideo PM16 server and Leading Edge PCs. It was only seven PCs, but Oli saw the potential of this new technology and was completely enamored. The company evolved into a network integration company and started installing numerous networks all over southern California. Oli was proud when the company earned a Novell Platinum designation. It was about that time that Oli saw the business shifting from installing new networks to growing and managing these complex networks. That was the turn Alvaka took to become primarily an IT service organization. A few years after that, Alvaka started pioneering the Managed Service Provider model with a few other like-minded firms. Oli would be in the Computer Industry Hall of Fame for his advancements in this area, but he must first retire before being eligible. He says that is still many years away for him. He loves his work.

In recent years, Alvaka is becoming recognized as a pioneer and go-to company in the ransomware recovery space. It is unfortunately a growing market, as the bad guys learn how much money they can make. Alvaka is positioned to combat these digital bandits for those with the misfortune of falling victim. Alvaka is innovating again, and that is the pointy end of the IT profession that Oli loves so much. He says it takes a talented team to do these things and Alvaka is blessed to have the team needed to evolve an industry. We expect to keep making changes for the better that others in the IT profession can follow. For that, we are all thankful!

We are also grateful to all of the dedicated and exceptional staff we have been able to retain throughout our 40 years. Thanks to them, we have been named an Orange County Register Top Workplace for two years running. Read more about the award HERE.

We Are Now ALVAKA

After decades as Alvaka Networks, we used our 40th anniversary as the perfect opportunity to become simply “Alvaka”. The word Alvaka—loosely translated from Icelandic to English—means “ever vigilant” or “always awake”. This is the quintessential way to describe our company culture and commitment to our clients. When we originally chose the name Alvaka Networks, it was a very different time in the history of technology and, as a company, we were focused nearly entirely on network management. While we are still at the top of the network management game, our company has matured a great deal and we are much more than just networks. Today, we remain ever vigilant and always awake as we watch over the health of critical systems. We stand ready to respond when systems become unstable or fail. We are there and ready to help when that terrifying intrusion or other systems breach occurs. So today, we are simply “Alvaka”!

We are so grateful to have enjoyed four decades of working in partnership with our clients, and we remain committed to our purpose of improving the lives of our clients through our IT management and security services.

We are looking ahead to many more decades of supporting our clients, and other community members that support us.