The Story
The IT CEO who outlasted four decades of Silicon Valley hype cycles
In 1991, when most of San Jose was still figuring out what to do with DOS machines, Connie Mayling Tang opened a storefront. Not a startup in the modern sense - no pitch decks, no Series A, no TechCrunch coverage. A physical store. Computer hardware. Service contracts. The unsexy foundation of what would become ComputerLand of Silicon Valley, one of Northern California's most enduring IT firms.
By 1993, Tang was running the company as CEO - a title she would hold for the next three decades. Over that span, she steered CCT Technologies through every technology cycle that reshaped enterprise IT: the shift from on-premise servers to the cloud, from analog networks to fiber infrastructure, from local helpdesks to Microsoft Azure migration practices. The company never chased headlines. It chased contracts - and kept them.
When ISSQUARED Inc. acquired CCT Technologies on May 1, 2024, it was the conclusion of a deliberate, methodical exit. IT ExchangeNet ran the sale process and identified more than 60 qualified buyers before Tang chose ISSQUARED. That's not a founder desperate to get out. That's an operator who knew exactly what her business was worth and what kind of buyer deserved it.
This opportunity with ISSQUARED arrived at an ideal time for both our organizations. The most important and exciting aspect is that we are fully aligned in our vision of delivering exceptional, customized IT services and support to clients.
- Connie Tang, CEO, CCT Technologies / ComputerLand of Silicon ValleyThe Business
Government networks, school districts, and enterprise IT - in that order
CCT Technologies was never trying to be Accenture. Its clients were local and state government agencies, K-12 school districts, higher education institutions, and commercial businesses in Northern California - the unsexy, contractual, relationship-driven end of IT services. These clients don't switch vendors because a competitor has a slicker website. They switch when trust breaks down. Tang's firm held those relationships for years, sometimes decades.
The company's service lines covered the full IT stack: Cloud Microsoft Azure migrations, SharePoint Online transitions, Teams deployments; Security cybersecurity solutions, IT compliance, network security, government network hardening; Infrastructure Cisco HyperFlex deployments, virtualization, data center management, network infrastructure builds. Not a firm chasing one hot vertical - a firm that could handle whatever landed on a client's IT roadmap.
The California Connects broadband program was in their wheelhouse. E-rate solutions for schools. Public sector IT compliance. These are not projects you win with a brochure - they require references, past performance records, and a procurement history that takes years to build. ComputerLand of Silicon Valley built all of it.
Services Built Over Three Decades
The full-stack IT portfolio
The Acquisition
Sixty-plus buyers, one right answer
Most founder exits look like a fire sale or a liquidity event dressed up in press release language. Tang's looked different. When CCT Technologies went to market, IT ExchangeNet ran a competitive process that surfaced over 60 qualified buyers. ISSQUARED was the one that passed Tang's test.
ISSQUARED Inc. is an IT and cybersecurity solutions provider with its own established client base. The strategic logic was clear: CCT brought government and education market depth in Northern California; ISSQUARED brought scale, resources, and a cybersecurity-forward portfolio. Together, the combined entity could go after state and local government contracts and higher education IT with more firepower than either could muster alone.
All CCT staff transitioned to ISSQUARED as part of the deal. The company initially operated as an independent sales business unit under the ISSQUARED brand - a structure that preserved relationships and gave clients continuity. Tang personally ensured the transition terms protected her employees and customers before signing.
CCT Technologies has a rich legacy of providing unbeatable value and tailored IT solutions that enable our customers to achieve their unique business objectives.
- Connie Tang, on CCT Technologies' legacyWhat Comes Next
Cybersecurity, AI, and edge computing - the combined entity's thesis
The post-acquisition strategic priorities are specific: cybersecurity, AI, and edge computing. These aren't buzzwords for a press release - they're where government and education IT contracts are heading. Federal compliance frameworks like CMMC are forcing state and local agencies to treat cybersecurity as a procurement requirement, not an afterthought. CCT's history in government network security maps directly onto that demand.
The AI layer is newer but logical. School districts and government agencies running on Microsoft 365 ecosystems are already being pushed toward Copilot integrations and AI-assisted IT management. A firm with ComputerLand's history in Microsoft solutions - Azure, Teams, SharePoint - is better positioned than most to guide those transitions.
Tang framed the deal not as an ending but as an arrival at something bigger. "We are fully aligned in our vision of delivering exceptional, customized IT services and support to clients" - language that reads less like a polished exit statement and more like a handoff she actually thought through.
We are confident we found the ideal partner in ISSQUARED to ensure the continued success of our employees and customers.
- Connie TangThe Person
UC Davis, San Jose, and three decades of staying in one market
Connie Mayling Tang earned a BS from UC Davis - a credential that signals engineering or science rigor in a field where a lot of IT executives came up through sales. She built her career in San Jose without relocating to a more glamorous address. The company's headquarters at 482 West San Carlos Street - later 808 West San Carlos - is close to the Caltrain corridor, in the functional heart of a working city, not in a brand-name tech park.
Tang has been described as a mentor to emerging technology professionals and a vocal advocate for women's advancement in the industry. In a sector where female founders of enterprise IT firms are a genuine rarity, three decades of sustained leadership in a market as demanding as government IT speaks louder than any keynote or award citation.
The firm she built maintained long-term relationships with clients over years and decades - a fact the company's website highlights prominently. In IT services, churn is the enemy of margin. That Tang's clients stayed says more about her operational consistency than any revenue figure.
Achievements
The record
- Founded CCT Technologies / ComputerLand of Silicon Valley in 1991 and served as CEO for over 30 years
- Grew the company to 55 employees and approximately $6.6M in annual revenue
- Named on CRN's IT Solution Provider 500 list - one of the top regional IT solution providers
- Built deep practice areas in Microsoft (Azure, Teams, SharePoint) and Cisco (HyperFlex) solutions
- Established government, K-12, and higher education IT client relationships spanning decades
- Led successful acquisition by ISSQUARED Inc. in May 2024 after evaluating 60+ qualified buyers
- Maintained full staff transition with all CCT employees moving to ISSQUARED as part of deal terms
- Mentored emerging technology professionals and advocated for women in tech throughout her career