25 Years of Cetrom: Built for Accounting Firms, from Day 1

Celebrating a quarter-century of secure, intelligent IT built exclusively for the accounting profession.

Twenty-five years ago, a small IT company in Columbia, Maryland set out to solve a problem that most managed service providers weren't built to solve: accounting firms don't need generic IT support, they need a technology partner who understands tax season deadlines, compliance obligations, and the software their teams live in every day.

That company was Cetrom. Today, in our 25th year, we're taking a moment to look back at how far we've come, and ahead at where we're headed next.

Our Origin Story

Cetrom was founded in 2001 by Christopher Stark, a Washington, D.C.-area native and self-described "computer geek" who saw an opportunity to rethink how accounting firms approached technology. Rather than treating IT as an afterthought, Stark built Cetrom's cloud hosting model from the ground up around the specific needs of CPA firms: predictable performance during the punishing crunch of tax season, uncompromising data security for sensitive financial information, and support that firms could actually count on.

What started as one founder's vision has grown into a company with nearly 35 years of combined IT industry expertise at its helm and a singular focus that hasn't wavered in 25 years: serving the accounting profession, and only the accounting profession.

Awards & Recognition

Over the past two and a half decades, Cetrom's commitment to security, service, and specialization has earned recognition from some of the most respected names in the IT and accounting industries. Recent honors include:

• 2026 Boomer Leadership Visionary Award: Awarded by Boomer Consulting, Inc. at the Boomer Circle Summit in Kansas City, recognizing Cetrom's commitment to helping CPA firms embrace secure, intelligent, and future-focused technology.
• 2026 Quantum Certified Workplace™: Awarded by Quantum Workplace in April 2026, recognizing Cetrom's culture of trust, accountability, and employee empowerment.
• CRN's 2026 MSP 500: Security 100 List: Named by CRN®, a brand of The Channel Company, for leadership in cloud-based security services that protect clients from evolving cyber threats.
• 2025 Top 250 MSSP: Recognized by MSSP Alert and Cyber Risk Alliance for excellence in delivering security-first, intelligence-driven cloud infrastructure.

These honors join a longer track record that includes SOC 2 Type II and HIPAA certifications, Microsoft Gold Partner status, and recognition from CPA Practice Advisor, AICPA, and the BDO Alliance.

Services Offered

What hasn't changed in 25 years is Cetrom's singular focus: full-service managed IT, cloud hosting, and security built exclusively for accounting and tax firms.

Today, that includes:

• Proactive Managed IT Services: 24/7/365 monitoring, tier-3 help desk support, and a 99.9% uptime guarantee
• Flexible Cloud Hosting & Virtual Desktop Solutions: secure, seamless access to your applications from anywhere
  
• Application Hosting: for the accounting software firms already rely on, including CCH, Thomson Reuters, Lacerte, Intuit, QuickBooks, CaseWare, Sage, Drake, and more
• Managed Microsoft 365: with added AI-driven security, backup, and retention
  
• Built-In Security & Compliance: zero-trust architecture aligned with FTC Safeguards and GLBA requirements
  
• CetromFS™: secure, cloud-based file sharing built for sensitive client data
  
• vCIO Services: executive-level IT strategy and consulting
• Cetrom On-site™ IT Services: on-the-ground IT support, with engineers dispatched anywhere in the US, including Alaska and Hawaii
• Cloud Printing & White-Glove Migration: rounding out a fully managed IT ecosystem
  

Team Recognition

None of the last 25 years would have been possible without the people behind Cetrom. Our leadership team brings decades of combined experience to the accounting technology space:

• Christopher Stark, Founder, President & CEO: has led Cetrom since founding the company in 2001, bringing nearly 35 years of IT industry experience.
  
  
• Mark Wright, Chief Information Officer: joined in 2002 and has spent more than 20 years shaping Cetrom's infrastructure and technical direction.
  
  
• Emily Raines, Chief Sales & Marketing Officer: joined in 2016 and has led Cetrom's growth strategy and market presence in the MSP/MSSP space.
  
  
• John Carley, Senior Principal of Operations & Business Intelligence: brings experience from a Fortune 500 consulting firm and service as a Marine Officer to help CPA firms turn technology adoption into operational maturity.
  

Looking Ahead

As Cetrom marks 25 years, the company isn't slowing down; it's building for what's next. In June 2026, Cetrom opened beta enrollment for Cetrom SENTINEL™, a precision DLP redaction engine purpose-built for accounting firms adopting AI.

SENTINEL detects and redacts sensitive client data, including Social Security numbers, EINs, and financial account information, before it ever reaches an AI platform, giving firms a way to pursue AI-driven productivity without compromising the compliance obligations they carry under IRC Section 7216, the FTC Safeguards Rule, and GLBA.

It's a fitting next chapter for a company that has spent 25 years anticipating what accounting firms will need before they know they need it. From pioneering cloud hosting for CPA firms in 2001 to building AI-era data protection today, Cetrom's mission remains the same: helping accounting firms modernize with confidence, security, and peace of mind.