Who Is Prism Pointe Technologies?

The story of Prism Pointe's problems is closely related to failure of a business partner, MPC Computers in Nampa, Idaho (formerly Micron Computers). You may be more familiar with Gateway Computers. In 2007, Gateway Computers sold its government and industrial division to MPC Computers. Gateway Computers is now a part of Acer computers.

MPC Computers is currently in bankruptcy liquidation, and was sued by Prism Pointe in August of last year. MPC Computers owes Prism Pointe more than $730,000. Coincidentally, Prism Pointe stopped paying their bills last spring.

Prism Pointe Technologies (prismpointe.com) is headquartered in Fairburn, Georgia, a city with a population of about 9000. Prism Pointe claims a network of over 13,000 contractor service professionals at over 1,500 locations.

Companies like Prism Pointe will accept a work order from a company like MPC Computers, and then hire a contractor. And like many companies in the National Service Organization (NSO) market segment, Prism Pointe is not completely illegitimate. Many customers have had a successful repair, if the contractor that was hired happened to be competent. In most cases, the NSO never meets the contractor, except over the telephone or Internet.

This kind of problem (Prism Pointe Technologies) is not uncommon. In a complaint against Prism Pointe, a contractor in Colorado Springs states:

"this is the fourth such company in six years of business we have worked for doing this type of third party work. None have come through with payment."

Firms like Prism Pointe will pretend that they are local, even maintaining local phone numbers in major cities. Also, one should be careful of advertisements on the Internet for obvious reasons. Until there is effective industry or governmental oversight of the National Service Industry, it will continue to be a very dangerous environment, for both the customer and contractor.

The unethical behavior in the National Service Organization Industry is creating a larger negative impact. The resulting lack of credibility will negatively affect business industry wide. A higher standard for business ethics is required.

Prism Pointe USS has earned the Geeks Informed Smell Test rating of Somewhat Stinky.