It all started in 1985 when Petronella started working on his computers in his dad’s office with an 8008 Compaq and a Franklin Computer, the first Apple clone. It didn’t take long for Petronella to make the leap to the Commodore 64 and soon thereafter, his sister’s Dell 386, which he quickly disassembled to figure out how it was configured and operated. After seeing him so enthusiastically tackle that project, his parents soon realized his new hobby and purchased an 80386-clone computer. After that purchase, it didn’t take him long to take it apart, reassemble and upgrade it much like he did his sister’s Dell.

In 1989, Petronella jumped head first into the online world by starting his own BBS that ran off DOS, quickly growing to over 300 users — all by using Dad’s fax line. By working with his BBS members and chatting over Internet Relay Chats (IRC), he was able to rapidly grow his knowledge and understanding of all things computers, networks and software. At 14, he landed a job at i-Data, where he soon would learn how to flash and re-program PLCC chips and printer protocol software with DOS, solder and make customized circuit boards and upgrade scanners and CB radio equipment.

In 1995, he moved to the Raleigh area from Long Island, New York and entered the computer business as a technician with a local service company.

Before the decades close, Petronella was hired to help with the Y2K scare. He learned how to build and troubleshoot servers as well as the need for quality structured cabling in business environments. With his ability to grasp new technologies quickly, Craig became Cisco certified and graduated to a network engineer position. He was responsible for managing the entire networks of small towns and cities throughout the North Carolina area.

In 1999, Craig worked for a systems integration firm in Cary, NC. Deployed many cabling, cisco enterprise wireless, structured wiring and cabling projects. He was the lead network engineer responsible for all IT Outsourcing tasks for many local governments in North Carolina. Designed and deployed Cisco and Server projects for:

• City of Raleigh, NC – Installed and Configured several Cisco Switches, Cisco Routers, Security and VLAN Configurations
• City of Wilson, NC – Installed and Configured several Cisco Switches, Cisco Routers, Security and VLAN Configurations
• Town of Rolesville, NC – Installed and Configured several Cisco Switches, Cisco Routers, Security and VLAN Configurations. Helpdesk support for Helpdesk support for Town Hall, Police Department, Fire Department, etc.
• Town of Zebulon, NC – Helpdesk support for Town Hall, Police Department, Fire Department, etc.
• Town of Wake Forest, NC – Managed Windows Server with Microsoft Exchange, Helpdesk support for Town Hall, Police Department, Fire Department, etc.
• Town of Southern Pines, NC – Managed Linux and Oracle Server in the public library. Helpdesk support for Town Hall, Police Department, Fire Department, etc. Kiosk management

In early 2002, Petronella started Petronella Computer Consultants, Inc., dedicated to provide comprehensive IT outsourcing and managed services to business companies in need of either a completely outsourced IT department or assistance with a specific area of specialization. Our clients value us as a technology partner and a seamless extension of their IT staff. Eventually, Petronella Computer Consultants established a solid reputation of excellent service, growing the firm with satisfied customer referrals. Since the firm’s creation, they have performed services ranging from focused technical support to complete system designs. We continue to strive towards excellence in service and reliability having served over 2500 customers in just over ten years in business. We have helped over 2500 customers in just over ten years in business.