Different Lineage, Different Operating Model
If you’re a mid-market organization evaluating managed IT and security providers, you’ve probably shortlisted Armorstack and Elevity. Both serve mid-market clients across multiple states, and both show up on evaluation shortlists — but the lineage and posture behind the two firms are quite different.
Elevity is the technology-management brand of Gordon Flesch Company — a 1956-founded, family-owned office-technology firm — formed in 2020 by combining Gordon Flesch’s Managed IT division with the acquired Information Technology Professionals (ITP) business. Elevity is listed on CRN’s MSP 500 and serves Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. Armorstack is an independent Managed Intelligence Provider (MIP) operating four converged portfolios — including physical-security integration and FCC carrier services — for clients nationally.
This page is fair-comparison content — written by Armorstack, but specifically including the cases where Elevity is the right call.
Quick Comparison Matrix
A dimension-by-dimension look at how the two firms are actually built.
| Dimension | Armorstack | Elevity |
|---|---|---|
| Home base | Global service organization — U.S. campaign focus | Madison, WI (parent: Gordon Flesch Company) |
| Founded | 2002 (rebranded Armorstack) | 2020 (parent Gordon Flesch: founded 1956) |
| Team size | 100+ technical experts | Large (CRN MSP 500 listed) |
| Categorical positioning | Managed Intelligence Provider (MIP) | Established MSP; parent is office technology / print |
| Service portfolios | 4 — VERITY · CORE · SENTRY · CITADEL | Managed IT, co-managed IT, IT consulting, managed print |
| Physical security integration | Yes — CITADEL: access control, video, fire alarm, low-voltage | No — parent does office technology, not security integration |
| AI security observability | Yes — SENTRY + the Observability Gap framework | Not a stated focus |
| Healthcare specialization | Yes — Epic, Cerner/Oracle Health, HIPAA | General mid-market |
| CMMC 2.0 / defense focus | Yes — dedicated practice in VERITY | Not a stated specialty |
| E-Rate (K-12) provider | Yes — FCC Section 214 carrier; SPIN-registered | No |
| FCC carrier authority | Yes | No |
| 24×7 in-house SOC | Yes — SENTRY | Ask directly |
| vCISO services | Yes — VERITY | Ask directly |
| vCIO services | Yes — VERITY | Yes — IT consulting practice |
| Managed print integration | No — focus is MIP, not print | Yes — parent Gordon Flesch’s core business |
| Geographic reach | Global clients; current campaign focus is the United States | WI, IL, IN, OH |
| Pricing transparency | Per-endpoint + bundled portfolio pricing on request | Custom quote only |
| Strategic-advisory practice | Dedicated — VERITY | Embedded in IT consulting |
| Converged cyber-physical security | Yes | No |
Where Elevity Is the Right Choice
You Already Buy Print From Gordon Flesch
If GFC is already your printer/copier provider, consolidating IT under Elevity is administratively cleaner and the relationship economics typically favor you.
You’re in WI, IL, IN, or OH and Want a CRN MSP 500 Firm
Elevity has real scale, footprint, and recognition. For multi-state mid-market generalist IT within that four-state footprint, that posture is defensible.
You Want a 70-Year Family-Owned Parent
Gordon Flesch’s tenure is real. If institutional stability and family ownership matter to your buying committee, that’s a genuine differentiator.
Physical Security and AI Observability Aren’t on Your Roadmap
If cyber-physical convergence and AI security observability aren’t buying criteria for you, Armorstack’s CITADEL and SENTRY differentiation simply doesn’t apply.
You Want a Flatter, Generalist IT Model
Some buyers prefer Elevity’s “managed IT + co-managed IT + consulting” framing to Armorstack’s four-portfolio operating model.
Where Armorstack Is the Right Choice
Eight scenarios where the four-portfolio, converged operating model produces a materially different outcome than a generalist MSP.
Converged Cyber + Physical Security
CITADEL puts access control, video, fire alarm, and low-voltage on the same vendor relationship as your IT and security work. Elevity does not field this — Gordon Flesch is an office-technology parent, not a physical-security integrator.
AI Governance Is on Your Roadmap
SENTRY’s AI security observability program is purpose-built around prompt-injection detection, shadow-AI/AI-asset discovery, NIST AI RMF alignment, and EU AI Act readiness. Elevity doesn’t stake out this ground.
K-12 / Library Pursuing E-Rate
Armorstack holds FCC Section 214 carrier authority and is SPIN-registered. Elevity is not a carrier and is not E-Rate eligible.
Healthcare With EHR + Clinical Workflow Needs
Armorstack fields a dedicated healthcare practice, including Epic and Cerner/Oracle Health context — not a generic mid-market IT overlay.
Defense Contractor Pursuing CMMC 2.0
Armorstack has a named CMMC practice inside VERITY. Elevity does not advertise CMMC capability.
Quantified, Board-Ready Risk Reporting
Armorstack publishes FAIR risk quantification as part of VERITY engagements — dollarized exposure, not just a red/yellow/green heat map.
You Need a vCISO, Not Just a vCIO
Armorstack delivers credentialed vCISO services with NIST CSF 2.0 maturity mapping and regulator-ready documentation — a distinct discipline from vCIO technology planning.
Bundled Pricing You Can See Up Front
Armorstack publishes per-endpoint pricing tiers and bundled portfolio packages on request. Elevity is custom quote only.
Decision Framework
Match your dominant question to the right-fit vendor.
| If your dominant question is… | The right choice is… |
|---|---|
| “We already buy print from Gordon Flesch — consolidate IT here.” | Elevity. |
| “I need cyber + physical security from one vendor.” | Armorstack (CITADEL + SENTRY). |
| “AI governance is a board priority.” | Armorstack (VERITY + SENTRY). |
| “I’m a K-12 district pursuing E-Rate.” | Armorstack (FCC carrier). |
| “I’m in healthcare with EHR + facility security needs.” | Armorstack (healthcare practice). |
| “I’m pursuing CMMC and need named capability.” | Armorstack (VERITY). |
| “We’re a multi-state mid-market generalist IT buyer.” | Either — weigh portfolio depth vs. scale. |
| “I want a 24×7 in-house SOC and FAIR-based risk reporting.” | Armorstack (SENTRY). |
| “I want a family-owned, 70-year-tenure parent.” | Elevity (parent Gordon Flesch). |
| “I want bundled pricing transparency up front.” | Armorstack. |
What Clients Tell Us When They Switch
When a Buyer Moves From Elevity to Armorstack
— A physical-security need — access control, video, fire alarm, low-voltage — that Elevity cannot field as part of the same vendor relationship.
— A compliance milestone — CMMC 2.0, a HIPAA audit, NIST CSF 2.0 — that needed credentialed vCISO and quantified risk reporting.
— An E-Rate / FCC-carrier need that ruled Elevity out structurally.
When Elevity Wins Against Us
The decision is almost always Gordon Flesch incumbency — the buyer already has print/copier service through GFC, and consolidating IT under the same parent is the path of least friction. That’s a legitimate reason to choose Elevity, and we’ll say so directly if that’s your situation.
How to Evaluate Either Firm
Elevity: ask directly.
Elevity: ask directly.
Elevity: ask directly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Want a 30-Minute Call?
If you’re sitting on a vendor evaluation and want a candid conversation — no pitch deck, just answers — book time with us. If Elevity is the right fit because of an existing Gordon Flesch relationship, we’ll tell you.
Serving regulated organizations nationally.
877-890-5508 | [email protected]
Last reviewed: 2026-07-09. We update this page when either firm publishes a material service or capability change. Spotted something inaccurate? Email [email protected].