Each year on Thanksgiving, thousands of American companies close down to observe the holiday and many opt to close down the day after as well. The Thanksgiving holiday is a time that many people take time off to be with their loved ones, share a meal or two, and perhaps watch a football game; while thinking ahead to the forthcoming holiday season and the shopping they have to do.In the age of consumerism and connectivity, we are plugged in and “always on” even during the holidays. The economy and global market sleeps for no one. In more recent years there has been a trend with retailers going “all out” to lure shoppers into brick and mortar stores and online storefronts to snag the ultimate deal.While many people picture Black Friday as large crowds, people camping out on sidewalks, and crazed individuals stampeding sales displays, we tend to think of the people who work behind the scenes to keep the wheels of a business (and the economy) moving. They are often the ones we don’t think about until we hear a news story that paints them (and the organization they work for) in a negative light. A payment system security breach, a website that crashes due to unprecedented traffic…(you get the idea.)Just who are these unsung heroes of the technology industry that should earn your thanks this and every other day of year? They are the security analysts, the support engineers, the developers, and IT operations leaders who make your shopping experience in store or online possible. Sure, these modern times will have their customer experience pros, their big data dynamos, and social media mavens – but this post isn’t for them. It’s for the men and women who make all of that technology work and provide ongoing support that is critical to the success of any business.Most people tend not to think about what is required to keep a business up and functioning, let alone any of the individuals who work in the IT department supporting critical infrastructure. We know it’s no easy task to build, monitor, upgrade, and support these systems. The long hours, the always on-call status, the ever-present worry of possible vulnerabilities and bugs that could send everything into a tailspin.We get it, and would like to offer a sincere thanks to each and every one of you who make it all possible for those deal-crazed consumers to shop to their heart’s content. Without you, there would be no need for those customer experience and big data analysts, social media and digital marketing specialists, and a slew of other positions that are made possible from your work.As customers become savvier and the demands placed upon technology is increased, let’s not forget about the people who work behind the scenes in IT and make secure shopping possible each and every Black Friday and all the other days of the year.We thank you for all that you do.