In this edition of our Partner Pulse series, we’re joined by Craig Yerger, CEO of Asponte Technology, and talk about what it takes to run complex digital experience programs across enterprise and government environments.

From military discipline to AI-driven automation, Craig shares how Asponte approaches digital transformation with precision, resilience, and a strong bias toward execution.

Key Takeaways

• Mission-first DNA: Asponte’s roots in U.S. Army Special Operations shape its disciplined, outcome-focused delivery model.
• Enterprise and government are fundamentally different buyer worlds: Procurement, innovation pace, and success metrics vary dramatically.
• Migration projects always reveal surprises: Hidden functionality and undocumented workflows are the most common risks.
• Ongoing technical workshops reduce risk: Requirements validation shouldn’t stop at kickoff. It must continue throughout delivery.
• AI is accelerating productivity: From intelligent search to AI agents, the biggest gains today are in operational efficiency.
• Adoption is the ultimate success signal: When content authors return eager to learn more, you know the platform decision was right.

From Special Operations to Digital Operations

Founded in 2008 by U.S. Army Veteran Craig Yerger, Asponte Technology takes its name from the Ranger motto “Sua Sponte” which literally means “of one’s own accord” – or stepping forward voluntarily and taking ownership of the mission. That principle shapes everything the company does today: disciplined execution, calm under pressure, and a sharp focus on measurable outcomes.

Enterprise vs. Government: Different Speeds, Different Expectations

Asponte operates across both enterprise and government environments, two worlds with very different expectations. Government programs are driven by procurement structure, regulation, and modernization needs. Enterprises focus on ROI, performance, and competitive advantage, often pushing innovation faster and further. Succeeding in both requires not just technical depth, but the ability to adjust to very different definitions of success.

Migration Lessons: Surprises Are Inevitable

After leading countless migrations from SharePoint and other CMS platforms, Craig is clear: surprises are part of the process. The real challenges are rarely infrastructure. They are hidden features, undocumented workflows, and custom functionality that surface mid-project. Asponte mitigates that risk through recurring technical workshops and continuous validation, keeping complex programs steady and predictable.

AI: Productivity Over Hype

AI is the next accelerator. Today it improves search and reduces repetitive content effort. Increasingly, AI agents are orchestrating workflows across systems, boosting productivity without replacing people. Adoption varies by sector, but momentum is building quickly.

For Craig, the clearest signal of success is simple. When content authors move past the learning curve and come back asking for more, the platform is doing its job. When technology shifts from friction to empowerment, you know you made the right decision.

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About Asponte Technology

Asponte Technology is a U.S.-based Veteran-Owned Small Business (VOSB) and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) founded in 2008 by U.S. Army Veteran Craig Yerger. The company delivers secure, mission-critical digital solutions for Fortune 1000 enterprises and government agencies.

Their core capabilities include custom software development, enterprise architecture and portals, cloud migration, systems integration, managed IT services, and strategic consulting. With deep expertise in web content management, UX/UI design, AI automation, and modern enterprise platforms, Asponte helps organizations modernize legacy systems and build scalable digital experiences that drive measurable impact.

Full Interview Transcript

Below is the edited transcript of our conversation with Craig Yerger. The transcript has been lightly edited for clarity and readability.

Liferay:
Hello everyone, and welcome to another installment of our Partner Pulse interview series. Today I’m joined by Craig Yerger, CEO of Asponte Technology. Hi Craig, thanks for taking the time.

Before we talk platforms, and congratulations on winning the North American Partner of the Year Award, for those who may not know Asponte, can you tell us about the company and how Liferay became part of your story?

Craig Yerger:
Thank you very much, I appreciate it.

To tell the full story, I have to start with my background. After high school, I served in the 3rd Ranger Battalion in the United States Army Special Operations. The Ranger motto is “Sua Sponte,” which means finishing the mission even if you’re the last person left to do it. That’s where the company name comes from.

Later in my career, I worked extensively with IBM, particularly on portal projects. I was often part of a “SWAT team” brought in to fix projects that were in trouble. I spent about five years going into difficult customer situations and turning them around. My manager once asked how I could keep going into these environments where customers were irate, and I just told him, "They’re not shooting at me, so it’s really not that big of a deal".

Over time, I realized that the discipline I gained in the military, combined with my technical experience in the portal space, positioned me to deliver these projects at a very high level. That realization led me to start Asponte in 2008.

I’ve been working on portal technologies since around 2002, and with Liferay for roughly the last ten years.

Liferay:
Asponte works with both enterprises and government agencies. From your experience, how do those two buyer types define success differently?

Craig Yerger:
You couldn’t have picked two more polar opposite ends of the spectrum. 

In government work, we deal with bids, procurement, and very tight regulations. 

In the enterprise world, the focus is much more on the quality of the underlying product and the ability of the company to deliver. It’s less price-based and more focused on return on investment and performance.

On the technology side, enterprises push the technology much further. Governments are generally more conservative. Their use cases are often about automating bureaucratic paper-based processes. In the government space, we are often solving problems that are five years behind us, whereas in the enterprise, we are trying to solve issues that are five years in front of us.

Liferay:
You’ve led many migration projects, including from SharePoint to Liferay. What are some common surprises that emerge mid migration? And how can teams prevent them?

Craig Yerger:
Every migration has its challenges; anyone who tells you otherwise isn't telling the truth. 

Usually, the "gotcha" is functionality that is uncovered midstream—something missed during technical requirements workshops or a custom feature that authors didn't realize was unique.

The best way to mitigate this is to have high-quality technical requirement workshops, not just at the start, but periodically throughout the project. As we go through the project and learn more about the customer's specific implementation, we hold these checkpoints to ensure what we’re writing matches their expectations. 

The great news is that Liferay is an incredibly flexible platform, so we can generally solve these problems without scope or budget overruns.

Liferay:
We can’t talk about digital experience without addressing AI. Where do you see AI delivering the most value today?

Craig Yerger:
Search is the first place AI is really showing its value for us. We are also implementing Generative AI to help people accelerate how they work. We're even seeing the dawn of "agentic" AI systems, where AI agents interact with other agents to handle tasks like onboarding a new employee. Instead of a person manually adding a user to five different systems, they can just tell the agent to "Onboard Joe Smith," and the system remembers the process. It isn't necessarily replacing people, but it is making productivity far greater.

In addition, enterprises are highly invested in AI. Defense organizations are exploring early adoption. Municipal governments are generally more cautious and focused on foundational improvements first.

Liferay:
You’ve been in the portal ecosystem for a long time. If you look back at successful projects, how would you finish this sentence: “The moment we knew the platform decision was right was when…”

Craig Yerger:
I’d say it’s when the content authors – who might have gone through a painful initial learning curve – come back wanting to learn more because they realize their jobs just got easier. 

Once they move past that first barrier to entry and become hungry to understand what else the platform can do, you know you’ve done the right thing.

Liferay:
Craig, thank you very much for the insights.

Craig Yerger:
Thank you, I appreciate the conversation.

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