Industry Mourns The Loss Of Simply Reliable Founder Tom Coffin

Tom Coffin, the former CEO and president of CI SaaS provider Simply Reliable, passed away on January 15, 2026, from cancer.

Coffin was a custom installation lifer, starting his CE career in 1980 as a regional manager at Audio Craft. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, for integration firms IntelliNet, New Image Electronics, Digital Convergence Systems, and EnviroTech Integration.

In 2008, he founded Simply Reliable to help other integrators like himself. As Coffin wrote on his LinkedIn page:

“I am excited every day to discuss and learn from business owners about their business and how implementing process can impact their scaling, longevity, and profitability. simplyreliable|OS was born from the idea that, in order to succeed in business, a business must have a repeatable process. The best way to implement process is through software. That is why we invented SmartOffice back in 2002, transitioned to the cloud in 2013, and in 2023, debuted its ultimate business operating software: simplyreliable|OS.

“My eyes and ears are always open to ways to help you run a more efficient business. I am dedicated to small business success.”

In addition to running Simply Reliable, Coffin also hosted the smartPRENEUR podcast, where guest presenters offered knowledge for business owners to learn the ins and outs of running a custom installation business.

Coffin had received his first cancer diagnosis in 2019. He fought hard against it and, for a time, had won. In 2022–23, it returned, and he once again battled it. When it returned for a third time in the spring of 2024, after weighing the options, he and his family decided not to pursue further treatment.

A resident of St Petersburg, Florida, he is survived by his wife, Rose Coffin, and his children, Thomas Jr., John, Adam, and Tess.

Simply Reliable continues to operate under co-founder Jonathan Knapp, the company’s current CEO and president.