LaSalleSolutions
THE TECHNOLOGY LIFECYCLE
Editor’s Desk
Witnessthe BeautyofCISCO
Fromthepastfewyears,innovationandtechnology
arecontinuouslyimprovingandhavebecomethe importantforcesbehindthegrowthofcompanies. Businesseshavegrowntoanexponentiallevelby establishingpartnershipsaroundtheglobeandproviding servicestoavarietyofcompanies.Itisbecauseofthese technologicaldisruptionsthecomputerinformationsystem companies(CISCO)havebeenabletowithstandall challengesputforwardbyclients.
Disruptionisacontinuousprocess,anditintendson expandingworldwide,transformingtheComputer InformationSystemCompany’sbusinessneedsand services.CISCOcompanieshaveestablishedpartnerships allaroundtheworldwithitsprimaryfocusonthe digitalizationofNetworking,Security,DataCenter,andthe IoTsectors.Thesesectorshaveseenarapidincreasein demandforproductsandservicesamongthecustomers.
Thepandemichasmadethesituationworstforusaswellas thecomputersecurity,asweseemorevolumeofthreats andattacksincreasingeachday.Everydaynewheadline aboutthepandemicisheardalongwiththreatsandabout victimswhogothackedduetotheseviruses.CISCO solutionsprovidersadapttomatchthesecustomer problems.Thesefirmsdeliverpersonalizedandhuman approachservicetocomplexproblems.
Today,CISCOhasbecomeanimportantpartofbusiness andtherearesomanycompanieswhichrelyonits performance.Itensuresthatthecustomersachievetheir businessgoalswiththeirtop-classservices.
CISCOindustryisalreadysobigandbyimplementingthe rightsolutionsattherightmomentitcangofarbeyondthat.
Itknowshowtotreatitsclientsbyanalyzingtheir needs,advisingthem,andfinallybyimplementing therightsolutionsforthem.Itjustgrowsalongwith itsvaluestobethebestpartnerinbusinessforthe customers.Itaimstomanagethetechnologicalneeds ofthecustomers,navigatingchallengesforthe customersanditsqualityservicessetaclearpathfor theclients.Itunderstandstheneedtodrive innovationforyourorganizations.Ithasthe technologicaltoolsofthefuturethathelps organizationstothrivetheirbusiness.
Hence,givingathoughtaboutthecontributionof suchcompanies Insights Success presentsitsreaders theexcitingeditionofThe10FastestGrowing CISCOSolutionProviders,2021.Featuringits CoverStoryisLaSalleSolutions-avalue-added resellerpartneredwithover100vendors,offering engineeringservicesforalmostanytechnology, whetheritbeenterprisenetworking,datacenter, security,contactcenter,orcollaboration.LaSalle’s industry-leadingcloud-basedITassetmanagement platform,LAMP,bringstechnologyinformation togetherinoneplaceforbettervisibility,integration, dataaccuracy,andincreasedROI.
Lastly,makesuretoreadabouttheindustry-oriented CXO’swrittenbytheindustryexpertsthemselves. And,alsothecreativearticlesdraftedbythein-house editorialteamofInsightsSuccess.
HaveaVisionaryRead!
sourabh@insightssuccess.com
Sourabh More
Editor-in-Chief
Managing
Visualizer
David
Senior
Kshitij
Marketing
John
Sales Executives
Co-designer
Business Development Executives
Steve,
SME-SMO
Circulation
CompanyName
AkkadianLabs akkadianlabs.com
AsiaPay asiapay.com
BlackBoxNetwork Services Inc.blackbox.com
FXTI fxti.ca
IXTelecom ixtelecom.net
LaSalleSolutions lasallesolutions.com
LongView lvs1.com
NakaTechnologies nakatech.com
FeaturedPerson
EricNelson PresidentandCOO
JosephChan Founder&CEO
SanjeevVerma CEO
Brief
AkkadianLabsexiststocreateinnovativesoftwarethat simplifiesunifiedcommunicationsadministration.
Foundedin2000,AsiaPayisapremierdigitalpaymentsolution andtechnologyvendorinAsia,strivestobringadvanced, secure,integrated,andcost-effectivedigitalpayment processingsolutionsandservicestobanksande-businesses aroundtheworld.
BlackBox®isthetrusteddigitalpartner.Withnearly45years ofexperienceconnectingpeopleanddevices.
FelixHoude CEO FXTIhelpsbusinessestoperformnonstopbytakingcareof theirITwithsolutionstailoredtotherealityofthebusiness.
NoorMohdHelmi
BinNongHadzmi CEO&Founder
StevenRobb President
IXTelecomprovidesafullspectrumofconnectivity,ICT,and managedservicesworldwide.
LaSalleSolutionshelpscustomersimprovetheirtechnology operationsandbettermitigateandmanageriskthroughoutthe ITlifecycle.
BrentAllison CEO
AnilJagtiani CEO
MatthewGibson Director Syngrafii syngrafii.com
Twipes twipes.eu
ElizabethKotoulis HeadofProduct
LongViewisoneofthemostpowerfulITsolutionsand servicescompaniesinNorthAmericawithofficesacrossthe continent.
NAKA,aminority-ownedcompany,headquarteredin Hauppauge,NY,isaleadingNorthAmericanITsolutions providerfocusedonAssessments,Cybersecurity,Managed Services,StrategicConsulting,StaffingServices,andCloud Enablement.
SyngrafiiInc.wasoriginallyfoundedbyrenownedauthor, MargaretAtwood,andMatthewGibsonin2003withamandate todesignandbuildtheLongPen™.
Twipesisofferinginnovativewipesthatareeco-friendly becausetheyarefullywaterdispersiblewithinjust3hours.
“LaSalle Solutions and LAMP: Bett delivered. Better process, deeper aut
Solutions
“ TECHNOLOGYLIFECYCLE
LaSalle Solutions and LAMP: Better information, cloudss, deeper automation, scalability. or a changing world.”
LaSalleSolutions,adivisionofFifthThirdBank,NationalAssociation,enablesits customerstoimprovetheirtechnologyoperationsandbettermitigateand manageriskthroughouttheITlifecycle.
LaSalleisavalue-addedresellerpartneredwithover100vendors,andoffers engineeringservicesforalmostanytechnology,whetheritbeenterprise networking,datacenter,security,contactcenter,orcollaboration.LaSalle’s industry-leadingcloud-basedITassetmanagementplatform,LAMP,brings technologyinformationtogetherinoneplaceforbettervisibility,integration,data accuracyandincreasedROI.
Background
LasalleSolutionswasfoundedin1980tohelp organizationsbettermanagetheirtechnologyspendsand assets.FounderChuckGatelysawthatcompaniesin Chicagoneededcomputertechnology,butdidnotwantto alwaysbuyit,astheywouldneedtoupgradeinthefuture. Hesawthatheandhisteamcouldsupportthisneed,aswell ashelpwithriskmanagementthroughoutthetechnology lifecycle.LaSallehasevolvedfromthissimplesolutionto helpingtheITorganizationswithinFortune500companies tomanageandmitigatetheirriskthroughoutthecomplex technologyarchitecturesoftoday
LAMPCutsThroughtheNoiseandEnablesData Visibility
MaintenanceContractandAssetManagementisoften overlookedbylargeorganizationsoperatingatbreakneck speed.Afterall,trackingthelifecycleofallthosemoving partsiscomplexwhenitcomesdowntoit.Youoftenfacea mountainofnoisedistraction,keepingyoufrommaking clear,informeddecisions.Whenyoucancutthroughallthe noiseandcreateaclearpictureinoneplace-beingableto track,organize,andviewdata-itbringsasignificant positivechangetoROI.
StevenRobb President LaSalleSolutions
LeadingwithVisonandInnovation
StevenRobb,PresidentatLaSalle Solutions,joinedthecompanyinin2004 andcarriedthevisiontodevelopLAMP fromanassettrackerintothe comprehensiveinformation managementplatformitistoday.Hehas takentheVARbusiness,developedthe team,mission,andculturetorealizeover 5,500%growthduringtheprevious15 years,andcontinuestoleadthrough innovationandconnectionsintothe future.
Robbhasmorethan20years’experience intheITandnetworkingarena.Before joiningthecompany,heservedassenior vicepresidentofsalesatComdiscoand centralregionalsalesdirectorforboth WestinghouseCommunicationsand FiberlinkCommunications.
RobbisagraduateofIllinoisState UniversitywithaB.S.inEconomics.
ThatisexactlywhyLaSalleSolutionscreatedLAMP,atool toeliminatenoiseandgenerateclaritywhenmanaging maintenancecontractsandassets.LAMPletsyoubring everythingtogetherinoneplacetowidenyourglobal installbasevisibility,streamlineprocesses,andmaintain dataaccuracy,deliveringacompletetechnologylifecycle solutiontohelpmaximizeassetutilizationwhilereducing costs.
LAMPisatruecloud-deliveredserviceplatform,providing comprehensivevisibilityforbetterriskmigrationforall LaSallecustomers.Byleveragingpubliccloudtechnologies includingcontainersandKubernetesorchestration,LAMP deliverspreciseinformationdirectlyfromthecloud,with automation,scalablesearchandsecurity,andoptimizedfor mobileworkforces.
CloudandHybridCloudSolutions
Therearemanythingstoconsiderwhenchoosingacloud solution.Whichcloudcomputingenvironmentisrightfor yourorganization?Howwillitbedeployed?Whowill manageit?
Navigatingthesedecisionsisamuchclearerpathwhenyou haveapartnerwithdedicatedexpertstoguideyoubasedon whatismostimportanttoyourorganization.Remote infrastructuredeployment,performanceanalysis,and serviceavailabilityreportingaresomeofthekeyfeatures youmaylookforinacustomcloudsolution.
“
Extensive Cisco expertise, awards, certifications, and our exceptional team set LaSalle Solutions apart in the industry.
LaSalleunderstandsthevalueofcloudcomputing. LaSalle’scloud-basedplatform,LAMPhasbecomethe industrybenchmarkformanagingITassetandcontract information.LAMPbringsbetterlifecycleinformation managementforhardware,software,enterpriseagreements andmore,whethercloud-basedoron-premises.
NetworkingSolutionsandTechnologies
Allorganizationsdependonnetworkconnectivitytodrive collaborationandproductivity.LaSalle’steamcanhelp manageandscaleyournetworktoaccountforincreased trafficandnumerousconnecteddevices,providingyouwith thenetworkperformanceyouneedtodriveinnovation withinyourorganization.
Fromauditsandroadmapstostrategyanddesign,LaSalle hasthetools,technology,andsubjectmatterexpertstoset upamoreadaptablenetworkthatwillworkforyounow andintothefuture.Fromcloudandsecuritytonetworking andservices,LaSalleSolutionshelpsorganizationsmanage theirITriskandthrive.
DataCenterArchitecture
Yourorganization’sdatacenterarchitecturemustsupporta highlymobileworkforce,proliferationofdevices,datadrivenbusinessmodels,andbecapableofseamlessly incorporatingcloudapplicationsandservices.Tomeet thesediverserequirements,UnifiedDataCenterSolutions
StevenRobbwithKevinBucker
TheRacersGroupFounderandCEO
cancombinecompute,storage,network,andmanagement intoasingleplatformdesignedtoautomateITasaservice acrossphysicalandvirtualenvironments.
LaSalle’scustomersrelyontheirexperiencedengineersfor guidanceandassistanceinmovingtoavirtualized environment,suchasahybridcloud,aswellas implementationofhyperconvergedinfrastructurebringing togetherservers,storage,andnetworkinfrastructure.
SecuringtheNetworkAgainstThreats
LaSalleEngineeringServicespossessesexpertisein multiplesecuritydomainssuchasmigrationandupgrade planning,riskmitigation,datacenters,andcollaboration technologies.Securityexpertscarefullyassesseach customer’sITinfrastructureandimplementthemeasures thatwillbestprotectthemfromcomplexcyberattackssuch asman-in-the-middleattacks,DDoScampaigns, ransomware,andothersastheycontinuetobecomemore advanced.
AsaCiscoMasterSecurityPartner,LaSalleSolutionshas someofthemostin-depthknowledgearoundtheCisco Securityofferingswiththeexperienceofimplementation. Also,giventhecompany’sdeepknowledgeofthe customer’senvironmentwiththeirdatainLAMPand throughregularQuarterlyBusinessReviews(QBRs),ithas uniqueinsightintowhatitscustomerneedstoprotectand provide,improvingthesolutionswiththemtogain successfuloutcomes.
WhereMotorsportsandTechnologyIntersect
Ineveryracevictoryhidesinathousandthofasecond.The driver'srelentlesscontrol,thepitcrew'sflawless choreography,ortheengineer'ssplit-secondjudgement coulddefinetheraceandholdthekeytovictory.Your businessmightnothangontheedgeofasecond,butyour nextsuccesscouldcomefromanywhere.Itisallabout havingthetoolsandaccesstodatayouneedwhenyouneed it.
RoadAmericaRaceonthepodium
Havingin-depthknowledgeofanysubject matterimprovesthesuccessrateofthe organization.Thein-depthknowledgeis oftenconsideredastheexperienceofthecompany andthatoftheentrepreneur.Itistheinsightthatgains successthroughtheimplementationofeffective solutions.AleaderinsuchproductsisCISCO (ComputerInformationSystemCompany).
CISCOstandsasonesuchleaderofInformation Technologycompanies.ItstandsfortheleaderinIT productsandmatchesthecustomerdemands.IT industryhassuccessfullyimplementedCISCO’s solutions.
Itaddressesthecustomerneedsby:
1. ReducingCostsforyourBusiness:CISCO removesadditionalcostsbyleveraginghigh-speed businessapplicationslikeCloudComputing, Teleconferencing,andWebinars.So,ifyouare thinkingofwaystosavecostforyourbusiness, insteadofheavyservers,useCloudComputingand otherequipmentinyouroffice.Teleconferencingand Webinarshelptobuildcustomerrelationship managementandhelptoattractpotentialcustomers withoutspendingtoomuchmoney
2. ImportanceofInformationSecurity:Duetothe lackofprotectiononthecomputersystems,many successfulattacksaretargetedatthecompanies. Havingreliablenetworksecurityiskeyforthe customers.CISCOprotectsthecompany'sdatafrom allmaliciouspractices.Itscybersecuritysolutionswill protectthecompanydatafromthreatsand vulnerabilities.Thisisasimplethingthatcompanies requiretodoforthesafetyofthebusiness.
CareerOpportunities
CISCOcompaniesoffercareeroptionsfor professionalswhoarelookingtobecomeITdirectors, ITsecuritymanagers,ChiefTechnologyOfficers (CTOs),andChiefInformationOfficers.The followingcareeroptions:
1. ComputerNetworkArchitect:Acomputer networkarchitectanalyzessoftwareandhardware
whichwillcausethenetworktofunctionproperly.An importantfeatureofacomputernetworkarchitectisto acknowledgetheadvancementsintechnologies.
2. SoftwareDeveloper:ASoftwaredeveloperplaysa crucialroleinthemanagementofthecompanyasthey designandtestcodes.Theyworkfromstartingphase intheCISCOcompaniestotheprogramortheappis developedandused.
3. InformationSecurityAnalyst:Theyare responsibleformanagingthenetworksandsystemsof theCISCOcompanies.Theyaretheoneswhoworkto securethecompany’ssystemsfromalltypesof cyberattacks.
Identifyingbreachesinthecompanymakesthe analystanimportantpartofthecompany.
TrendsandChallenges
CISCOcompanieshaveopeneddoorsfor organizationstoworkeasierthaneverbefore.These systemsserveasthefoundationforcomputer technologiesandallowthecustomertousecomputers withouthassle.Thechallengingpartforthe entrepreneursandupcomingcompanieswillbetostay uptodatewiththeindustryandclient'strends.Trends intheCISCOchangesfrequentlyandcontinueto evolve.TodaythebuzzisaboutArtificialIntelligence, MachineLearning,andAdvancedRobotics.Thisis thefutureofthisindustryandisstartedtogrowinthe organizations.
ClosingStatement
CISCOcompaniesgivebusinessestheuniqueability toworkinrealtimewiththechangeinmarketfactors. Lookingatthebenefits,careeropportunitiesand trendsithasalreadybecometheanswerformany complexproblems,butthereisstillalongwaytogo. Still,thebenefitscanoutweightheevolvingproblems alongwithevolvingtechnologies.Itwillbeabout beingonthesmartersideandcontinuingtofind solutionsasitisdoingsincesolong.Restthe innovationliesinthehandsofthepeople,tillwhat extentweallowtoenteritintoourlives.So,thatit becomestheproblem-solverforusandnotthe problem.
C I S C O
Tom Bamert Chief Product Officer Akkadian Labs
Youarespendingtoomuchtimemanually provisioningend-usersinCiscounified communications.Imaginecompletingwhatis usuallya30-minutetaskin30seconds.AsaCisco PreferredSolutionPartner,AkkadianLabscreatessoftware thathelpsunifiedcommunicationsengineersefficiently completerepetitive,manualtasks.Theirsoftwarefacilitates companies'deployment,adoptionandmanagementofCisco Collaboration,aswellasintegratingitwithothersystems withintheir technologyenvironment. Let’shearmorefrom,TomBamert,theChiefProduct OfficeratAkkadianLabsthroughaninterviewconducted betweenhimandInsightsSuccess.
Tomhasover15yearsofexperiencewithCisco technology.Hehashelpedhundredsofcompaniesdeploy solutionstostreamlinethemanagementofunified communications,withafocusonautomatingthe provisioningprocess.
Below are the highlights of the interview:
WhatledtotheinceptionofAkkadianLabs?
AkkadianLabswasspun-offfromaCertifiedCiscoGold Collaborationpartner,whosemainfocuswashelping enterprisesadoptCiscounifiedcommunications(UC) solutions.Duringengagements,werealizedthatittookalot ofrepetitivemanualefforttomanagetheon-goingmoves, addschanges,anddeletes(MACDs)intheCisco Collaborationsuite.Wesawanopportunitytodevelopa solutionthatwouldautomatethesemanuallyintensive, repetitive,anderror-proneprocesses.Thus,wedeveloped ourflagshipproduct,AkkadianProvisioningManager, whichhelpstostreamlinetheprovisioningprocessesfor
MACDwork,aswellasprovidingothertoolstosimplify theoveralladministrativeburdensofmanagingacomplex setofUCapplications.
Describethecompany’sinnovativeCiscosolutions whichaddresstheneedsofitscustomers.
WestreamlinetheadministrationofCiscoCollaboration acrossallapplications,servers,andclusters,byprovidinga nextgenerationapproachtominimizemanualwork. Throughasingle-pane-of-glassarchitecture,weprovidean easy-to-use,turnkeysolutionthatrequiresnoadditional modulestopurchaseandfeaturesahighlyflexible configuration,sonolargeprofessionalservicesengagement isneededtodeploy
AkkadianProvisioningManagerisintegratedwithallthe applicationswithintheCiscoCollaborationsuite,including butnotlimitedtoCUCM,UnityConnection,Webex Meetings,WebexTeams,Jabber,andcallcenterproducts (UCCXandPackaged-UCCE).Fromonescreen,for example,theUCAdministratororHelpDeskpersonnelcan quicklyandconsistentlyon-boardanewemployeewith minimaldatainputandwithouthavingtodirectlysign-into eachoftheCiscoapplicationsthatneedtobedeployedto thisnewemployee.
Bycompletingwhatwouldotherwisebea30-minutetask in30-seconds,ourcustomersgenerallyrealize90%time savingsanda50%costsavingfromtheseefficiencies. Thus,thereisapowerfulROIfromoursolution. Beyondstreamliningprovisioning,theAkkadian ProvisioningManagerplatformalsoincludestoolsto simplifyotheraspectsofUCmanagement:
‘‘
‘‘ We are constantly innovating the automation of Cisco UC administration.
ison-boarded,aftertheCiscoCollaborationprovisioning jobiscomplete,atriggerupdatestheemployee’sphone numberinMicrosoftAzureActiveDirectory
Theseprocessautomationenhancementseliminatetheneed forhumaninterventiontoprovisionyourCiscoUCand updateotherapplications.UCengineersandadministrators nowhaveaneasywaytotietogethercriticalsystemswithin theirinfrastructure.
Describeindetailthevaluesthatdrivethecompany.
Customerserviceisatthecoreofourworkethic.Wework fast,boldly,withanopenmind,andareconstantlytryingto improve,asweseektocreateimpactforourcustomers.
Ÿ Employeeself-serviceportal–enablesemployeestoresettheirvoicemailPIN,andmanagetheirownlines, intercoms,andspeeddials
Ÿ Role-basedaccess–engineerscandecidewhohas accesstowhichjobsandtools
Ÿ Visualphoneeditor–easilyrearrange,add,andedit phonesettingsviaavisualrepresentationofmost phones
Ÿ Remotephonecontrol-accessCiscoIPphonestotest, placecalls,andchangesettingsremotely
Ÿ Advancedreporting-useSQLdatabasequeriesto generatereportsfromCUCM
Ÿ Bulkprovisioning-addordeletemultipleusersfrom oneCSVfile
Howarethecompany’sCiscosolutionsmoreadvanced comparedtoothercompanies’solutions?
AkkadianProvisioningManager’sadvancedautomation capabilitiesareuniqueamongourcompetitors.AUC systemdoesnotexistinasiloanditneedsconnectionsto disparatesystemsinyourtechnologystack,suchasHR, ITSM,identitymanagementandothers.Ofcourse,wehave aRESTfulAPIwhichyoucanuse,butwealsoprovide nativeintegrationswithMicrosoftActiveDirectoryand ServiceNow,enablingfullcyclezero-touchprovisioning, withoutanyAPIprogramming.Forexample,ifan employeesubmitsaServiceNowtickettoresettheir voicemailPIN,AkkadianProvisioningManagerwillsee thisticket,runaprovisioningjobtomakethechangesin CiscoCollaboration,andnotifytheuser.NoHelpDesk involvementnecessary.
rd
Forothersystems,ourAPITriggersmakesyncingdata3 partyapplicationseasy.Forexample,whenanewemployee
Whatisyouropiniononthenecessityforbusinessesto aligntheirofferingswithnewertechnological developments?
Technologyhelpstoeliminatemanualandrepetitive busywork,allowingemployeestofocusmoreonthe creativeandstrategicworktheydo.ITteamsneedto constantlyevolveandtojettisonwasteandmovewith greateragilityandefficiency,tocreatebetteroutcomesfor theirstakeholders.Companieswhowishtoperform competitivelyignoretechnologicaladvancementsattheir ownperil.
Whatarethecompany’sfutureaspirations?What strategiesisitundertakingtoachievethosegoals?
We’recurrentlyevolvingtohandlehybridCisco-Microsoft UCenvironments,asthisbecomesmoreandmore common.
We’realsocommittedtohelpingourmanagedservices partnerstomovetheircustomerstothecloudwithourMSP FlexProvisioningplatform.Thequestionofcloud migrationisn’tif,butwhen,andwe’refullypreparedto supportthem—nomatterwheretheyareontheirjourney. Whetherit’swithon-prem,hybridon-prem/cloud,orfull CiscoUCMCloud,wesupportalloftheCiscounified communicationsplatformsandarereadytohelpdrivethe successoftheircollaborationbusinessastheymigratetheir users.
Félix Houde Founder and CEO
FXTI
Performing Nonstop in Cloud-computing & Cybersecurity
Doyoustillthriveonexceedingyourgoalsevenif
ITnolongerholdsanysecretsforyou?Isthe Cloudabitlikeyoursecondhome?Doyouthink thereisonemorelevelabovetheExpert?Foundedin2004, FXTIoffersitsservicesinmanagedIT,ITsecurity,and cloud-computingsolutionstoyourbusinesses.Everyday, thecompanyimplementsthebestpracticestoadoptin cybersecurity.BecauseitknowsthecrucialroleofITfor yourbusinessandhowquicklyitevolves,theteamof expertsisalwaysproactivewiththehelpofitsrenowned partnersandoffersyouthebestsolutionsinthemarket. FXTIhelpsyouperformnonstopbytakingcareofyourIT withsolutionstailoredtotherealityofyourbusiness.
StrategicallyProtectsCustomers
IThasbecomesuchanimportantpartofbusinesses,andso muchreliesonit.FXTIwascreatedwhen,FelixHoude, Founder&ChiefExecutiveOfficer,wasn'timpressedby mostITsuppliersandMSPsanddecidedtocreatehisown
companytodothingsdifferentlyandbetterthaneveryone else.Hewantedtobuildacompanythatfocusedonhelping itsclientsratherthanresellingproducts.
FXTIwasborntoensurethatitsclientsalwaysmettheir performanceneedsandthattheirITwasmoreatoolto achievetheirbusinessobjectivesratherthananobstacle.He createdFXTI,ahigh-endMSPlocatedinMontreal, Quebec,Canada.Cybersecuritynowbeingsuchanissue, foreveryoneincludingitscustomers,thecompanyadded earlyonthecybersecurityservicestoprotectitscustomers.
Manages–CustomerIT
FXTI'smottoisnon-stopperformance.Everythingthe companydoesisdrivenbythis.FXTImanagesits customer'sITjustlikeitwasits.Theorganizationisalsoa veryhumanecompanywhereitplacesitsemployeesandits customersattheverycenter “If you have happy, motivated and talented employees, you can hire and keep the best
“When everything works, no one knows what we are doing. We work in the black box”
“Building a reputation can take 20 years, but it only takes one cyber-incident of a few seconds to ruin it”
talent. When you have the best talent in the industry smiling all day, you can be sure your customer will be just as happy”, saystheFounder.
ApproachontheNetwork
Thepandemicmadethecybersecuritysituationworst,we seethemorediversetypeofattackandmorevolumeofthe attack.Thedisruptioncomesmainlyfromthesenewthreats thatarefoundeachday.Everyday,anewcompanyison theheadlineofthemediabecausetheysomehowgot hackedorarevictimsofransomware.
That'swhyFXTIchoseCisco,theworldleaderin cybersecuritytoofferitscustomersthebestpossible solutionstoprotectthemselves.FXTIcanalsooffer “securityasaservice”forthosewhoneedhelpwiththe subject.Forbigcompanieswithsensibledata,thecompany canofferSOC(SecurityOperationCenter)servicesaswell.
QualityofFXTIService
Ciscoistheleaderincybersecurityproducts.FXTIcan leveragetheentireCiscostacktosecuretheperimeterofits customers.Thecompanyadaptsthescopeofwork,the productselection,andeventhemethodologytomatchits customer'srealities.Thedifferenceisinthequalityof FXTI'sserviceandthesizeofthefirm.Mostfirmsthatare CiscoCertifiedforAdvancedSecurityArchitectureare muchbiggerthanthecompanysoitcandeliveramuch morepersonalizedandhumanservice.Theorganization takesallthetimerequiredtoexplainthosecomplex technologies.AtFXTI,itdoesn'thaveasinglesalesperson: itdoesnotsellproductsorservices,itaddressesissuesand problems.
FastandBrilliantPerson
Formorethan20years,FélixHoudehasbeenproviding consultingservicesinthefieldofITinfrastructureand helpingcompaniesturntheirmostcomplexproblemsinto successfulITchallenges.Overthelast10years,Félixis specializedinindustrialenvironments.
FélixHoudecreatedFXTIforaspecificreason.Inaworld wheretechnologiesarerapidlydevelopingandareessential tobusinesses,therearesomanycybersecuritychallenges. Moreover,acompanyneededawell-adaptedandreliableIT infrastructuretoperformwell.Félixunderstoodthat.When achallengeseemstoobig,thatiswhenhe'sathisbest. “My goal is to make sure your business can focus on what it does the best … perform nonstop”,saysFelix.
BeyondIT
ForFXTI'sMSPbusinessitisaMicrosoftShop,itdoesall theregularon-premstuffplusalltheAzurestuff.The companyisalsobigonCiscofornetworkandcybersecurity andfinally,thecompanyresellsDATTObackupand continuitysolutions.Also,themaincomponentofbeing resourcefulishavingtherightpeopleimplementtheright solutionsattherightmoment.Anycompanycanresell products.FXTI'sapproachgoesfarbeyondthat.The companytreatsitsclient'sITsolutionsasifitistheirs.Its peopleknowhowtoanalyzetheneedsoftheclients,howto adviseinwhatdecisionstomake,andhowtoimplement solutionsthatwillensuretheclientisalwaysperforming. FXTIaspirestogrowwithoutlosingitsidentityandits values.ThecompanywishestobecomethebestMSPand securitypartnerinQuebecandthenCanada.
About the Author
– Head of Product @ Twipes
Based out of Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Elizabeth works with brands, media companies, marketers and influencers on commercializing biotransformation internationally. Elizabeth is an ardent advocate of Twipes' mission and focus on positive global impact. Prior to Twipes, Elizabeth worked in education, healthcare and consumer goods, with an academic background of West Virginia University at Parkersburg and Florida State University.
Elizabeth Kotoulis
Elizabeth Kotoulis
Head of Product at Twipes, on Biodegradable Packaging
-ByElizabethKotoulis
BiodegradablePackaging:MarketSavioror ExpensiveBust?
Biodegradablepackagingisn'tanewconcept.Infact, almost100yearsago,in1926,FrenchscientistMaurice LemoignediscoveredPHAplasticsproducednaturally throughfermentationandtheycouldbiodegradewith certainbacteria.Butbiodegradablematerialshavenever trulybeenaneconomicallyefficientoptionforpackaging, alwayscostingmorethantraditionalpackagingmaterials suchasplastics,paperboardsoraluminumwraps.In2021 however,thetablescouldhaveturnedpotentiallywitha hugeopportunityandthepotentialforeconomicparity.
Thepandemicwasextremelytoughformanyindustries, andnowaswelooktowardsrecovery,manyareaskingthe questionsof'howdotheyspeeduptherecoveryprocess?' Oneoftheeasiestwaystoachievethisistodifferentiate yourproductofferingsandembracechange.Asmany productindustrieslookfornewinnovativewaysto differentiatethemselvesin2021,tobreakoutoftheirrut andcomeoutstrongerontheothersidefromthepandemic, thisarticleasksthequestionofwhetherornot biodegradablepackagingcanbethatkeydifferentiatoror whetheritisjustanexpensivefolly,withouttangible economicbenefits?
TheUpside
Thepotentialmarketupsideishuge.Manylocal,stateand nationalgovernmentsacrosstheglobehaveutilizedthe coverofthepandemictopasslongtermlawsregarding productpackaging.NewYorkhasreinstatedabanon Styrofoam–thelight,airymaterialusedfortakeoutfood cartons.Acrossthepond,inEngland,thegovernmenthas implementedaPlasticPackagingTax.
ThesealldemonstrateopportunitiesforSME'stogetahead ofthecurveeconomically,bychangingsupplychainsto biodegradablepackaging,theywouldavoidbansincertain marketsandpotentiallytaxestoo.OneSMEthathaswell utilizedthisopportunityisLondon-basedAeropowder. Aeropowderproducealternativepackagingwithinsulation propertiesusingchickenfeathers.Theirproductpackis 95%feathersand5%bio-binder,wrappedinacompostable sheet.Thisbiodegradableproductismeanttoinsulate perishablefoodandreplacepolystyreneinthepackaging sphere.
Asfortheireconomicsuccess?Well,theproofisinthe pudding(hopefullypuddingthatisprepackagingused biodegradablematerials!)–InNovember2018,inan interview,co-founderElenaDieckmannmentionedthatshe didn'tatthetime"evenknowifAeropowderwillbe successfulinthelong-term",andyetnowin2021,usingthe marketopportunitiespresentedtothem,Aeropowderhave successfullyraisedoverhalfamillionpoundsthrougha crowdfundingcampaign,overachievingtheircrowdfunding goalsby211%!
TheDownside
Butthat'snottosaythattherearen'tanydownsidesatall. Thetwomostnotableofwhichbeing1)theeconomic factorsinvolvedinsupplychainsourcingofbiodegradable materials,andalso2)theenvironmentalfactorsofthe behaviorstheypromote.
Theeconomicfactorsarequitestraightforward. Biodegradablematerialsarecurrently,asglobalmarket pricesstand,notaneconomicallyefficientoptionfor packagingwhenmeasuredinlargescalequantities,always costingmorethantraditionalpackagingmaterialssuchas plastics,paperboardsoraluminumwraps.Infact,Recycled
plasticscostanextra$72pertonneincomparisontoraw plastics,andbiodegradablescostanextra$114pertonnein comparison.
Untilmoreconsumersbegintodemandeco-friendly alternativesbyvotingwiththeirwallets,oruntillawmakers passmore'plastic-taxes',therejustaren'tenougheconomic incentivesatthemomenttodrivelargeandmeaningful changeonaglobalscale.
Theenvironmentalfactorsinvolvedaremorenuanced.Not allbiodegradableproductsarecompostableinyourown garden,notallbiodegradablesbreakdowninindustrial landfill,andnotallbiodegradablesbreakdowninocean water.Soifanordinaryconsumerjustseesaproduct packaginglabelledas'biodegradable',howarethey supposedtodisposeofit?
Furthermore,somepackagingmaterialstakemultipleyears tobreakdown,yetthey'restilllabelledas'biodegradable' becausetheytechnicallydoeventuallybreakdown,ifinthe rightconditions. Andthereisalsoacertainlevelof consumerconfusionoverthemixingupof'biodegradable' and'recyclable'labels.
That'swhy,wehereatTwipes,tookaslightlydifferent approachthatkeepsthingsassimpleaspossibleforthe consumers.TheactualTwipesproductitselfarewetwipes thataretrulybiodegradable&trulyflushable-breaking downinwaterwithinjust3hoursandbreakingdownin landfillwithinjust7days.Butweneededapackaging
optionthatfurtherbackedupourvalues,whilstkeepingthe productcostseconomicallyviable.
That'swhyTwipes'packagingis100%recyclableandwe takecareoftheentirerecyclingprocessourselves!When soldonlineinasubscriptionservice,eachofthe subscriptionboxescomeswithafreereturnlabeltomail backtheemptypackagingoncefinished.Whatthismeansis thattheconsumerconfusionisgoneentirely–nomore figuringouthowtoorwheretodisposeofiteffectively,or feelingguiltyaboutwhathappenstothatpackagingwhen disposed,ifitwillactuallygetrecycledorifitwillbetoo expensivetogetre-used…
We'vedirectlypartneredwithmanufacturerstoensurethat theyarerecycled,andcurrentlyallempty&usedTwipes packagingisrecycledandutilizedinasupplychainfor toothbrushpackaging!
TheFuture
That'snottosaythatitwillalwaysbethisway Thefuture ofbiodegradableandrecyclablematerialsforpackagingis verybright–justrecentlyastartupoutofImperialCollege inLondon,hasdevelopedtheworld'sfirstboth biodegradableandrecyclableplastic!Sothere'sclearlyalot ofpositivesonthehorizon.It'sjustaquestionofhowfast thetimelinescanmove,andwhetherbiodegradablescan serveasanopportunityfor2021,oriftheyarejustanother expensetoaddontoanalreadycostlyrecoveryforSME's?
Enhancing Worldwide Internet
Connec vity with the Premium
Touch of SD-WAN Technology
Bin Nong Hadzmi CEO & Founder
Foranorganization,carrierneutralityisanimportant factortothinkaboutwhendecidingonadatacentre. Carrierneutralityofferscompaniesalternatives whenitcomestointerconnectivityservices,andtheycan alsofindasolutionthatmeetstheirspecificneeds.IX Telecom,acompanythatoffersTelecommunications services,providesafullspectrumofconnectivity,ICT,and managedservicesworldwide.
AninterviewbetweenInsightsSuccessandNoorMohd HelmiBinNongHadzmi,CEO&FounderofIX Telecom,exhibitsthecompany’sunparallelservices,major aspectsoftheindustry,andhowNoorMohdHelmistarted hisjourneyasacollegestudentandbecomeatechleader
Belowarethehighlightsoftheinterview: Whatledtotheinceptionofthecompany?
NoorMohdHelmiandhiscollegeroommatehadadream ofbuildingatelecommunicationscompany,butthey quicklyrealiseditrequiredimmensecapitalandtimeto establishthenecessaryphysicalinfrastructure.Theydidn’t haveanyinvestorsupport,sotheyhadtoimproviseand restructuretheiroriginalbusinessmodel.NoorMohdHelmi exploredandstudiedthevirtualnetworkoperatormodel thatwasalreadyworkingoverseas,testedit,modifieditand finallyestablishedthefirstAsian-basedvirtualnetwork operator
Afteryearsofplanningandtraining,IXTelecomwas finallylaunchedin2008,rightinthemiddleofAsia’s financialcrisis.Unlikeothertelecommunicationcompanies, IXTelecomoperateswithoutanyphysicalinfrastructure. Instead,theyleverageworkingwithover1000partners aroundtheglobebecausethesupplychainiscomplexand expensivetomanageespeciallyinremoteareas.This businessmodelwasatoughsellinMalaysia,sohecrossed bordersandwonthetrustofMalaysianownedcompanies abroad,whichinturnstrengthenedtheircredibilitybackat home.Withinafewyears,hemanagedtoexpandthe networktomorethan200countriesintheworld.The serviceshaveevolvedtocatertoallthecountriesaswellas theuncategorizedterritories,autonomies,andislands, whichiswhywesay200+countries.IXTelecom,bornina tinycollegeroom,nowcompetesatparwiththelargest networkoperatorsoftheworld.
Describethecompany’sinnovativeCiscosolutions whichaddressalltheneedsofitscustomers.
Noor Mohd Helmi
IXTelecomhassuccessfullyimplementedCISCO’s Software-DefinedWideAreaNetwork(SD-WAN)to addressthecustomerneedsby:
i)ReducingCostperbandwidth:CISCOSD-WAN addressesthisissuebyremovingcertainexpensivelinks suchasMulti-ProtocolLabelSwitch(MPLS)and leveragingoncheaperhigh-speedcommodityBroadband linkswithhelpofredundancylinksandgranularvisibility Thismakesthecustomerrethinktheusageoftransport linksfornon-criticalandcriticalbusinessapplications.
ii)ProtectingCriticalBusinessApplications:tohavea reliableandconsistentnetworkperformanceforcritical businessapplicationsthatmeetstheServiceLevel Agreement(SLA)iskeyforthecustomer.CISCOSDWANprovidesintelligenceandautomationintothesolution byroutingtrafficbasedontheperformanceofthetransport linksandapplication.
iii)CloudAdoption:CISCOSD-WANwithintegrated securitycapabilitiesinadistributedmannercanoffload trafficstraighttotheinternet/cloudfromtheremoteoffice andreducelatencyratherthantheconventionalmethodas trafficneedstogothroughcentralizedsecuritybefore offloadingtheinternet.
Howdoesthecompany’sCiscosolutionsmoreadvanced comparedtotheothercompanies’solutions?
MigratingorrevampingnetworksarecommoninIT solutions,butconcernariseswhenthelatestsolution adoptionrequiresthepurchaseofspecificdeviceswhich couldleadtohighCAPEX.CISCOhasanadvancedSDWANsolutioncomparedtootherswiththecapabilityto migratewitheasebyusingtheexistingdevicessuchasISR
IX Telecom is an award-winning global connec vity, SD-WAN, and managed services provider for businesses with coverage in more than 200 countries and territories.
‘‘andASRroutersthusallowingcompaniestoreduce CAPEX.
Giveadetaileddescriptionofthefeaturedperson’s influenceoverthecompanyandtheindustry.
NoorMohdHelmihasprovenhimselftobealeaderofthe peopleandbringsthebestoutofpeople.IXTelecomisa Malaysiancompanywithaglobalmindsetandemployees fromdiversebackgroundssuchasMalaysia,Indonesia, Myanmar,Poland,Ukraine,Kenya,Thailand,Pakistan, India,Slovakia,Vietnam,Brunei,Laosandmanyother countries.
Anengineerbyprofessionandanentrepreneuratheart,he hasproventhatinnovation,forward-thinkingand compassionarethekeystosuccessinthisera.
Describeindetailthevaluesthatdrivethecompany.
Innovation,collaboration,andcontinuousimprovementare thedrivingforcesbehindIXTelecom.Inthepasttwoyears, IXTelecomhassuccessfullydeployednewproduct innovationsandinitiatedanewsubsidiaryfocusingon digitalhealthcare(IXHealth).Oureffortsaregeared towardstechnologyinnovation,automation,and digitizationwhichhasledtoexponentialgrowth.IX Telecomhasestablishedpartnershipsaroundtheglobeand providesservicestoavarietyofclientsbasedonits strategiccollaboration.
Throughdisruptionandcontinuousimprovement,our companyhasbeenabletowithstandthestormsofchangeas wearenotstandingagainstitbutmovingwithit.
Whattechnologiesisthecompanyleveragingtomakeits solutionsresourceful?
SD-WANhelpstoaddresstheshortcomingsofthe traditionalWideAreaNetwork(WAN)intermsofcost, complexity,securityandputtingastrainonthenetworkas theITindustryisconstantlychangingandevolving.CISCO SD-WANsolutioncanadapttothecurrenttechnology trendswithitscapabilitiesofNetworkManagementSystem (NMS)andfeaturesformanaging,monitoringand analyzingtheentirenetworkviaasinglepaneofglass.
Whatarethecompany’sfutureaspirations?What strategiesisitundertakingtoachievethosegoals?
TheinnovationatIXisacontinuousprocessandHelmi intendsonexpandingoperationstomorephysicallocations worldwideandtransformingtheproductsandservicesto consistentlymeetbusinessandcommunityneeds.Inthe pasttwoyearsalone,IXTelecomhasexpandedphysical officeoperationstoMyanmarandIndonesia,successfully deployednewproductinnovations(SD-WANanddigital transformation)andlaunchedanewsubsidiaryfocusedon digitalizationinthehealthcaresector(IXHealth).IX Telecomhasalsoestablishedpartnershipsaroundtheworld. Thisensuresconsistentqualityservicesashumancapitalis notoverexpensedevenwiththerapidincreaseindemand forourproductsandservices.
Testimonial
IXTelecomprovidesuswithimpeccableinternetservicein SydneyandKualaLumpurandwecanalwaysrelyontheir prompt,responsiveNOCsupportteam!-AirAsia
Excellent!IXhasprovidedmorethan100%supportto assistusinmanagingourcustomersandensuringwe’re happy! -Airstar
