The 10 Fastest Growing CISCO Solution Providers 2021 March2021

Editor’s Desk

Witnessthe BeautyofCISCO

Farecontinuouslyimprovingandhavebecomethe importantforcesbehindthegrowthofcompanies. Businesseshavegrowntoanexponentiallevelby establishingpartnershipsaroundtheglobeandproviding servicestoavarietyofcompanies.Itisbecauseofthese technologicaldisruptionsthecomputerinformationsystem companies(CISCO)havebeenabletowithstandall challengesputforwardbyclients.

romthepastfewyears,innovationandtechnology

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

BriefCompanyName

AkkadianLabs akkadianlabs.com

FeaturedPerson

EricNelson PresidentandCOO

AkkadianLabsexiststocreateinnovativesoftwarethat simplifiesunifiedcommunicationsadministration.

AsiaPay asiapay.com

BlackBoxNetwork Services Inc.blackbox.com

FXTI fxti.ca

JosephChan Founder&CEO

Foundedin2000,AsiaPayisapremierdigitalpaymentsolution andtechnologyvendorinAsia,strivestobringadvanced, secure,integrated,andcost-effectivedigitalpayment processingsolutionsandservicestobanksande-businesses aroundtheworld.

SanjeevVerma CEO BlackBox®isthetrusteddigitalpartner.Withnearly45years ofexperienceconnectingpeopleanddevices.

FelixHoude CEO

FXTIhelpsbusinessestoperformnonstopbytakingcareof theirITwithsolutionstailoredtotherealityofthebusiness.

IXTelecom ixtelecom.net

NoorMohdHelmi BinNongHadzmi CEO&Founder

IXTelecomprovidesafullspectrumofconnectivity,ICT,and managedservicesworldwide.

LaSalleSolutions lasallesolutions.com

StevenRobb President

LaSalleSolutionshelpscustomersimprovetheirtechnology operationsandbettermitigateandmanageriskthroughoutthe ITlifecycle.

BrentAllison CEO LongView lvs1.com

LongViewisoneofthemostpowerfulITsolutionsand servicescompaniesinNorthAmericawithofficesacrossthe continent.

NakaTechnologies nakatech.com

AnilJagtiani CEO

NAKA,aminority-ownedcompany,headquarteredin Hauppauge,NY,isaleadingNorthAmericanITsolutions providerfocusedonAssessments,Cybersecurity,Managed Services,StrategicConsulting,StaffingServices,andCloud Enablement.

MatthewGibson Director Syngrafii syngrafii.com

Twipes twipes.eu

ElizabethKotoulis HeadofProduct

SyngrafiiInc.wasoriginallyfoundedbyrenownedauthor, MargaretAtwood,andMatthewGibsonin2003withamandate todesignandbuildtheLongPen™.

Twipesisofferinginnovativewipesthatareeco-friendly becausetheyarefullywaterdispersiblewithinjust3hours.

PROVIDERS,

LaSalleSolutions

OPTIMIZINGTHETECHNOLOGY

C O V E R S T O R Y

Solutions

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.

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.

StevenRobb President LaSalleSolutions

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.

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

Extensive Cisco expertise, awards, certifications, and our exceptional team set LaSalle Solutions apart in the industry.

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

Industry Insights

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.

Celebrate the Success with C I S C O

Tom Bamert Chief Product Officer Akkadian Labs

MakingComplexTechnologySimple

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:

Employeeself-serviceportal–enablesemployeestoresettheirvoicemailPIN,andmanagetheirownlines, intercoms,andspeeddials

Role-basedaccess–engineerscandecidewhohas accesstowhichjobsandtools

Visualphoneeditor–easilyrearrange,add,andedit phonesettingsviaavisualrepresentationofmost phones

Remotephonecontrol-accessCiscoIPphonestotest, placecalls,andchangesettingsremotely

Advancedreporting-useSQLdatabasequeriesto generatereportsfromCUCM

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.

Forothersystems,ourAPITriggersmakesyncingdata3 partyapplicationseasy.Forexample,whenanewemployee

ison-boarded,aftertheCiscoCollaborationprovisioning jobiscomplete,atriggerupdatestheemployee’sphone numberinMicrosoftAzureActiveDirectory

Theseprocessautomationenhancementseliminatetheneed forhumaninterventiontoprovisionyourCiscoUCand updateotherapplications.UCengineersandadministrators nowhaveaneasywaytotietogethercriticalsystemswithin theirinfrastructure.

Describeindetailthevaluesthatdrivethecompany.

Customerserviceisatthecoreofourworkethic.Wework fast,boldly,withanopenmind,andareconstantlytryingto improve,asweseektocreateimpactforourcustomers.

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.

‘‘

‘‘

We are constantly innovating the automation of Cisco UC administration.

Félix Houde Founder and CEO FXTI

Performing Nonstop in Cloud-computing & Cybersecurity

oyoustillthriveonexceedingyourgoalsevenif

DITnolongerholdsanysecretsforyou?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”

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.

“Building a reputation can take 20 years, but it only takes one cyber-incident of a few seconds to ruin it”

About the Author

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 @ Twipes

Leadership Viewpoint

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

Connecvity with the Premium Touch of SD-WAN Technology

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 Bin Nong Hadzmi CEO & Founder IX Telecom

The 10 Fastest Growing CISCO Solution Providers, 2021

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 connecvity, 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