The 5 Best IBM Solution Providers To Watch In 2022

WWW.THEENTERPRISEWORLD.COM | AMERICA EDITION | APRIL 2022 The 5 Best IBM Solution Providers To Watch In 2022 Alacrinet EW YOU IN 2Your Go-To Security Partner







From Editor’s Desk The universe is on a threshold to the metaverse. Today digital assets matter more than physical assets. With the urgent emergence of crypto and NFT's, there have also risen possibilities of continually evolving threats to your company's sensitive information. Global industry leader, IBM with its exceptional solutions has allowed its users to eliminate these threats with ease. IBM business analytics makes work more simple with data analysis. Featuring for The Enterprise World's this issue of the 5 Best IBM Solution Providers to Watch In 2022 are the stories of successful companies that have made their mark in the industry. For the Cover Story read about- Alacrinet has been an IBM business partner for the last 20 years. The company was started in 2002 in San Diego, with a vision on being a proud IBM business partner. A strong vision as such was the necessary impetus for Alacrinet to start the business. Alacrinet set out to become one of the first IBM channel partners for software before 2000. Prior to that IBM only had a hardware channel. Ahead of starting Alacrinet, Brian Bouchard worked at IBM's Silicon Valley Lab, which was part of IBM Global Services division. This division was started by Lou Gershner, who was the CEO of IBM at the time. His vision was clear- he wanted to launch and expand the IBM software portfolio to the channel, the same way the company had done in the 80s with IBM hardware. Attain Insight is a trusted analytics technology advisor to government and private sector firms, focused on delivering the right data‐driven solutions that elevate decision‐making for better business outcomes. Attain Insight works harder to provide clients making more ROI through their analytic solution. Working on more efficient data-driven solutions gradually leading to great decision making for better experience and business outcomes. They provide specialized software solutions and consulting services for Business Intelligence and Analytics, Software License Compliance, Data and Information Access Control, Data Visualization and Mapping, Enterprise Performance Management and Data Warehousing. Attain Insight is proud to be an IBM Tier 1 Business Partner for Government. R2i specializes in cloud computing (private, public and hybrid), 24/7 managed services, data center solutions and artificial intelligence. We're headquartered in Montreal and have offices in Ottawa and Toronto. One thing that sets us apart is that we've got the most cloud certifications in Canada: ISO 27001, ISO 27017, ISO 27018, SOC 2 TYPE 2, Eco Vadis and TIER III. Our continuous improvement process will make sure your cloud environments always meet the latest security, compliance and maintenance standards. R2i's four Canadian-based ISO-certified data center's offer cloud infrastructure for IBM Power, x86, shared storage and SAP Hana offerings. Shalmali Shalmali W.

The Enterprise World, 1985, Henderson Rd, Columbus, Ohio, 43220 Follow Us On: For Editorial Concerns: [email protected] For Sales & Branding Enquiries: [email protected] For Subscription: [email protected] Publisher The Enterprise World Creative Content Editor Shalmali W. Marketing Coordinator(USA) Peter J. PR & Marketing Coordinator James H. Business Development Executive Ginny Creative Design Head: Sushant K. Social Media Manager Narendra S. Digital Circulation Manager Amanda V. Digital Marketing Executive Prachi K. This list is NOT a ranking. The companies on listed in magazine serve different aspects of the market, making ranking them in any order except revenue impossible and unfair. We try to bring a perfect platform for business organization to showcase their valued products/ services. Copyrights © The Enterprise World | 2019. All Rights Reserved. The images and content included in this magazine should not be copied, transferred or reproduced in any form or by any means, electronics, mechanical, photocopying, recording, otherwise, without proper permission from The Enterprise World. The Enterprise World solely owns all the reprint rights.

Leaders in Spotlight For the Cover Story read about- They provide specialized software solutions and consulting services for Business Alacrinet has been an IBM business partner for Intelligence and Analytics, Software License the last 20 years. The company was started in Compliance, Data and Information Access 2002 in San Diego, with a vision on being a Control, Data Visualization and Mapping, proud IBM business partner. A strong vision as Enterprise Performance Management and such was the necessary impetus for Alacrinet to Data Warehousing. start the business. Alacrinet set out to become one of the first IBM channel partners for Attain Insight is proud to be an IBM Tier 1 software before 2000. Prior to that IBM only Business Partner for Government. had a hardware channel. R2i specializes in cloud computing (private, Ahead of starting Alacrinet, Brian Bouchard public and hybrid), 24/7 managed services, worked at IBM's Silicon Valley Lab, which was data center solutions and artificial part of IBM Global Services division. This intelligence. We're headquartered in Montreal division was started by Lou Gershner, who was and have offices in Ottawa and Toronto. the CEO of IBM at the time. His vision was clear- he wanted to launch and expand the IBM One thing that sets us apart is that we've got software portfolio to the channel, the same way the most cloud certifications in Canada: ISO the company had done in the 80s with IBM 27001, ISO 27017, ISO 27018, SOC 2 TYPE hardware. 2, Eco Vadis and TIER III. Our continuous improvement process will make sure your Attain Insight is a trusted analytics technology cloud environments always meet the latest advisor to government and private sector firms, security, compliance and maintenance focused on delivering the right data‐driven standards. solutions that elevate decision‐making for better business outcomes. Attain Insight works harder R2i's four Canadian-based ISO-certified data to provide clients making more ROI through center's offer cloud infrastructure for IBM their analytic solution. Working on more Power, x86, shared storage and SAP Hana efficient data-driven solutions gradually leading offerings. to great decision making for better experience and business outcomes.

12. Alacrinet

22. CONTENTS Attain Insight 32. R2i 28. ARTICLE Cybersecurity Agency vs In-House 36. How to Effectively Promote Your Business With Digital Marketing

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The universe is on a threshold to Passionate the metaverse. Today digital About assets matter more than physical assets. With the urgent Technology, emergence of crypto and NFT's, there Dedicated have also risen possibilities of To People continually evolving threats to your company's sensitive information. Global industry leader, IBM with its exceptional solutions has allowed its users to eliminate these threats with ease. Featuring for the Cover Story of The Enterprise World's this issue of The 5 Best IBM Solution Providers To Watch In 2022 is Alacrinet, an IBM partner that is helping companies elevate their cybersecurity environment. The Company- Alacrinet has been an IBM business partner for the last 20 years. The company was started in 2002 in San Diego, with a vision on being a proud IBM business partner. A strong vision as such was the necessary impetus for Alacrinet to start the business. Alacrinet set out to become one of the first IBM channel partners for software before 2000. Prior to that IBM only had a hardware channel. Ahead of starting Alacrinet, Brian Bouchard worked at IBM's Silicon Valley Lab, which was part of IBM Global Services division. This division was started by Lou Gershner, who was the CEO of IBM at the time. His vision was clear- he wanted to launch and expand the IBM software portfolio to the channel, the same way the company had done in the 80s with IBM hardware. The IBM channel partner companies at the time were all thriving companies that worked with IBM, and sold IBM solutions, IBM hardware solutions to the Fortune 500 and Fortune 1000 companies. By expanding its reach www.theenterpriseworld.com | 13

allowing channel partners to sell IBM The Journey So Far- phone or mobile device to do their enterprise software, it presented an business. opportunity for Bouchard who has With IBM as the vendor and as a spent his early career at IBM partner channel provider, Alacrinet has This made every task simpler and delivering IBM enterprise software become a trusted services and solution much more efficient, from scanning solutions to customers. provider, providing their customers a bills of landing after dropping off their great joint service and great product loads so that they could get it signed “I saw an opportunity that these solution that helps their business go to from the Doc managers or supervisors enterprise software packages that that next level and attain much better and quickly send invoice to the IBM sold to large and medium efficiencies, much better return on their customers. With the new systems in enterprises had built a momentum investment and much better business place, Swift's quote to cash duration and it was going to continue.” outcomes. decreased significantly and the accounts receivables came in much What accelerated this was the big The company has had a lot of great sooner due to the new efficiencies. boom of the Internet. The .com successes over the years. Among them, bubble was taking shape and all these a complete digital transformation of This was just one solution that enterprise software packages were Swift Transportation, a big trucking Alacrinet built throughout their then delivered to customers with company has been one of the most relationship with IBM. Being an IBM much ease. Consultants integrated prominent of their achievements. partner, the company also sold some and implemented these software Alacrinet initially helped Swift put more of the strategic products like packages. kiosks into all of their terminals and WebSphere. Between the years 2011 digitized what used to be all paper- and 2013, Alacrinet started focusing on Like every great entrepreneur who based systems for the drivers. cybersecurity and in the cybersecurity finds himself in the opportunistic area, they started providing SIEM dimension of things, Brian saw this Swift had a network of 24,000 drivers. services with QRadar (Security opportunity to resell these software Alacrinet built a kiosk system, and Information Event Management). packages and implement them as a within the next five years, after the smaller company as an IBM business kiosk solutions were installed and The company started selling these partner, which helped IBM to expand running smoothly, the company moved products early in 2013, and channelled and grow the footprint across the on to build a mobile applications all their focus on what direction the market. solutions for them as well. After which company would go as an IBM business point they were using everything via a partner. The team quickly realized that Brian, along with three other consultants, left IBM to start “So that's a category of Alacrinet in San Diego. Two years cybersecurity. It's also later they moved the company to Palo known as the central Alto. nervous system of In 2020, a prestigious honor came your environment along the way when Alacrinet was that you need as a business named the North America partner of to protect yourself.” the year, among the 6000 other partners in the IBM ecosystem in North America. What helped Alacrinet achieve this milestone was the fact that the team works with the IBM team as a co-ordinated group. “Our experienced staff makes it easy when we go to sell to a customer, as we all understand the work method and what the customers' specific needs are.” 14 | APRIL 2022

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there wasn't going to be any one company that could do it all, and as the next viable step forward, Alacrinet started partnering with several other vendors and cybersecurity solution companies like Carbon Black, CrowdStrike, Zscaler, and Sentinel One. The Products and Services- With the increasing need for cybersecurity, it's important to stay ahead of the game. Work with an MSSP that understands your business and the information technology that supports it. The Alacrinet team is focused on knowing the latest threats, preventing vulnerabilities, and providing value. “We work with your team to meet the service level you need.” MANAGED SECURITY SERVICES Your business, security environment, team, and priorities are unique to your company. Alacrinet offers a range of service options to meet your specific needs and address key elements of securing your environment. For some, that means full 24x7x365 monitoring, alerting and response. For others, it's taking care of administrative tasks and maintaining uptime. PENETRATION TESTING Identify vulnerabilities in your security and meeting compliance requirements with comprehensive penetration tests. With a Grey Box approach, Alacrinet gives a thorough analysis with automated scans to test the strength of your credentials, then manual testing by experts to identify less common vulnerabilities. Vulnerability Assessments & Security Reporting Different projects and compliance regulations requires different types of reports. The team understands the intricacies of compliance reporting and 16 | APRIL 2022

have the skills and tools ready to assist At that point, Mike left trading and The nature of cybersecurity and your team. started his security consulting career. malicious attacks can be very complex, SCAN Mike has consulted in various cyber so having an outside expert look at Vulnerability Assessments quickly identifies gaps with automated scans. security capacities for police what may cause problems in the future ANALYZE departments, correctional facilities, and can help clients avoid vulnerabilities NIST-CSF reporting provides in-depth private sector details. Mike's down the road. And while there are analysis of your entire environment. experience with clients range from the solutions to help minimize risks in ASSIST private sector to Fortune 500 between pentests; scans and AI simply Pre-ISO and Pre-CMMC Audit Assistance to ensure compliance. companies and represent industries have not caught up to the power of SOLUTIONS + SERVICES such as manufacturing, logistics, retail, human review and insight. Most companies have already invested e-commerce, industrial chemical, and Brian's Advice to the Budding significantly in software solutions and want to stay in control of what's used for agriculture. Entrepreneurs- their security. That's why Alacrinet continues to sell the leading security Prior to joining Alacrinet, he was the “IT Security continues to grow more solutions for implementation on your business director for the acclaimed and more complex, with new solutions, network and offer additional services Pentesting research firm Rhino features, integrations, and other where a human factor is needed. Security Labs, in Seattle, Washington. options. To excel in this ever-changing INTEGRATIONS & Strong Security Solutions, Stronger environment, you must stick to your CUSTOMIZATIONS Team- strengths. But at the same time, you Cloud, Analytics, Mobile, Social, and Portal offer key solutions for your IT “Our team brings together broad need to build relationships based on infrastructure. It's critical for each industry knowledge – from the latest deep technical knowledge and solution to work together and with the hacks to leading solution features – dedication to bring to your clients only security tools you've invested in. With and deep technical knowledge to give the best solutions and services. years of experience implementing the leading solutions, Alacrinet's team of actionable insights.” One of the most important things apart engineers, analysts, and developers are ready to meet your most complex What's more, as an agile company, from a steady focus is to adapt to the challenges. Alacrinet quickly fit the skills needed new and coming trends and to each client or situation. technologies, and working with zeal to “We assemble great technology to create provide your customers with a service and integrate customized solutions.” they can completely rely on.” Mike Pena - Leading the Way Their expert pentesters each have a “Trading taught Mike Pena, VP of Cyber Risk Services at number of certifications (CISSP, OSCP, me how develop Alacrinet, started his career as an equity OSCE, CEH, GPEN, GWAT, GAWN trader for Trust Company of the West a to name a few), that often require my analytical few years prior to the crash of 2008. The extensive training to achieve. skills, refine recession turned the financial markets Combined with their real-world upside down and a career in that industry experience and the focus on looking at seemed fruitless. future vulnerabilities, they bring unique insight to each penentration test. As an example, each pentester follows business the 'OWASP Top 10' security processes, and vulnerabilities and stays abreast of popular hacks. During each understand engagement, they look beyond the trends.” typical attacks but, more importantly, they look at the client's environment with the goal of 'future-proofing' potential vulnerabilities. www.theenterpriseworld.com | 17





Paul Hulford | CEO & Founder 20 | APRIL 2022

Analytics Solutions from a Trusted Partner As the volume of data continues to explode, the IBM partners came on board, there was increased ability to make sense of it becomes more difficult. competition for the same business. This challenge turned This is the exact reason why it is so important to into an opportunity to differentiate Attain Insight. have a trusted business analytics advisor, to guide you through the complexities of data and analytics technology Government and large private sector firms were looking for to help your business derive meaningful business insights advanced security expertise and solutions. and scale to greater heights. “I saw a need for a security solution that would help This issue of The Enterprise World highlights The 5 Best customers do more with IBM Analytics, so I invested in a IBM Solution Providers To Watch In 2022. Here we're new technology called Attain Insight Security 4X®.” featuring Attain Insight Solutions Inc., an analytics solution provider helping companies drive business transformation. When Attain Insight acquired the Intellectual Property for this security technology, the team turned this into their The Company security product called Attain Insight Security 4X. This has allowed the company to become uniquely positioned to Attain Insight® is a trusted analytics technology advisor to solve many customer challenges, through IBM Cognos government and private sector firms, focused on delivering Analytics® and their integrated proprietary technology. No the right data‐driven solutions that elevate decision‐making other partner had a similar offering at the time, and it for better business outcomes. remains a unique world class offering today. “We provide specialized software solutions and consulting The Products and Services services for Business Intelligence and Analytics, Software License Compliance, Data and Information Access Control, Attain Insight focuses on products and services that help Data Visualization and Mapping, Enterprise Performance clients manage their data and analytics to unlock the value Management and Data Warehousing.” of their data in new ways, answer the toughest questions, uncover patterns, and drive business transformation with Attain Insight is proud to be an IBM® Tier 1 Business artificial intelligence (AI). As a trusted IBM® Gold Business Partner for Government. Partner, the company deploys and provides training on the full suite of IBM's Data and Analytics solutions. Overcoming Challenges Attain Insight offers these IBM product solutions: IBM When Paul started the company, he did so because at the Cloud Pak® for Data, IBM Cognos® Analytics, IBM time, he saw an opportunity to support the local government Planning Analytics with Watson®, Cognos TM1®, and the emerging mid-market demands for data. As more InfoSphere®, DataStage®, Db2® and SPSS®. www.theenterpriseworld.com | 21

“What sets us apart from others in the market, is that we great training ground and preparation for him and offer products that complement IBM's solution offering.” ultimately led him to start his own business - Attain Insight in 2008. These complementary offerings include Attain Insight Security 4X for enterprise centralized security “One of the primary reasons that I started Attain Insight administration, access control and compliance management was to address a market need in the Ottawa region for a and Attain Insight Map IntelligenceTM, a location company that could service the growing need for IBM intelligence platform, plug and play with IBM Cognos Cognos professional services.” Analytics and Esri® ArcGIS®. This allows the customers to derive greater value from their existing technology Paul brought in a seasoned management team that takes a investments and make quicker business decisions. very hands-on approach in all aspects of service delivery ensuring the highest possible standards of execution. “Our products and services benefit businesses by streamlining business processes and removing unnecessary A Seasoned Management Team risks.” “Our employees are the lifeblood of the company and are Attain Insight puts technology in place that will provide treated as such.” confidence that systems are doing what they're supposed to and in so doing remove the risk of someone getting The team strives to find ways to ensure that their employees unauthorized access to data. The focus here is on critical are not only comfortable and happy with their roles within business issues. the organization but also well compensated for their efforts. At Attain Insight, they regularly monitor industry standards Forging Ahead for pay to always ensure that the team is paid above industry average. The Attain team saw several unmet needs for their clients, so they decided to invest in proprietary technology that “I believe that we have created an environment where our complements IBM solutions, including Security 4X and employees feel that their contributions are valued and Map Intelligence. recognized.” Security 4X is a centralized security administration and Senior management has a very open policy when it comes compliance management solution, purpose-built to handle to addressing the needs and concerns of its employees. complex enterprise security requirements across the full Active, open, and ongoing dialogue with senior suite of IBM Business Analytics products. management is part of the organizational culture and is strongly encouraged. This approach empowers employees Map Intelligence helps customers discover deeper insights and contributes to Attain Insight's great track record when it into their data through bringing the geospatial element into comes to employee satisfaction (and in turn retention). IBM Analytics using Esri ArcGIS Maps. It is the founder's strong belief that the entire team is unique Paul Hulford - Leading the Way in that not only are they technically skilled in multiple areas such as data analytics, location intelligence, security and CEO and Founder hosting, but also bring to the table great “people” skills in terms of communication, empathy, and positivity when it From a young age, Paul had a passion for both technology comes to working with their fellow team members, partners and business and he studied and trained in these areas at and clients. university earning degrees in both Computer Science and Commerce. In his professional journey, Paul now has over 25 years of experience in data and analytics of which a decade was spent at IBM/Cognos, managing key initiatives such as mobile analytics, intelligence search and strategic relationships with Google, RIM and global search vendors. Following his time at IBM/Cognos, Paul worked as a Business Analytics consultant for several years for a small consulting firm. All of his past work experiences were a 22 | APRIL 2022







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Cybersecurity Agency vs In-House: Which Is Better Suited For Your Business? www.theenterpriseworld.com | 27

Cybersecurity or information technology (IT) security is an essential operation that protects data, computers, systems, and networks from malicious threats and attacks. If you're running a website, you already understand how important it is regardless of the nature of your business. Here are the most common cyberattacks and threats you should know: • Malware – malicious software that destroys devices • Ransomware – encrypts data in exchange for a ransom • Phishing – a fraudulent attack from someone claiming to be a legitimate institution Your entire operations will be at risk of such threats without cybersecurity. You may end up shutting down your business permanently or paying hefty costs to continue your operations. Now, the question is, should you outsource or establish an in-house cybersecurity department? One of the biggest dilemmas when building cybersecurity protocols is whether or not to hire a third-party agency or set up your own IT security team. Both are excellent options capable of protecting your vital data and securing your network's safety. However, it would be best to consider their pros and cons before coming up with a decision. Knowing these elements will help you understand what your business needs. What Are The Pros And Cons Of Hiring A Cybersecurity Agency? Outsourcing is an excellent option for small businesses not capable of establishing their own security commands. If you'd like to know more 28 | APRIL 2022

about this, you may call Lisnic today system when you hire someone. house security operations. It will for cyber security services or visit your Usually, the limitations are on allow you to integrate every tool local security service provider. what was agreed beforehand. You and solution you want without any may also be required to add or problem. However, there are instances when you install software they need to do have to compromise the overall control their jobs properly. Cons: and comply with the agency's agreement. That said, you might want • Risk Of Non-Personalized • Expensive – Establishing your to consider the following pros and cons Services – Although most own cybersecurity operations of hiring a third-party solutions agencies provide tailor-fit requires tons of resources, provider: solutions, some still offer ready- particularly time and money. made services. Therefore, you Moreover, the expenses are not Pros: have to be vigilant and do your something you should ignore, homework about the company especially when you're only • Scalability – One of the benefits before hiring them. If you're not starting your business. Sacrificing of hiring third-party services is careful enough, you'll only waste too much may put other operations their ability to scale your security your time and money for nothing. at risk. protocols depending on your business needs. It's a great feature What Are The Pros And Cons Of • Time-Consuming – Planning an for small businesses aiming to Building An In-House Cybersecurity effective cybersecurity strategy expand. It also offers flexibility at Team? takes time and effort. You need to affordable pricing models. hire the necessary staff to help Establishing an in-house cybersecurity protect your entire system and • Low Entry Expenses – Another team is a good investment for your network from potential threats and great thing about hiring a business's future growth and attacks. cybersecurity provider is its low expansion. It offers flexibility entry costs. Therefore, if you're regarding your cybersecurity system. Final Words running a startup business, you'll However, it will require a lot of get reliable protection without resources to set it up, which most small After going through the discussion spending much. Besides, the businesses and startups don't have. here, have you decided what works outsourcing cost is much lower well with your business? Regardless, than establishing your own Take a look at some pros and cons of the right cybersecurity solution for cybersecurity commands. building your own in-house your company will depend on your cybersecurity operations command: needs and current resources. • Professional And Experienced Services – One of the reasons why Pros: If you're running a small business or a businesses hire a cybersecurity startup, hiring an agency is your best solution is for professional work • More Control – You have more option because you have limited funds skills and ethics. Having control over the entire operations to build your own. Yet if you're looking experienced and skilled personnel of your own cybersecurity forward to the future, establishing your allows you to access knowledge solutions. You get what you want own cybersecurity team will be an and expertise you can't find to include in your system, excellent investment. anywhere else. It will also give including the staff you need. you an additional sense of security, Likewise, you're sure that every knowing that you're working with process remains confidential, so professionals and experts in this none of it will get exposed outside field. your company. Cons: • Integrations – If you have pre- installed cybersecurity software, • Less Control – Understand that an outsourced provider may not be there will be limited access and familiar with what you're using. control over your cybersecurity This isn't a problem if you have in- www.theenterpriseworld.com | 29

Benoit Martel | President 30 | APRIL 2022

Step Into the Future with Innovative Solutions Transforming your IT infrastructure forms the What were the initial challenges you faced? backbone of the digital transformation. When it's done right, an effective digital transformation As a relatively new player, R2i has come up against a initiative can help organizations modernize legacy number of challenges, but fortunately we've always found processes, organize workflows for maximum efficiency and ways to overcome them. Some of these issues include: strengthen information security. In short, transformation is about future-proofing your business. Convincing large companies to do business with a start-up R2i is an IT consulting firm and equipment supplier, and it's Reassuring clients that their sensitive data can be safely also one of the 5 Best IBM Solution Providers to Watch in stored on our cloud computing solutions 2022, according to The Enterprise World. Recruiting qualified workers with in-demand skills, despite We interviewed Benoit Martel, President of R2i, to gain the ongoing labour shortage insights about the company's impressive rise and solutions for the future. Building awareness and trust in a small market and gaining the largest market share of IBM Power systems in the Tell us about the company. country R2i specializes in cloud computing (private, public and Financing our substantial start-up costs hybrid), 24/7 managed services, data centre solutions and artificial intelligence. We're headquartered in Montreal and Which was that point that triggered the growth of the have offices in Ottawa and Toronto. company? One thing that sets us apart is that we've got the most cloud One major factor was achieving IBM Platinum Partner certifications in Canada: ISO 27001, ISO 27017, ISO level. In fact, we were the first partner in Quebec to earn 27018, SOC 2 TYPE 2, Ecovadis and TIER III. Our this top-tier status. continuous improvement process will make sure your cloud environments always meet the latest security, compliance In our first five years of business, R2i successfully ranked and maintenance standards. among the top three IBM resellers in Quebec and the top five in Canada. Even though our initial team was made up R2i's four Canadian-based ISO-certified data centres offer of just six people, we surpassed established companies with cloud infrastructure for IBM Power, x86, shared storage and more than 20 years in the field and upwards of 100 SAP Hana offerings. employees. We've also seen our sales increase dramatically, climbing more than 225% in the last three years, from $11 million in 2018 to $25 million in 2021. www.theenterpriseworld.com | 31

Tamara Vandersluis, Vice-President Innovation Nicolas Brodeur, Director Solutions Architect Frédéric Marcil , Technical Services Director Bernard Deschênes, Senior Director IT and Human Capital How have the company graphs changed since the our Ottawa team to support business growth in the National foundation? Can you share a few statistics? Capital Region. First year: Our first step was to put together what I Seventh year: Our team has grown to 45 talented people consider the best team in Quebec (6 people). and there are more hires on the horizon. Second and third years: We set up a 24/7 monitoring What is driving your company's success? center, made major investments in internal systems and increased our workforce from 6 to 11 employees. R2i has been successful because we have an in-depth understanding of the market and the competition, and also Fourth year: We made further investments in growing our because we're committed to offering unparalleled customer team and brought the number up to 23 full-timers. service. As a company, we made a strategic decision to specialize in the traditional market of large IBM Power Fifth year: We opened a second location in Montreal and Systems enterprise servers for IBM I and AIX, which is an office in Ottawa to serve the government sector. At the something that few of our competitors do. This has allowed same time, we hired an HR specialist and another 8 us to pick up a good number of customers who weren't able employees. to get satisfactory service for their needs. The rest has been through word-of-mouth; when you get positive referrals, Sixth year: Despite all the upheaval due to the pandemic, your client base grows quickly. we opened an office in Toronto and added more people to 32 | APRIL 2022

What are the products/services the company focuses Adding ISO certifications a few years ago was a on? How are your services different from those in the game-changer for R2i, since it boosted our credibility market? and industry recognition. Today, some of Canada's largest companies rely on the R2i Cloud to host and R2i is the IT partner of choice for businesses that want manage their critical business applications. to succeed in a digital world. Our clients can count on us to help them make the most of their IT assets hosted on Can you please brief us about your professional prem, in the cloud or in a hybrid arrangement. experience? Our goal? We aim to maximize our clients' productivity I'm passionate about IT and business strategy, and have by getting them set up with cutting-edge technologies been working in the field for 25 years. Throughout my and highly secure cloud computing solutions, and also career, I've had the privilege of aligning IT infrastructure offering them reliable support services. and solutions with business requirements for a wide range of customers, including large multinational Our team is known for their expertise in data centres, companies and smaller businesses. In many ways, I owe cloud infrastructure, managed services and digital my success to my ability to communicate with ease with transformation. both technical staff and executives. How do you help companies increase business Since I have a strong technical background, I can scalability and sustainability? contribute to all project phases, from solution design to architecture, project management, delivery and, more At R2i, we specialize in high-performance, scalable importantly, ongoing support. servers and storage, open environments, software solutions, networks, data centres and ancillary Strong customer relationships are important to me and equipment. Our highly skilled team builds architecture I'm proud of the long-term partnerships I've established so that it can grow to support all IT objectives. We offer with many of my clients. I've also had the honour of clients custom and turnkey infrastructure solutions to working with companies in all kinds of industries, help them get the most from their IT services. This including retail, banking and insurance, and distribution. means equipping clients with a robust environment that meets their current challenges and future ambitions. R2i Founding R2i gave me the chance to combine my also offers a highly flexible cloud that allows businesses passion for technology with my passion for business. to scale on demand and stay agile in a competitive But, of course, the company is so much more than just world. me. We've got a highly experienced team that shares my drive for excellence and commitment to providing How do you decide to take the company a step outstanding customer service. further in terms of your products/services? What are the key achievements of your Our 24/7 Canadian monitoring center is definitely a entrepreneurial journey? differentiator from our competitors. We're proud to offer a bilingual monitoring centre (levels 1 to 3) that gives My greatest achievements? Building one of the most our customers access to round-the-clock support in reputable IBM Business Partner brands in Canada and English or French, from technicians located in Canada. becoming the first IBM Platinum business partner in Our team will make sure your infrastructure is secure Quebec within 2 years of founding the company. and delivers optimal performance at all times. I'm also extremely proud that R2i has earned numerous R2i is also careful about who we partner with. We look ISO certifications for our Cloud Power offering and that for innovative products and comprehensive solutions. we're able to host some of the largest enterprises in But the trust goes both ways. With 250+ certifications Canada. (including 100 IBM certifications), we've earned the confidence of our partners, who know we can successfully deploy their IT solutions. www.theenterpriseworld.com | 33





How to Effectively Promote Your Business With Digital Marketing 36 | APRIL 2022

Most business owners these days are 3. Content marketing already inclined with digital marketing. In this modern era of technological Another significant type of digital marketing is advancements, utilizing technologies and the content marketing. When we talk about content internet is not even an argument any longer. marketing, it involves the creation of content such as Almost every business owner considers promoting videos, blogs, and social media posts. These online their products or services online. There are several materials or content will be shared with people across ways for you to promote your business online. You the whole world. Usually, the content does not can use blogging, you can use vlogging, and you explicitly promote a brand. However, by effective can use multiple social media platforms. At the end implementation of content marketing, your goal is to of the day, it all boils down to the effectiveness of create content that is intended to stimulate interest for your digital marketing campaigns. Considering the your products or services. large number of competitors that you have on the internet, you have to work your way to keep up 4. Create a website and implement SEO and effectively promote your business with digital marketing. Creating a business website is also highly recommended for your business. If you want to better Managing a business can be a lot more utilize your business website in promoting your complicated than what you imagine. If you want to business, you will need to consistently perform effectively promote your business with digital search engine optimization to achieve desirable marketing, here's how you do it: outcomes for your business. If you can do it yourself, you may consider getting help from experts like 1. Maximize online advertising Digital Spotlight. Pay your utmost attention to your online marketing 5. Video marketing campaigns. There is so much you can do with your digital marketing campaigns. You just have to If you go across the internet, videos are located bring the best out of your online advertisements. If almost everywhere. This is why video marketing is you want to start reaching your local target one of the ultimate priorities of business owners in audience and your business is in the city of promoting their products or services. In a video, you Chicago, you can look for a reputable Chicago- can effectively showcase your offers and persuade the based digital marketing agency to help you clients or customers into purchasing your products or maximize your online advertisements. You don't services. have to hesitate to prioritize your digital marketing campaigns because, in return, it will allow you to Summary boost your sales and profit. To wrap up the discussion, we can say that in order 2. Launch an email marketing campaign for you to have a successful business website that boosts your sales, you will need to effectively utilize One way you can effectively promote your digital marketing. No matter how brilliant and business is by launching an email marketing incredible your products or services are, if you do not campaign. An email marketing campaign refers to communicate effectively with your target audience, a coordinated set of individual email messages. you will never be able to achieve success in your line These particular messages are deployed across a of business. You have to communicate your business specific period of time with one specific purpose. offers and allow yourself to stand out among the rest Some of the most common purposes of email of your competitors. You can only achieve this if you marketing include downloading something, signing have effective utilization of digital marketing as one up for something, or making a purchase of a of your marketing strategies. product or a service. This is why email marketing is highly recommended for business owners because they can directly reach out to their target audience using email. www.theenterpriseworld.com | 37