Insights Success has shortlisted “The 10 Most Innovative IT Infrastructure Solution Providers, 2018,” which are using their extensive business knowledge to provide a steady backbone to support the ever growing needs of businesses in the increasingly disruptive world. Featuring as our Cover Story is Present, which envisions a future where IT infrastructure supports organizations and employees get the much-required support to balance their priorities.

1. Present:
A Holistic Vision of a Beautiful Era
Security Suggestions
Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP):
Proactive Backup for
IT Solutions
10Most Innovative
The
Solution
Providers
2018
IT INFRASTRUCTURE
Marc Beaulieu
Founder & President
May 2018
www.insightssuccess.com
Trend Reviews
Key Trends that are Driving
Transformation
in SaaS

4. IT Infrastructure: The
Steady Backbone of an
Increasingly Disruptive
World
echnology has gripped human life similar to how the invention of fire changed our
Tworldview thousands of years ago but only in a more chaotic fashion. After the digital
disruption started in 2000, over 52% in the Fortune 500 list merged, was acquired, dropped
off the list or simply went out business. The world of business is not the same anymore and in this
increasingly disruptive world, businesses need to stand their ground with a steady and innovative
support of IT infrastructure.
On the other hand, IT infrastructure solution providers also have a task cut out for them. Staying on
top of innovation and delivering value in real time are no longer up for negotiations. This is anything
but the ground reality. Hence, it is important for IT infrastructure providers to brace themselves with
expert design, installation, maintenance, and personnel solutions.
The concrete part of the infrastructure solution often has some fascinating answers. During our
research, Insight Success various innovative IT infrastructure solutions including ways to give voice
to every employee to turn an organization into the blossoming organic entity, it is meant to be in
spirit. However, often during the discussion of IT infrastructure solutions, the employee training part
is not discussed in depth. This is perhaps most organizations foresee limitations to their ability to
train employees. But, during our research, we were left to wonder, with the increasing technology at
our disposal, can we not find more ways to explore and discover every corner of human potential.
Editor’s Note

5. Hopefully someday, in this increasingly disruptive world, technology will help us discover the
fire inside and make an integral part of our work lives.
After witnessing the rising innovation and scalability of IT infrastructure solutions across
numerous continents, Insights Success has shortlisted “The 10 Most Innovative IT
Infrastructure Solution Providers, 2018,” which are using their extensive business knowledge
to provide a steady backbone to support the ever growing needs of businesses in the increasingly
disruptive world.
Featuring as our Cover Story is Present, which envisions a future where IT infrastructure
supports organizations and employees get the much required support to balance their priorities.
The company approaches the IT infrastructure from the point of view supporting increasing
growth for organizations by providing comfortable and relaxing means for employees to
dedicate themselves to their work. Their vision for the future is in line with our own and we
salute their journey and experiences as one of our very own.
Alongside this the magazine also includes, Scalr, which believes in providing autonomy and
operational flexibility to employees to boost growth while maintaining a firm grip on
compliance.
These companies are redefining the term partner firm in the context of IT infrastructure
solutions. A company that has taken this newly discover imagination to a whole new level is
Cyclos IT. The company provides a Mobile and online payment software platform for various
financial institutes, commercial entities and organizations. If you would like to witness more
innovation in this industry, you would also love to read about People Power. A company as its
name suggests offers specialized in unique home offerings and helping its service provider
clients to deliver them using their brand name. We have also featured a stand out company,
INSTANDA which has built unique and Leading-edge cloud based insurance solutions for
thousands of clients.
Also, make sure to flip through our articles, written by our in-house editorial team; as well as
CXO Standpoints of notable industry personalities.
Let’s start shall we?
Ajit Balkawade

6. A Holistic Vision of
a Beautiful Era
Cover Story
Experts Talk
Hunting New Opportunities
Taking the Business to
the Next Level
26
46
08
Tech Report
The ABC in
e-Commerce Communication
Present:
16
36
Leader s POV
Redefining the Institutional
Desktop within
Capital Markets
IT Insights
Top Queries to Ask Your IT
Provider — Before You Do
Business with Them

7. Articles
Contents
A Transparent and State
of the Art Innovation
Gripping Europe
Cyclos:
A Company Born Out
of Hands-on Experience
INSTANDA:
Simplifying IoT Deployment
People Power:
Trend Reviews
Key Trends that are Driving
Transformation
in SaaS
22 Security Suggestions
Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP):
Proactive Backup for
IT Solutions
30 Tech Outreach
IT Infrastructure and
the Rage
40
2820
A Unique Blend of Speed,
Autonomy and Control in
Hybrid Cloud Management
Scalr:
34 44

9. sales@insightssuccess.com
Corporate Ofces:
May, 2018
Database Management Stella Andrew
Technology Consultant David Stokes
Circulation Manager Robert, Tanaji
Research Analyst Chidiebere Moses
Steve, Joe, Alan, Rohit
Editor-in-Chief Pooja M. Bansal
Anish MillerManaging Editor
Jenny Fernandes
Art & Design Director Amol Kamble
Associate Designer Shubham Mahadik
Visualiser David King
Senior Sales Manager Passi D.
Business Development Executives
Marketing Manager John Matthew
Executive Editors
Assistant Editors
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KhannaJayant
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Sales Executives
David, Kevin, Mark, Jagdish
SME-SMO Executives
Prashant Chevale, Uma Dhenge, Gemson, Irfan
Online Marketing Strategist
Alina Sege, Shubham, Vaibhav K
Digital Marketing Manager Marry D’Souza
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Technical Head Jacob Smile
Copyright © 2018 Insights Success, All rights reserved. The content and images used in this magazine should not be reproduced or transmitted in
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Ajit Balkawade
Contributing Editors
Sourav Mukherjee
Bhushan Kadam

11. Present

12. We have entered a
renaissance era; exiting the
‘modern’ world and
entering the ‘postmodern’ world. In the
modern world, it was acceptable, even
admired to work long hours, to
sacrifice today for a better tomorrow, to
be tired, to be under stress even.
In the new world, the ‘postmodern’
world, we want to be happy, enjoy life,
have fun at work and we want more
time for our passions. It is more radical
with the millenniums, but it can be
observed at all ages now.
But never before have we had so many
demands on us. We need to be fast and
we need to do more with less, as global
competitiveness increases every day,
and most predictions indicate that it’s
only going to get worse.
These two situations are conflicting.
How is one supposed to deliver more
and more without spending their life
working in an increasingly demanding
environment?
Present has adapted its offer to meet
today’s challenging IT demands in
business and as importantly, work with
individuals to deliver more and save
time and stress for a more balanced
life.
Present achieves this by uncovering
and focusing on the dream results for
its clients’ company, the department
and the individuals. Then, it pulls all
resources together, both internal and
external, with their network of
partners, distributors and
manufacturers, to work towards the
dream situation.
This is the holistic vision of the
company for its clients and it strives
every day to work with them to
achieve this.
over and over, englobing the saying
“the one that survives is not the
strongest but the one that adapts”.
Also, he knows how to make life fun to
work as a team and choses people that
will work well together and that create
outstanding value for the client.
Thanks to a New Approach of The
IT Industry
In the past, IT was worshipped within
the business. IT earned respect because
it helped companies by saving costs,
providing speed and automation to the
business. But in the new millennium,
IT gradually became a commodity, a
service to the business and a cost
center, even referred to as “the
frustration center” at times.
According to Marc, “People now
realise that it was a mistake and are
working to put IT back as a strategic
ally and a true contributor to the
business”. But there are challenges: the
speed of business today is so fast, and
IT needs to be deployed so carefully,
that there is a clash between business
needs and what traditional IT can
deliver.
Present works with IT in regaining
speed and leadership in the business
and to provide proactive ideas and
solutions to grow the business and
contribute to profits.
The company works on what it sees as
core IT challenges such as meeting the
needs of all business applications,
deploying new applications faster,
upscaling applications to deliver better
performance, reducing IT costs and
ultimately freeing up resources to help
IT companies focus on innovating core
products and services.
Keeping in mind that technology is
both the driver and the enabler for
rethinking the efficiency and even the
A Proven Leadership On its Way to
the Next Horizon
Present distinguishes itself with a
unique vision and an iconic leadership.
The company is led by Marc
Beaulieu, the Founder and President
of the company.
Marc started out his professional career
as an IT developer, where he began to
see the need for IT companies to better
serve their clients. His colleagues
describe him as someone who never
runs out of ideas and opportunities to
better serve his clients. His vision
constantly drives the company to
reinvent business practices and stay
ahead of the race to meet the
requirements of its clients.
In the 27 years since the inception of
Present, Marc has experienced his
share of turbulent times but took the
difficult times in stride and viewed
them as opportunities. His track record
is proof he has reinvented the offerings
We set up IT infrastructures
with greater agility,
and much shorter
response times,
with the ultimate goal
being to rethink the
customer experience and
operations as well as
reinvent business models.
“
“

13. With such daily challenges, it’s easy to
forget that applications, not
infrastructure, should be their primary
focus.
Today, it is imperative for IT to reverse
the trend to truly be able to:
Ÿ Meet the needs of all the business’
applications
Ÿ Deploy new applications faster
Ÿ Manage application requirements in
terms of performance, availability
and placement on site and in the
cloud
Ÿ Reduce IT costs
Ÿ Free up resources and time for
innovation
For IT, this means adopting, in stages,
an architectural flexibility in order to
dynamically place business workloads
where they make the most sense.
The cornerstone of this strategy is the
establishment of a software-defined
survival of enterprises, Present works
with companies of various sizes in
gaining leadership by providing
innovative technological approaches
and solutions that deliver real value.
They provide agile IT solutions that
respond to fast and evolving business
demands and free up employees so
they can work on projects that matters
to the business.
The postmodern era now requires IT to
have greater agility, and much shorter
response times to their demands, with
the ultimate goal being to rethink the
customer experience and operations as
well as reinvent business models.
But IT is still largely monopolized by
the tasks associated with the
maintenance and availability of
infrastructures inherited from the past.
data center using hyper-converged
technologies.
With their centers of expertise covering
infrastructure, cloud and managed
services, Present supports companies
in their modernization efforts to make
infrastructure as unobtrusive as
possible, allowing IT to focus on what
really matters: their applications.
A Difference that has a Big Impact
One of the main differentiator of
Present is the understanding of the
visible and hidden needs and problems.
The company comes in with a different
set of glasses, where it is not only
responding to needs and certainly not
pushing its products but laying out a
plan for the bigger picture.
The company prides itself by being
client centric and will do everything
possible to give a world class client
experience. Since it approaches things
We are a team of
passionate IT experts
who are driven by
helping our clients
succeed in their projects
with cutting edge
technological solutions
and our unparalleled
experience in
the implementation.
“
“

14. from a totally different angle, the end
result is not only an innovative
infrastructure solution but a better
value and perception of IT in the
business and more pride, freedom and
pleasure at work.
An All-Encompassing Beneficiary to
Clients
Present is a true contributor that has a
methodology and invests the time to
immerse itself in the client’s business
and becomes an extended team
towards their success.
The leadership at the company
believes, in the end, it is a better life
for everyone; for the IT team, for the
rest of the people in the business that
are impacted, for the end clients that
will be better served and the
stakeholders because they will have
better results and less problems to
solve. Marc often says, “When you
make a 360 analysis of the impacts of
doing things differently, you actually
see those elements that are so
profitable, both financially and
emotionally”.
Making the Industry better one Step
at a Time
With a combined approach based on
vision, values and methodology,
Present is a true partner in providing
value to client’s businesses. It helps its
clients by solving recurrent problems
that have been around too long. Such
problems can often become accepted
as a ‘necessary evil’ but they cost a
fortune in terms money and stress.
Present is stirring the pot by raising the
bar with new standards and aiming to
deliver everything its clients want and
need. The company often goes beyond
the call of duty to recognise deeper
problems and possible opportunities
with an objective and balanced
perspective.
The company envisions a brighter
future on the horizon for the industry
where there is an opportunity to
recreate the IT ecosystem where the
client always comes first.
The end result of our
work is not only an
innovative infrastructure
solution but a better value
and perception of IT in the
business and more pride,
freedom and pleasure
at work.
“
“

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CORPORATE OFFICE

17. Management BriefCompany Name
Present
present.ca
Marc Beaulieu
Founder & President
Present offers a comprehensive package of IT services including
data protection, network management, workstation perfomance,
etc as an IT partner.
Scalr
scalr.com
Sebastian Stadil
Founder & CEO
Scalr provides a hybrid cloud management platform which
promises security, cost-savings and efficiency for enterprises.
Now IT Matters
nowitmatters.com
Tim Lockie
Founder & President
Now IT Matters specializes in Salesforce implementations for
nonprofits of all sizes. It also provides the information
management, tech, and strategy consulting solutions.
Cyclos
demo.cyclos.org
Henk van Arkel
CEO
Cyclos is a mobile and online payment software. For banks,
micro finance institutions, barters and complementary
currency systems.
People Power
peoplepowerco.com
Gene Wang
CEO & Co-founder
People Power is a smart home services enablement company for
energy, security, and care, headquartered in Palo Alto,
California with offices worldwide.
INSTANDA offers SaaS insurance software that allows clients
to build, configure and launch products online within short
timelines, and amend them.
INSTANDA
instanda.com
Tim Hardcastle
Co-founder & CEO
Works Computing helps businesses meet their enterprise IT goals
through personalized services, hardware, software solutions.
Works Computing
workscomputing.com
Mitch Brown
CEO
Network-Value offers IT Asset Procurement, IT Asset
Maintenance andIT Asset Disposition services to its clients.
Network-Value
network-value.com
Chris Sargent
Co-founder & CEO
Signaturit’s electronic signature solution allows client businesses
to send and sign documents digitally and make secure
transactions.
Signaturit
signaturit.com
Juan Zamora
CEO & Founder
Eleven-x is a Canada based low power network enabling IoT &
smart Cities.
eleven-x
eleven-x.com
Dan Mathers
President & CEO

18. Fatima Al Shirawi
Founder
May 201816
Fatima Al Shirawi, Founder of The
Gracious F is the leading Color
Consultant in the Middle East who
has been collaborating with
International luxury brands through
the years.
As an educator, she works with
Government and Corporate
Entities and Educational Institutes
on delivering the Science of Colour
to learners in their elds of
expertise.
About the Author

19. OPPORTUNITIES
LEVEL
aunching a niche business concept in a competitive environment requires a mindset that
Lconstantly looks for new challenges to explore new ventures and set precedents. I launched a
fully-fledged color consultancy business in the Middle East a decade ago at a time when the
region was just establishing itself as an international hub for arts and creativity.
Many perceive color consultancy as a business that assesses individuals’ color profiles hence its
association with fashion and styling. In an age where knowledge is the core driver of creativity and
versatility, I have transformed the perception of this individual-centric business to a business that
services key sectors that involve human interaction.
The science of color psychology is accurate to the extent that it can be used to achieve sales targets for
any business. International brands have always been ahead of the game in using innovative methods to
HuntingNewTakingThe
BusinessToTheNext
Expert’s Talk
May 2018 17

20. drive their sales. With the Middle East being a key market
for growth, I worked with these brands by utilizing the
science and psychology of color to enhance the shopping
experience for their target clients. From engineering the
store interiors and visual merchandise to the actual selection
of goods that appeal to the sophisticated buyer meanwhile
standing out in a competitive landscape. Time after time the
science of color did not fail our expectations.
Another important element of success is collaborating with
businesses operating in different sectors. Social Media
channels have made it simpler to keep up with trends which
paves the way for successful collaborations to tap into new
markets and challenge business’s creativity. The
collaboration of businesses from different sectors has
become increasingly common in this day and age, as they
all aim to innovate a new experience for their customers.
Local and regional businesses are challenged to outperform
as they are constantly compared to their international
counterparts on social media channels and online media
platforms.
The key benefit of research and keeping up with trends is
understanding the challenges that businesses face, which
creates the opportunity to collaborate successfully. A good
example of a cross-sector collaboration would be aligning
my color consultancy business with the F&B sector, which
has witnessed growth in recent years, where customers are
always on the lookout for the next new dining experience.
Utilizing color psychology of human behavior and people’s
perception of colors was the core success factor behind
such collaboration. Where the fine dining restaurant set a
precedent in designing a customized menu incorporating
the flavors and colors that best suit Middle Eastern diners
meanwhile maintaining its French cuisine offering. Diners
enjoyed the experiences that activated their senses whilst
they were briefed on the psychology of color and flavors
behind every course of their dinner. Thanks to the Color
Affects theory, they left with satisfied taste buds and
inquisitive thoughts of the color groups they belonged to.
Sharing knowledge is the key to growth. With over a
decade of know-how and expertise in the evolving
landscape in the Middle East and having worked alongside
regional and international entities, it was time to share the
know-how with young minds. The Academic sector is one
of the key sectors that interacts with young minds and
exports knowledge. It is therefore extremely important to
me to work with academic institutions by training young
students from both arts and business realms on
understanding the impact of color psychology and the
importance of implementing it in their areas of
specialization, with the aim of growing their skill sets and
improving their career prospects.
Taking the business to the next level means exploring new
sectors that you can work alongside with and understanding
the challenges of the ever-evolving business landscape.
Confidence in your business and its offering makes that
possible. It is important to highlight that deep knowledge of
the new sector you plan on working with, creates a better
opportunity and transforms collaborations to partnerships.
Creativity remains the core challenge to businesses across
sectors. It is important to understand the psychology of the
consumer and color psychology is one of the methods used
to decipher consumer behavior. Commitment to your
business and business counterparts is the key to sustainable
success. It is important to bear in mind that along with the
high risk comes rewards which is what sets your business
apart from its competitors, by emerging as a key player in
the market.
Color consultancy remains a niche business, yet it was
eminent to hunt for opportunities that capitalize on such a
science in an age where our eyes are busy with our portable
devices and our minds are constantly distracted. Versatility,
adaptability and venturing into new business areas has
transformed the perception of my business from one that is
associated with fashion and arts to a business consultancy
that comprehends customer psychology, visual
merchandize, and engineers interior designs of homes and
stores.
May 201818

22. Mobile wallets are taking the
world by storm. Whether
it is for shopping,
businesses purchases or paying
government dues, mobile wallet
offers a glimpse into the bright future
of finance. It provides customers
with a thorough record of
transactions, unparalleled level of
convenience. However, there still
remains some legitimate concern in
the market about digital wallets.
There exists a lot of competition
among various private players, and
there is also a grim possibility of a
possible conflict of interest between a
mobile wallet platform and a
business that is potentially at its
mercy.
Unlike others, Cyclos has moved
past these major concerns to deliver a
groundbreaking non-profit digital
wallet venture. Being a non-profit
business, it allows the organization to
deliver a competitive low cost
product and spread across multiple
countries without a delay. Cyclos has
its offices in The Netherlands, Brazil
and Uruguay.
An Achievement Wrapped in
Numerous Hallmarks
Cyclos’s journey so far is a testimony
to pure dedication and consistency
towards its objectives. The company
has won numerous recognitions from
prestigious entities, who further
verify the success of the company
and its numerous hallmarks. An ideal
example would be when the
company won ETA’s E-pay
Innovation award back in 2014 to
establish itself as a leading market
player.
The company went onto add nearly
10 million end-users in 2016.
Additionally, it also won a
prestigious prize from the Gates
Foundation and the European Union.
The company received a special
mention in the EU vision 2020 for
aiding several key programs, like
spreading social benefits.
Additionally, in the high end
European market, the organization
provides a new approach to enable
access to credit for companies that up
till now are not served. In the
approach clients for credit are linked
to their supply chain are smartly
connected to increase their sales.
Cyclos also provides a marketplace
for businesses to reach customers.
Over the years, Cyclos has
empowered several key shareholders
in the market including small banks,
barter trade clients and MFI’s to
build a stronger economy for the
future.
Distinguished Features and a
Unique Approach
Cyclos has launched various
products in a market which continues
to redefine mobile banking. Its
premier product is the Cyclos 4 PRO,
which payment platform can serve
groups and sub-groups of businesses.
It is based on JAVA enterprise and
can be installed on a private server.
Both the application servers as well
as the database server are fully
clusterable. It offers mobile banking
which embeds the latest banking
solutions including mobile app,
SMS, USSD, IVR, online banking
and many more. The product also
contains special features and
technology to increase the impact of
expenditures in regions where the
economy underperforms, in line with
Cyclos:
A Transparent and State of the
Art Innovation Gripping Europe
The
10Most
IT Infrastructure
Innovative
Solution Providers 2018
May 201820

23. the larger vision of its parent
organization, Social Trade
Organization (STRO)
The aim of STRO is to make money
more effective, just and sustainable,
and available where needed. Based
on that vision Cyclos appeals to
various stakeholders in the
marketplace. For example, Cyclos
enables small banks to deliver poor
clients high level services by
providing them with cost-effective
state of the art on-line banking, SMS
banking, POS and mobile banking
services. This contributes towards
building a strong banking sector, and
in return Cyclos continues to
experience incredible growth from
serving their users including small
banks, large organizations,
businesses, micro finance
institutions, government agencies
and educational institutions as well.
A Leadership that Turns
Challenges into Opportunities
During the 1980s, the leadership at
Cyclos anticipated that IT
applications would change the very
nature of money. Hence, in order to
be a part of this innovation, an
intensive R&D program was started,
which resulted in Cyclos software.
Henk van Arkel, the CEO of the
organization led it with his
courageous beliefs. His slogan for
diving into the unknown territory of
innovation was that – “a problem is
merely a not yet found solution.” The
organization applied the theory in
practice for twenty years and created
a wide-variety of innovative
monetary solutions.
Cyclos leadership continues to this
day, to respond to growing and
emerging trends in the financial
market. One such growing trend is
Blockchain technology. While
currently, the connection between the
assumed worth of BlockChain and its
productive capacities is debated,
Cyclos mixes technologies new and
proven, centralized and decentralized
based on proven performance.
Hence, Cyclos leadership continues
to emphasize on creating payment
systems which reinforce regional
economies and decreases
speculation.
Cyclos continues to emerge as a key
and unique player in the global
financial market. The management at
Cyclos also has its sights set on a
bright future ahead. The organization
expects to reach hundreds of millions
of users based on its recent success
and advancements. This user base
will gradually be offered options yet
not available in the market, such as
counter-cyclical credit technology
and technology that increases the
impact of money. Cyclos ultimately
aims to help circulate the large
proportion of the 500 billion dollar
remittances market more effectively
in order to allow the creation of
hundreds of millions jobs as a real
possibility with the the increase of
the recirculation.
Cyclos will keep on
creating the most up
to date, highest quality
affordable software.
“
”
May 2018 21
Henk van Arkel
CEO

24. Key
SaaS
SaaS
SaaSTrends that are
Driving Transformation
in
May 201822

25. SaaS or Software as a Service is a current phenomenon
in the world of technology nowadays. It is an on
demand, cloud-based delivery model for software
applications. Over the years, SaaS has grown quite steadily.
However, these solutions are becoming more and more
popular nowadays, thanks to the advantages of cloud
computing and rage of benefits it offers. When it comes to
SaaS, a service provider hosts the application at a remote
location, and the user can access that by using a web-
browser. With the years to come, usage of SaaS is only
expected to grow even further. So, here we are listing out
few trends that can eventually shape the industry later on.
Considering the effectiveness of SaaS, it has grown ahead
itself to something new termed as XaaS model (Everything
as a service). Nowadays the majority of manufacturers and
channel partners are using pay-as-you-go models to
compute their organizations as they welcome the latest
technology through cloud based services. It is believed that
XaaS will bring more innovations to cloud-based
businesses.
According to the latest industry trends, few organizations
are trying to migrate their data to cloud software and
platform services. However, few of the companies are
seeking for service resolutions in order to merge within the
current infrastructure to make it better. With the presence of
legacy systems and concerns related to data security, the
responsibility completely lies on SaaS MSP, when it comes
to full integration without leaking any critical data.
With the constantly evolving technology market, soon
DaaS (Data as a Service) will have a significant presence.
The main idea of DaaS is to help organizations with the
wide variety of cloud based data at very minimal cost so
that organizations can become smarter when it comes to
decisions related to strategy planning.
Security will play a very important role in the upcoming
days. With the rise of smartphone users, now cyber
offenders have multiple entry points for security breaches,
exposing personal and enterprise networks. As mentioned,
remote working exposes employees to public open spaces
with unencrypted networks making them more vulnerable
to various threats. Nowadays malware can be injected in all
kind of devices, which can eventually intercept the
transferred data leaving more to be protected. So, with more
and more innovations one can easily expect increased
security solutions in the upcoming years.
Soon smartphone-friendly apps are going to be norm in
the industry. Thanks to the growing usage of smartphones
and tablets amongst the employees and customers.
According to recent survey, 35 percent of respondents said
that they are planning to increase spending on mobile
systems in 2017, among all the respondent’s 10 percent are
currently beta-testing apps and 21 percent are looking to
add team members with mobile application and device
management skills. With the growing usage of mobility,
organizations are saving costs, and now they can work
remotely and can increase customer response time.
Artificial Intelligence will play a big part soon. Last year,
Google Home, Amazon Alexa, and Siri’s Macbook debut
brought AI personal experience within reach of people. The
same trend can be anticipated this year when home
enhancement and simplification is the key trend. For
example, there will be developments in everyday activities
such as switching on lights, opening, and closing of garage
doors, switching sir conditioning on and off, etc. All these
will be possible with the help of a smartphone.
According to a recent study, till date, more than 75 percent
enterprise don’t possess a complete organization cohesive
cloud strategy. Without the clarity into what software
employees are using for their day to day processes, CIOs
are failing to regulate processes, create plans, and preserve
a critical business data. So, to discover various shadow IT
departments, soon SaaS discovery tools will function to
alert organizations and to find solutions.
Within a very short period, an increasing number of
financially powerful cloud application MSP’s are advancing
above the mark of $50 million mark. Which is eventually
helping them to produce a surplus of venture capital firms
who are on the lookout of making new investments. The
result is an explosion in the sector of SaaS, however, soon
the funding will become increasingly controversial.
SaaS applications are easy fit for small businesses and
startups, where deploying and managing on-premise
infrastructure is not a great idea. According to recent
research, more than 6,000 European organizations, which
range from pre-startups to established small businesses
found many growth options. Whereas more than 64 percent
of the survey respondents were already using the cloud-
based software. By 2017, the percentage is expected to
grow up to 78 percent. As per the research, financial
management, project management, customer management,
and marketing are the key areas where the organizations are
seeking support from SaaS vendors.
So, here are some of the key trends of SaaS, that can
eventually change the market. However, we still expect
more and more SaaS companies to expand their limits and
move into different segments while evolving from single
product services to platforms.
May 2018 23
Trend Reviews

26. Omnichannel Agent
and Customer
Engagement Solutions
Simplify and personalize the customer experience,
empower agents and achieve business success
with one workspace for all channel interactions,
application integrations, and CX reporting.

28. Entire organizations are driven on technology that no
longer meets the expectations of end users.
Particularly in the financial space. Financial
institutions have notoriously struggled to keep pace with
technology. Many, if not all, desktops that power Wall
Street are programmed in what are now referred to as
“legacy” languages: Java, .NET, and C++. This becomes
increasingly problematic the longer they sit there. The
degradation of user experience and functionality creates
serious consequences for a product (and the bottom line),
especially when compared to their modern counterparts.
The rise of modern UX and UI has fundamentally changed
the way business leaders and organizations think about
product development. As technology evolved over the
years, so did consumer expectations. Engineers improved
their methods and craft, better products were delivered, and
consumers reaped the benefits of an interactive, intuitive UI
that delivered a great UX. However, that same deliverable
quickly conditioned and influenced users’ expectations,
making it even harder for engineers to keep pace. Users
want and expect a beautifully designed, modern, interactive
experience on any device, anywhere.
In today’s world of hyper expectations, user experience
must be the leading driver in determining product
strategy.
Web technologies—HTML5, CSS, and JavaScript to name
a few—are what deliver the modern UX that users have
come to expect. These technologies came and conquered.
They’re responsible for the “mobile first” and cloud
movements that transformed businesses around the world.
Web technologies have had such a big impact on the bottom
line that they are now a cornerstone of any great company
or product strategy.
But the financial space is always a little tough. Developing
tools for financial professionals isn’t the same as building a
taxi service app, a chat platform, or a food delivery app.
The needs of financial professionals—analysts and traders
in particular—are far more complex and require technical
sophistication and industry-specific intel.
With help from experts in the field, institutions began to
deliver the experience modern users demanded. Web
technologies played a huge role as devices proliferated and
Redefining
the Institutional
Desktop within
Capital Markets
Redefining
the Institutional
Desktop within
Capital Markets
Dan Schleifer
Co-founder
ChartIQ
May 201826

29. cross-platform technology became essential. But through all
of this, there was one device and tool that was overlooked:
the desktop trading terminal. The last mile of web
technologies is bringing their inherent advantages to the
institutional desktop trading station.
The desktop is king in the financial industry thanks to its
sheer power, performance, and efficiency. Right now a
proprietary terminal sits on the desk of 325K of the most
influential decision-makers in finance. Close your eyes and
imagine the trading floor full of paper tickets and runners.
One of the first industry revolutions moved Wall Street
from print to computers. And now, we’re in the midst of
another great revolution as HTML5, CSS, and JavaScript
are being applied to financial technology.
Power users in finance need access to a lot of data—and
quickly. This explains the large investment in the desktop
computer and 12+ monitor setup. But what if you could
take all the data within those monitors and have each
monitor’s contents talk to each other, fit on one screen, or
stretch out across many screens depending on your
preference? What if you could fill multiple areas on your
screen with the data that mattered most to your own
organization? And what would happen to your business if
you could integrate your legacy and native applications into
the same platform as your modern web technologies? AND
they could all interoperate? This is the future of the
desktop: one experience powered by many apps. Its smarter,
better-looking, and more powerful. And it’s finally here.
Financial firms employ thousands of desktop apps for
trading, market research, and collaboration. They can be
modern or legacy apps. They can be licensed from third-
party vendors or built in-house.They can be built with
different technologies such as Java, .Net, Angular, or Flash.
But no matter the situation, financial institutions are faced
with a hodgepodge of disparate, splintered applications
across the entire organization, and definitely on the user’s
desktop. These apps might provide insight and power and
individually be great, but they’re just a single app on a
page, unaware of its surroundings.
Within the last five years, software frameworks called
containers have given us the ability to have multiple types
of applications work together on the desktop, regardless of
language. The latest tech development is building advanced
functionality on top of the container, because the container
isn’t enough. When HTML5 and JavaScript are used on top
of a container, they can leverage APIs, a microservice
architecture, and modern functionality to bring users a new
platform experience—an open terminal experience.
An open terminal experience is exactly what financial
institutions need to solve the headaches associated with
their outdated technology. It allows large organizations,
steeped in legacy architecture, a chance to preserve the
current apps that power their business while simultaneously
building forward in HTML5. The open terminal
accomplishes this by making it possible for organizations to
embed their own native applications into a modern,
interoperating platform that connects and syncs data. The
final product is the functionality that end users want. And
that’s been a long time coming for Wall Street’s darling: the
desktop. Your choice of data and components. All working
seamlessly together.
“The move to bring powerful web functionality and
integrate disparate systems into a unified user experience is
redefining the institutional trading terminal as we know it.”
Individual windows can be easily connected with the touch
of a button so that they communicate with one another and
synchronize data. This allows for a federated approach,
where components are loosely coupled, but integrated into a
unified whole. With these new developments, organizations
can, for the first time ever, reduce their dependence on the
proprietary terminal and choose the data that is relevant to
their organization. When data sources are interconnected,
synchronized, and organized to best meet the end users’
needs... the entire workflow is made efficient.
At ChartIQ, we’ve been working with HTML5 for years to
guide large financial institutions through the inevitable
upgrade process. We built our open terminal platform,
Finsemble, to help these same institutions deliver a
compelling and efficient user experience on the desktop.
Finsemble is a middle road between the powerful-but-rigid
legacy environment and the dynamic-but-constrained
browser environment. APIs allow window communication
and syncing, and client-side integration is fast and easy. You
can learn how to start revolutionizing your desktop trading
terminal at chartiq.com
With Finsemble, customized workspaces and workflows are
quick to assemble for developers. And they are flexible, so
the unique requirements of each and every organization are
individually met. Embedding native applications into an
HTML5 environment allows these large, legacy-driven orgs
to finally deliver the best possible user experience.
About Dan Schleifer
Dan Schleifer is a Co-founder of ChartIQ, a front-end
software company that specializes in HTML5 functionality
and APIs for capital markets clients. ChartIQ provides tools
that make migrating and updating to modern interfaces easy
for large financial institutions. Learn more at chartiq.com
Leader's POV
May 2018 27

30. You can be forgiven for
believing that the world of
insurance is staid and boring;
the industry is generally regarded as
one of the most passive of all.
However, you would be wrong, and the
reason would be INSTANDA.
Who are INSTANDA?
INSTANDA is an insurance software
provider challenging the status quo. It
has created a state of the art SaaS
(Software as a Service) insurance
software platform that allows you to
build your products from scratch,
configure them to suit you and your
clients, and then launch them online at
drastically-shortened timescales.
Amendments no longer require weeks
or days – they go live within minutes.
This leading-edge cloud software has
completely revolutionized how the
insurance industry operates. Fifteen of
the world’s largest carriers in the U.S.,
Canada, Latin America, U.K. and
Europe are already using INSTANDA
software, and the company is fielding
widespread interest from many others.
INSTANDA’s appeal lies in its
unrivaled versatility, a characteristic
that is literally unheard of in insurance.
The platform’s users have the power to
configure any product in any way they
want, from the most complex
commercial scenario with sophisticated
ratings and extensive documentation to
simple gadget options. The distribution
phase is as user-friendly and
compatible with any distribution
channel(s) across multiple brands,
currencies, languages, and tax regimes.
No templates mean no limitations.
INSTANDA is bringing the age of the
off-the-shelf, one-size-fits-all model to
a close.
Leadership Matters
The man behind this extraordinary
rethink is INSTANDA’s Co-founder
and CEO, Tim Hardcastle.
Tim has a long and distinguished
career in the insurance and
underwriting industry. He has held
positions of leadership at FTSE 10 and
FTSE 250 corporations, where his
commitment to fusing technology with
insurance has earned him widespread
recognition and regard.
Prior to founding INSTANDA, Tim
was the CIO at Hiscox and has worked
on strategic consulting programs for
major insurers like Chubb, Arthur J.
Gallagher, and JLT. This accomplished
background and the lessons learned at
these prestigious institutions form the
foundation on which Tim has built
INSTANDA’s stunning success.
Identifying Challenges
Two major limitations contribute to the
bulk of the challenges faced by the
insurance industry.
The first of these is that the arena is
dominated by legacy systems that are
typically three to four decades old. In
almost any other industry, they would
be relics from a bygone era; they are
incapable of meeting the needs of
consumers in today’s digital world.
It takes them an enormous investment
of time, manpower, and money to get a
product live.
The other significant factor is the
difficulty in replacing these legacy
systems. A typical implementation
takes between two and four years, and
costs tens of millions of dollars.
Complicating matters further is the
reality of the ‘change freeze’ that
necessarily occurs during such
implementations.
As a result, insurance providers are
acutely averse to change.
INSTANDA gives every insurance
company the ability to conquer both
these obstacles with a single low-cost,
easily-applied option. The product
development and release lifecycle is
shortened to days while there is no
INSTANDA:
A Company Born Out of
Hands-on Experience
The
10Most
IT Infrastructure
Innovative
Solution Providers 2018
May 201828

31. change freeze to limit flexibility and
innovation.
The savings of time and other
resources are phenomenal.
Overcoming Challenges
INSTANDA’s innovative design
philosophy helps it address challenges
that have plagued the insurance
industry for a generation. Using a
combination of cutting-edge
technology and inventive problem-
solving, it is helping insurers reimagine
what is possible.
Here are four key factors that drive its
success.
Straight Through Processing (STP)
Given that the world is increasingly
relying on instant connectivity to make
purchases, INSTANDA was designed
with a focus on online/self-service
interaction. Its end-to-end STP model
provides limitless scale, reach, and
delivery at marginal cost.
Self-Service and Control
INSTANDA has gathered what is
arguably the most experienced and
innovative design teams in the
industry. They have created a platform
that addresses the inherent complexity
of varying regulatory and compliance
guidelines, fluctuating appetites for
risk, and inconsistent information
presentation formats.
Customer Experience
The modern consumer is choosy and
willing to take their business elsewhere
if they believe their needs are not being
adequately met. By giving them
unprecedented flexibility to choose
exactly what they want, INSTANDA
helps insurers retain their old
customers and attract new ones.
Flexible Product Distribution
The INSTANDA platform can handle
any number of products over any
number of channels or market
segments, and each is under the direct
and instantaneous control of the
business user. This flexibility can be
delivered directly to the consumer or
via an intermediary.
An Upward Trajectory
When INSTANDA began work on
their proprietary platform, they had
only a few dedicated developers. That,
it has today transformed into a team of
60 full-time employees.
Very early in their journey, the
company was accorded lifetime
membership of the Microsoft
Accelerator’s global Alumni Program.
Another resounding success came
when the company was one of just 175
from a pool of 8,500 start-ups selected
by the world’s biggest start-up
accelerator, Plug and Play Tech Center,
for their InsurTech program in early
2017.
Over the last year, INSTANDA saw a
fivefold increase in the number of live
clients on its platform. The rise in the
number of products those clients offer
was even more significant – a 5,000%
increase from 8 to 400.
With such major achievements
marking its still-young journey,
INSTANDA is perfectly poised to be
one of the key players that will shape
the insurance sector for a long time to
come.
Today we are a dynamic team of
diverse, experienced practitioners
and subject matter experts.
Our developers and designers
work alongside senior consultants to
deliver large-scale technical projects
for major insurance providers.
“
” Tim Hardcastle
Co-founder & CEO
May 2018 29

32. ADisaster Recovery Plan (DRP) is a business process that describes how work can be resumed quickly and
effectively after a disaster. Disaster recovery planning is just a part of business continuity planning and applied
to the aspects of an organization that rely on IT functions. It is a quick and informative solution used as a
proactive backup for IT Infrastructure.
The creation of a DRP begins with a DRP proposal for upper-level management support. An Information Technology
DRP is developed through the combination of a business continuity plan. The strategies covered under technology
recovery process are developed to restore hardware and application solutions with the business data recovery process.
However, in companies, employees use electronic mail and Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) telephone systems to
communicate. Also, Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) is used for transmitting data which include orders and payments
information generated from one company to another.
Foremost Objectives of DRP
The objective of a Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP) is used to minimize the downtime and data loss. The primary
objective is to protect the organization in all events where all of its operations and computer services are rendered
unfeasible. The plan minimizes the disruption of operations and ensures the level of organizational stability & order to
Proactiv Backup
for
May 201830

33. protecting critical documents used
under DRP or securing proper
insurance policies.
Devising Techniques with
Expertise
Geoffrey H. Wold, a well-known
author describes disaster recovery in
his journal in a significant manner.
He describes the complete process
through distinctive techniques. These
techniques are derived from a various
combination of information and
procedure used in a recovery system.
Obtaining Top Management
Commitment
A successful DRP is the foremost
responsibility for the plan lay on top
management. Organization
management ensures its functionality
within the organization and also
recover after disaster immediately.
The two major concepts that measure
minimizing downtime and data loss
are Recovery Time Objective (RTO)
and the Recovery Point Objective
(RPO).
The RTO is based on time
component of the business process.
Business must be restored after a
major incident has occurred in order
to avoid unacceptable failure. The
process is associated with a break of
time continuity under business
process. And the RPO is the age of
files which is recovered from backup
storage for normal operations to
resume if a computer, system, or
network goes down. The process is
thus the maximum acceptable
amount of data loss measured in
time.
The standard form of Disaster
Recovery Plans
The Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP) is
distributed in three basic strategies
where features are covered in all
these plans:
1. Preventive Measures
2. Detective Measures, and
3. Corrective Measures.
The Preventive Measures is featured
process which prevents its
functionality before disaster take
place. This process measures risk
factors and reduces risks. The
Detective Measures is the process
used for identifying the presence of
any unwanted events within the IT
infrastructure. Its main aim is to
uncover new potential threats and
detect or uncover unwanted events.
And Corrective Measures includes
May 2018
Security Suggestions
31

34. consider as its recovery plan. The process is also
responsible for allocating adequate time and resources
required for the development of an effective plan. Also,
management used these considerations with both
financial and personal involvement.
Enforcing Planning Committee
A planning committee is basically appointed to manage
development and implementation of the recovery plan. It
includes representatives from all functional areas of the
organization. The key committee members customarily
include the operation’s manager and the data processing
manager.
Performing a Risk Valuation
The risk assessment process evaluates the safety of
critical documents and vital records. Usually, the fire is
the greatest threat to an organization. It is an important
aspect to assess the impacts and consequences resulting
from loss of information and services. The organization
analyzes the costs related to minimize the potential
exposures.
Enlarging Priorities for Processing and Operations
In organizations, each department is concerned with
critical stages. Enlarging priorities is an important factor
because no organization possesses infinite resources and
criteria for safety. It must be set to allocate resources first
for safe recovery. Some of the areas often review during
the prioritization process through functional operations,
key personnel, and their functions along with existing
documentation, historical records, and the departmental
policies and procedures.
Assertive Recovery Strategies
During this stage, DRP is a most practical way for
processing information about disaster generated through
research and evaluation. All aspects of the organization
strategies includes, physical facilities, computer
hardware and software, communications links, data files
and any other processing operations.
Gathering Business Database Information
In this phase, a collection of data is an important aspect
of the whole process which is carried out through a
recovery system. Data gathering materials and
documentation often includes various lists, inventories,
and documentation. After Data gathering process,
organizing its functionality is a better data recovery plan.
Reaching Out to the Goals
The DRP gets approved by the organization’s
management when a plan is in the form of written and
tested. Management is responsible for enhancing the
policies, procedures, and responsibilities of planning,
reviewing and documenting such reviews in writing.
However, Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP) is safe, quick
and easy accessible solutions for all IT Infrastructure and
Business solutions which protect enterprise’s data,
employees and business with an effective medium of
solution globally.
May 201832

36. Humanizing the Internet of
Things (IoT) isn’t easy but
one company has placed that
goal at the center of everything it does.
People Power is an award-winning
IoT software company that specializes
in helping service providers deliver
differentiated connected home
offerings through their brands. They
enable digital service providers, retail
energy providers, telecoms companies,
and manufacturers to rapidly connect,
engage, deliver, and manage IoT
devices and programs.
Its solutions are built with the future
proofing and flexibility that IoT
demands. By bringing Artificial
Intelligence (AI) to IoT for recurring
revenue in security, energy, and home
care services, People Power solves real
challenges for people every day.
A Committed Leader
Gene Wang is the CEO and Co-
founder of People Power. He is
committed to the development of
meaningful, differentiated IoT
solutions that address high-growth
opportunities, and is leading the next
wave of AI and IoT developments by
revamping the technology behind
smart home solutions.
Gene was previously the Chairman and
CEO of Bitfone, an industry leader in
mobile phone device management
which was sold to Hewlett-Packard. He
also served as CEO and Chairman at
Photo Access, which was bought by
Agilent in 2000. Gene led Computer
Motion, a leading medical robotics
firm, through a successful IPO in 1997
as its CEO.
As an Executive Vice President at
Symantec, Gene managed four
divisions and helped more than double
annual sales. As VP and General
Manager at Borland, he drove
development and sales of C++ to more
than a million users. Gene is also the
co-founder of Gold Hill Computers, an
Artificial Intelligence company.
Entering the Segment
Despite People Power’s current
domination of the segment, it was not
initially a part of their business plan.
The company just happened to
recognize an untapped niche - helping
service providers create recurring
revenue streams by offering new value-
added services to their existing
customers.
This new B2B2C game plan has
allowed People Power to diversify and
expand through service providers
rather than build a consumer brand
from the ground up. The company now
leverages the respected brand power of
its customers to deliver white-label
energy, security, and care to
consumers.
Meeting Challenges Head-On
People Power started out trying to help
solve consumer energy efficiency
challenges through mobile solutions.
They quickly realized that businesses
and building managers also wanted to
control energy costs and reduce their
own carbon footprints. Meanwhile,
utilities providers had to meet
government mandates to include
renewable energy sources and reduce
demand through energy efficiency.
People Power:
Simplifying IoT Deployment
The
10Most
IT Infrastructure
Innovative
Solution Providers 2018
May 201834

37. With its global workforce, the
company was able to create value and
deliver award-winning user
experiences to people around the
world. It designed and delivered
breakthrough energy efficiency
projects for clients from Cape Cod to
Hawaii, while helping consumers
better understand how to save energy
at home.
People Power’s next venture was smart
home security with its free Presence
app. Such innovative products and
services resonated with both
consumers and service providers but it
was too early for widespread adoption
as IoT was still a nascent technology.
Today, the Presence app has been
downloaded over 1.5 million times and
sent more than 190 million video
alerts.
People Power is also serving some of
the world’s largest service providers,
including Origin Energy (Australia),
Innogy (Germany), China Mobile
(China) and tier-1 US-based retail
energy providers with white-label
connected home solutions.
They continue to innovate and help
service providers quickly add energy,
security, and care services to their
product portfolios.
An Exciting Future
People Power’s IoT system introduces
machine learning and true intelligence
into the connected home, something
that no other company has yet been
able to do. It enables service providers
to offer unique microservices to
consumers while shifting revenue
models from hardware device sales to
recurring service revenues, the Holy
Grail business model for IoT
initiatives.
People Power has recently entered into
a commercial partnership with one of
the largest utility providers in the
United States to launch a total home
and lifestyle security solution. Smart
homes and security will meet to create
smart security.
Another partnership and a U.S.
government grant are allowing the
company to delve deeper into utility
and program management. It is also
working with Stanford ChangeLabs to
better understand consumer behavior
and then design and deliver services
that they truly need and want.
There are countless opportunities for
IoT to completely revamp the smart
home, energy, security, and care
industries. The organization is
completely focused on delivering
highly-personalized, AI-powered
solutions to automate desired
outcomes.
People Power is working with service
providers to help consumers monitor
and reduce their energy consumption in
ways they couldn’t before. It is
simplifying how people safeguard their
homes with smart home security and
helping the elderly live more
independently.
Our AI-based IoT services
incorporate machine
learning algorithms while
operating in the
background of your life.
“
” Gene Wang
CEO & Co-founder
May 2018 35

38. Top Queries to Ask Your Provider —
Before You Do with ThemBusiness
IT
Anyone can say that they offer IT services. But are
they providing the right kind of service for your
business? It’s important to ask the right questions
when making your decision. We have compiled a list of
queries for you to ensure you have the tools to identify if
the IT provider of your choice can truly fulfill your needs.
You need to make sure that the IT provider is competent
and experienced in serving your organization, puts your
needs above all else, and has the tools and resources to get
the job done securely and efficiently.
How Long They Have Been in the Business
According to the US Small Business Administration,
roughly 50% of small businesses fail within the first 5
years. It’s important to be able to trust and rely on the
company of your choice. It’s important to know how long
they’ve been in business as well as how successful they
have been over that time as it will give you a better
assessment of their ability to fulfill your needs.
The Type of Insurance They Have
If the company doesn’t have insurance and something goes
wrong or someone gets hurt, they may not have the finances
on their own to salvage everything.
Prior Experience in the Vertical
If they’ve only focused on companies entirely unrelated to
how you handle your business, they may not have as much
expertise or insight as an IT provider that has had many
different clients in a variety of industries.
If They Provide Onsite Support or Outsourced Support
The best IT providers staff their own helpdesk support
onsite, at their office, so they can train them, keep their
certifications updated, and make sure they have good
people working for them. It should be important to them
that their staff has intimate knowledge of what your
business does and their client base in order to provide the
best assistance and customer service possible.
What Their Support Hours Are
You want to make sure there is always someone there to
help if something goes wrong, no matter when.
Emergencies don’t wait until the weekend or holiday is
over. The best IT providers have ability to help you 24
hours a day, 365 days a year.
Measure Customer Satisfaction
A quality IT provider should be calling clients and
performing surveys. The clients chosen should be random
(not just their happy clients.), and should rate their
customer service experience on: reliability, performance,
security, problem resolution, friendliness, professionalism,
and timeliness.
If They Have an Out Clause
After signing the contract with an IT provider, you may find
after some time that they are not a good fit for you. What
happens then? Are you stuck in a long-term contract with
them anyway? Or do they have any sort of Out Clause in
their contract that will allow termination if your needs are
left unfulfilled.
May 201836

39. About the Author
Christopher Coluccio is the CEO & Co-founder
ofTechworks Consulting, Inc. From his early
years, Chris had a love of computers, coding his
first program at the age of 8. He went on to
study Computer Science at Dowling College.
During that time, he worked on projects such as
the “Big Dig” in Boston and large construction
projects in Manhattan. He went on to become
the IT Administrator of one of the largest print
manufacturers on Long Island. It was around
that time that he met his business partner,
Keith, and the building blocks ofTechworks
began. Incepting in 2002, he was able to make
their dream a reality.
Chris is widely-recognized for his vigorous
advocacy of technological innovations and high
standards for quality support and services.
Having over 20 years of experience in the IT
industry, Chris has worked with numerous
companies spanning various industries
providing services to keep their organizations
running smoothly and securely. Chris is also the
co-chair of the HIA-LITechnology for Business
Committee.
Usage of Up to Date Technology
If your IT provider uses outdated technology and aren’t
always keeping their eyes open for new technologies, they
may not have the capability to do the job right. And don’t
just take their word for it – make sure they can prove it.
Guaranteed Response Time
It’s important to have a good idea of how long it takes the
provider to tackle whatever issues your technology may
come across and make sure it’s within a reasonable time
frame. The right IT provider should offer you a Service
Level Agreement (SLA). The SLA indicates the response
time that their team guarantees.
Use Two-Factor Authentication
You want to ensure your IT provider is using the most
advanced methods possible to keep your data secure. Two-
Factor Authentication is an extra layer of security that
requires not only a password and username but also
something the user has on them, such as a pin, fingerprint,
ID card, etc.
Secure Storage of Important Data and Passwords
A capable IT provider has the latest security features to
ensure your personal information is kept safe. If you can’t
trust an IT provider to keep their systems secure, can you
trust them to protect yours? The right IT provider will store
all passwords in a password repository system which
requires 2-factor authentication. They should also have
procedures in place in case of an employee termination to
ensure there is no risk of unauthorized access.
rd
3 Party Penetration Testing of Their Business
Many IT providers may offer business penetration and
security tests, but have they been tested themselves? Many
IT providers have not had their own systems tested by a 3rd
party. Others who have been tested have found that they are
not as secure as they advertise themselves to be.
Choosing the right IT provider is not an easy decision.
There are numerous factors that need to be considered that
should not be taken lightly. Using the questions above will
be very helpful in the vetting process to separate the strong
contenders from the rest and assist you in making a final
decision with confidence.
IT Insights
May 2018 37
Christopher Coluccio
CEO & Co-founder

42. network devices, Routers which help devices connected on
different LANs to communicate, Firewalls are the
protectors at the edge of network, Servers allow multiple
users to store share and view their resources, Physical
Plants are all the network cabling, Software Infrastructure
and Data Center are the location where all the servers are
situated.
Types of IT Infrastructures
The most commonly used and widely acknowledged
discipline is the converged infrastructure (CI). It operates
by grouping multiple information technology components
into a single, optimized computing package. CI comprises
of various information technology components into one
complete package. Parts of CI include hardware, software,
servers, data centers, IT infrastructure and networking
equipment.
IT Infrastructure
and the Rage
IT Infrastructure
and the Rage
Innovation is taking two things that already exist and
putting them together in a new way, and when we talk
about innovations in the IT infrastructure, it is going
leaps and bounds. This industry has been booming ever
since the advent of technology and the widespread
acceptance it has received. Basically, IT infrastructure is
mixture of the firm’s hardware, software, networks, data
centers and related equipment to develop, test, operate,
monitor, manage and/or support information technology
services.
Components of IT Infrastructure
Information and Communication technology (ICT) is
accelerating ever since personal computers came into the
picture. IT infrastructure is a set of components required to
run a tech enterprise. The main components include
Network Switches which provides connectivity between
May 201840

43. Converged Infrastructure primarily focuses on reducing the
costs that are associated with cabling, cooling, floor space
and power. CI combines storage and computation into a
single physical appliance that is small, dynamic and
powerful.
Another type of IT Infrastructure is the dynamic
infrastructure. It is an IT paradigm concerning the design of
data centers so that the underlying hardware and software
can respond dynamically to changing levels of demand in a
more efficient manner. The basic premise of ‘Next
generation data center’ is to leverage pooled IT resources to
provide flexible IT capacity, enabling the allocation of
resources in line with demand from business processes.
This is accomplished by using server virtualization tools to
pool computing properties wherever applicable, and
allotting these resources on-demand via programmed tools.
This allows for freight balancing and is a more proficient
approach than keeping enormous computing resources in
backup to run chores that take place, for instance, once a
month, but are otherwise under-utilized.
Taking IT infrastructure up a notch is the hyper-converged
infrastructure. HCI is a software-defined IT infrastructure
that virtualizes all of the essentials of orthodox “hardware-
defined” systems. It runs on COTS servers. HCI contains
the ability to plug and play into a data center pool of like
structures. The most significant benefit of hyper-converged
infrastructure is that enterprises do not have to depend on
different commute and storage systems.
A cloud computing Software Company which is making a
mark in this industry is Nutanix; founded in 2009 by
Tech Outreach
May 2018 41

44. Dheeraj Pandey, Mohit Aron and Ajeet Singh. The
enterprise believes various components of converged
infrastructure can be replaced with a solo hyper-converged
solution to create an agile data center that easily scales with
your trade. The firm which is known for its innovation has
joined hands with IBM, one of the biggest companies in the
US. Both the companies have collaborated to deliver the
industry’s first hyper-converged platform on the POWER
architecture.
The latest type of IT Infrastructure is the software-defined
infrastructure (SDI). It is a technical computing
infrastructure completely under the roof of software with no
machinist or human intervention. It operates free of any
hardware-specific dependencies and is programmatically
extensible.
Infrastructure as a service
Infrastructure as a service (IaaS) denotes to online services
that deal with high-level APIs to dereference several low-
level details of essential network infrastructures. It is one of
the three divisions of cloud computing services. Computing
resources, scaling, backup, location, data partitioning,
safety are a few important network infrastructures. IaaS-
cloud providers offer these resources (IT Infrastructure) on-
demand from their enormous ponds of equipment installed
in data centers. For far-ranging connectivity, consumers can
use either the Internet or carrier clouds (devoted virtual
private networks). The consumer binds and maintains the
operating schemes and the application software. Cloud
suppliers sends bills based on the sum of resources
allocated and consumed.
Software as a service
Software as a service (SaaS), also known as on-demand
software is a new and alternative way of accessing
software. The software is licensed on a subscription basis to
the consumers. SaaS is a centrally hosted service. The
software is used via thin client and then via web browser.
SaaS doesn’t require physical distribution which eradicates
middle man thus saving on the costing. This service is
commonly used in office software, gaming, virtualization,
content management and human resource management.
Platform as a service
PaaS, also known as platform base service is a category of
cloud computing services. Businesses rely on PaaS for a
specific set of services such as Java Development. PaaS
services are accommodated in the cloud and are accessed
by the users via their web browser. Vital benefits of PaaS
include convenience and simplicity.
To sum it up, IT Infrastructure is one of the biggest
industries in the market which is set to boom drastically in
all the sectors with software as its forte.
May 201842

46. Cloud can be a double-edged
sword for enterprises. On one
hand, it promises incredible
speed, flexibility and the ability to
capitalize on new business
opportunities. On the other, if not
managed properly, cloud can introduce
security exposures and runaway costs,
and actually slow operations. With
growing adoption of large-scale, multi-
cloud environments, there’s a real need
for fresh innovations that boost cloud’s
benefits and hold the risks at bay. One
of the top companies challenging the
status quo and ushering in a new era of
agile, safe, cloud-savvy enterprises is
Scalr.
Scalr helps enterprises make the
promise of multi-cloud a reality by
empowering groups with the flexibility
and autonomy they need to move fast,
while ensuring central IT doesn’t have
to compromise on cost, security or
compliance. The Scalr Hybrid Cloud
Management Platform (CMP) makes it
easy to automate and standardize
application deployments across multi-
cloud environments. Using its unique
Scalr Organizational Model, which
combines proactive and reactive
policies with a hierarchy that maps to
each organization’s structure, Scalr
enables administrators to finally
balance the needs of finance, security,
IT and development teams.
Scalr’s novel approach to cloud
management has made it the provider
of choice for some of the world’s most
prestigious organizations. The
company counts Samsung, NASA JPL,
Gannett and the U.S. Food & Drug
Administration among its clients.
Delivering Speed and Control
Enterprise IT organizations,
particularly those in heavily regulated
sectors, face a tough challenge.
They’re under tremendous pressure to
deliver agile platforms so users can
work at maximum productivity. At the
same time, they’re expected to
maintain strict compliance, cost and
security standards. Their users,
however, are coming from a
completely different mindset.
Users are focused on getting their jobs
done, not on costs and rules. They
expect a quick and convenient self-
service experience and want to use the
latest cloud technologies to complete
their tasks. So what happens? They end
up bypassing traditional ITSM (IT
Service Management) processes and,
as a result, budgets are blown and
compliance audits fail.
Scalr enables IT organizations to
eliminate this fallout and provide the
best of all worlds to all stakeholders.
Its CMP gives enterprises a single pane
of glass for managing, monitoring and
provisioning resources while enabling
self-service and enforcing cost,
security and compliance policies.
Eliminating Bottlenecks
Scalr has achieved many milestones in
its journey. However, one that stands
out above all is its uniquely balanced
approach to cloud management. Scalr
provides the only CMP that gives
developers secure access to cloud
native APIs and differentiated self-
service within an organizational model
that delegates IT autonomy to different
groups while ensuring they comply to
corporate policies. Contrast this with
other Cloud Management Platforms,
which follow the old model of IT
where developers have to make
requests and gain approval from
central IT before they can access the
resources they need. When IT is
continually overwhelmed with requests
by various departments to access
resources, individuals take a costly,
risky Do-It-Yourself approach.
Dominating the Competition
Scalr modernizes the management
Scalr:
A Unique Blend of Speed, Autonomy
and Control in Hybrid Cloud Management
May 201844
The
10Most
IT Infrastructure
Innovative
Solution Providers 2018

47. process for multi-cloud and enables a
whole new level of agility and control.
It differentiates from competitors in
three major ways.
First, Scalr’s architecture allows it to
map to a company’s organizational
hierarchy. This means policies, catalog
items, reports, or anything else will
adhere to the structure that makes
sense to that business. This
Organizational Model creates a
“Federation of IT,” where central IT
can delegate cloud environments to
different business units, departments,
or teams. At each management level,
policies can be configured and then
inherited by lower levels of
management, who can also set their
own policies. This slashes
administrative overhead, supports
autonomy and ensures business units
comply with required, higher-level
policies.
Second, Scalr is the only CMP that
offers customized self-service portals
to all user types, from those with basic
needs who value ease of use, to
DevOps engineers who value
operational flexibility and require API
access. IT admins can deliver service
catalogs, power consoles, and API keys
that are designed for each user, while
all provisioning methods are subject to
policies.
Third is Scalr’s robust policy engine
that enforces policies around access,
automation, cost, security, workload
placement and more. The policies are
conditional and can adapt to workload
type, user identity, cloud environment,
OS, etc. For example, admins can set a
baseline security policy that says that
all Linux workloads in the
“STAGING” environment must use the
“ALLOW_SSH” security group, while
Windows workloads must use the
“ALLOW_RDP” security group. This
and other policies, such as instance
size limitations, network, storage, and
tagging policies, can be set in a single,
conditional policy profile.
An Intuition Born from Experience
Scalr’s successful approach to hybrid
cloud management was envisioned by
its Founder and CEO, Sebastian
Stadil years before he started the
company.
In a previous job, when Sebastian was
managing an AWS account for a client,
he saw that migrating to the cloud was
challenging even with a small number
of users. As the company and its AWS
footprint grew, people were interfering
with each others’ work, using the
wrong resources and creating security
risks. Sebastian realized this problem
would be even more monumental for
large enterprises.
He originally created Scalr to manage
and scale web apps. However, over
time it was naturally adopted more and
more by enterprises because of the
complexity of their organizations and
hybrid cloud environments and Scalr’s
unique ability to manage them.
Sebastian is on the Cloud Advisory
Boards for both Google and Microsoft.
He is also the founder of the Silicon
Valley Cloud Computing Group, which
comprises thousands of members.
We modernize the
processes for managing
multi-cloud environments
so businesses can
move fast, safely.
“
” Sebastian Stadil
Founder & CEO
May 2018 45

48. Long ago, when the Internet was
young, and the term
“smartphone” did not exist,
online e-Commerce seemed like rocket
science. Few people managed to add a
product to the online cart, and even
fewer were brave enough to punch in
their credit card number.
Today, everyone I know shops online
from time to time. Some
communication patterns - or
stereotypes - have emerged. If you run
a digital e-Commerce website, you
have to know this language.
Here are the first pages of e-Commerce
phrasebook.
1. Big Images and White Space
That could be translated as:“This
product is expensive, and you will pay
for the luxury.” Visit apple.com for
instance. Right now, there is a single
image of iPhone X above the fold (and
a lot of white space).
2. Small Images, Lots of Text and
Buttons
Everything clumped tightly means:
“We offer you the lowest prices in the
market.” It’s like a food market in a
crowded place. Probably, the website
owner has simply abandoned it and
does not care about the updates.
3. Total Sale
Sales on all items are like saying:
“This place is a tourist attraction.”
Unless it’s a holiday season when all
stores are desperate for customers.
4. Exclusive Discounts
Several time-limited promotions on a
couple of products mean: “We want to
keep you interested, check back often.”
When the discount is only 5-10%,
nobody takes it seriously. If it is 25%+,
customers really stop and think.
5. 24/7 Live Chat
Live chat with a consultant online
translates to: “We are mature enough
to have someone on staff to answer
your questions.”
Live chat that pops up immediately
asking: “How can I help you?”
actually means: “We really, really want
to make a sale, and we are not afraid
to be annoying.” Most likely, this
popup will haunt you on every page of
this website.
6. Strange Product Names
Weird product names and descriptions
are literally translated from the foreign
language. In most cases, it’s because
the seller has poor knowledge of
English, or does not have the resources
to invest into a proper product
presentation. It is also an indicator of
the product quality.
7. Best Seller’s Title
Calling yourself the Best Ultimate
Absolute Super Top Seller whatever
means:
“I want to sell it so hard.” No matter
what it is and how good it is.
Experienced shoppers intuitively avoid
such titles.
8. Annoying Ads
Ads all over the store mean: “We can’t
make a profit out of our own goods and
are looking for other ways to make
money.” The sad part is, if your
products are not good enough, you do
not get good traffic. Therefore, the ads
will bring you no money.
9. Advanced Options
Multiple currencies/languages to
choose from is a strong positive
message: “We have clients all over the
world, and we want to make sure using
the website is convenient for them.”
This list could go on and on, but the
THE IN
e-Commerce Communication
true message is - we all know this
anyway. Every time we open the new
e-Commerce website, we quickly scan
it, and in under 7 seconds translate the
visuals into our own language.
If the shop owner speaks our language
- great. If we see something strange,
we do not trust this website - we go
away. Bye-bye, store owner. The
experienced store owners know that
they should study their customers’
language, or they risk losing revenue.
A month ago I was approached by the
client who said:
“Look, all of my customers are artists.
They don’t want to be distracted by
colors or graphics on the website. I
want my new website to be purely
black and white, with a minimum of
graphical elements.”
At first, I didn’t want to comply with
these requests. However, I gave it some
thought and realized that this person
knows her customers perfectly, and she
is really on the same wavelength with
them. Speaking your customers’
language matters more than offering
low prices and discounts. Do you want
more sales? Talk to your clients in their
language, first of all.
I could also talk about public relations
on Twitter, the importance of prompt
response on Facebook, or Live Chat’s
best practices. All of these
communication areas are important,
but not as much as the first impression.
The first messages you exchange with
your potential customers define
whether they will make a purchase in
your online store or move on to your
competitor.
A B C
May 201846

49. Roman Korzh Chief Partnership Ofcer Zfort Groupis a at , a full-service
IT provider. With more than 10 years of experience in the software development
industry, Roman is a senior level results-driven leader with exceptional
knowledge of establishing long-term cooperation and generating revenue.
About the Author
Tech Report
May 2018 47
Roman Korzh
Chief Partnership Ofcer