Introduction
Sakon held its annual Town Hall meeting in Pune, India in December, 2022, to celebrate its status as the leading global cloud-based device and network management solutions provider in the world.
This latest installment of “Sakonnected” was particularly special because it provided an opportunity for the U.S and European teams to get back together in person with their talented colleagues in India after years of virtual global summits during the pandemic era.
In fact, Sakonites could finally celebrate a string of major awards garnered over the past few years:
- 2022 AOTMP named Sakon, “Telecom Vendor of the Year”
- 2021 Gartner ranked Sakon #1 in “Customer Choice” in Mobile
- 2019 Frost & Sullivan named Sakon, “Entrepreneurial Company of the Year”
What a ride. Not even a global pandemic could slow the company down. Sakon, which started as an outsider, is now one of three Leaders in one of the core markets of telecom management (TEM), while at the same time leading a second industry of mobility management (MMS). The company has won over 200 enterprise customers, including some of the biggest names in every industry, managing their telecom services, expenses, and mobility. And now it’s poised to transform industries with a technology framework that empowers global enterprises to understand, manage, and transform their telecom and device portfolios (more on that shortly).
Celebrating Sakon’s People
The event buzz was palpable.
Over 800 of the most seasoned and diverse telecom service practitioners in the industry were on hand to celebrate the teamwork that has been winning all those awards.
Sakonites work hard, deliver wins, give back to the community, and treat each other and customers with the highest respect. All employees were in attendance, from dedicated engineers and a world-class delivery team to consultative sales and solution teams.
Team members discussed the most challenging use cases and how they engineered world-class solutions. People talked excitedly about the creative solutions they’d found for seemingly intractible problems. Everywhere people discussed changing the status quo, helping unleash the full potential of every team, partner, and customer… customers like ServiceNow, Amedisys, Schwan’s, Genentech, Anheuser-Busch, Kaiser Permanente, Stryker, Raytheon Technologies, Walmart, McKesson, and VMWare.
Celebrating the Customer
Speaking of customers,
a primary theme of the event was recognizing Sakon’s growing collection of satisfied clients, termed “super users” – customers that keep coming back to Sakon in order to leverage an unparalleled platform and service solution.
In fact, most of Sakon’s current clients joined years ago, after enduring too many frustrating agreements from competitor providers blown off course amidst the choppy seas of TEM and MMS.
And that success continues. One “super user” client has recently entrusted Sakon with the management of 100,000 corporate liable smartphones and over ten different device types including laptops, as well as several end-user engagement programs and all their Device-as-a-Service (DaaS) initiatives.
Celebrating Ideas
But then, this company has always been about innovating, delivering for customers, and staying together. It’s in the company’s DNA. Such themes were evident throughout the event’s line-up of featured speakers.
Clearly, the event had a real focus on how Sakonites are passionate and committed innovators and operators, focused on ensuring customers achieve a great service experience.
CEO Andy Goorno
Andy took to the stage for the company keynote, charting a bold course, a New Way Forward that will help redefine the destiny of an entire industry. Andy also unveiled a new company website. With this impactful redesign, Sakon will be sharing an array of powerful capabilities, unique qualities, and fresh ideas (see this space!) while helping two established markets power into the future….
COO Amine Doukkali
Amine presented what it really means for a cutting-edge global cloud-based device and network management solutions provider to “Dare, Dream, and Deliver”….
President Dan Hughes
Dan talked about how the distinct Sakon Culture has never lost sight of the customer, even amidst a rapidly changing telecom environment. That spirit continues to propel Sakon forward in an exciting new direction….
SVP Engineering - Telecom Platform Grigori Shafiro
Grigori offered insights into how Sakon is helping transform telecom management by delivering amazing user experiences….
EVP Global Delivery & Operations Mohan Sathe. Mohan described Sakon’s unique global delivery model and the bold plan that’s transforming the company in real-time….
Senior VP John Venditti
John commanded the stage, talking eloquently about what client services and delivery really means, and about his passion for driving business outcomes for clients….
VPs of Sales Dan Goorno and Chris Martin
Dan and Chris, two of the original sales pioneers at Sakon, emphasized the team spirit that continues to make the Sakon sales team the best in the industry….
Women in Tech Roundtable
Sakon’s “WIT” initiative is led by Emine “Em” Bolohan, Vice President, Strategic Account Management, who introduced the panel of accomplished women. The session was moderated by John Venditti.
Celebrating a Bold New Vision
The event wrap-up saw 800-plus team members dancing to the tune of a New Way Forward for the company. Celebrations and animated discussions continued long into the evening. Everyone now knows that Sakon is redefining two conjoined markets called TEM and MMS through a compelling new mechanism called the Device Platform and the Telecom Platform. The mechanism is really two solutions, both of which encompass Platform and Services, and customers can find exactly what they need, whenever they need it.
If “Sakonnected 2022” demonstrated anything, it’s that Sakon is poised to innovate once again. Today, the potential is limitless.
It seems like a long way from those early days in Goa (2003), a time when company leadership had stared into an unknown future that featured only vague suggestions of potential reinvention.
It’s a new phase in one of the most intriguing adventures in telecom, and it’s just getting started….
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