BUSINESS PROFILE How Fabric cuts its cloth
Innovation, differentiation and tailored solutions are essential to thrive in the ‘new normal’, according to Misha Gopaul, CEO at Fabric Technologies.
and Open Business Systems in 2007. The rationale for the merger was the marriage of business platforms and unified communications expertise. The company is privately owned and owner managed with Simon Kentish and Misha Gopaul as major equal shareholders. Fabric’s key offerings are managed services, collaboration (UC), business platforms and infrastructure solutions. “Our proposition has evolved from a product focused technology set complemented with a professional services and support offering, to a full managed services business with solutions that address relevant business issues for our customers,” said Gopaul.
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“We are firmly focused on growing SMB and mid- market organisations where we have strong sector experience. The growth in our market is being driven by the fast pace of change in our customers’ markets. Traditional business models are being challenged, we live in a new economic environment, value is being scrutinised, so innovation and differentiation are essential to thrive in the ‘new normal’. The rate of change in our business environment has accelerated to an unprecedented rate. And all of this change is being driven by technology. “
ondon-based Fabric Technologies is the result of a merger between Psychosis
Fabric is growing its software and mobile development teams and will shortly be launching a fully manned 24x7 support function based from its NOC in central London, giving customers access to the firm’s services around the clock. “2011 will definitely be the year of consolidation in the market and we are actively pursuing a number of opportunities, so watch this space,” added Gopaul. “Managing fast growth is about making quick and decisive decisions, communicating and listening to your people and not being afraid to revisit the plan when you make a wrong turn. We always keep customers at the centre of our strategy and have an uncompromising approach to service quality.”
Key partners Fabric’s key channel partners include Cisco, Microsoft, IPFX, IP Trade, Claranet, Easynet, HP and Dell. “Our go-to-market strategy specifically addresses the key issues at the top of our customers’ agenda such as time-to-market, customer responsiveness, organisational responsiveness, cost containment, operational efficiency and competitive differentiation,” noted Gopaul. “We focus on key verticals like finance, professional services, construction, private education and architecture where we have deep knowledge and can add real value to the engagement with our customers.”
36 COMMS DEALER MARCH 2011
Gopaul believes that Fabric’s combination of business platforms and development, infrastructure and
communications expertise is a big differentiator in the mid-market managed services space. “Our UC/ collaboration strategy is different,” he claims. “We have moved away from a single vendor centric solution and are able to provide our customers with an integrated collaboration platform built from best-of-breed solutions from different vendors. We have a well developed cloud strategy that enables us to advise our customers to connect to the ‘right cloud’ for their business needs.”
Fabric’s managed services and support operation is structured around small specialist teams that enable the company to provide a level of customer responsiveness that is hard to replicate with a large contact centre style desk, says Gopaul. “This is complemented with ‘direct to third line’ services, one hour on-site response SLAs and a 24x7 support function,” he said. “We recently completed development on a bespoke business process and reporting platform that allows our customers to easily integrate their own internal systems and processes in to ours to achieve new levels of customer intimacy.”
Gopaul identifies the rapid disappearance of margin
Misha Gopaul
as a business model, the commoditisation of small business technology, and managing the sheer volume of change going on in the market as the three hottest issues for resellers. “Change is everywhere,” said Gopaul. “The traditional food chain of vendor, distributor, reseller, end user, is being disrupted. We are seeing competitors become partners, new types of competition emerge and new business models appear overnight. In the new economic conditions, value is being scrutinised and margin is no longer a viable business model. Comms resellers need to respond to the changing
market and ensure they have a clear value proposition. The scale of change affecting every aspect of the market is bewildering. For those who identify the right strategy this year the market is full of opportunity and an exciting place to be.”
VITAL STATS Turnover: FY10 £11.3m Staff: 105 CAGR 2006-2010: 30% FY10 Growth: 41% Revenue FY11 (est.): £15m Award wins 2010: CRN Mid-Market Reseller of the Year DM Awards – Workflow BPM Product of the Year
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www.o-bit.net www.comms-dealer.com
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