There’s a new information and communications technology (ICT) provider on the scene in Ottawa that has a network like no other.
After honing a diverse fibre-optic network over the past 23 years as Hydro One Telecom, CEO John Papadakis was brought in four years ago to kick-start the company’s transformation from a connectivity provider, to a full-service ICT solutions provider.
The key to this transformation was expanding into new markets and developing services to include offerings for small and medium-sized business.
This company-wide effort led to rebranding the company as Acronym Solutions.
“Our core business is our connectivity network, but we wanted to provide a more complete service portfolio and become a one-stop shop for IT solutions,” said Papadakis.
“We chose ‘Acronym Solutions’ because, like an acronym, we simplify things for our clients by removing the complexity throughout their digital transformation.”
So future customers of Acronym can take heart: this team understands what transformation truly takes because they’re living it themselves.
How the past is supporting Acronym’s expansion
The first thing that sets Acronym apart from other ICT solutions providers is their reliable and resilient utility-grade network which was built to support Ontario’s electrical grid.
As you’d expect, supporting essential public services like hydro, hospitals and school boards demand an exceptional level of network reliability and performance.
We all know that telecom networks can go down, but for utility networks like Acronym’s, outages are rare — ensuring the electrical grid is up requires a higher standard.
So what does it take to build a network that will keep the lights on?
Not unlike real estate, it’s all about location, location, location. That’s why Acronym Solutions’ fibre-optic network is predominantly an aerial network, not one that is buried and follows the routes of train tracks.
It can serve more remote areas and is less susceptible to damage, vandalism or outages.
The next component is the design. Acronym’s network is connected to more than 40 data centres and extends throughout Ontario with interconnections to Montreal and the US.
That means it’s low latency: fast enough to deliver information to hospitals, financial institutions and other services that can’t afford delays.
And their ring topology design creates redundancies for reliability. In a ring-shaped network, systems are connected in a circle, allowing data to move in both directions.
This provides uninterrupted communications connectivity even in the event of a fibre cut.
A full suite of IT services with a personal touch
Papakadis was brought on to lead the charge to fill a gap in the market: medium-sized businesses with 100-500 employees are the sweet spot for managed services — companies big enough to feel the pain but too small to have their own IT team.
“As soon as you hit 50 or more employees, things start to get real,” said Jeff Farley, director of product development.
“It’s when they realize it’s time to professionally backup their data and give their employees a common set of productivity tools.”
Serving those clients meant developing and refining their services to create a robust offering that was flexible enough for a variety of businesses with a variety of needs.
“We took our utility-grade expertise and network that serves our largest and most demanding customers and developed tailored services for small and medium-sized businesses around that connectivity,” said Farley.
In addition to their core Internet & Connectivity services, Acronym has added Voice & Collaboration, Managed IT, Managed Security and Cloud services to their list of offerings.
Acronym can be a company’s sole network provider or complement their existing network by adding redundancy — multiple paths for traffic, so that data keeps flowing in the event of a failure.
But you’re not obligated to use their network for services that don’t require it. Some product offerings can be provided “over the top” of another provider’s connectivity services if you’re not located in proximity to Acronym fibre.
“If your office happens to be located where we can’t reach you economically, we can still offer your company data backup and cybersecurity, and manage your routers and firewalls,” said Farley.
In addition to their network and services, Acronym prides itself on taking the time to understand your business’s specific needs.
“Since we’re still relatively small, we’re very agile,” said Papadakis. “It allows us to build a very personalized and customized relationship with our clients that’s proactive and goes above and beyond.”
That personalized service will be as secure as their network — being backed by a utility means they’re not going to go out of business. “We are partially owned by the provincial government, so there’s that level of trust,” said Papadakis.
“We’re not going anywhere,” he added.
Learn more about Acronym Solutions:
Contact Lubo Vaculik, lubomir.vaculik@acronymsolutions.com, 416-262-6153.
