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CCG Officially Recognized in 2023 SMU Cox Dallas 100 Rankings

CCG Officially Recognized in 2023 SMU Cox Dallas 100 Rankings

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DALLAS, November 10, 2023 –For the first time in company history, Cloud Communications Group has been officially recognized in this year’s Dallas 100™ as one of the fastest-growing privately held companies in the Dallas/Fort Worth metropolitan area. The SMU Cox School of Business has hosted the Dallas 100™ every year since 1989 to celebrate DFW-based companies that have displayed rapid growth in the previous three years. For CCG, this honor signifies that the company is moving in a positive direction.

“We believe that earning this recognition further validates CCG’s business model,” said Keith Hatley, one of the co-founders of CCG. “Working with trusted and industry-experienced IT advisors that serve as an extension of their team rather than working with salespeople that need to make a quota allows our clients to achieve their technology objectives more efficiently and more cost effectively.”

Based out of Dallas, CCG specializes in providing IT advising and technology expense management to companies across multiple industries. Rather than acting as a service provider, CCG’s experienced team helps optimize businesses by gaining a thorough understanding of their long-term goals and providing actionable insights into their existing IT infrastructure. CCG works closely with its clients’ leadership teams to integrate the right solutions for their unique goals.

“We often see businesses looking for point solutions without realizing the potentially negative consequences absent an understanding of a longer-term vision,” said Keith Hatley. “We’re able to collaborate on that longer-term vision and map out solutions and processes to get our clients where they need to be.”

For more information on the Dallas 100 and the complete list of 2023 winners, visit their official site at https://www.smu.edu/cox/Centers-and-Institutes/Caruth-Institute-for-Entrepreneurship/Dallas-100 

Contact:

For media inquiries, contact Keith Hatley at [email protected]

How CCG Compares to Traditional IT Advisors

How CCG Compares to Traditional IT Advisors

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For businesses that rely on technology platforms to help them accomplish their goals, having the right IT Advisor by their side is essential. Trusted IT Advisors who source solutions and specialize in implementation support can make a difference in the optimization of your business’s operations. There are thousands of IT companies around the world that offer similar services, but our team at Cloud Communications Group stands apart thanks to a skillset that we have carefully developed since our inception 14 years ago. Here’s how our unique business values stack up compared to traditional IT Advisors. 

Our Seasoned IT Expertise Drives Business Outcomes

At CCG, we take pride in the collective experience we bring to every client. Our team is composed of experts who have built up years of unique skill sets in several fields, including sales, engineering, and cybersecurity, giving us a diversified outlook on delivering unique solutions. With former CIOs, CSOs, and other knowledgeable staff by your side, we’re confident that we can help you see a more macro perspective.

Years of seasoned IT expertise reside in our team, and we use our diversified industry expertise to formulate future-proof solutions for our clients. Looking to implement AI or automated business technology platforms? With CCG’s experienced team, we help companies drive business outcomes by offering unique perspectives on their IT infrastructure while discovering new ways to reduce costs.

We Optimize Businesses by Establishing Relationships 

Every business has a unique way of operating, and this also applies to the business technology platforms used to complete day-to-day tasks. We believe that the IT solutions we provide should be just as unique as your business, so we strive to establish relationships with your leadership team. This relationship-driven business model incentivizes us to formulate the strategies needed based on the time that we spend with your team. No matter where your business is on its digital journey, our team has the ability to meet you there and provide long-term consulting.

We’re Committed to Providing Long-Term Service 

At CCG, we do things differently; we’re committed to providing long-term IT solutions that extend long after the initial appointment. Although our team is capable of providing quick fixes to your business technology integrations, we specialize in creating long-term strategies for your business model. We also evaluate nonstandard solutions that have the potential to yield effective results; these solutions are formulated based on what our team gleans from learning about your business and team. Our relationship-driven approach to providing IT solutions ensures that you receive consulting that is tailored specifically to your business. With this, our team of experts can formulate a strategic vision for your business that can prepare it for long-term success. 

CCG Is Ready to Work with You 

With our team of experts at CCG, you can leverage the benefits of the technology solutions that we tailor to optimize your business operations while gaining an extension of your existing IT team. We use technology to solve problems; our consulting process involves us getting to know your business to provide the right solutions and support you through procurement integration and live cycle support. We’re in for the long haul, and with our expertise in the technology landscape, your business will never be left behind. Contact us today to begin your IT journey with CCG.

CCG Ranks No. 1513 on the 2023 Inc. 5000   

CCG Ranks No. 1513 on the 2023 Inc. 5000   

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Inc. Logo
CCG Technology Advisors Logo

With Three-Year Revenue Growth of 381 Percent, CCG Ranks No.1513 Among America’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies

DALLAS, August 15, 2023 – Inc. revealed today that CCG ranks No. 1513 on the 2023 Inc. 5000, its annual list of the fastest-growing private companies in America. The prestigious ranking provides a data-driven look at the most successful companies within the economy’s most dynamic segment—its independent, entrepreneurial businesses. Facebook, Chobani, Under Armour, Microsoft, Patagonia, and many other household name brands gained their first national exposure as honorees on the Inc. 5000. 

“We are thrilled and honored to join the ranks of the Inc. 5000’s fastest-growing companies! At CCG, our agnostic approach as trusted advisors enables us to deliver unparalleled value-added services to our clients. This recognition not only affirms our unique business model but also underscores our unwavering commitment to exceptional service. A heartfelt thank you to our incredible team, our esteemed clients, and our dedicated service provider partners for making this prestigious award possible.” – Keith Hatley

The Inc. 5000 class of 2023 represents companies that have driven rapid revenue growth while navigating inflationary pressure, the rising costs of capital, and seemingly intractable hiring challenges. Among this year’s top 500 companies, the average median three-year revenue growth rate ticked up to an astonishing 2,238 percent. In all, this year’s Inc. 5000 companies have added 1,187,266 jobs to the economy over the past three years. 

For complete results of the Inc. 5000, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, location, and other criteria, go to www.inc.com/inc5000. The top 500 companies are featured in the September issue of Inc. magazine, available on newsstands beginning Tuesday, August 23. 

“Running a business has only gotten harder since the end of the pandemic,” says Inc. editor-in-chief Scott Omelianuk. “To make the Inc. 5000—with the fast growth that requires—is truly an accomplishment. Inc. is thrilled to honor the companies that are building our future.” 

CCG has been delivering exceptional IT solutions to clients throughout the United States for the past fourteen years. At CCG, we take pride in guiding you through the entire process of acquiring cloud services that are tailored to meet your specific business needs. At our company, we value ongoing relationships with our clients. Even after agreements are signed, we remain committed to supporting them throughout the entire service cycle. Our goal is to maintain a strong and mutually beneficial customer/vendor relationship. Being included in the Inc. 5000 and ranked 89th for IT services in the southwest region is a testament to our expertise and dedication. We attribute our success to our partnerships and amazing clients who have put their trust in us with their technology needs.

CONTACT:

For media inquiries contact Keith Hatley at [email protected]

More about Inc. and the Inc. 5000 

Methodology 

Companies on the 2023 Inc. 5000 are ranked according to percentage revenue growth from 2019 to 2022. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2019. They must be U.S.-based, privately held, for-profit, and independent—not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies—as of December 31, 2022. (Since then, some on the list may have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2019 is $100,000; the minimum for 2022 is $2 million. As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons. Growth rates used to determine company rankings were calculated to four decimal places. 

About Inc.  

Inc. Business Media is the leading multimedia brand for entrepreneurs. Through its journalism, Inc. aims to inform, educate, and elevate the profile of our community: the risk-takers, the innovators, and the ultra-driven go-getters who are creating our future. Inc.’s award-winning work reaches more than 50 million people across a variety of channels, including events, print, digital, video, podcasts, newsletters, and social media. Its proprietary Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to rank the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The recognition that comes with inclusion on this and other prestigious Inc. lists, such as Female Founders and Power Partners, gives the founders of top businesses the opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers, and credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. For more information, visit www.inc.com. 

For more information on the Inc. 5000 Conference & Gala, slated for October 31 – November 2 in San Antonio, visit http://conference.inc.com/.

The Channel Champions Podcast Interviews CCG

The Channel Champions Podcast Interviews CCG

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Channel Champion’s Channel Marketing Manager Zak Anderson interviewed our very own Keith Hatley and Chris Moffett! In case you missed it, we recapped the highlights of the cast and expanded on the origins of Cloud Communications Group (CCG), our unique approach, and the state of the industry.

Check out of full video below:

Channel Champions Podcast Interviews CCG

How to Become a Trusted Technology Partner

CCG: From Small Startup to Big Success 

A lifetime partnership between Keith Hatley and Chris Moffett started when they met in 1999. Chris came to work for Keith at Allegiance Telecom in Houston as a Sales Engineer Manager and they have been working together ever since. Over the last 4 years Keith and Chris have been actively growing CCG together and providing customized IT solutions for clients across the country. 

CCG’s Beginning Partnership

Keith and Chris’s approach appreciates the critical importance of relationships and collaboration with peers, competitors, and industry leaders because it allows them to provide resources, portfolios, expertise, and protection for CCG and their clients. These partnerships allowed CCG to provide competitive value that improved clients growth while enabling CCG to empower clients more and more every day through unique and adaptable solutions. 

“I am a big proponent of a rising tide raises all ships” -Keith Hatley

See Our Technology Solutions

Channel Evolution and Positioning

A couple years ago, there was an antiquated approach to IT consultancy. CCG’s business model provides not only a variety of diverse IT solutions, but also enables an agnostic approach to consulting. This trusted advisory role creates a genuine partnership with the client and the direct seller that improves and streamlines the solution.  This role is more critical to end users because of an accelerating pace of changes in today’s market. CCG enables clients by making them strategic assets for their organization using every tool at their disposal to hone in on the growth and innovative potential that keeps them ahead of the curve. This modernized approach to developing IT solutions is helpful when courting clients. CCG simplifies the complexities that come from an effective IT solution by providing evaluations, designs, and engineering work on the front end without cost, creating an impactful environment that helps new clients to reach their full potential.

CCG’s Customizable IT Solutions

When it comes down to it, listening is the key. CCG sells solutions and not specific products. Clients have pain points that require active problem solving to create solutions whether it is to increase revenue or improving the customer experience. It’s all about interpreting the problem and figuring out what the business really needs.

“Nobody has ever bought a quarter inch drill bit, they are buying a quarter inch hole” -Bill Dylan

Bringing in multiple suppliers on a single opportunity does not happen often, however when it does happen CCG helps facilitate the interactions. These facilitated interactions are mainly done to differentiate between option A and option B, enabling clients to select the right supplier.

CCG Experts In The Industry

The Client Experience

CCG has 2 main approaches to enabling and growing the client experience. The first is providing the customer with more than a patched IT solution. It is a common reaction to see a present problem, and develop an expedited solution to fix it. CCG’s approach takes more than the present issues into consideration. CCG takes a deep dive into the past of the client’s IT history to eliminate the cause and issues of the client’s past, while laying the foundations for an enduring solution that builds and grows with the company.

CCG’s second approach is to become an extension of the client’s team and goals, working with them to grow a thriving relationship that delivers valuable solutions. Providing support while working side by side with the client not only improves the client’s business, but also develops a blueprint devoted to discovering solutions that are needed while detailing a roadmap to solving issues that were not acknowledged previously.

Why Choose CCG?

CCG’s key to success has been built on years of experience and relationship building with clients and TSBs alike. These relationships are built on adapting to the unique situations that are encountered, and “getting people the quarter inch hole instead of the quarter inch drill bit”. The solutions created by CCG are given an actionable depth with measurable and recognizable potential that is conveyed through every step of the process. CCG is the future solution to today’s modern problems, so start discovering your solutions today.

 

Want to see more content from Cloud Communications Group? Check out our YouTube Channel!

CCG YouTube Channel
Cybersecurity Reporting Act Ratified 

Cybersecurity Reporting Act Ratified 

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On Tuesday, as part of the omnibus bill, President Biden signed into law the Cybersecurity Reporting Act. This act requires companies operating in critical infrastructure to report to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) within 72 hours after they discover they are under cyberattack. It also requires these same companies to report to the CISA within 24 hours if they choose to make a payment due to ransomware. This is an effort by the federal government to remove the plausible deniability of these companies regarding cyberattacks. Like many companies, these corporations choose to under invest in cybersecurity or rely on cybersecurity insurance to avoid investing in better cybersecurity. This has been prompted by the difference between reported incidents in 2021, amounting to about $29 million, and the much larger amount discovered by Chainalysis Inc. (which tracks cryptocurrency transactions) of $406 million (see Ransomware 2021: Critical Mid-year Update.) 

Cyber Security Solutions

What It Means 

Several line items on this new law have changed the game completely.  

  1. The CISA has the authority to subpoena companies that fail to report cybersecurity incidents or ransomware payments. Failure to comply with the subpoena can result in the case being sent to the Department of Justice. 
  2. Companies will need to show they are taking cybersecurity more seriously. Those without a CISO will probably need to hire one, and give the CISO veto over the CIO regarding cybersecurity– related decisions. 

In return the CISA is required to warn organizations of vulnerabilities that ransomware actors exploit. The director of CISA (currently Jen Easterly) will need to establish a joint ransomware task force to coordinate federal efforts working with the industry to prevent and disrupt ransomware attacks. 

The sixteen critical infrastructure sectors are chemical, communications, dams, emergency services, financial services, government facilities, information technology, transportation, commercial facilities, critical manufacturing, defense industrial, energy, food and agriculture, healthcare and public health, nuclear reactors (including materials and waste), and water and wastewater systems. For more information about what is included in each sector see (CISA – Critical Infrastructure Sectors). 

 

Controlling Costs in the World of Covid

Controlling Costs in the World of Covid

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We have lived with the new world of quarantine and social distancing for several months and even as parts of our country begin to “open up” many of us in the business world are not certain a return to normal is on the horizon.  Most of our clients are evaluating and experimenting how to continue operations with an economy stopped in its tracks.  Our team and I have fielded countless calls from those looking for ways to contain expenses while revenues plummet and I thought this was a good time to share a few points that are easy to do and can be very effective to help stem the flow of dollars out the door.

*Remove the toll-free call-in option on your conferencing accounts*

Part of our new normal is dealing with online conference and video calls.  Not all companies operate this way but with stay at home orders in place for those non-essential staff, many find their team is spending more and more time using tools like Zoom, GoToMeeting, or WebEx.  Unexpected, and certainly, unwanted bills can show up when your staff is still using toll free numbers as they set up meetings.  Those 1-800 numbers tend to be the culprit of unwanted bills.

Toll free numbers typically come with an additional monthly fee but more importantly they come with a per minute charge for every person using the call.  For example, if 15 people dial into a call for one hour that equals 900 minutes (15 people x 60 minutes) and if the charge is $0.02 a minute, that call costs $18.00.  That fee isn’t high but when you multiply it by the number of meetings occurring over the past few weeks the expense can be extremely high.  Removing that option from your conferencing platforms only takes a few minutes and I have seen it save $40,000 in 60 days.

*Pay attention to wireless data usage*

Bundling wireless devices such as mobile phones, tablets, or hotspots into a corporate account normally saves a company money when compared to reimbursing employees for usage on their personal devices.  Companies buy large data pools that let the tens, hundreds, or even thousands of staff take their small piece of a much larger pie and since all those devices don’t always use the same amount of data, the company saves money by bundling all their staff together.  Rarely do all devices start using high amounts of data all at the same time–until a global pandemic.

Wireless carriers have online tools that allow the administrators to see usage and identify which devices (and thus people) are using a lot.  In times like these it probably isn’t employee abuse, it’s just business as we now know it.  However, that doesn’t mean the company is stuck.  Options such as increasing the data pool, working with staff to find a better internet option, slowing down the automatic updates from some mobile device management tools can all save the data and reduce potential overage bills each month.  Another option many of our clients use is a third party management tool that tracks usage and alerts you before a device crosses an expensive threshold.  A client of ours recently experienced wireless expenses 6 times higher than previous months and most of that growth was preventable.

*Work with your providers*

Most office data networks are seeing greatly reduced traffic right now meaning those expensive Internet or MPLS connections are not providing much return.  Many network operators have deferment policies or programs that will let you turn them down temporarily without a penalty.  Specifically with our clients, we have helped them reduce circuit usage by an aggregate of roughly $250,000 just in the month of April.  In most cases, you can turn them down just by asking.  In other cases, you may be able to trade a few extra months on the end of a long contract for short term relief that reduces the drain on cashflow.  Reaching out and asking the question doesn’t hurt and let’s face it, you will always miss 100% of the shots you never take.

We do believe business will come back and the entrepreneurial spirit will find ways to overcome these troubling times but it never hurts to save some money now.  Some of these actions will carry forward and help the bottom line for months or years to come.  Hopefully at least one of these items is helpful and stay tuned in the next few days. I’ll have some other actions a company can take to maximize cash over the near term and into the future.

Photo by John Guccione www.advergroup.com from Pexels

CIO Perspectives: What is a Trusted Advisor and why do I need one?

CIO Perspectives: What is a Trusted Advisor and why do I need one?

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For over 30 years of my career operating in various roles in IT, the one constant I faced at every level of the organization was the expectation placed on me to deliver solutions. As an analyst on a QA team, I was expected to challenge a piece of software and expose its defects. As a developer, the solutions came in the form of (hopefully) minimal defect, highly functional and performant pieces of code. As a development manager, those pieces had to come together in the form of a software system to solve for a key element of a business transaction. And as a CIO, coupling those systems and its data with infrastructure to solve for complex business challenges proved the pinnacle of solutioning.

My recent transition away from traditional IT as a consumer of technology and services into a role as a provider of technology solutions has proven to be an eye opening experience in several ways. First, I had to truly embrace the value a Trusted Advisor can bring to the critical discipline of technology solutioning. Second, I had to realign my way of thinking in how I consumed technology in the past to current consumption models. And third, and most importantly, I had to open my eyes to the vast array of emerging technology solutions that are dramatically changing the landscape of capabilities and that, quite frankly, I was completely unaware of in my role as a CIO. I have discovered numerous technologies delivered by countless providers that I had never even heard of and solutions that I likely would have considered highly valuable to my IT strategy had I had the awareness.

As a CIO, my key objectives, driven by the business, focused my line of sight directly on my business partners, my team, my budget, and my current capabilities. And when those objectives required capabilities outside those I currently possessed, I looked to technology providers for solutions. But how did I start this journey? Well, maybe someone on my team had knowledge of a specific solution set that would solve the problem but more than likely, they were too laser-focused on daily tactical issues and firefighting to have had the bandwidth to explore the wide array of available solutions. Maybe I’d consult the latest Gartner Magic Quadrant and gather together a list of the 30 vendors that might have a solution but how do I begin to manage that list? Maybe I’d reach out to my VAR although their line-card is limited and by definition, non-agnostic. Or maybe I’d drop large sums of money on consultants.

What I truly need to face this challenge is someone I can trust. Someone who brings subject matter expertise to the problem and can quickly consume high-level goals and objectives and whittle down seemingly limitless providers into a manageable solution set. Someone who is not just an order taker but can sit on my side of the table and partner with me in the discovery process. Someone who can leverage their industry expertise to help negotiate the best deal. Someone who is vendor-agnostic and thoroughly understands the technology landscape. Someone whose success is tied to mine and who has an incentive to build a long-term relationship. And someone whose compensation is aligned with delivering a fully functioning solution. Ultimately, someone who has my back. I need a Trusted Advisor.

A good Trusted Advisor is defined by several key characteristics. First and foremost, my Trusted Advisor needs to take a “what’s in it for you” viewpoint.  They need to exhibit broad subject matter expertise. They should act as a confidant and be someone with whom I can discuss the business and IT-aligned strategy but also be a tactical thinker. 

trusted advisor table

The need to be outcome oriented. They need to be a true partner and someone for whom I wish to have a seat at the table. They should be willing to question and disagree with a proposed direction but provide encouragement and support when the decision is made. They need to be an avid listener and thoughtful questioner. Ultimately, they need to be an extension of me and my team.

So, to my fellow CIOs (and CTOs and CISOs alike), whether you’re fortunate enough to find yourself in an organization with the breadth to stay on top of the broad set of technologies available to you (which very few of us are) or you have limited resources and don’t have the luxury of an awareness of the solution landscape because you and your team’s focus is on driving business outcomes, seek out a partnership with a Trusted Advisor. And when you do, make sure they can bring the value you know to expect and when that happens, you will have found yourself a new ally in the daily fight to grow your business through technology.

What is a Trusted Advisor?

What is a Trusted Advisor?

For the better part of my 27-year career, I’ve been a sales leader working for different service providers in technology. I have had the opportunity to work for some really incredible companies and been a part of organizations that were considered best in class. In spite of that, however, the products and services I represented often didn’t solve the problems my prospects were trying to solve – we couldn’t meet the budget requirements, the implementation timelines, the billing needs, etc…or, in many cases, we just weren’t the right fit. 

I was always trying to understand the business impact of the problems the client was looking to solve to see if we could fill a need…and, if we couldn’t, we wanted to lose fast. Don’t waste time. Ask questions. Qualify. Disqualify. When I sit back and think about it, I’m actually reminded of the game of baseball in that I would lose more than I would win. Derek Jeter said baseball is “a game of failure. If you fail seven out of 10 times people think you’re great.” Sales is the same way…or at least it was.

You see there’s a movement in technology right now and the procurement model is changing. Rather than selling “a” service there is a new breed of solution providers called Trusted Advisors. A Trusted Advisor is an overall solutions provider that doesn’t represent a particular product but represents an entire industry of services. They act as an extension of your team, they focus on delivering business outcomes, and they help you navigate the confusion in the market caused by the accelerating pace of change in IT.  They work side by side with your team to design, procure, implement, and support even the most complex IT solutions. Quite simply, a Trusted Advisor is the best friend a CIO will ever have.

There’s a confluence of many factors that are allowing this to happen:

Technology Providers are moving away from dedicated sales and support; leveraging sales agents/partners to reduce costs.

Enterprise Clients out-tasking services to allow focus on what they do best…leaving commodity functions to other, more experienced partners; leaning on those partners for advisement, strategy, and support.

Services Evolution with new services (Cloud, Zero-Trust, IoT, SD-WAN), clients looking at multiple (new) suppliers, with an emphasis on “solutions” and/or as-a-service.  Pace of change happening so fast that businesses are needing to rely on partners.

These factors are also forcing an evolution in the “partner” space which, in turn, provides the competition benefits to today’s businesses.

Trusted Advisor table
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Enterprise clients need to recognize the shift and realize the value these Trusted Advisors can bring. They free up the Enterprise to focus on their business and innovation while the Trusted Advisor focuses on the return of high dollar spend. These Trusted Advisors engage in technology audits, solution research, provider selection, and ongoing account management and support.

For me, there’s no longer a question whether “my” product or service fills the gap. There’s no longer a need to “lose fast” so I can quickly move on to find the 1 of 3 (or more) prospects that were a good fit. Now, I get to listen. I get to really listen and learn and I have the opportunity to bat a “thousand”. I get to sit on the same side of the desk as my client to work side by side and help deliver technology solutions to solve business problems and that’s an incredible feeling. 

Cloud Communications Group is a technology expense management and IT advisory firm and acts as Trusted Advisors to our clients. We are revolutionizing the discipline of IT procurement by saving our clients time and money and leveraging some of the world’s most sophisticated as-a-Service platforms for IT decision making in driving key business outcomes.