The secret for success at Alvaka Networks is IP. I am not referring to Internet Protocol. I am referring to “Innovation and People”. As an IT managed services provider, our success hinges on our ability to innovate new ideas and our investment in the right people. At Alvaka Networks, we have created a culture that lines up the cross hairs of Innovation and People to focus intently on the needs of the companies we do business with. We are acutely aware that it takes careful alignment of these two values to earn the privilege to live one of our core company values, “To provide Our Clients and Partners Leadership, and to Earn Their Trust and Confidence.” It is only when we have earned this privilege that we can become one with all our other company values and achieve our goals. We recognize that without alignment of all these goals and values we risk becoming ineffective to the needs of our partners and clients.

Most people associate innovation with successful product development-oriented companies. At Alvaka Networks, we believe that in the rapidly changing computer industry, even consulting/services companies need to innovate in order to best serve clients and to create a competitive advantage. Our unique service products, like our award-winning AlvakaNet services, coupled with our unique processes provide you with the best available solutions. When we provide solutions to problems, you can better focus on competing in your marketplace. We innovate these new solutions to meet the challenge presented by the current computing problems you are experiencing. Whether a company employs a full Information Technology staff or out-sources all or part of IT systems management, Alvaka Networks has scalable service products to meet those needs. By developing a culture within our organization to constantly excel with better ways to do common things and develop answers to new problems, everyone comes out a winner. We are proud of our ability to do this.

I can talk “tons” about our people. I am so proud of them all. Everyone at Alvaka Networks works hard to pick the best people we can find for each position. We have come to realize that trying to fill a round hole with a square peg can really mess things up at Alvaka Networks. Sometimes this means we go a long time without filling a position so we can get just the right person. We have a great company culture at Alvaka Networks. Nobody here wants to jeopardize that. I find it hard to articulate fully, but some of those working for me tell me Alvaka Networks is more like family than a place to work. This family atmosphere produces a lot of valuable outcomes.

Our people are happy and rewarded in their work. I work hard at this. Turnover is expensive not only for us, but for you, too. How many times have you finally found someone you feel you can trust and rely upon, only to be disappointed to find out this valued person has moved on? Now you have to start all over. At Alvaka Networks, we don't like when that happens, either.

Clients have told us in focus groups and in interviews that “Alvaka people work.” Clients say, “They don’t fumble around and jabber with our staff.” Doing so wastes everyone's time and money. Alvaka Network engineers have earned a reputation as being knowledgeable, straightforward and hardworking. This is no accident. I am a firm believer in aligning compensation systems tightly with the desired results. We expect a lot from our people. They don't have time to fool around and not produce results. From this compensation system we produce exemplary results from our personnel. Alvaka Networks is at the top of the curve for productivity in the industry. Our staff feels fulfilled by the challenges and experiences they get.

Another one of our company values is to help our employees grow to be more than they ever thought they could be. This has been initially one of the most intangible and difficult values for me to measure within Alvaka Networks. I have asked myself frequently, “How do I really know if we are achieving this goal?” My best measures are staff turnover and growth in personal compensation. If the employees are staying with the company, they must be feeling personally rewarded. Personal reward is usually not just compensation, but professional growth. I have found that most computer industry professionals want to be constantly challenged by learning new things. I provide that for them at Alvaka Networks. I also use compensation as a measure of success. Compensation may not be the most important factor in an employee's satisfaction, but it is nonetheless an important measure. If year after year our people are not becoming more and more indispensable to Alvaka Networks and the companies we work with, then they must not be growing. By being committed to our employee's success, I earn the privilege to ask for commitment back, I think this immutable value has been lost in the 90's. It is not old-fashioned; it is just plain good business. When looked at in this framework it is all really pretty simple for us at Alvaka Networks.

We focus hard on the client by focusing hard on our company. More specifically we focus on our ability to solve problems by innovating new solutions. We focus on meeting the needs of our Partners and clients by focusing on our people. At Alvaka Networks, we recognize our three most important company assets can best be described by an equation: