The ARK/GDT relationship began with the late Igor Klener as an astute salesman looking to help ARK accomplish our goals. He took the time to listen to where we were as a business so that he could help us reach our goals. This was a patient road because he recognized that in order for GDT to get ARK’s business, they had to first understand our business. Even though when we first met, ARK was not in a place to make large orders, Igor recognized that we were close and a little investment into ARK would go a long way.
He, and his son Robert, demonstrated their professional puzzle player strengths as they looked through the other relationships that GDT had in order to find a good fit that would propel ARK forward. This is how ARK and Hewlett Packard Enterprise (“HPE”) began to grow our relationship. Initially, the introduction was just surrounding HPE servers. But it quickly expanded to software and services that would help ARK to the next level of our technical needs.
Once the build plan was finalized with the partnership between these three companies (GDT, HPE, and ARK), we moved into the production phase of our build. ARK contracted GDT for staging and burn in services, site surveys, the initial deployment of the first 10 Broadcast Internet Stations, and for the NOC services to manage and monitor the ARK network. Together, we have built the nations first and largest Broadcast Internet Network with the pathway forward to move from the initial 10 stations covering 14 million people to over 300 stations covering over 100 million people.
GDT is in a unique position now with the ability to continue this legacy by recognizing how the ARK network can and will expand the networks and data delivery architectures of many of the other GDT clients. GDT can utilize their solutions architects and engineers to help other customers improve networks at a fraction of the cost. In so doing, GDT continues to earn new business as ARK builds out its network, and solidifies GDT’s position as the lead in adding real value to customers looking for GDT’s help. It is in seeing the big picture and how the puzzle pieces fit together that GDT adds the “Value Added” in Value Added Reseller (“VAR”).
Below provides a snapshot of the ARK opportunity and some of the ways a GDT sales person can view the puzzle pieces when looking at other GDT customers and clients.