Connectworks

Thijmen, you are seamlessly connected with Fundaments. What does that entail exactly?

We are so closely intertwined that customers don't even notice we are two separate companies working together to deliver a single service. Fundaments provides the virtual hardware upon which we build our services when it comes to cloud computing and hosting. In short, they provide the building blocks for our service delivery. I see many IT companies stuck in an endless loop of investing in hardware, updating hardware, and constantly retraining staff—all just to keep their own cloud environment running. We have outsourced this to Fundaments. With their expertise, they facilitate the foundation for our services, allowing us to focus entirely on optimizing our role as an all-round IT service provider and consultant for our clients. Furthermore, connectivity plays a major role in our partnership with Fundaments. Thanks to our collaboration on the NDIX platform, customers are directly connected to their cloud environment and can fully benefit from the speed of their fiber-optic connection.

You mentioned the NDIX platform for providing connectivity to the cloud; what exactly is NDIX?

NDIX is a company that has built a platform that connects with all kinds of IT providers. Thanks to a dedicated NDIX port, you don't have to share your bandwidth, and the security of your data is guaranteed. In plain English: NDIX provides a direct connection and removes the obstacles to your cloud environment that you would otherwise experience if you routed traffic over the public internet. Thanks to the NDIX connection, we can also seamlessly connect on-premises applications—for example, if they are legacy systems—with data stored in the cloud. And it does so at a speed that makes it feel like everything is on your own local network.

_{What does the collaboration with Fundaments look like on that NDIX platform?}

Fundaments is connected to NDIX. We link the solutions we provide, whether it's Microsoft or Broadsoft telephony, with Fundaments. They then use the NDIX connection to ensure that the path from our client's environment to the Fundaments cloud environment is uninterrupted.

How important is connectivity?

As far as I'm concerned, that's like asking how important it is to have running water from the tap. Connectivity is an essential part of overall business operations. A cloud environment without a fast path to it is useless. A good connection ensures that customers are connected to their data quickly and securely, and that they can communicate with their own clients and employees. In short: it is essential.

What makes the partnership between Connectworks and Fundaments so successful?

Aside from the technical knowledge Fundaments possesses and the fact that they are always up to date with the latest cloud developments, it is primarily trust that makes our partnership successful. We rely entirely on Fundaments to provide the essential building blocks for our services, and we trust that those building blocks actually work. If they don't, the customer looks to us regarding the service we provide them. Fundaments always delivers on its promises. We have yet to meet a dissatisfied customer.

Are there any challenges in your partnership?

The role of the Public Cloud is growing, and we are increasingly receiving questions about it from customers. This could be a challenge, but I am convinced that cloud computing and hosting remain a specialized field. You will always need to invest in knowledge and expertise to keep up with the latest technology and continue to discover the best possibilities within it. In short: we will continue to need Fundaments, even in the case of the Public Cloud, to help us think through delivering solutions to our customers.

How do you view the future with Fundaments as a partner?

At Connectworks, we are very busy automating our internal and external processes. Fundaments is also fully committed to this with developments like a self-service portal, which we are very excited about. We are looking forward to all the new developments and are confident about our future together.

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