Looking Back on Arraya’s 2016 – and Ahead to 2017

It’s hard to believe, but in just a few short weeks, we’re all going to have to get used to writing and saying 2017. Before we do, we’ve still got some time to say goodbye to 2016. This past year has been historic for Arraya. We spent another year continuing to grow and advance as a company and we had many memorable moments along the way.

It’s impossible to talk about 2016 highlights without first mentioning Arraya’s two flagship events: the Tech Summit and our Open House. Back in June, we held our biggest Tech Summit yet, packing in more classes and learning opportunities for attendees. Then, on a unseasonably beautiful day in late October, we welcomed customers to our corporate headquarters for a day of tech-talk and relationship-building during our Open House.

These two events couldn’t be more different, and yet, they complement each other so well. The structured, engineering-focused Tech Summit and the more relaxed, relationship-driven Open House speak perfectly to what my business partner David Bakker and I have sought to create. When we first started Arraya, we envisioned a company capable of not only straddling the boundary between the tech side and the human side, but one which delivered world-class service in each area. The parallel success of these events is a testament to the legitimacy of our vision as something customers demand.

That vision was further validated by the diverse collection of industry awards and recognition we compiled this past year. Among the highlights regarding our technical know-how: We are extremely proud to have been named Partner of the Year for the Americas East Region by Cisco at their annual Partner Summit. We also are honored to have received Dell EMC’s Partner Services Quality Award and to be named to three CRN lists: Solution Provider 500, Tech Elite 250, and the Managed Service Provider 500.

As for our people skills, we were once again named as one of Philly.com’s Top Workplaces based on feedback provided by our employees. This is a feat we hope to repeat for a third time come the new year as we believe the way our employees feel about Arraya has a direct impact on the way our customers see us.

Arraya’s emphasis on giving back was in full-force during 2016. I’m always blown away by the generosity of Arraya’s team members in terms of the time, energy, and financial support they’re willing to give to a great cause. For another year, we were well-represented at the Muckfest (supporting MS research) and the Simon Says Run 5K (supporting the prevention of sudden cardiac arrest in children). These events are an excellent opportunity to bond as a team while doing good for our community.

What does the future hold for Arraya?

Last year wasn’t just a great year for Arraya, it was our best ever. Despite the success, I’m not hesitant to let 2016 go. Instead, I see even more great things coming our way in 2017. Driving that will be our increasing commitments to areas such as Security, IoT, Hybrid Cloud and our award winning M&A in-a-Box solution. These areas have already been a big part of Arraya’s past and – considering the value they provide and their growing importance in today’s business landscape – we see them as being a big part of our future, as well.

In acknowledging Arraya’s success over the last 12 months, I’d be remiss not to mention the role our customers, our strategic partners, and our team members have played. To our partners, thank you for your commitment to innovation which, in turn, allows us to provide our customers with solutions that are truly best of breed. To our employees, thank you for your hard work and dedication. And to our customers, thank you for sharing in our passion for technology and enabling us to do what we love.

We look forward to working with all of you toward another excellent year in 2017!