The global economy is fast paced, and to cope with the changes this brings to business, it is necessary to have the adequate technological back-up. Enterprise system, or the enterprise software, is the kind of technology that makes sure the organization will not compromise its efficiency and quality of services. It ensures that your system is up to date with the latest technologies and helps deliver the best quality services.
Featuring in this issue of The Enterprise World’s The Best Performing Cloud Solution Providers in 2020 is SLM, an organization that helps their customers take full advantage of the cloud system and other enterprise software.
SLM is a multinational technology company with more than 20 years of experience in the market. It operates in several Latin American countries, being its main headquarters in Mexico.
Our goal is to be able to offer technological solutions to companies without you having to be technology experts nor requiring a large budget in personnel and training.
The Origins-
SLM grew up being a high-tech software development company in Latin America, specifically in Colombia. The beginning in this country was not easy, due to different market circumstances. However, in the early years, it was possible to develop products whose only competitors were found in high technological markets. SLM worked on an initial expansion to Chile and Venezuela. Nevertheless, some specific local issues stopped the expected growth. By that time, the company decided to take Mexico as its main market. After more than 5 years of operations in Mexico, SLM has become one of the main Latin American companies in technology development, focusing on Colombia and Mexico as the main markets.
The most important factor that has driven the growth of SLM is its focus on innovation. The innovation process is not always easy, since it requires many product attempts and market tests to launch a few as successful products.
“We have made the commitment not to diminish this focus and feed it in the most dynamic and exemplary way with each of the members of our organization.”
The Growth Factor-
The company started as a modest family investment with a modest yearly revenue of no more than a few thousand dollars. In 2007, after winning the award for the best technological solution in Colombia by SLM Galeón VDI, the company began to grow and started its internationalization process to some challenging markets such as Venezuela and Mexico. Today, SLM is a highly profitable company, and it is still growth.
Our company was born and has had life in several of the most complex markets to operate in the world.
Since its origins, the company understood that its objective was not only to survive but to achieve the highest possible operational and financial performance. Therefore, each decision in SLM has been previously evaluated and accurately measured. Although they have been aggressive in investments and market openings, they have never put at stake the survival of the company. The company has strict management of costs and investments, which allow them to make the most sensible decisions in the swings that are experienced in underdeveloped economies.
The Products and Services-
SLM Cloud:
SLM is a company that provides Cloud Computing Services, their competitors like AWS, Azure and others leave the complexity to assemble and train their cloud solutions to the clients, or commercials channels that has no real access to the infrastructure. SLM approach is diametrically opposed to that because SLM serves the customer directly since the beginning of the relationship and at every moment that the client belongs to SLM’s environment. In this way SLM can reflect several differentiators:
- They give personalized attention 7x24x365 included in all services.
- 100% of their clients have backups and an anti-disaster recovery plan included.
- They give to their clients a 100% free of charge consultancy on Cloud and technology issues.
- All The technologies they use are broadly known and globally top ranked.
SLM Galeón:
SLM Galeón VDI is a virtual desktop infrastructure that allows companies to run their corporate applications in the safest and most efficient way from anywhere in the world. Furthermore, SLM Galeón VDI is the easiest way to implement HomeOffice without incurring large Expenses or complex implementations. This product has been on the market for more than 15 years, having been used by thousands of companies for their benefit. Its differentiators are:
- It adjusts to any need for adjustment regardless of the size of the clients or the personalized rules of security and standards that it has.
- It has supportat the highest technical level in Spanish, and It affirm that is a “Xtreme Support”
- It has the best value-price ratio on the market
SLM Development:
SLM was founded 20 years ago as a software development company. It handles the highest quality standards through a highly competent team which is located in different countries, from where they can tackle any project. SLM’s differentiators are:
- They accompany their clients in every aspect of the project, building a close and long-term relationship with the client.
- They use state-of-the-art technologies to provide the customer with the best response at all times.
- They are capable of integrating dissimilar applications regarding programming languages, databases and any other pre-existing characteristics in a development.
What the Future Holds-
We have a methodology that allows us to carry out two efforts at the same time, the first one is the continuous improvement of existing products, and the second one is generating ideas and combining them with the latest technologies.
The first one is based on two basic elements: listening (gathering user experience continuously) and adjusting (continuous relaunching of versions) in the least intrusive way for customers. Regarding the second effort, the generation of ideas is carried out in two main ways: First, creative sessions to address the needs of current clients, in which each member of the team exposes detected needs and possible solutions in a planned and documented scheme. The second way is generated from the prospect clients towards the team. As a new requirement, the team immediately activates creative sessions to address the issue and get the best out of them for that project.
SLM offers a series of additional products such as SLM Cloud PBX (cloud telephony solution), SLM Docx (advanced digitization recognition software), among others, and is currently participating in multiple projects linked to the latest technologies such as Blockchain, artificial intelligence and BigData Analytics, in addition to being doing multiple actions to boost the economy in the midst of the Global crisis situation.
Leading the Way-
Mauricio Villasmil-
Mauricio is a systems engineer with a master’s degree in Finance and a diploma in management from the IEDE School in Spain. Since his professional beginnings, Mauricio has worked in marketing and sales of technology companies, gathering more than 20 years of experience in this field. He has led multidisciplinary teams in the execution of projects in different countries and has managed expense budgets over 20 million dollars. Additionally, he has been an entrepreneur for several years. Firstly, following one of his personal passions (he is certified instructor in various courses by the Franklin Covey Academy) he has been a leadership speaker, participating in several conferences for different audiences. Similarly, he has been a university professor in several countries.
In his most recent phase, Mauricio is a shareholder of the SLM, and there, he has been in charge of the marketing and commercial direction, leading the company to obtain contracts with big players in the market such as Telefónica, the Government of Colombia, and many others.
An entrepreneur must understand that each step he is taking will compromise him and commit all the people who are accompanying him in his initiative.
Regarding his achievements as an entrepreneur, Mauricio says the most important of them has been to make the company go from being a relatively isolated managed company in every respect, to the fact that the company today advances as a single front in all markets, with guidelines, joint efforts and without losing flexibility and response times for each location. This has been accomplished by being close to people, understanding how they can best do their job, and making adjustments with the application of all available technology.
The Team-
We think that the best way for employees to be content with their work and with themselves is to give them enough space so that they can express and enhance their skills.
If an employee feels that he is growing in a position because every day he learns more, one day he can apply what he has learned and gain experience, that employee will continue to be present in the organization. Of course, the economic compensation must be competitive, but it is not what determines your stay in the company. SLM’s employees are committed to the values of the company and their way of working, they can see that from the directors to any rank within the company they go out of their way to deliver quality and service, which is what ultimately counts.
Mauricio’s Views of the Competition-
10 years ago, competitive advantages would have lasted 3 years, 20 years ago perhaps would have lasted 5 years, 50 years ago, would have lasted decades. Today, what you think the difference may vary in a short time, therefore requires a constant and dynamic work and review of the strategy and that its adjustments are reflected almost immediately in the execution. Vigilance can be a term that suggests micro-management and therefore I do not like to use it, but, If your mind and effort are focused on your goals and your work team is focused like you in the same way, “vigilance” becomes a type of team work in which, in its critical aspect, it leads you to change the helm when necessary. and to prevent market threats. In this way we work in SLM and in this way we have reinvented ourselves during the last 20 years to achieve the successful company we have today.
If you spend time taking care of the rats you will be enslaved to them. Your work must be focused on your objectives and your intention must be the best, but you must have a team in charge and focused so that the company’s path is not hindered by homitions or open doors that allow delays or inconvenience in achieving the objectives.
Stop setting goals. Goals are pure fantasy unless you have a specific plan to achieve them.
Stephen Covey
