Case Study: Ten Oaks Saves More than $500k Annually Working with Opkalla
About Ten oaks
Ten Oaks is a family office investor specializing in acquiring businesses and facilitating their separation from larger corporate parents. Their operations are similar to private equity acquisitions. This model involves an extensive process which identifies the elements necessary for a business to operate independently. This often entails evaluating IT infrastructure, software ownership, and support services. Due to their rapid growth, Ten Oaks knew they needed a trusted advisor within the IT space.
When they reached out to Opkalla, Ten Oaks was seeking a partner. They needed someone capable of understanding their unique needs and providing tailored solutions to support their acquisitions and business separations effectively.
Opkalla Technology Advisors Aaron Bock and Becca Black proved instrumental in assisting Ten Oaks with IT due diligence on potential acquisitions and designing projects to establish businesses on their own IT infrastructure. Opkalla's approach involved proactive planning and strategic thinking, ensuring that Ten Oaks' needs were thoroughly understood and addressed.
A focus on Microsoft Optimization
One significant area of collaboration between Ten Oaks and Opkalla has been in optimizing Microsoft licenses. Navigating license analysis within Ten Oaks' model can present complexities, particularly due to the continuous addition of new tenants through their corporate carve-out transactions. Collaborating closely with Opkalla, the Ten Oaks team has prioritized identifying and implementing efficiencies that can be shared across all tenants within the Microsoft space.
Related to Microsoft, Opkalla provides high-touch support and advisory services. We’ve helped Ten Oaks maximize their utilization of Microsoft products while minimizing costs. By offering personalized consulting and guidance, Opkalla facilitated significant cost savings for Ten Oaks.
Throughout the consultation process, Ten Oaks seamlessly transitioned to Opkalla's Cloud Solution Provider (CSP), benefiting from a blanket licensing discount. Opkalla conducted a comprehensive licensing analysis tailored to each of Ten Oaks’ holdings, ensuring optimal license utilization. Opkalla also facilitated Ten Oaks' integration into Azure, securing a blanket 5% discount for enhanced cost-efficiency. The consultation process prioritized the adoption of Microsoft security tools across all platforms, fortifying Ten Oaks' digital infrastructure. Additionally, the Ten Oaks team gained exclusive access to Opkalla's self-service Microsoft portal and dedicated support from the Opkalla Microsoft Support team, further enhancing their operational capabilities.
Results achieved
Opkalla's advisory services resulted in 24 hours saved on Microsoft-related work for Ten Oaks, translating to a value of $4,200 based on an average consulting rate. Additionally, Ten Oaks achieved substantial cost savings on Microsoft 365 and Azure licenses, amounting to a total annual savings of $156,000 dollars (roughly a 5% - 7% reduction in costs).
Additionally, by procuring their licenses through Opkalla, Ten Oaks now has direct Microsoft support access to Opkalla’s Microsoft Solutions Specialist, Senior Microsoft 365 Engineer, and even Opkalla’s AI powered online Microsoft support tool, Spark.AI (by Opkalla), available 24/7. They are also able to make Microsoft licensing updates on demand in Opkalla’s Direct Microsoft Portal.
With Opkalla, Ten Oaks can rest assured knowing they -
Have minimized risk of Microsoft solutions downtime
Are receiving the highest priority level of Microsoft support for service requests
Have the support they need for moving to and working in the Cloud
Further, everything Microsoft-licensing related is simplified by having their entire Microsoft environment under a single CSP agreement.
Additional Support Provided by opkalla
Beyond Microsoft optimization, Opkalla serves as a one-stop-shop trusted advisor and liaison for all of Ten Oaks’ technology-related matters. Our high-touch support and consulting extends to various aspects of Ten Oaks' IT infrastructure. Opkalla spearheaded the deployment of managed network services, ensuring their infrastructure maintained peak performance and reliability. Opkalla also orchestrated the seamless integration of Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) and Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS), revolutionizing their communication channels and customer support operations. Additionally, Opkalla’s cybersecurity expertise has fortified Ten Oaks' defenses against cyber threats, safeguarding their sensitive data.
Commenting on the myriad engagements, Ten Oaks Executive Operating Partner Andrew Lovrovich said, “Partnering with Opkalla has made IT decisions much, much easier. They help you highlight what's important. They dig into some of the more technical questions and summarize the answers so a businessperson can understand what the decision-making points we should be weighing are.”
As of Spring 2024, Opkalla’s services have contributed to a total annual savings of $509k across multiple areas through 12 of Ten Oaks’ holdings. Opkalla has also provided more than 500 no-cost consulting/strategizing hours, valued at $87,500 based on an average consulting rate.
A beneficial Partnership For Ten Oaks
The partnership between Ten Oaks and Opkalla has proven to be highly beneficial for the family office investor, with Opkalla's proactive approach and expertise in Microsoft optimization and other technologies leading to significant cost savings and streamlined IT operations.
Ten Oaks Vice President Alex D’Angelo commented, “Opkalla has been phenomenal. Truly instrumental to us across the board in helping us do IT due diligence."
Chiming in, their Senior Associate J.R. Mauricio said, “It's easy working with Opkalla. They are proactive and always trying to help us out. The availability and responsiveness of the Opkalla team has really been paramount for our success for sure. We have tight turnarounds and timelines that we are under the gun for. Opkalla is ready to jump in whenever we need them."
By providing tailored solutions and support, Opkalla has become an invaluable partner in Ten Oaks' business endeavors, contributing to their success in acquiring and separating businesses effectively.
Ten Oaks Operating Partner Neale Moore summed it up. “They've become a trusted advisor to where I don't need to question if there's an ulterior motive. I know that they want what's best for us and they're in it for the long haul."
Interested in learning how Opkalla can assist your team in navigating IT solutions and identifying cost savings? Let's start the conversation today.