SME Spotlight | GARNET 8

For this month’s SME Spotlight we caught up with Chris Cook, Founder of GARNET 8, and looked at how the company has built its data business around reducing cost and increasing agility for its clients.

What is G8CC and what drives GARNET8.

Data architectures have become complex. They block agility increasing risk and cost.

Too many current solutions rely on an "extract" process. They copy data from one place to another. That creates a new silo adding cost.

GARNET8's mission is to reduce this risk and cost. We achieved this by harnessing a single data object, a single truth. This data gets reused, re-purposed, extended, joined-up, automated and shared.

Our solution allows data to get securely shared within and across traditional borders. That securely releases the value of trusted data creating competitive advantage. This provides value in integrated supply chains, the Public Sector and Enterprise alike.

Our solution allows them start small and easily scale. These builds trust, reduce cost and demonstrate value faster. That increases business agility, creating resilience.

These needs are especially true at present. Covid19 has caused a radical shift in the worldwide landscape. A recent BCG survey found 90% of CEOs are planning company-wide cost reductions.

Post Covid current and future clients and partners have to reduce cost. The high value, long transformation cycle just won't cut it. Shareholders, taxpayers and business owners will expect agility and to be able to harness and build on existing investments. The money isn't available for high risk digital transformations.

 

 

With G8CC they can remove the duplication that increases risk and cost. It provides a:

  • Middleware platform. This provides connectors for many popular databases used in business. That delivers faster time to value, building on existing investments.
  • Distributed data sharing layer. This allows data to get securely shared across traditional borders. It achieves this without the copy aspect found in email and sync based systems. This layer provides a unique loosely coupled, data-driven design. It controls access management at a fine-grained lever. This unleashes data value.

G8CC provide a true integration platform. Its distributed, loosely coupled, data-driven design enable continuous data integration. That delivers agility, faster time to value and builds on existing investments.

How did G8CC start?

G8CC grow out of a business ecosystem. That business tried to collaborate, but only ended up duplicating risk, effort and cost. They wanted a new way to overcome this wastage. The innovative distributed data sharing layer grew from this. The middleware platform has been developed as we've moved into new markets.

G8CC now provides a simple, low risk, yet extremely powerful solution for:

What has been your biggest achievement so far?

Along the way GARNET8 as the custodian of G8CC has had a number of great achievements. These include:

  • Delivering clients 1000% plus returns on their investments (ROI).
  • Getting shortlisted for two national technology awards. The categories where Cloud Innovation of the Year and Enterprise Innovation of the Year. We got shortlisted against BT, Mulesoft and Jaguar Land Rover.
  • Making it to version two of G8CC.

What's the biggest challenge you've faced as a tech SME?

One of our biggest challenges as a tech SME has been messaging.

The solution is innovative and provides a viable alternative to copy and transform. But, as an SME with a technical, outside of the box thinker as founder, messaging was hard. It took many brainstorming sessions and listening to needs.

As B2B/B2G founder what advice would I give myself if just starting out?

Your sit down with people who will tell you how exciting it must be. These will be people who look into the Entrepreneur life with rose-tinted glasses. They hear about the figures raised and may see many plush offices.

But.

They don't see the risk, loneliness, stress, isolation and constant worry. The time you will be working or reading when others are out having fun. Your pay-check isn't a given, you will learn to live with rejection on a daily basis. The rejection will be done with no reason why, no explanation that would help you grow. On many occasions these rejections will come from the people who tell you how exciting it is to be an Entrepreneur.

But on the other side of the coin.

You will become mentally strong. You learn so much about yourself and business because you have to. You listen, build and except help from those who have been there. You may just make a big change. You may also exit at a point that makes it all worth it.

Chris Cook is the founder of GARNET8 and person behind the concept that is G8CC. You can connect with him on LinkedIN here.