Mid-February, 2025 we had the privilege of hosting some of our US and UK partners at Open Systems' headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland, for our second Partner Forum. The event brought together industry leaders, technical experts, and solution architects for deep-dive discussions on the future of secure access service edge (SASE) and managed services. Here are the key takeaways that emerged from our discussions over the few days we had together:

Service Excellence in a Commoditized Landscape

One of the most compelling insights from the forum was the ever-evolving nature of SASE technology. As features become increasingly commoditized, what truly sets providers apart is their operating model, support, and service delivery. Open Systems counters commoditization with our unique approach to staffing and support. All technical staff, including our executives, regularly rotate through Mission Control (Open Systems 24x7 NOC) duties so all support is handled by Tier 3 engineers or product owners themselves. This model ensures that the same experts who build our solutions are deeply involved in supporting them and continuously innovating, demonstrating our commitment to our customers' experience.

The Power of Trust and Partnership

One of the case studies presented at the forum featured a catering company serving the aviation industry. Despite operating in a low-margin business, they prioritized performance, reliability, and service quality, recognizing that true value comes from considering the total cost of ownership (TCO) rather than focusing solely on the price of individual services. This partnership exemplified how trust and long-term relationship value can outweigh immediate price considerations. The customer's decision was also driven by their need for geo-political stability and the assurance of first-class service delivery for their international sites – elements that remain at the core of our value proposition. When good technology and features become table stakes, the intangible benefits of Open Systems Service Experience Promise provide peace of mind customers need to stay safe and connected.

Data-Driven Innovation

During our technical sessions, we explored how cybersecurity is evolving into a data-centric topic and how AI can impact the functionality and efficiency of SASE platforms. Our platform's ability to leverage data across our entire customer base provides unique insights into security incidents and network performance. And thanks to our "big data DNA", AI has not just recently emerged as a buzzword for Open Systems.

We have been employing AI across multiple service levels for many years and working on additional capabilities to best serve our customers. For example, our machine learning-based application discovery will automatically identify and classify applications running on customer networks, reducing manual oversight while ensuring security policies remain current. Additionally, our digital twin technology will be able to simulate and test network changes before implementation activities, significantly reducing the risk of disruptions to customer operations.

Perhaps most impressively, our threat detection and mitigation automation system will aggregate data across our entire customer base, enabling us to proactively block traffic from compromised machines and protect customers before they're targeted. This collaborative security approach, powered by AI and backed by over a decade of service management data, represents a significant advancement in how we deliver value to our partners and their clients.

These capabilities, combined with our fully integrated technology stack, enables us to deliver consistent, high-quality experiences that our competitors struggle to match.

Customer-Centric Evolution

One of the forum's highlights was our transparent discussion about growth and customer satisfaction. With a net retention rate of 104% and 97% customer recommendation rate, our numbers tell a compelling story of customer satisfaction. Our commitment to delivering measurable business value is reflected in our customers' success metrics: organizations implementing our Managed SASE solution typically see a 30% reduction in setup costs, 10% reduction in annual operations cost, and a remarkable 50% increase in productivity. These figures underscore how our solution enables secure work-from-anywhere capabilities and cloud adoption while maintaining predictable costs as businesses scale. Lastly, we shared how our roadmap is directly influenced by customer feedback, with many clients having direct access to leadership – a level of responsiveness that sets us apart in the industry.

Focus on Operational Excellence

The forum concluded with an in-depth look at our operational infrastructure. Our globally reaching operations center, backed by a follow-the-sun support model staffed with engineers 100% focused on Open Systems technology, ensures reliable service delivery worldwide. This infrastructure and approach, combined with our proprietary technology stack, gives us complete control and autonomy over the solutions we provide and their roadmaps – a key differentiator in today's market and something we take utmost pride in being responsible for.

The Partner Forum reinforced what makes Open Systems unique: our commitment to excellence, our innovative service model, and our focus on building lasting partnerships. As we continue to grow and evolve, these foundational elements remain constant, ensuring we deliver the highest level of service to our customers.

Thank you to all our partners who participated in this valuable event. Your insights and engagement make our entire ecosystem stronger, and we look forward to continuing our journey together.