INDUSTRY INTERVIEW: Artel
Abbas Yazdani
President and Chief Executive Officer
ARTEL
Abbas Yazdani is the founder, president and chief executive officer of ARTEL, a leading global provider of integrated and secured telecommunications and enterprise solutions for the public and private sectors. He has more than 21 years of management, financial and operations experience, coupled with deep knowledge of telecommunications engineering and systems implementation. Under his leadership, ARTEL has evolved from a five-person company in 1986 to become a global IT/telecom mid-market leader. Today, the company has engagements in six continents, with more than 50 percent of its business conducted overseas.
Prior to establishing ARTEL, Yazdani served in technical, managerial and advisory capacities for AT&T, OAO, CONTEL, Booz Allen Hamilton and ARINC. In 2005, he was awarded the prestigious Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award for his industry expertise, innovation and entrepreneurial spirit.
Q: Can you tell us a little about ARTEL?
A: Founded in 1986, ARTEL is a leading provider of highly complex, end-to-end IT, information assurance, network and telecommunication solutions, primarily to U.S. intelligence agencies, the Department of Defense and other forward-deployed federal agencies worldwide. Using proven, tested processes that are based on its ISO 9001 approved methodologies, ARTEL designs, engineers, integrates and provisions turnkey, terrestrial, satellite and IP-based telecommunications systems, IT systems and networks that incorporate best-of-breed technologies. ARTEL’s expertise spans the full project life cycle from strategic planning, design and engineering to implementation and operation of mission-critical networks and systems. ARTEL has an established footprint in the government sector built on its strategic industry partnerships with leading multinational telecommunications and systems integrations firms. These alliances are a primary reason why ARTEL has served as the prime contractor in 95 percent of government contracts, often with major carriers like AT&T and Qwest serving as subcontractors.
Q: How do you see ARTEL changing in the next few years?
A: Moving forward, ARTEL has a tremendous opportunity to be a leader in the mid-tier government contracting market due to the upgrade of the nation’s IT infrastructure in both the United States and abroad. ARTEL’s public sector customer retention rate has consistently been above 90 percent.
We are looking not only at growth in the managed network services business, which is one of our core competencies, but also in information technology and information security and assurance. We are also looking at the potential acquisition of other companies that are synergetic to ours. We’re looking at all of our options while we remain focused on internal growth.
Q: What is the best part of your job?
A: Being in a position to support the complex and dynamic needs of our customers is the most fulfilling aspect of what I enjoy. ARTEL serves as a key solutions integrator around the world, providing telecommunications in places where there is little infrastructure for terrestrial communication lines. This has allowed me to travel to many places and build relationships with multinational industry partners.
Q: What makes ARTEL stand out from its competition?
A: ARTEL has leveraged its vast industry expertise in managed network services, IT, information security and assurance, and solutions integration to become a single source provider for total network and IT solutions. ARTEL’s competencies ideally position the company to serve the U.S. government’s information and communications needs by providing turnkey commercial satellite-based, end-to-end telecommunications solutions anywhere in the world. ARTEL has achieved strong brand recognition throughout the telecommunications systems and services market and has earned a very strong reputation for responsiveness, quality and service provisioning within the intelligence and DoD communities.
We have the expertise and experience to act as a single-source, partnering with multinational clients to solve our clients’ complex IT and communications challenges. In addition, using our extensive information assurance capabilities, ARTEL ensures that information and network security is built in as an integral part of its network and IT solutions.
ARTEL also partners with our clients to help them implement their strategic business plans. Rather than just solving specific technology problems, we look at the broader picture and serve as market drivers. We dig deep to understand the industry dynamics, technologies and trends. We make it our business to align the necessary systems integrators, strategic business consultancies, hardware and software vendors, and telecommunications providers to deliver on the strategic goal of our customers.
Q: What clientele does ARTEL currently service?
A: ARTEL has a number of major engagements with the federal government. These contracts run the full array of telecom, IT and information assurance service offerings under each of ARTEL’s three practice areas. ♦
