Deploying new technologies for businesses in the Arctic comes with a different set of challenges than a standard IT consulting project. This week, we caught up with the CTO of Alaska-based Vicinity Group for a primer on IT service delivery in remote regions. We also heard from Andrew Swinand, the CEO of 2,000-person marketing firm ITG, about its latest AI initiative. Plus, business insights from Protera CEO Mike BeDell and GBK Collective’s Ben Rogers.

Vicinity earns a new Microsoft partner credential. The firm, which provides managed services to companies in Alaska, Hawaii and the Pacific Northwest, earned the Microsoft Solutions Partner for Modern Work designation last month. The credential is issued to partners that demonstrate expertise in implementing and maintaining Microsoft 365 environments. There are also other prerequisites to qualifying, namely the ability to meet certain sales goals. Vicinity says that its application earned the maximum score of 100 points.

Robert Thurston, the firm’s CTO, said that low-Earth orbit internet satellites have made connectivity more accessible in the markets where his firm operates. At the same time, the technology also exposes local businesses to new risks such as ransomware. Thurston said that some of his team’s work focuses on helping companies understand those risks. 

“Helping communities safely adopt technology goes beyond traditional ‘new internet and firewall’ projects or ‘digital transformation’ initiatives. Some of these communities are not yet prepared for the threats that arrive alongside connectivity,” Thurston told Boardroom Insight. ”Our approach centers on meeting communities where they are, building digital literacy alongside technical infrastructure, and ensuring that the people using these tools understand both the opportunities and the risks.”

Vicinity says that it’s one of only three companies in Alaska to have been named as a Microsoft Solutions Partner for Modern Work. “It validates that we can bring enterprise-grade capabilities to regions that have historically been underserved,” he said. Vicinity offers its Microsoft 365 services alongside solutions that help companies with tasks such as managing on-premise servers and backing up data to the cloud.

Innovative Thinking Group broadens its AI capabilities. The UK-based firm produces marketing content for major brands such as Microsoft, KFC and Volkswagen. It also competes in the prepackaged software market. An ITG unit called Storyteq offers a cloud platform that marketers use to centrally store creative assets and make edits. Last month, ITG announced plans to integrate Adobe’s Firefly series of content generation models into the Storyteq platform.

Boardroom Insight was curious how software providers decide which AI model to incorporate into their products. There are multiple frontier models in each category, including the content generation sub-segment, and they often have similar benchmark scores. ITG CEO Andrew Swinand explained that benchmark performance isn’t the only factor to consider. 

“Adobe Firefly stands out as a leading generative AI platform because it combines professional‑grade creative control, commercially safe outputs, and deep integration with Creative Cloud, making it a natural fit for enterprise‑level creative workflows,” Swinand told Boardroom Insight. “Firefly models are trained on licensed and public‑domain content, supporting safer use for commercial environments.”

ITG expects the Firefly integration to streamline customers’ marketing projects across several metrics. The new AI features will enable users to “create better content faster and more cost‑effectively, while pairing Firefly with ITG’s Halo Intelligence enables data‑driven content optimization and personalization at scale,” Swinand said. “The integration also drives operational efficiencies — streamlining briefing, workflows, approvals, and compliance.”

Protera makes a professional services acquisition. The Westchester, Illinois-based firm helps companies operate IT assets such as public cloud environments, employees’ Microsoft 365 accounts and SAP deployments. Protera recently acquired a consultancy called Redfig to expand its capabilities in the latter area. Redfig helps companies extend their SAP ERP systems with custom software. Additionally, it provides pre-packaged applications for SAP customers that ease tasks such as creating sales orders.

“For our customers, this is about moving faster with confidence,” Protera CEO Mike BeDell told Boardroom Insight. “Redfig brings proven expertise in turning SAP platforms and data into real business outcomes, and together we’re delivering a more complete, future-ready portfolio.”

Protera says that the acquisition will enable it to speed up client organizations’ Clean Core projects. Those are initiatives designed to reduce technical debt, a term for the antiquated custom code found in many SAP ERP environments. Such code can be expensive to maintain and often contains bugs. The idea behind a Clean Core project is not to remove a firm’s customizations, but rather to re-implement them in a more maintainable form.

Ben Rogers is the new president of client services at GBK Collective. The 11-year-old consultancy helps companies optimize their go-to-market operations. A regional retailer, for example, could bring in GBK to determine which advertising channels it should use to reach local consumers. When the data necessary to make a go-to-market decision isn’t readily available, GBK can source it by carrying out market research studies.

Quite a few consulting firms have an executive role with “client services” in the title, but there usually isn’t an explainer on hand. Not missing the opportunity, Boardroom Insight asked Rogers what the position involves exactly. “My role is to ensure our clients receive the highest level of strategic support, service, and that we deliver decision-grade results,” he said. “That means working closely with both clients and internal teams to align product development and marketing strategies with business goals, and make sure we’re consistently delivering meaningful impact.”

“In today’s environment, clients are looking for partners who can move quickly, adapt to change, and bring fresh thinking without losing sight of what drives growth,” he added. 

Rogers joined GBK after a two-year stint as the president of market research firm NRG, where he led the client services function. He earlier spent more than 6 years at Ipsos in various executive roles. 

Elsewhere in consulting

EisnerAmper expands its fund solutions practice. The business unit helps investment firms manage their capital and can also lend a hand with backoffice tasks such as HR. EisnerAmper is significantly growing the practice’s headcount and plans to equip it with new technologies, including a tool called the EisnerAmper Investor Portal that funds can use to share information with investors.

Pearl Meyer acquires Ampersand Leadership Group. Both firms provide management consulting services designed to help companies optimize their leadership teams. Pearl Meyer’s main specialty is executive compensation, while Ampersand provides companies with advice on topics such as C-Suite recruiting. Pearl Meyer says that the deal will help it better support private equity clients.

Photo of ITG’s offices courtesy of ITG