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Company: Carahsoft Technology Corp., Reston, VA
Company Description: Carahsoft is the trusted government IT solutions provider. A top-ranked GSA Schedule Contract holder, Carahsoft is the largest government partner and master government aggregator for many of its vendors. It supports proactive sales, marketing and delivery of VMware, Adobe, Symantec, EMC, F5, Open Source, HR, HP Software, SAP and Intelligence and Innovative solutions and services among others.
Nomination Category: Sales Awards Team Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Government Sales Team of the Year

Nomination Title:  Carahsoft Technology Corp.

Tell the story about what this nominated team achieved since the beginning of July 2011 (up to 500 words). Focus on specific accomplishments, and relate these accomplishments to past performance or industry norms. Be sure to mention obstacles overcome, innovations or discoveries made, and outcomes:

Carahsoft Technology Corp. markets and sells the industry’s leading IT solutions to the government market. Founded in 2004, Carahsoft crossed the BILLION dollar mark in revenue in November of 2011--after just seven years in business.

Carahsoft is the only government IT solutions provider to generate $1B in such a short period of time. In fact, that trajectory places Carahsoft among a very elite group of amazing companies overall, including Apple, Sun Microsystems and Siebel.

More importantly for this sales and marketing focused company (90 percent of the 320+ employees are dedicated to these functions), the trajectory continues into 2012. Bookings hit the $1B dollar threshold in September, a full two months ahead of 2011’s performance, and conservative estimates of total 2012 revenues approach $1.3 billion.

Carahsoft has grown at such an incredible rate, and continues to do so year-over-year because it meticulously measures, charts, and tracks every aspect of the business from sales and marketing through order tracking, accounting and contracts. In so doing, it is continually developing best practices that can then be shared across teams, as well as quickly addressing areas which need improvement.

It also makes a significant investment in the sales and technology training it provides for its sales force. In 2012 alone, the company has spent $500K+ in professional development initiatives.

Carahsoft also credits it success to its unique, rapidly scalable business model that optimizes reseller, distributor and manufacturer functions to position Carahsoft as a master government aggregator for many of its vendors.

Today, as the #1 ranked GSA Schedule 70 Contract holder*, Carahsoft has established strategic, long-term relationships with the industry’s leading software manufacturers including VMware, Adobe, Symantec, HP Software, F5 Networks, EMC, SAP, and Red Hat among others. As the largest government partner for these vendors, Carahsoft also boasts an IT solutions portfolio of more than 90 additional manufacturers and an ecosystem of partners that—in the last 12 months—has expanded to encompass nearly 700 government contractors, resellers, and integrators, enabling Carahsoft to address virtually all IT software-related requirements for its government customers. *Washington Management Group Newsletter - May 30, 2012

In addition to crossing the billion dollar mark in revenue in 2011, Carahsoft has secured numerous DoD Enterprise Software Initiative contracts. These five-year procurement vehicles are the preferred source of IT acquisition across the DoD and Intelligence Community. Carahsoft holds six DoD ESI contracts as well as GSA SmartBuy partner status, more than any other single company in this market.

The company has also secured multi-year, agency-/technology-specific vehicles with the Defense Intelligence Agency, FBI, Army, IRS and others. Most recently, Carahsoft won its second renewal for support and enhancement to its Defense Connect Online (DCO) solution, a system that enables the DoD to collaborate more efficiently globally; this five-year contract is valued at more than $93 million.

Additionally, Carahsoft has carved out a unique cloud computing niche as the first provider to make its technology available through the Federal Government’s Apps.Gov online storefront, and is also the first to secure a GSA BPA for Infrastructure-as-a-Service solutions.

Provide a brief (up to 100 words) biography about the leader(s) of the nominated team:

Craig P. Abod is president and founder of Carahsoft , the trusted government IT solutions provider. In founding Carahsoft, Abod combined his entrepreneurial spirit and 20+ years’ experience in government sales, marketing and contract management. In eight years, he has grown the company from $0 to $1+ billion, generating more than $4.2 billion in total revenue.

In recognition of his accomplishments, Abod has received the Federal 100 Award, SmartCEO’s Circle of Excellence Award, was named CRN magazine’s 2012 Executive of the Year, 2010 Top 100 Executives of the Channel Industry, and is a four-time finalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year.