Citrix Online
Company: Citrix Online
Company Description: Citrix Online provides secure, easy-to-use online solutions that enable people to work from anywhere with anyone. Every month, more than 17,000 new customers start using our remote access and collaboration tools to increase productivity, decrease travel costs and improve sales, training and service on a global basis. For more information, visit www.citrixonline.com.
Nomination Category: Individual Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Best Executive – Service Businesses – up to 2,500 Employees
Nomination Title: Elizabeth Cholawsky, Vice President of Products and Client Services
Describe for the judges the activities and accomplishments of the nominated executive during the eligibility period (up to 500 words):
As VP of Products and Client Services for Citrix Online, Elizabeth Cholawsky’s
dedication to putting the customer at the heart of all business decisions has
transformed the company’s approach to product development and client services.
Under Cholawsky’s leadership, a trademark simpler-is-better approach to product
development, coupled with a laser focus on customer needs, has resulted in
significant company milestones.
Dynamic customer portal takes customer service to new level:
Cholawsky recently led the transformation of the company’s entire customer
support function, establishing an innovative, real-time portal for customers to
access information and engage with other product users for fast resolution of
questions.
The online, interactive portal puts everything at customers’ fingertips –
including product documentation, FAQs, video tutorials, online courseware, and
real-time status for product maintenance.
Explained Cholawsky. “We leveraged this as an opportunity to not only address
customers’ immediate needs, but provide a comprehensive source for community
engagement and real-time access to information.”
Following its late summer 2009 launch, monthly traffic to the portal has
increased an average of 28%, month over month. Since December 2009, portal
visits have quadrupled, from 87,000 monthly visits to 350,000.
Retention initiative drives customer loyalty:
Once again proving the value of listening to the customer, Cholawsky drove the
company to focus on customer retention by initiating a program that now produces
ongoing critical retention tools.
In one example, Cholawsky’s team focused on the first month of a customer’s
tenure with a Citrix Online product. Her team defined top customer needs through
direct conversations with customers and produced a series 2-5 minute online
videos that delivered targeted product tips.
As Cholawsky indicates, “We’re not only driving customer loyalty, we’re engaging
with our customers to track needs by delivering value-added information in a
non-intrusive way.”
After a comprehensive product roll-out, results were positive and impressive
across all products. Two of the product lines experienced a 5%-6% increase in
retention from September 2009 through March 2010.
Secured global leadership in IT support:
Already recognized as the leader in remote support solutions for individuals and
businesses of all sizes, Cholawsky led the extension of Citrix Online’s market
reach through the acquisition of leading IT search and management service
provider Paglo Labs, Inc. This catapulted Citrix into the $4 billion IT
management market with a product offering that represents the industry’s only
software-as-a-service platform that allows IT professionals to access, search,
analyze and monitor all of their IT data.
Recognition from the media and analyst community underscored her
customer-centric vision. As New York Times noted in February 2010: It might
seem like a stretch to get from web meetings to infrastructure management but
Elizabeth Cholawsky, Citrix Online’s vice president of products and client
services, said this is an expansion her company has been considering for a
while, because it’s a big market, and one that fits particularly well with
GoToAssist, Citrix’s remote technical support product. In fact, a survey of
GoToAssist customers found that 66 percent of them would be interested in an
infrastructure monitoring product from Citrix, she said.
List the URLs (web addresses) of any online news stories, press releases, or other documents that you would like the judges to see that support your entry. IMPORTANT: List each URL on a separate line, begin each URL with http://, and enclose each URL in square brackets. For example, [http://www.yourcompany.com/pressrelease.html]:
Links to the customer support portals:
http://www.support.gotomeeting.com
http://www.support.gotomypc.com
http://www.help.gotoassist.com
Comments from customers using the portals:
Schedule International Meetings Customer: Your self-service site is very
'clean' and uncluttered, and your content is easy to follow. Good job.
Product Features Customer Comment: It is interesting and detailed information
about webinars. All is understandly. Thank you. drakon91@atknet.ru
Remote Printing Customer: These instructions to manually install a printer to
the client PC while remotely connected SOLVED my problem of printing checks to
GoToMyPC Printer. Thank you! annawick@sbcglobal.net
Desktop Notifications Customer: Exactly what I needed. joseph@thymusking.com
Using Multi-Monitors Customer: This is HUGE help. I have used multiple monitors
on my host PC for about a year and using Gotomypc for about 10 years. This is
one of the most useful shortcuts in the system. jeff@marchionefamily.com
Course Catalog: Post a Training Customer: i love it
Customer support portal survey:
This is a brief powerpoint deck that will be provided separately.
Links to the training videos in the customer retention initiative:
https://www.gotomeeting.com/s/training-gotomeeting-quickstart
https://www.gotomeeting.com/s/training-engage-audience
https://www.gotowebinar.com/s/recording-basics
https://www.gotowebinar.com/s/brand-your-webinar
Sample of the email sent to customers providing links to the training videos:
Recent press announcements supporting Elizabeth’s achievements:
Citrix Online Announces GoToAssist Corporate Chat at TSW Show (May 2010)
Citrix Enters SaaS-based IT Management with GoToManage (February 2010)
Citrix Online’s GoToAssist Achieves Largest Market Share in Remote Support
Market (October 2010)
GoToMeeting Rates Highest in Web Conferencing Category from Nemertes
Research
Survey of IT Users (November 2009)
Citrix Online Amplifies Collaboration Leadership with Integrated Toll-Free Audio
for GoToMeeting (November 2009)
Recent press interviews and coverage quoting Elizabeth:
New York Times, February 2010
“It was almost to me like a preordained match, if you look at the philosophy of
our two companies compared to the other targets that we were looking at,”
Cholawsky said. “The complete SaaS-based service, the focus on ease-of-use, the
abiity to be a very purpose-built solution.”
IT Analysis Magazine, February 2010
Elizabeth’s strategic customer focus: “Our customers increasingly tell us they
are interested in adding IT management services to our remote support
capabilities. With the growing acceptance of SaaS and the increasing use of IT
services in small- and medium-sized businesses, we decided IT management
reinforced our remote support strategy.”
eWeek Channel Insider, February 2010
Cholawsky said the acquisition of Paglo Labs was sparked by a growing customer
demand for unattended remote support of their IT environments. Recognizing this,
the company eyed a third-party acquisition that would bring automated IT
management and monitoring capabilities to complement the strengths that Citrix
already owned in-house.
ConnectIT, February 2010
"We acquired Paglo because when we looked at a long term strategy to enhance
our
SaaS-based remote support, it became clear that expanding into the adjacent area
of SaaS-based IT management was important," said Elizabeth Cholawsky, vice
president of products and client services for Citrix Online. "We wanted to
acquire new product lines rather than develop them ourselves, and so Paglo
became an obvious target."
Recent analyst comments:
IDC, “Worldwide Remote Access Services Software 2009-2013 Forecast and 2008
Vendor Shares” (December 2009)
Citrix Online is the revenue leader for worldwide remote access services
software, with over 70% of the market.Its customers value the capabilities,
reliability and ease of use and are willing to pay a premium for these benefits.
IDC, Robert Mahowald, director of IDC's SaaS and Cloud Services practice
(February, 2010)
“The acquisition of Paglo is an ideal complement to Citrix Online, allowing it
to move decisively into an adjacent market to SaaS-based remote support.
GoToManage is a compelling offering with significant global appeal, considering
the strength of the Citrix brand and the focus on simplicity, which is key for
SaaS adoption.”
IDC, “Worldwide Clientless Remote Support Services 2009 Top 6 Market Share
Leaders” (May, 2010)
Citrix Online, one of the most mature market participants, remains the market
share leader with 33.3% of the market and revenue of $67.8 million in 2009.
WebEx is the number 2 market share leader, with 28.8% market share and
revenue
of $58.6 million in 2009.
Other supporting materials:
http://thestevies.com/SAWIB10Attachments/CitrixOnline/
Provide a brief biography of the nominated executive (up to 100 words):
Elizabeth Cholawsky joined Citrix Online in 2007 as vice president of products
and client services and is tasked with elevating the Citrix Online customer
experience to the highest level of excellence and satisfaction. She oversees
product management and services for all Citrix Online customers, from small
businesses to large enterprises. Prior to joining Citrix Online, Cholawsky held
senior executive-level positions spanning product management, marketing,
customer service and business analysis, contributing to the high growth of
companies such as Commission Junction, ValueClick and Move, Inc. She holds a
Ph.D. in political science and statistics from the University of Minnesota and a
B.A. in government and statistics from Franklin and Marshall College.