Henry Smith is proud to be an enabler.
His company name, IKANO, means "to enable" in Greek. But Salt Lake-based IKANO Communications enables in a high-tech way, helping companies offer their own branded Internet services without having to invest in hardware and other infrastructure.
For example, IKANO client Ducks Unlimited now offers DucksNet.com, and the company developed SurfMK.com for Mary Kay Cosmetics.
Though IKANO was founded by Smith and his wife, Doris, in 1999, Smith was already a player in the Internet service provider field, having founded SISNA, one of the nation's original ISPs, in 1994. SISNA is now a subsidiary of IKANO, which also provides services to hundreds of other ISPs.
From a lean start-up in which the Smiths mortgaged their home and maxed out their credit cards to get the company rolling, IKANO has grown to a multimillion-dollar venture with more than 300 employees and millions of dollars in venture capital funding.
Already recognized as the industry leader in private-label Internet services, IKANO earned additional plaudits when it replaced IBM as Official Data Networking Supplier for the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City. IKANO designed the Olympic network, then installed, managed and supported it before and during the Games.
IKANO's efforts delivered instantaneous information to athletes, officials and media members with no interruption in service for the duration of the Games, earning SLOC's "Order of Excellence" award.