What to Expect from the IT Process When Piloting Axiom

If you’re considering piloting Axiom services, you're likely aware of the impressive benefits: easier compliance, cost savings, and simplified operations, with fully-remote deployments in 100+ sites per week (no new hardware or sensors). But there’s one question that often comes up: “How hard will it be to get IT approval?”

Here’s the good news: All you have to do is introduce Axiom to your IT team, and Axiom can take care of the rest. Axiom takes data security and privacy seriously - in fact, our #1 guiding principle is to “Protect People and Data.” Axiom’s technology passes IT reviews consistently, and we are experts at the administrative project management aspect of the IT approval process. And, Axiom has a library of 15+ available integrations that enables us to easily connect with nearly any customer facility.

This post walks you through the simple, step-by-step process that Axiom uses—so you’ll know exactly what’s required, what options are available, and why this won’t be a major headache for you. We’ve already helped over 10 major enterprise customers (many of which are US-based grocery chains and cold storage companies in the Fortune 500) — just like your company — secure IT approvals and interconnect successfully in a smooth and efficient fashion. Now, it’s your turn.

Step 1: IT and InfoSec Approval

What Your IT Team Wants to Know—and How We Answer It
Security is the first stop on any IT checklist—and rightly so. That’s why Axiom is built to meet the most rigorous InfoSec requirements of Fortune 500 companies. We’ve passed security reviews for multiple top-10 US retail grocers and cold storage companies, and we’ll make it easy for your team too.

Here are the core questions most IT and InfoSec teams include in security questionnaires — and exactly how we answer them:

  • Has Axiom experienced any major cyber security incidents in the last 3 years?
    No.

  • Does Axiom require a direct connection to our network?
    It depends on your existing data infrastructure and your preferences. In many cases, Axiom can use a cloud-to-cloud integration that does NOT require a direct connection to your network (which requires a much shorter/easier IT approval process). In other cases, Axiom can use site-to-site VPN tunnels that are completely isolated from other business systems to enable controller-level or device-level integrations (which requires a direct connection to your network). 

  • Is Axiom SOC2 type 2 certified?
    Yes. This is the industry gold standard, and it demonstrates our adherence to stringent security practices.

  • Is all data encrypted?
    Yes. We use AES256 encryption for all data—both in transit and at rest.

  • Can Axiom make changes to our controllers?
    No. By default, Axiom uses 100% read-only integrations. Note: if the customer requests specific features that require read/write capabilities, we can provide that functionality using a different type of integration.

  • Do you have the right security policies in place?
    Yes. We have all required policies, training, access controls, data retention policies, and tabletop exercises in place to support SOC2 compliance and enterprise-level InfoSec reviews.

  • Does Axiom’s application support SSO and/or 2FA/MFA?
    Yes.

By addressing these questions proactively, we reduce friction and speed up approvals—without needing you to play middleman. We’ll lead the process and handle all of the technical and administrative details with your IT team directly. A typical IT approval process takes ~30 days after the IT team engages, but Axiom is able to move as fast (or slow) as your IT team requires.

Click here to download a complete list of questions that Axiom commonly encounters in customer security questionnaires, along with Axiom’s responses to each question.

Step 2: IT Interconnection (Operational Setup)

Once the IT and InfoSec review is completed (based on Axiom’s responses in the security questionnaire), we focus on the operational setup, ensuring a smooth interconnection process:

Kickoff Meeting:
We start with an inclusive kickoff session involving your project stakeholders and IT team. The goal is simple: understand your existing systems, preferences, and specific security requirements.

Choosing Your Integration Path:
Axiom offers a range of integration options tailored to your IT team's preferences that fall into two categories: 

  • Cloud API: In many cases, these types of integrations can be accomplished by sharing a signed authorization form and cloud API credentials (a few emails). No additional support is needed from the IT team - Axiom takes care of everything else!

  • Site-to-Site VPN tunnel (for direct controller or device-level integrations): These types of integrations require a network connection, which often involves an additional meeting with the IT team. First, we request specific firewall and VPN configuration details from your IT team to set up secure and efficient data transfer, and then we test the connection.

Whether your team prefers to use cloud-to-cloud API access, VPN tunnels, direct controller polling, or another method, our approach is flexible and customized. We accommodate your existing infrastructure and capabilities—no major system overhauls or painful transitions required. 

Monitoring and Data Points:
Each site typically generates between 200 and 1,500 data points, captured intelligently at intervals ranging from every 10 seconds to every 10 minutes. This is executed with minimal load on your existing controllers, thanks to our internal Load Balancer and optimized cloud services. This dynamic approach minimizes bandwidth use and avoids any disruptions to your controller hardware, while still enabling Axiom to provide significant value to you and your team.

Axiom’s Role: Making Your Life Easier

Axiom handles all heavy lifting when it comes to the technical questions and the project management aspects of the IT process. Beyond an initial introduction to your IT team and the submission of your request, you can confidently leave the rest to us. Our expertise is proven, our processes tested, and our approach is efficient and collaborative.

Your Key Takeaways:

  • Piloting Axiom will enable you to demonstrate the benefits (and business case) rapidly

  • Concerns about the IT process are understandable—but now manageable. 

  • The IT approval process is mostly an administrative and process challenge, NOT a technology compatibility issue. 

  • Axiom can manage the entire IT approval process for you, from beginning to end.

Equipped with this knowledge, you're ready to smoothly navigate IT approval, pilot Axiom’s services, and start seeing meaningful benefits faster than you thought possible.

Visit Axiom’s security page for more details on our approach to security and privacy.

Amrit Robbins