The 20 MSP

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the VP of office administration at strategic communication services company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Mid-Atlantic Computer Solutions?

We needed a managed IT services provider.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Mid-Atlantic Computer Solutions provides managed IT services for our company and also supports our phone and fax needs. For this engagement, we initially provided Mid-Atlantic Computer Solutions with documentation of our company's IT infrastructure's current state and needs. When we need to purchase new computers, we ask the team to prepare a purchase order for us to approve. 

Mid-Atlantic Computer Solutions offers a combination of on-site and off-site support. The team has come to our offices for issues that need to be addressed in person. However, we haven't required the team to come to our site since the COVID-19 pandemic started. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the team was good and sent us loaners to keep working while computers were fixed. 

When we have an issue that requires on-site attention, I schedule an appointment with Mid-Atlantic Computer Solutions' team. If the issue can be addressed remotely, I contact the team's 24-hour service line, where a teammate addresses the issue remotely. I can contact Mid-Atlantic Computer Solutions' support line by phone or email to create a ticket and receive a response. We're working on an additional engagement with the team so they can manage our website. 

What is the team composition?

We work closely with Mid-Atlantic Computer Solutions' owners, including William (Owner). However, I'm unsure how many teammates are assigned to our project. Will. 

How did you come to work with Mid-Atlantic Computer Solutions?

I'm unsure how we found Mid-Atlantic Computer Solutions since I wasn't involved in the selection process; however, I assume we selected the team because they specialize in Apple equipment, and all our employees work with computers from this brand. We previously had an issue with a previous service provider that didn't specialize in Apple equipment. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Mid-Atlantic Computer Solutions in April 2018, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
We worked with a different service provider before engaging with Mid-Atlantic Computer Solutions, but we had to dissolve the contract on both ends. There is always a learning curve when working with a new service provider, and we initially had a couple of issues that Mid-Atlantic Computer Solutions resolved. The team's work quality meets my expectations. Mid-Atlantic Computer Solutions has also installed a new phone system that has reduced our costs. 

How did Mid-Atlantic Computer Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

Mid-Atlantic Computer Solutions communicates well via email. The team is good at explaining when a charge changes on our invoice or if they think we can move to a better budget system.
Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

I want to highlight William's work. He is helpful and always corrects issues I've brought up for his attention. He doesn't let small things slip, which is why Mid-Atlantic Computer Solutions is such a great company. If something isn't working correctly, I email William and he takes care of the issue. The team has excellent leadership. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Mid-Atlantic Computer Solutions always gets the job done and knows how to prioritize tasks. Their first priority is always ensuring our staff is able to work on their computers. When I have an issue that doesn't allow me to work correctly, I flag it to the team to prioritize it, and they immediately address it. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

The only aspect Mid-Atlantic Computer Solutions can improve is for their staff working on the 24-hour assistance phone line to read the customers' files. Apparently, the team's clients are listed differently, and I've had some instances where I called the support line, and the staff couldn't find my company, which made no sense to me. 

The team has also escalated my ticket when they don't know how to resolve the issue. However, I've already flagged this to William, who is correcting this, and we've seen changes already. 

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

I recommend Mid-Atlantic Computer Solutions to anybody looking for an IT service provider. I suggest searching for an IT company that responds to your specific needs since we previously had worked with a different service provider that didn't give us the attention to detail we needed. 

This past service provider was a big company, while our organization is integrated by 10 employees, so we weren't a good fit on both ends and ended up canceling the engagement. With Mid-Atlantic Computer Solutions, it doesn't matter the size of your company because the team will meet your needs.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO and founder of Montage Marketing Group. We’re a marketing, outreach, engagement, events, and communications company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Mid-Atlantic Computer Solutions?

We had just started the company and needed an IT provider.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They created systems and protocols for onboarding and issuing assets. They also helped us set up assets, identify software, and handle the licensing for the platforms we use. Finally, they helped us establish a phone system, intranet, server and backup system, and redundancy measures. Hardware sourcing is also part of their job. We use Outlook in the office and Microsoft 365. They’ve also done cybersecurity testing for our teams and deliver a report to me.

What is the team composition?

We typically have three people that we talk to on a regular basis. Two of them are more frequent partners, and one of them is our assigned program manager.

How did you come to work with Mid-Atlantic Computer Solutions?

We ran an RFP process to find a suitable partner to grow with us. MAC was local and could handle going on-site for us.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend around $3,000 per month with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since August 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

They’ve been great. They’re very responsive — especially our day-to-day program folks. They understand our business now and so can anticipate issues and problems. Every year, we have an annual sit-down to review our systems’ performance so we can make adjustments.

They’re great at monitoring us. For example, one of our servers has a glitch they’ll come in and take a look at it to prevent it from failing. They assist where we have aging machines and are proactive about identifying potential issues before they negatively impact us.

The owner of the company contacted me during the beginning of the pandemic as well, in case I needed to reserve cash flow, which I thought was a nice touch. We opted not to do that but it was nice of them to offer.

How did Mid-Atlantic Computer Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re migrating more toward a call-in center, which makes me a little nervous — only because we’ve had such good personal care with folks we’ve developed a personal relationship with. That does give me a little pause.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Though I haven’t worked with other providers I can say that they’re very responsive. We stay with them because their customer service is so attentive. Small companies don’t usually get this amount of attention from bigger organizations.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could present more of their cost research on different systems so we can feel we’ve gotten the best deal.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Understand what you need and be clear. Don’t be afraid to ask them to use language you understand. Tech people can speak in their own code sometimes so make sure you understand what’s being said. Don’t just go along with it. Let them know what is making sense or not making sense.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a principal at a public relations and public affairs firm in Washington D.C. We’re a consultancy that helps clients ranging from corporations to trade associations and nonprofits.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Mid-Atlantic Computer Solutions?

We rely on Mid-Atlantic Computer Solutions (MACS) for our managed IT services.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Will (Owner) was our founder’s single point of contact 20 years ago when he was the sole Mac-user in the office. 5 years later, when our entire office decided to transition from PC to Apple, Will helped us make that shift. They’ve since continued to provide us with full-fledged IT support.

MACS host our website, handle our phone system (Voice over IP), and manage our networking systems.

Recently, they helped us onboard a remote employee. They spent a lot of time with her to get the necessary systems up and running. That being said, since they’re local to us, they’re available to come into the office to provide hands-on support. If we have a problem with our computers, they’ll come into the office and repair them for us.

What is the team composition?

Will has a larger team behind him. I also believe he’s relying on a service to assist in managing helpdesk emails.

How did you come to work with Mid-Atlantic Computer Solutions?

I have no idea. I’ve been at the company for 15 years, and the partnership predates my onboarding.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent somewhere in the realm of $25,000 per year, for the last 5 years. That excludes the costs of the software and programs that they help us purchase.

What is the status of this engagement?

The engagement began somewhere around the summer of 2005, and it’s an ongoing partnership.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

They’ve always had an exceptional attitude. We can simply communicate our problems, and MACS will understand and address them. In that way, they defy the stereotype that IT people can be difficult to work with. They excel at explaining technical processes in layman’s terms so that non-IT people can understand.

They’re gracefully managing our remote workflows in light of COVID-19. We’ve appreciated their flexibility in managing both remote and in-person processes.

How did Mid-Atlantic Computer Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re amazingly available. We have clients that require 24/7 service, and Will can be reached at late hours or over the weekend.

Will sometimes comes to me to propose new ideas and solutions. While I don’t always accept his offers, I always appreciate his proactivity in suggesting improvements.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’re always reevaluating how we can improve our IT resources. We’ve talked to other firms before, but we always come back to Will and MACS, because they have a personal touch to them. Will is very easy to work with and has been a great partner for us. They’re a part of our team.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’d emphasize the importance of constant communication. There have been a couple of times where they didn’t tell us ahead of time when pushing an update. It hasn’t happened in a long time, but I always try to remind them of how much I appreciate an early heads-up. We never get any pushback or resistance from them when we provide them with feedback like that.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Try to develop a relationship with them and treat them as a partner.