Accend Networks

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am a project manager at ITECH Solutions. We support the IT needs of small- and medium-sized businesses that don't have an IT staff of their own.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Accend Networks?

Our largest client had some network expansion needs that our in-house staff could not fulfill. We contracted Accent Networks to support us in meeting project requirements.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our client planned to onboard many remote users following a company acquisition. They needed to make multiple connections to the central office via VPN. We needed a more capable router to facilitate those connections—something that could handle an increased workload and anything else we required regarding advanced configurations for connectivity. They recommended a Cisco connection because of their experience with that network.

What is the team composition?

We work with Paula (CEO, Accend Network) and one of her remote engineers.

How did you come to work with Accend Networks?

I found Paula through a Yahoo Groups forum for service providers.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent less than $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in September 2017. Our engagement remains ongoing as needed.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Accend Networks brought experience to the table that we needed to complete the projects so that we could serve our clients better. Paula has been able to handle everything we’ve given her. We’ve had no instances where she couldn’t find a solution.

How did Accend Networks perform from a project management standpoint?

Paula has been responsive to the extent that we’ve never had issues communicating.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We don’t do a lot of outsourcing, so this is a unique situation that I can’t compare to other vendors. Paula has been reliable and capable, and that’s what we needed.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Paula employs an offshore worker, and there were some delays on tasks delegated to him. It was a slight inconvenience to coordinate with him because of the time difference.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Adaptive Spectrum and Signal Alignment (ASSIA) provides broadband solutions to telecom companies in a software-based model.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Accend Networks?

They’re our go-to contractor for all the IT-related work we do on the networking side. I manage most of everything else, including servers and the data center, but Accend can provide specific networking expertise.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We initially contracted with Accend Networks for a networking project. They helped us with site-to-site customer VPN setups. They later handled the transition to Cisco Meraki for our core switch and firewall during a relocation of our headquarters.

What is the team composition?

We mainly reach out to Paula (CEO, Accend Networks), but I also email their support team. Most of our setups need to be done within a week, and Paula’s been on-call for those projects.

How did you come to work with Accend Networks?

We found them through an online search.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $25,000–$30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in June 2015 and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve received positive feedback, and they’ve provided recommendations for our other technology choices.

How did Accend Networks perform from a project management standpoint?

Paula is flexible and can contact us quickly. She provides all the information we need over email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their communication style works well for us. They provide quick responses to solve network issues. Paula is knowledgeable, and she takes the time to tell us what we can and can’t do.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, we’re completely satisfied.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Customers should emphasize the initial vetting process to make sure both parties fit well and they’re on the same page.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Notre Dame is a private, all-girls high school in downtown San Jose. I’m the IT manager.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Accend Networks?

We’re a small school and we don’t have a strong IT team, so we’ve used Accend Networks for bigger projects, covering everything from design to implementation. We’ve also used them as an emergency line, in cases where I wasn’t available.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our school relies heavily on on-campus Wi-Fi, and we have a bring-your-own-device model for students and faculty. As such, we need a strong signal everywhere on our premises, so we hired Accend as a consultant. They came and patrolled our campus with a device that constructed a diagram of our signal. They made a design for our whole campus to make sure that we’re covered everywhere, and that there are no conflicts between devices.

Another project consisted of both upgrading and duplicating our firewall so that we have a backup. First, they upgraded the firewall we had in place, then added another one to our network. After that, they performed some tests and finally unplugged the primary firewall, to see if our network would suffer any interruptions. The second one performed perfectly, and the users experienced no issues.

What is the team composition?

We’ve interacted with Paula (CEO, Accend Networks) and her team.

How did you come to work with Accend Networks?

I first found them online and went over their background. Paula holds several industry certificates from Cisco, and I knew exactly what abilities that demonstrated. I called them and laid out our plans, and we then decided to start a long-term collaboration.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend $10,000–$20,000 per year with them, plus the costs associated with Cisco Prime as our network monitoring system.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them around five years ago and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I totally depend on Accend Networks to provide consulting on new products in the market. I’m currently focused on maintenance, and I don’t have the time to learn about these things. The industry’s changed dramatically, so I depend on Accend to address feedback and customer suggestions.

Our network is predominantly wireless and prone to cyber-attacks. They have of knowledge related to this, which helps us out a lot.

How did Accend Networks perform from a project management standpoint?

They respond very quickly to our emails and texts, and they also come to our campus. They’ve always done a professional job, and we have no issues with communication. When there’s new equipment coming in, they keep us updated on its status.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re a small, local company and are close to us, which makes my job a lot easier. They're more efficient than a larger company. When networks are down, it’s important to have a partner that can come right away and help, which Accend can.

We’re a nonprofit organization and we support local companies. Accend is also a woman-owned business, and this resonates with us, as an all-girls high school.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. In fact, we’ve referred them to sister schools and other businesses in our community.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

No.