Altoros

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of software at Davis Instruments, which means I'm responsible for web and mobile application development. We manufacture weather-related devices for hobbyists and agriculture markets.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Altoros?

We didn’t have mobile development capabilities and needed a partner to help us initiate those efforts.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

In the beginning, we hired Altoros to build a specific app. Their team developed an iOS and Android platform to function as a control and data visualization mechanism for our weather-related devices. With Bluetooth, the app talks with our AWS-hosted devices to get data for configuration and management. The platform also has complex data visualization capabilities such as charting, reports, and alerts. It’s not so much an IoT product because it's not hosted in AWS. Later, we wanted to expand our offerings. Since their team did really well with the development and launch of our first mobile platform, we’ve kept them on for further expansion and maintenance.

What is the team composition?

The team has ranged from three to about eight or nine. The number of teammates has varied over time, but we’ve averaged about four team members. Typically, we’ve worked with iOS and Android developers as well as testing resources. We didn’t hire any project manager as I’ve managed the project.

How did you come to work with Altoros?

When I joined the company, the decision to work with Altoros had already been made. Company executives had looked at multiple vendors, went through a selection process, and selected Altoros based on their competency. Altoros gave us written proposals and showed us sample developer profiles. We’ve been more and more pleased with our decision.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent between $1 million–$2 million over the last four years.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our collaboration began in July 2015, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve been trying to modernize and upgrade our offerings. Altoros has been a tremendous partner in getting us into the mobile app arena. Without them, we wouldn’t have been able to develop the platform or acquire repeat customers. They’ve helped keep the business alive and growing.

How did Altoros perform from a project management standpoint?

I’ve had calls with them every week to review ongoing projects, priorities, and resolve issues as well as discuss upcoming plans, goals, and milestones. They have tremendous technical capabilities, which we’ve come to rely on. There have been low-level issues related to the range of low energy Bluetooth to high-level issues related to certain widgets or UI implementations; Altoros has been able to cover the whole range of issues as well as Android and iOS launch environments. They’ve been an all-around partner to us.

What did you find most impressive about them?

What’s noteworthy is that they've really experienced developers. We’ve actually chosen to work with the highest quality developers even though we pay them a higher rate. Their team’s efforts have been worthwhile. Plus, they’ve communicated clearly. Verbal and written communication has been critical to our success. In many cases, we’ve had trouble communicating or getting quality out of other vendors. Altoros has succeeded in providing quality, a depth of development, and communication. Their team has handled all the external technical issues that have not been in our control. It’s been a tremendous experience and we’re sticking with them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I cannot think of anything to improve specifically. But, they would do well to spend more time on test automation.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

People who're looking for mobile app partners and providers will be inundated with a lot of vendors. This creates a tough environment to pick one. Even today I get one or two e-mails offering me mobile app development services. Interview developers and be convinced that you’re hiring the best. Get written proposals on solving specific issues and then evaluate your choices.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a financial services company. We offer patented benchmarking software to help retirement plans in America determine whether their fees are reasonable. Many of the industry’s largest financial service providers use our software.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Altoros?

Altoros is assisting us to develop a new service that will help retirement plan fiduciaries make important decisions regarding the design of their retirement plan. If a company is interested in a matching program, where every dollar that an employee contributes to their 401(k) plan is matched by the company, our plan design tool will help plan sponsors and their committees make changes to the proposed design and see the impact of those changes in real-time. 

For instance, if a company wants to go from a 25-cent dollar match on the first 6% of pay to a 100% match on the first 3% and 50% on the next 2%, the tool will quickly lay out the impact of those changes from marginal cost and benefit standpoints across all employees in the company’s plan.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

My team designed the tool and its database, and Altoros is helping us make it operational. They’ve designed the UI and reporting structures. The team has also taken calculations from Microsoft Excel and reprogrammed them in Ruby on Rails and our technology stack. They’ve done any excess work that’s separate from our core system.

What is the team composition?

We work with a team of 3–4 people, and they’re doing a great job. We engage with Alena (Digital Marketing Manager, Altoros), our great project manager, and Anton (Software Engineer, Altoros), a programmer who’s done an incredible job. Pavel (Software Engineer, Altoros) did some user design work that’s made the product much more appealing to our potential clients, and now someone is working on the HTML and CSS of the redesign that Pavel did. 

How did you come to work with Altoros?

We had some other work that we were trying to get done on our core benchmarking service, and we’d tried one outsourcing firm in Europe and two others in India. Quite frankly, none of them did a great job. We also had an onshore programmer in Portland, Oregon, and their billing rate was substantially higher than Altoros’s. They also didn’t work nearly as quickly.

The last of the three offshore firms that we worked with was Indian, and we monitored them closely and paid them by the week. When it became clear that they couldn’t get the work done, we turned to Altoros, who’d come in second during our search for an offshore partner. They did the work perfectly in a tenth of the time and at a fraction of the cost of the other firm. This made me realize I'd chosen the wrong firm in the first place. 

How much have you invested with them?

It’s a relatively decent-sized project; we’ve spent over six figures.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together several years ago. We’re hoping to get this current project finished by the end of the month and fully operational by the end of the year.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The service and software aren’t yet operational, so right now we’re measuring whether Altoros is staying on time, scope, and budget. So far, they’ve done a really good job of that. My entire team is impressed with them. Altoros is our first choice as an offshore partner, and they’ve never disappointed.

How did Altoros perform from a project management standpoint?

From a project management standpoint, they’ve exceeded my expectations. They’re available to meet whenever I need to. The team also keeps track of details; all of our calls end with them determining who is going to do what and sending follow-ups and to-dos.

Altoros works quickly, and the team is flexible about scheduling. We don’t use a formal Gantt chart because my schedule is very busy, and it’s difficult for me to carve out dedicated time to work on this unique project. Nobody else at my firm could do the calculations that I do, and other tasks are more core to the business that I’d rather have my tech and operations teams focus on. However, if I did require a formal Gantt chart with a schedule, I know Altoros would adhere to it because they’ve already asked me about it.

As a CEO, I’m not quite as available as I’d like to give them specifications, but I’ve been absolutely blown away by how far Altoros has been able to take the project with minimal input, guidance, or assistance. They’re always ready for the next thing. Since we’re a small company, I can’t dedicate my full time to developing the requirements, and Altoros has offered to do so. I’ve typed in a Word document what I want to be done, and they’ve executed it flawlessly.

Once we got them going with the design, they got further than I thought they would be able to. For instance, the tool needs to work across tens of thousands of participants, and Altoros took it upon themselves to research parallel computing capabilities, multiple processors, and timing so that the tool will be able to meet our client’s needs and our requirements.

What did you find most impressive about them?

If I had to pick one thing, I’d say that Altoros’s team is really competent and nice. They’re incredibly well-skilled in their craft. You can tell when you’re dealing with them that they have raw intellect; their ability to analyze problems quickly is impressive.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No; any delays in this project are on me. There’s almost nothing that I have complaints about, and I’ve worked with in-house technology firms and outsourced partners for 30 years. Altoros is outstanding, and I’d highly recommend them to anybody looking for an offshore outsourcing partner.

Any advice for potential customers?

I’d recommend going about a partnership with Altoros a bit differently than I have. This project could’ve been done months ago if I wasn’t the CEO trying to do 5–6 things at once. If you have somebody from your team that can work with them on a dedicated basis, you’ll get more out of them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the founder of ConnectBy.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Altoros?

We needed a development agency to build out our minimum viable product (MVP).

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Altoros relies on numerous statements of work (SoWs) to develop the MVP, including components that needed to be redone or updated. They changed our website to make sure it complied with current laws, and they’ve enhanced various other features of both the web and mobile products. The backend is in Ruby on Rails, and the iOS and Android versions are in HTML5. Altoros put the products on the App Store and Google Play, and they’re currently working on the UX/UI to make it more attractive and user friendly.

What is the team composition?

We mainly correspond with the project manager. There are multiple developers for the mobile and web projects, but we have limited communication with them.

How did you come to work with Altoros?

We researched the top ten Ruby on Rails development houses at the time and spoke with them. We had three interviews with Altoros, and they seemed enthusiastic about the work, so we hired them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $150,000–$250,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since 2013.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They do good work, and we’ve been particularly impressed with their UX/UI.

How did Altoros perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re responsive and exceed our expectations. Even though there’s a large time difference, we mainly communicate via Skype, and they try to find convenient times to talk.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re more than just a hired company; they collaborate to make the best product possible. The team is intelligent and sharp, and many of their other clients are also happy with their work. We’ve had a great experience since day one, and I couldn’t imagine working with any other firm.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t see how they could improve.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?                          

Work closely with your project manager to track resources and project tasks. They’re experts, so don’t try to micromanage them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Etherisc, a decentralized blockchain insurance company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Altoros?

We’re a small startup that needed a full-service service provider able to conduct complex projects with many participants and external partners. I was the only tech person in-house and therefore unable to build large, complex software systems. To hire people in-house is risky because you need to know the people, onboard them, and create a working environment.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Altoros has helped with several service tasks around building software products for us in the blockchain space. They work as a full-service provider for all our tech needs. They build software and environments, as well as create secure environments for production. They also entertain all the different environments (e.g., testing, staging) and maintain the whole technology stack. They have an event management team who is active in preparing conferences and all kinds of communications, including social media outreach. They coordinate and organize the logistics so that everything works properly on the communication side.

We needed a very reliable monitoring system to check all the processes running on blockchain and give us complete insight on their statuses. They built and use Smart Contract to answer this, which is a software that’s running on blockchain and platforming certain business processes.

They also built the monitoring interface and frontend for the end users who interact with the seller on Smart Contract. They’ve built mobile and web applications where you can interact with the Smart Contract system.

What is the team composition?

They had a working team which allowed us to get started right away. My main point of contact is the CEO and the legal department for the contractual side of things. Two teams take care of most of the operational tasks—one is responsible for communications and the other for technical. I interact with the project lead manager and developers on the technical team. We have three people on the communications team, but I mostly interact with the project lead.

How did you come to work with Altoros?

One of our co-founders worked for Altoros and proposed we work with them because he knew the company. We didn’t consider anyone else.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $150,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2017 and the relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We check the project on a task level. We haven’t noticed any major delays so far. We’re very happy with Altoros’ performance.

How did Altoros perform from a project management standpoint?

We had a kickoff meeting and I spent three days in their office. We determined the overall project structure, deliverables, and methodology. From that day on, they took full responsibility for the whole project. We now have weekly calls and also use online chat. The lead is always on Altoros’ side.

They have an experienced team and the project management utilizes a very good methodology. We have good communication and escalation. They improve or fix anything that goes wrong or gets delayed in a quick manner. They proactively make proposals for handling difficult situations. They have very high-class project management. All team members are skilled from a technical, organizational, and logistical standpoint. They perform very well.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re highly engaged and available if we need them. They work day and night to deliver on time. I have been in software development for 15 years and rank them very high in terms of engagement and customer orientation.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’re just starting the blockchain stage. They’re building up their people and skills in this area.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It’s very important to build a trusting relationship with their key people. It’s good to spend some days together for a project kickoff in order to align the collaborative expectations.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company.

I work for a corporation in New York. We provide business services to very large clients around IT services. Our clients include many well-known Fortune 50 firms.

What is your role and responsibilities?

I am the CTO here and have worked closely with Altoros.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your goal for the work with Altoros?

We have worked in Big Data as a company since 1995 so we are experts. However, there are still many things that we need to learn and holes we need to fill. We work with Altoros on an ongoing basis for their Big Data knowledge.

This work includes Hadoop warehouse projects and also consulting. We often need their help when we run into roadblocks. They can find the answers when nobody else can. Many times they have supplied answers to data problems that others couldn't find.

SOLUTION

describe the scope of their work.

We have worked together as a team for more than two years. We always have between four and six of their employees working with us full time. They usually work on a variety of projects, but there are always multiple projects occurring at the same time. Sometimes, I break up projects into smaller pieces for them or just have them look at the big picture.

They are my go-to for innovative answers. There are many things that we need to learn from Altoros. When we are stuck, we ask them to find the best route to proceed. Sometimes, they work with Hadoop, but the details I cannot go into more. We have a NDA [non-disclosure agreement] with some major clients, so I don't want to give further information.

What was your process for selecting Altoros to work with?

I wasn't involved in the process completely, and I forgot some of the details. What I can tell you is that we chose them for several reasons. The first was their knowledge, but they also had a strong and stable team. I knew that their team was solid at the top, and the turnover was very low. I also thought their price was fair.

Can you give us a sense of the size of the initiative in dollar terms?

It is six figures, but I cannot give an exact amount.

When was the last project completed?

The work is ongoing and has no plans to stop. We don't really have milestones or any plans to wrap it up soon.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Do you have any statistics or metrics to share from the projects?

We have increased our capabilities sharply. Our clients are happy, and we can serve them better. I don't have concrete stats at the moment. The projects have been really successful. We have achieved our goals from clients. They understand data and have come through many times.

When working with them, what else is unique or special about Altoros compared to other IT firms?

They have a lot of data knowledge, and their innovation is great. They always find new ideas and tell me things that I never knew. They are stronger than most Big Data firms because they are finding revolutionary ways to harness the power of data.

Looking back, is there anything that you think Altoros could improve upon, or something that you think they could do differently?

No. There is nothing major.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company.

We are a video e-commerce media company based in Texas. We have been in business since 2007, and we have more than 150 employees.

What is your role and responsibilities?

I’m the vice president of IT [information technology].

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your goal for working with Altoros?

It was a data warehousing project. We have a large number of databases and information in them. We needed to develop a complete, beginning-to-end solution for our data warehouse, from gathering to reporting.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their work.

They were involved in the whole process. They were given tasks that needed a solution. They researched our environment. They proposed several solutions, and we chose a solution that we both liked, and we went with it.

The overarching goal of this data warehouse is to help our business intelligence and to help drive new sales and revenue, plus more. The clients are self-managed and are able to create their own accounts. We are signing deals with more partners outside the system so we need to determine everything they are doing. It is based on their data warehouse projects.

What was your process for selecting Altoros?

They were one of three contracting organizations that we talked to, and the same information was shared between the three. We looked at the solutions that came out of the project, and we chose Altoros based on that output.

Can you provide a ballpark dollar figure for the size of the work that they’ve done for you?

We are still working with Altoros. They’re working on maintenance and minor changes to the solution. We went from the design stages to the implementation to maintenance. Altoros has been with us for more than two years now.

When was the latest milestone completed for that work?

The work will never be finished as long as we're working with each other. A data warehouse is an ongoing project. There is more data coming in every time. We discovered that our sources are needed for financial or business reasons, and they're there to help us.

Do you feel that Hadoop is an adequate solution for your company?

We are not using only Hadoop, but yes. So far, it is providing enough data. We haven’t discovered data that is not in the data warehouse yet.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

How has Altoros performed so far?

They have performed exceptionally. I do not have any major issues with them. They perform tasks on time and correctly, based on estimates they provide. I cannot say anything negative about the people that I work with.

Is there anything unique about them that really makes them stand out, compared to other companies?

Sometimes, it's hard to work with any outsourced company. Sometimes, there is a language barrier, and there may be something else. Out of the companies that I have discussed outside projects with, Altoros was the best.

Looking back on the work so far, is there any area that you think they could improve upon or that you might do differently?

They can charge us less. There aren't any weak points in their work. They were not the cheapest in comparison to the other companies but, in terms of the product they produce, they were the best.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CTO of SupPlant

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

An ag-tech company that enable farmers all around the world to "unmute" their crops

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Altoros to accomplish?

• React developement
• Java development

SOLUTION

How did you find Altoros?

linkedin

Why did you select Altoros over others?

Referred to me

How many teammates from Altoros were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

extend the current team and develop end to end SW solution

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

on-time delivery of features and development content. number of bug discovered

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

the team demonstrated professional and innovative work,in a very friendly and collaborative manner with the existing team

What was your primary form of communication with Altoros?

Virtual Meeting

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

fast learning, quick onboarding and assimilation into existing teams

Are there any areas for improvement or something Altoros could have done differently?

all candidates must have good English. we insisted on this in the interviewing process.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Mobile app development of a food & beverages company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Food production industry

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Altoros to accomplish?

• For our company mobile app

SOLUTION

How did you find Altoros?

• Clutch Site

Why did you select Altoros over others?

• Pricing fit our budget

How many teammates from Altoros were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Altoros is actually great, perfect work and delivery as expected

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

excellent outcome

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Altoros management is so cool with us, yes they deliver on time, and Altoros responds perfect

What was your primary form of communication with Altoros?

• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Good communication and perfect work done

Are there any areas for improvement or something Altoros could have done differently?

Well there will always be an upgrade hopefully they will meet up they are great at their work

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CTO of a software company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Our software connects accountants, companies and banks to transfer more knowledge and facilitate better decisions and ultimately stronger companies.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Altoros to accomplish?

• Strengthen our development team

SOLUTION

How did you find Altoros?

They contacted us.

Why did you select Altoros over others?

• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Altoros were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Altoros provided very competent and reliable engineers to the project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The engineers from Altoros provided great enhancements in our QA and project management activities. We also had a great experience working with software developers from Altoros.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Altoros have been very good at receiving and providing feedback about the engineers we have been working with through them, and their responses have always been timely and professional.

What was your primary form of communication with Altoros?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Altoros has a great process for finding and hiring engineers.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Altoros could have done differently?

N/A

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CPO of a Software Dev Company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Software Development Company

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Altoros to accomplish?

• Transition front end from Angular to React
• Add additional resources to back end maintenance team

SOLUTION

How did you find Altoros?

Online Search

Why did you select Altoros over others?

Quality of Staff

How many teammates from Altoros were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Be part of the team that is re-wring front end from Angular to React

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

• Closure of assigned tickets

What was your primary form of communication with Altoros?

Virtual Meeting

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

This was a staff Augmentation model, and so Altoros team was managed by us. The deliverables were generally met on time with high quality.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Quality and expertise of software development Staff

Are there any areas for improvement or something Altoros could have done differently?

N/A