Apriorit

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am a software developer at a cybersecurity company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What Challenge were you trying to address with Apriorit?

We have hired them for many projects, but this last project dealt with connecting our products in another way. Our product has an API, but there are some other side products that use our API and connect them in the way the customer wants.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

In this project, Apriorit helped us with connecting our product and implementing the API to make it work with our protocol in order to protect customers from downloading suspicious files as well as customers who want to protect themselves from uploading suspicious documents to their web server.

They used .NET core, and it is written in C#. They used it with Docker technology that we wanted to integrate it with our system.

What is the team composition?

There was one developer who I was in direct contact with, and we also had a project manager. A QA person was involved as well, but we didn’t have any interaction with him.

How did you come to work with Apriorit?

We had worked with them for a while on many projects. I personally entered the relationship with them after one or two projects were completed, so I don’t know exactly how my predecessor initially engaged with them. I do know that he was looking at many companies and in the end, he chose them. We have continued our interaction with them for several years now.

How much have you invested in them?

The total project has cost between $20,000–$30,000 USD.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them on this project from January 2019–February 2020. There were two phases of the project with an interval between them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We recently gave them the second payment after we ensured that things are working. We performed our own QA and integration into our system. They were able to work with our system and then we integrated it fully. We are happy with the quality. They performed very well, as they did in all the other projects we have worked with them on.

How did Apriorit perform from a project management standpoint?

They took most of the planning on themselves when it came to project management, and they presented us with questions and prepared documents before starting. The interval we had was because of our internal changes. We were impressed that they could start working immediately on it again even though a year had passed.

They provided us with weekly updates and whenever there were technical or management questions, they would respond immediately. They were available whenever I needed them. We used email for updates and the code was through Bitbucket. I suppose they use tools internally, but we didn’t use any together.

What did you find most impressive about them?

In general, I think things went well. In particular, during the primary design of the project, we wanted to use a third-party library with API in order to complete the project on time. During the project, they saw that the deployment was a little bit too confusing and there was too much to do in order to start using it, so they rewrote the part themselves into .NET without adding to the budget or timeline.

I think this was especially impressive and a nice surprise. Their work made our lives easier when using it and deploying it, and in the future when we will need to investigate things, it will make things simpler for us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The interaction with the developer was through the project manager at first. It was sometimes less convenient, but at a certain stage, we were able to have direct contact with him.

When I received the final product, I did have some comments on their code. I am a developer myself so I could look into it. There were a few things that could be improved when it came to code quality, but they weren’t severe problems.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would advise considering a long-term relationship with them rather than just something that is one time and short. It is good to have a long-term relationship with them as our communication and ability to understand each other really improved from project to project which then improved the quality of what we got as we understood each other well.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner and founder of a software company that makes data recovery and backup tools for phones and computers. We started as a digital forensics company, and we had a lot of regular customers who wanted access to digital forensic tools that were typically only available to investors and law enforcement. We wanted to provide data recovery solutions to everyday people, so we split in 2016. That has evolved into backup solutions for cell phones and computers. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Apriorit?

We needed to outsource development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Apriorit is our only developer; we’ve outsourced our development solely to them. They’ve developed our iOS, Android, and web apps. I believe they originally started with C++ and have done some Microsoft development. 

Apriorit does both design and development. They’ve designed our website, software, and software interface. We’ve worked with them in two capacities, the first of which is project-based work, where we have specific features to add. They prepare the statement of work and complete the project based on their quote. We’ve also hired full-time developers through them.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with two different teams from Apriorit, one of which does web development, and the other does design. Right now, we have two full-time developers from their team working with us. We also have a QA person who is either full-time or half-time, depending on the quantity of work each month. I work directly with one project manager who manages all of the app development, and another project manager who manages website development.

How did you come to work with Apriorit?

I’ve been working with them for approximately 20 years, before they actually formed into the company that they are now. We found them through old forums around 2000. We needed them to do project-based development work, which they did piece-by-piece. We liked their work and eventually started hiring them full-time. At one point, our sister company had about 20 developers. We’ve worked with them for a long time.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $120,000 the first year, and then probably only $50,000 total over the next couple of years. In 2019, we spent over $100,000. Right now, we’re currently doing about $15,000 a month. 

What is the status of this engagement?

This project began around October 2016, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I’ve been impressed by their improvements over the years. Whenever we start a project or feature set, we go through the whole process of writing up a document that outlines everything, from front to back, so that we can make sure we get the entire scope of work. Then, they give feedback suggestions, which is very good from my standpoint since I’m not a software engineer. They really educate me as we go.

Their QA process has also improved immensely, to the point that when we release a product, there are no surprises. There are inevitably bugs in software, but the scale of the bugs is a lot smaller than it used to be back when we started working together. They find bugs and eliminate them before the release. They’ve really improved their QA throughout the development process. 

How did Apriorit perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project managers are knowledgeable and on top of things, and that is something that I really appreciate about working with them. Even if their project managers aren’t developers, they know how to convey issues from a development standpoint. They’re very good at communication.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Based on my experience, their communication makes them stand out. The developers are also very productive and maintain an advanced skill level; we don’t waste time dealing with bugs from poor code.  

Are there any areas they could improve?

Anything they could’ve done, they have, from my perspective. I can’t pinpoint anything that they need to improve on at this point.

Any advice for potential customers?

I’d recommend having somebody that can dedicate the time to working with the project manager. They’re very efficient and productive as long as they have two-way communication.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of project development for a parental control software developer. We’re developing an internet content & filter for parental control software where the customer installs a piece of software on their computer or mobile device. It can then be controlled and monitored from different online portals.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Apriorit?

We initially developed the software for a specific operating system. We wanted to start moving out into other operating systems as well. We were looking for low-level, kernel developers, and didn’t want to work with someone who would take our existing technology and port it to a different OS platform. The system was built for Windows, and we needed it to be adapted into Android or iOS.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our product is split between different domains. We asked their team to build an SDK. Outside of them, our team developed the wrappers that go around that, along with designing the UI and interfaces. Apriorit designed and developed the low-level SDK that we can consume through APIs. We needed certain functionality that fits closely to the OS. The initial project is complete, but now we’re working on phase two. They also offer a support aspect as well.

What is the team composition?

Depending on the stage of the project, we talked with 5–10 people. We have a central point of contact.

How did you come to work with Apriorit?

We were looking for a specific niche area of software development. The majority of software development houses are data-focused rather than dealing with low-level work. We found Apriorit through Google.

We mentioned their name to one of the development companies that we work with, and they said they worked with them before and were happy with them. After that discussion, we went to meet them and decided to work with Apriorit.

How much have you invested with them?

The project cost between $250,000–$500,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing engagement with Apriorit started in August 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We will be working with Apriorit in the long-term. The project hasn’t gone to market yet because we’re still working on the higher areas of it. During beta testing, a couple of thousand users had no problems with it at all. We’re confident that the product is going to enable us to grow.

We’re looking forward to using what they’ve developed. One of the requirements was to have great automated testing. Everything works via Jenkins, and it’s well-managed. The project was well-planned.

Apriorit puts a lot of focus into their solutions. Their team uses a modern approach that we would expect from an engagement. When we get a delivery from them, we very rarely come across bugs. Their testing seems to be good.

How did Apriorit perform from a project management standpoint?

From a project management standpoint, it’s been very good. Everything is done in sprints, but not the typical agile sprints. We stretch things out a little bit longer than that, but they break down the tasks well. Everything is tracked in Jira.

What did you find most impressive about them?

If someone is looking for low-level software development that understands the technology, they know how to stretch it to the limits and achieve what other groups say is unachievable. The team at Apriorit doesn’t take no for an answer. They will find a way to fulfill any client’s business needs. It’s something we’ve struggled to find with other companies we previously worked with in this area.

Are there any areas they could improve?

One of the issues we’ve had dealt with time. We would be a lot happier to grow the team and move quicker, but they don’t always have the resources available to scale when necessary. Things do take a bit longer than we would like, but not due to any technical issues we have.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Ensure that what you’re asking them to do is something that requires low-level software development expertise. Their team performs best when they have a tough problem that requires investigation. Allow them the space to do those before they start working on the actual development. This helps them understand the technical limitations of what the customer is trying to achieve and other expectations.

Stay very focused on creating the proof of concepts because the typical development they’re doing for us is hard to predict when it comes to cost.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the development manager for a software products firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenges were you trying to address with Apriorit?

We hired them for a development project. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Apriorit provided hardware development support. They created a driver for a wifi adapter. 

What is the team composition?

Two developers and a project manager support us.

How did you come to work with Apriorit?

We did some research on Google and reviewed different sites. We chose Apriorit because they were the ones that seemed to have a better understanding of the project and its requirements. They also made a great proposal and it was clear they’re experts at what they do. 

How much have you invested in them?

We’ve spent between $10,000–$50,000. 

What is the status of this engagement? 

Our project ran from April–July 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The results were positive and the project was successful. The functionality was what we expected and we were very happy with their work.

How did Apriorit perform from a project management standpoint?

They did meet all of our deadlines. We had very fluid communication and they always kept us up to date with all progress. We knew about any issues or delays that could come up.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re very good at what they do. They had great technical knowledge of hardware development, which was just what we needed. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

We were happy with their work so I can’t think of anything.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there. 

I work for Devolutions, Inc. Our main product is called remote district manager. Our new product, Wayk Now, is another remote desktop software. My title is Wayk Product Manager. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Apriorit? 

We hired Apriorit to support multiple projects. Our development work for Wayk Now involves cutting-edge development. We needed to develop a new codec that would be usable for both native mobile apps and web-based applications for remote desktop usage. 

Other projects we're working on entail proxying remote desktop traffic for inspection and adding additional security to become a full PAM (privileged access management) solution. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

Our company had identified a codec with all of the properties we needed. We first contracted Apriorit to re-implement the JFWX codec in Rust to be compatible with WebAssembly, a new type of code similar to JavaScript that can run in a browser. The same code can be repurposed inside our C program, which will eventually be usable in a web-based version of our remote desktop client. 

The team figured out how to create this solution within about a month. After we spent another month on iteration and tons of unit tests, it was fully complete.  Since then, we've started implementing a new RDP stack for the Microsoft remote desktop protocol. 

Apriorit helped us create a functional proxy to perform the authentication sequence it required. It enables the software to use temporary credentials while completely hiding the real ones used on the second side of the proxy. This feature is very useful for privileged access management.  Users never have to send the actual password to the remote desktop client. 

For our third engagement, we are pushing the previous product further. We're moving after the connection sequence and after the authentication sequence. Apriorit is working on the full connection sequence for RDP entirely in Rust.

What is the team composition?  

We've mostly worked with the same project manager and developer from Apriorit. In fact, we recently signed a dedicated developer agreement. Rather than being fixed by project, our engagement is based on time. 

Having the same resource from their side assures us the work will be of good quality for at least six months. We will most likely renew the contract at that point. 

How did you come to work with Apriorit? 

A couple of years ago, I was actually working as a consultant myself for Dell, who had engaged both Apriorit and myself to work on the same project. 

Last year, the CEO of Apriorit contacted me on LinkedIn to ask if I was interested in working together. At the time, I happened to have some projects I was willing to outsource. 

For our first project, they solved the problem at a surprisingly competitive price. We've moved on to more complicated engagements since. 

How much have you invested with them? 

We've spent about $50,000–$100,000 so far. 

What is the status of this engagement? 

The project started in October of 2018 and is still ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The deliverables they've given us required few unit tests, so I consider them to be very high quality. Many vendors don't take testing seriously, but Apriorit has a highly skilled and dedicated QA department. They provided documentation for how to use the deliverable. The coverage was over 90 percent, which is extremely high.  We were astonished by how quickly they finished our first project. 

How did Apriorit perform from a project management standpoint? 

From a project management standpoint, working with Apriorit has been a dream. We only have to interact with our dedicated project manager, and everything gets done. Our project is quite complex, so I couldn't be happier with their performance. 

When we start a new project, I usually draft the requirements and send the list through our project manager to the developer. They come back with estimates and questions so we can address issues and remove or add elements until the project is completely scoped. Once they send us a full list with pricing for different tasks, we proceed. 

What did you find most impressive about them? 

The complexity of deliverables they've been able to produce is quite something. I would highly recommend them for any challenging project. Apriorit has delivered on every challenge I've given them. 

Are there any areas they could improve? 

No, I have nothing bad to say about them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers? 

My best tip would be to start with a task that's quite complex, but fairly isolated from your company's main current focus. Find a project that does not involve much interaction with your existing software. For instance, a large, complex first project that depends on a lot of internal tools is a recipe for disaster based on my experience in consulting. 

I carefully designed this project to have zero interaction with our existing internal tools. Since our first engagement together required absolutely nothing from our side to get started, it worked quite well. The best way to go is having them create a module you can plug right in. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

The company is a US-based security firm that works with hardware and software. My role for this project was product manager.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Apriorit?

We approached Apriorit specifically for development support with kernel drivers. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We wanted to create a driver that could control the flow of traffic to desktop and connect devices to a host machine. We had a clear picture of how it was supposed to work and the steps we needed to take to complete it. Beyond connecting us with developers, Apriorit handled project management as well.

Apriorit programmed the code in C. They originally built the kernel driver for Windows. Later on, we added on compatibility for iOS. We had known from the start that they had the right skill sets to develop for both Mac and Linux, which was part of their appeal as a vendor. 

What is the team composition? 

Apriorit assigned one project manager and a main developer to our project that I know of. We didn't have any regular contact with the other developers. I assume the iOS specialist is a different person. 

How did you come to work with Apriorit?

We found Apriorit online after searching extensively for a developer. I appreciated the in-depth level of their engagement with us. I met with the CEO and our project manager multiple times. We found them appealing because they were located in a time zone and strong language skills that matched well with ours. 

I had worked with Apriorit in the past and knew that they had the specific skill set we needed for this recent project. Our past experience together assured us they could fulfill our business requirements.

How much have you invested with them?

Our budget for the iOS subset of the product was $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked on this project from October–November 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Apriorit went beyond simply building the new features we included in the specifications. They notified us whenever they noticed something that didn't make sense, and suggested a better alternative. We found their advice quite valuable. They helped us end up with a truly useful product from the end user perspective. 

The entire process was structured. Apriorit was very skilled and performed at a high level. They clearly understood the business problem we were trying to solve through this product development. The engineer's education and training shone through in their work.  

How did Apriorit perform from a project management standpoint?

Our main contact was the project manager. She translated our business requirements for the development team and helped us achieve our goals. The project manager communicated effectively. They provided thorough documentation for the project.

We mainly contacted Apriorit using email along with a few online meeting sessions. Their communication was excellent, and they maintained the perfect level of frequency. 

Apriorit knows what they're doing. They reached out to us with any updates or questions proactively. I could always tell they were driving the project forward.   

What did you find most impressive about them?

The engineers from Apriorit considered our business case as a whole rather than just working through the specs mechanically. They had a clear view of what we wanted to achieve, which is very valuable. Many developers only write the code they're instructed to. They're a smart and motivated team.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, not really. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?
    
Future clients are in good hands. Apriorit is very knowledgable. We've been using them for the same specific type of development, but I'm sure they have other areas of expertise.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and chief architect of a computer software company. We sell virtualization and remote access products to customers globally.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Apriorit?

We needed to develop a sales and technology software that involved Windows kernel level development, which we don’t have the expertise for in-house.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We hired Apriorit to develop in Windows kernel-mode. There are many different kernel-driver level development tasks. There’s a decent amount of complexity associated with this process. A piece of code developed on user mode is much easier to debug than kernel-driver level development. 
Apriorit went through the development and QA phases. They ran testing within our facilities and fixed bugs in a timely fashion. They added the Windows authentication type driver into our product to put into production and deliver to customers. 

We set specific requirements for the functionality and how to develop the actual kernel-driver code.  We provided the product management spec from a functionality point of view and one for building the API  to communicate between our components. Anything that is internal to their code, they develop to the best of their capabilities. We haven't interfered too much with their development process.

What is the team composition? 

The team included a project manager and a lead developer. We interacted with several people. We don’t know how many developers were on the project. It was a fixed price project.

How did you come to work with Apriorit?

I was introduced to the CEO years ago. Since then, I’ve met with him in New York City from time to time. I’d been aware of the team’s expertise, but hadn’t had the opportunity to actually give them a project before

For this project, we requested proposals from Apriorit and two other companies. We selected them based on their professionalism from the initial interaction and proposal provision to the negotiation phase. They maintained the same caliber through to the deliveries.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from October 2017–September 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It’s not easy for me to give someone full marks, but in this case, I give Apriorit a perfect score. Working with them was a great success, which I rarely say about people. The team performed everything very professionally. They delivered the code and fixed any bugs in a timely and proficient manner that merited our full satisfaction.

How did Apriorit perform from a project management standpoint?

We had great interactions. We had bi-weekly calls with the project manager and the lead developer. Detailed requirement documents laid out the features the development should include. 

The project was separated into milestones.  Whenever they couldn’t finish on time, they told us in advance, explained why, and provided a different estimate. The project manager worked with our R&D team to make sure everything has been delivered to us.

When they believed we should do something differently, we’d hold an intelligent conversation and went with one of our decisions or the other side’s. Since they have a lot of experience, they were often right about specific things. We prefer this type of interactive dialogue to companies that just always say yes unthinkingly to everything we ask for.

What did you find most impressive about them?

One of the most difficult things to do in this space is kernel-level or driver level development. Specifically, for low-level, kernel-driver development, I highly recommend you go to Apriorit. It’s a unique experience working with them. I’ve been with my company for 25 years, and it’s rare for me to give such a high compliment to any vendor.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Listen to Apriorit because they’re the experts. Before saying yes to what they propose, make sure that you understand it and make an informed decision. If someone is looking for a “yes man,” they should go elsewhere. Apriorit is a great choice for any client that’s looking for a partner who offers positive and collaborative interactions.”

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the CTO of a small, high-tech business. We build hardware and software tools for data recovery service providers and government agencies on the B2B channel. We provide very distinct computer-related technologies to restore data from failed hard drives and solid state drives (SSDs).

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Apriorit?

For quite a long time, we were searching for experts in the Windows driver development area. Most of our hardware works on our own proprietary operating system. While we occasionally need drivers for standard devices, we don’t have internal resources with this skill since it’s not our primary focus. Only a few companies provide this type of service in North America, and none we found in the U.S. or Canada fit our allocated budget. We hired Apriorit for consulting and development services after confirming their capabilities

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our company builds hardware that works on various operating systems, particularly for Windows. We needed a driver that connects our devices to the Windows operating system and allows proper functionality and communication with the applications we write. 
Rather than a key solution, Apriorit built a platform that enabled us to create our own custom driver for failed mass storage devices. Since the broken devices we work with aren't compatible with standard protocols, they need a sophisticated tool to comply with operating system specifications. 

Our custom product differs in many ways from standard drivers for functional hardware. We had quite specific and unusual requirements for the display. After Apriorit completed the framework, they spent a few more weeks helping us build a compatible key solution. Anytime a problem or question appeared, they quickly resolved it.

What is the team composition? 

I worked directly with three people from Apriorit including a senior business development manager and a project manager. One developer served as my point of contact to the rest of the technical team. 

How did you come to work with Apriorit?

We found Apriorit through Upwork. I published the requirements of our project and filtered through the 10-20 companies that responded. Based on our first interchange, they seemed like professional experts that could help us with this challenging endeavor.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $15,000 on their services. 

What is the status of this engagement?

Our project lasted from May–June 2018. We're still in the process actually, and that’s a good thing. As we encounter new questions and problems, Apriorit continues to support us, even though the project is officially finished and we’ve sent all the payments. I will probably hire them for the next phase of the project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The key metric for success was that we were simply unable to complete this project without Apriorit. They helped us build the entire product. The quality of their development work is at the highest level I can imagine. We didn't find any other team worldwide with the same level of topical skills. Apriorit’s developers are the top experts in their field. 

How did Apriorit perform from a project management standpoint?

We usually used email to stay in touch and added Skype calls when necessary. In most cases, I communicated with the project manager. She’d escalate specific, technical inquiries to a developer who would contact me directly with a detailed response.

Apriorit’s communication was simply fantastic. Despite the time zone difference, they always responded to me within an hour. I'd hear back from them the next day at the very latest. Rather than merely confirming receipt, their correspondence always contained real answers and solutions to my problems. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I most admired Apriorit’s professionalism and expertise. Their resources are highly skilled. Regarding project management, they had excellent response times and customer service. I'm a very satisfied client. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I recommend videoconferencing with both the project manager and developers.  Sometimes emails can extend the timeframe, and it’s useful to discuss targets and challenges verbally. I prefer communicating directly with developers, but I understand why project managers are helpful. They can direct my questions to the correct 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

PayDay Resources is a human resource company. I’m general manager, and my role is strategic planning and daily operations.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Apriorit?

We needed to address a client's human resource need.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

It’s a software as a service (SaaS) product. We provide them with the scope of work, the use cases, and the workflow, which they implement in the software language of their expertise. They use AngularJS.

We asked them for an online user base with roles and rights that allows multiple users to address human resource issues along the whole employee lifecycle. This includes everything from recruiting and onboarding, to termination or separation, to integration with third-party vendors that offer support products like health insurance, employee benefits, or worker's comp and general liability insurance.

The platform also integrates payroll data so that all participating parties have the appropriate payroll and employee information to offer the best products.

What is the team composition?

We currently have six full time engineers. We were assigned a project manager.

How did you come to work with Apriorit?

After it was recommended that we use AngularJS, a gentleman we knew introduced us to Apriorit. We initially vetted them and some other companies. We isolated it to Apriorit after our investigation of their capabilities and prior projects.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent little over $1 million.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in March 2015 and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

With the companies that we’ve recruited, we’ve seen a 20% increase in new business because of the HR product we rolled out, not including the payroll module. On a Google review, the product would receive between 4.5 and 5 stars. The turnaround time is about 24 hours, from introducing the problem to fixing it.

How did Apriorit perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve been exceptional across the board. We have sprints, sometimes weekly, and standup meetings every day. They all understand English, and every team member can write fluent English. We use Slack, Skype, phone calls, and email. I’ve personally interviewed every person. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re professional. We’ve used Indonesian and Indian developers before, and the communication barrier was significant. With Apriorit, there is almost no communication barrier. Their interest in asking more questions to discover specifics about the product's performance has been a nice surprise.

Are there any areas they could improve? 

Product releases are timely, but sometimes they're a little too enthusiastic and it gets released before we can notify our customers. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

In the current political climate, there’s always a concern about using international engineers who are closely associated with Russia. As a business owner, I would recommend the reassurance of data protection. Make sure that security issues are available for review at any time.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

OPSWAT is a provider of malware multi-scanning and device compliance solutions. We build products for device and data security, integrating multiple anti-malware vendors into an in-house scanning engine. We have a proprietary technology called “content disarm and reconstruction”, which we call “data centralization” internally. It is considered an industry-leading technology.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Apriorit?

We were developing a low-level driver for monitoring interactions between USB media and operating systems.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We worked closely with Apriorit to define the product roadmap and perform acceptance testing across multiple milestones. We provided a requirements document describing the behavior of the driver, based on which they drafted a statement of work describing their services, the product features, and future enhancements. We discussed the feasibility of each feature based on their complexity and expense. We defined a project timeline and delivery scope together.

The driver sits between the operating system and the applications running on it, facilitating low-level interactions with the interrupt memory, hardware, firmware, and interaction callbacks. It was built to monitor the system input/output, detecting USB devices plugged into system ports. The operating system will initiate a signal to a callback string, a signal which is monitored by the driver built by Apriorit. Whenever a new USB device is plugged in, it will be intercepted and blocked until our software has finished examining it.

What is the team composition?

They assigned two engineers and a product manager to our project.

How did you come to work with Apriorit?

We reached out to two outsourcing companies for the development of this project. We found Apriorit through a referral. Their background knowledge seemed to fit us the best.

How much have you invested with them?

The cost of their work was $50,000–$100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Apriorit in August 2015. The initial project is finished but we are currently working on another one with their team.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The quality of work provided by Apriorit was good. They delivered exactly what we agreed upon. We leveraged their resources to increase our internal development cycle and shorten the time to market. The overall experience has been good.

The testing builds they gave us were useful for demonstrating the agreed-upon features and what we would be able to do in the future.

How did Apriorit perform from a project management standpoint?

We maintained weekly meetings with the team. The scope detailed our expectations and required time for the build. We had real-time feedback and maintained agile project management. Their team was dynamic, allowing us to adjust our requirements from time to time, to get a better market fit. We used Jira for project management.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their driver-level technology background is impressive. Apriorit has engineers who are familiar with cross-platform development, specifically Windows and Linux.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. Based on our experience, they seem to be very good at what they are doing.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

It’s important to provide a detailed scope and have consistent meetings with the engineering team. Apriorit has reliable project management and development skills, but, when requesting changes, clients need to provide clear differentiation between the previous scope and current one.