Armia Systems

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO and Founder of SoHive, LLC and creator of the app Sohive.com, a video-enabled social networking app that offers drop-in video. I created this company to build an app to enable drop-in video so people could meet through video without an invitation. My initial focus is drop-in social video, which will be followed by drop-in shopping video.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Armia Systems, and what were your goals?

I hired Armia for software development. I needed someone who could build my app on the Web, Android and iPhone platforms, and create a consistent look and feel across all of them.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

I wanted my app built in AWS Cloud, and they said they could do it. I also wanted a company who could release software using the agile methodology (deliver in smaller segments), not waterfall (go live all at once). They were honest. I wanted the app built in 4-5 months and they said it would take 8-9 months. Their estimate was fairly accurate.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

We had a discovery session in which I laid out my end-goals, with a roadmap that included 2 additional versions with significant additional features. They prepared wireframes, which helped to bring it to life, before a single line of code was written. Most importantly, they designed a fabulous logo that has become the centerpiece of all my marketing and product direction.

They Sohive.com in the AWS Cloud, using Zoom technology, per my request. They worked closely with Zoom engineers to resolve issues caused by the new Zoom SDK. They did internal testing prior to releasing the first version and gave be beta access so I, and others I chose, could review and test it too.

Above all, they provided a Project Manager who guided the project, responded promptly to my questions and ideas, and offered creative ideas of his own. Although in India, I had no trouble at all understanding him or anyone else on the team.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

One Project Manager worked with me directly, weekly. Two developers were assigned weekly, however, more were allocated at key points in the project, and fewer later to balance out the contracted 2 FTEs per week.

A human-centered Design staff was assigned as needed for logo and UI design. This was a perk I did not expect and it really delighted me. I appreciated their ability to assign people based on project need.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

I had delays caused due to three things outside of Armia's control (I had to change the company name thereby requiring UI changes, we had technical issues with the Zoom SDK, and the app stores added unexpected requirements at the last minute).

Not including these delays, they delivered the first version, within the specified number of months. Any delays were communicated regularly. After release, I did not find any significant bugs, and any bugs that were found were addressed promptly.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

I have had the same Project Manager throughout the project, and that has been most helpful. He communicates with the other people assigned to my project. The communication is excellent. He warns me 1-2 weeks before they need something from me, such as requirements. They also alert me prior to any release.

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

Three things.

1. I am so delighted with their graphical artists who created a beautiful logo and user interface for my app. This was an unexpected bonus.
2. They've patiently talked through my unusual ideas and helped me find a version that could be implemented successfully.
3. I am buidling a social media app with very little social media experience. My Project Manager regularly directed me to other apps to see examples that related to my goals. I appreciated his ability to show me where my ideas were similar and yet different than those in other apps.

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

In hindsight, I would have like an excel-like project plan with expected dates for deliverables for both them and me. As a new CEO, I needed Terms and Conditions and did not know how to build that.

My Project Manager directed me to a website. It would have been helpful to have these types of deliverables up front to plan to provide them in a timely manner. I work in another job full time and there were weeks I could not deliver what they needed in time and I felt I held them back.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder of Antistress Revolution LC and creator of the Antistress Revolution app. My company's mission is to empower Gen Z with tools to reduce stress and increase emotional intelligence.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Armia Systems, and what were your goals?

We hired Armia to develop a mobile app for our stress-reducing life coaching method.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

I searched developers online, received a quote from Armia and studied their reviews and clientelle.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

I moved forward with the Discovery Phase of the project and submitted my content and vision for the app. In meetings, Armia went through each line item in detail to make sure they had a perfect understanding of what I wanted my app to look like. They prepared screen shots of what each page of the app would look like and described how it would function in the Phase.

I was extremely pleased with the deliverables from this Discovery Phase and was able to make the decision to move forward easily. Armia had a full grasp of my vision and was bringing it to life. From this point I had full opportunity to edit every aspect of the design. This process was smooth and timely. My project manager was always prompt and responsive and kept the project moving forward very well. Armia also created a Home Page for the app that is very professional and effective.

They took care of setting up everything with both app stores and guided me through all the steps involved in getting approval and the app live in both stores. My project manager was also involved in wanting to know my marketing plan and giving feedback to ensure the app's success. Their service was complete A to Z from submitting my idea to seeing the app launch and having a very easy-to-understand administration panel.

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

In the beginning, my project manager and his design team met with me so we all were introduced and everyone heard about my vision directly from me. The majority of the weekly meetings after that were with my project manager, Nibu Varghese, who I can't say enough good things about. His handling of my project was seemless.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

The app has just launched and all feedback is that it's very functional and looks fantastic. I am completely satisfied with the outcome and all the suggestions Armia had to create an up-to-date, user-friendly app experience.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

The process moved forward via weekly meetings with my project manager. I was informed of exactly what was going on at all times. The project was completed within the original estimated timeframe.

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

This was my first experience with app development which I knew exactly nothing about when I began. I was impressed with their ability to guide me through the process even though I had no background knowledge.

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

My only advice is to fully understand the billing process. You pay a monthly fee that is calculated as part of the Discovery Phase deliverables, but they may have more or fewer people working on the project at certain times so some months you may use more or less credits than you purchased with your monthly fee. The weekly reports show the credits standing. Everything is tallied at the end and a final bill is sent.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Sonder Analytics.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Armia Systems?

We had a vision to develop a website that’s ultimately our platform. The platform provides college students with embedded surveys.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

After providing them with wireframes we went into a demo phase that they used Adobe Interactive for. On one side, we needed a home page/landing page, something to tell people what they were getting into when they came to our site. On the other side, there is a user dashboard, which was the main component of the project.

Our users are college students, and our platform allows them to answer queries, which are specific queries to clients. We work with the clients to organize the top questions that they want college students to answer. After the survey, the students earn credits for applications to grant competitions.

What is the team composition?

I was always in contact with Jon (Director of Sales and Marketing), and shortly after we started I was directed to a project manager (PM). The PM had several people under him who would show up to meetings, but I was mostly in communication with the PM.

How did you come to work with Armia Systems?

They were located close to us, so if something went wrong I could always meet with them. I asked a few places about the project and Armia had the best combination of economizing and seeking the highest value.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $7,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from March until May 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They created a fantastic CMS where I can edit a lot of things about the site from an admin panel. I don’t have to push and pull through a Git repository unless I’m making big changes. For those big changes, they helped us establish a methodology so we’re editing a local server, staging it, and sending it to the liver server, rather than editing the live server.

Everyone has said that the site feels modern and cool, which is what we were going for, especially with the color scheme. It’s too early to talk about numbers, but they definitely captured our specific vision with what they created.

How did Armia Systems perform from a project management standpoint?

We mostly communicated over email, as well as some video-calls in the beginning to give feedback on the demo.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They delivered exactly what they said they would. The demo they made had a certain look and feel, and, ultimately, that’s what I decided to purchase. The final product looked and worked exactly the same.

Additionally, they were transparent about what we were paying for. They estimated everything in the beginning, including hours needed and price. Even at the end, when we added something new, they did the same thing and double-checked with us before doing anything.

Finally, they established a certain level of intimacy with us, even though the PM was in India. He communicated well.

Are there any areas they could improve?

If the salespeople and the PM aren’t on the same page then it can get messy.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO of a legal wellbeing company. We have 7 employees and/or contractors. We help clients create customized solutions to work induced stress, anxiety and burnout.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Armia Systems?

We don't have any in house engineers or mobile app experts, so we hired Arnia to help us build a socially connected mobile app to connect lawyers across the country who want to post, and comment on, various wellbeing topics.

What were your goals for this project?

We needed a mobile app to close the loop on our communication model: in person, email, phone and now an app. Lawyers prefer to have multiple communication channels, and the app was a necessary next step due to ease of use and having info in one centralized location.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Honestly, I went with my gut on this decision. We interviewed a few vendors but Arnia was the only one who wanted to jump on a call and have a human conversation. As inconvenient as it is to actually talk to people these days (I myself prefer to text), having a team talk to you one on one about your vision, needs, desires and must haves is the key to getting a successful outcome. They took as much time as I needed to explain my vision, and jumped in with their professional analysis of feasible vs non- feasible, practical vs impractical etc... my niche is law, not mobile app development, so it was nice to get some professional guidance on how to best keep with my vision while also having the best technological approach.

Describe the project in detail.

To some degree, read response above. In a nutshell, I asked for a mobile app with a "fb vibe" where lawyers could freely post, comment and scroll on curated wellbeing topics they picked.

What was the team composition?

I can't speak to this as much , because I was in contact primarily with their project manager but I know he had a strong support team behind him.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The app is just now going live, so I can come back and comment in more detail later, but I can say that the outcoome is better than the picture I painted for them... it emulates all the concepts I wanted, but is presented in a much nicer way than I would have imagined possible. Putting it a simpler way, imagine I am at the police station describing what a criminal suspect looked like. Arnia is the sketch artist who drew out my descriptions to a tee. Did the drawing lead to the capture of the perpetrator? Too soon to tell, because we are just launching now.... but regardless of that outcome, they "drew" the perfect sketch so it's sort of two separate accolades anyhow. (one for drawing the suspect, and another for capturing the suspect.)

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We got weekly updates with calls scattered between. Not too much and not too little.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

See my answers above.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I know you have "sample" answers to use as a template, and I know none of my answers follow the recommended format., but to me, this is a philosophical question. We can all improve. I'm sure there are small things they can improve on (they would likely say the same about me lol) but I can't point to anything specific that bothered me.... we made a good team, we communicated well, and we have great rapport. Arnia was never a source of stress on this project. That's a big deal in and of itself. They were friendly, prompt and professional.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am Founder/CEO at CelebConnect Inc. CelebConnect is going to launch social media app TownChat with advanced and unique features not provided by WhatsApp, WeChat and Nextdoor. It will address privacy, security & reputation issues by providing AI/ML based secure sign up and sign in using facial recognition and web crawler for authenticating celebrities and politicians profiles and preventing the creation of fake accounts.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Armia Systems?

For custom TownChat Mobile App Development. The biggest challenge was implementing user sign in and sign up through facial detection and recognition and implementation of crawler for verification of celebrities profiles.

What were your goals for this project?

Getting nice, working and presentable MVP that could help with product validation and finding product market fit and market growth fit of our idea.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We hired Armia systems because of the quality of their services as well as the quality of talent available with them.

Describe the project in detail.

Our goal was to get our MVP as soon as possible and with the help of Einstein, our Project Manager at Armia Systems, we were able to get initially our wireframes in less than one week time period and detailed list of all tasks in second week. With the dedication of development team we were able to keep development work going with minimal need for meetings. In 3 months time we got very decent and impressive MVP.

What was the team composition?

We were assigned Project Manager and other team members for backend and frontend development.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The biggest achievement was the successful development of impressive MVP exactly in line with the idea conceived by the Founder of CelebConnect.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Project Manager did an excellent job. We kept on receiving weekly progress reports and list of to-do tasks for next week. If there was any confusion the Project Manager was very efficient to hold urgent meetings with the team to resolve the issues.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The dedicated and talented team available at Armia Systems is priceless.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Honestly, I did not see any area that requires improvement. They are very much dedicated to their clients.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a coffee shop, and we also sell cold-pressed juices, pastries, sandwiches, and salads.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Armia Systems?

We wanted to create a customized website where customers could place an order online. Instead of continuing to use Grubhub, people could use our website to place their orders for delivery or pick up.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They built our website. They developed the backend and a lot of important features. The site is for ordering, but it also manages how we handle and process the order, how we communicate with the customers, and how we modify orders. In order to build something extremely well, we felt that it had to be built from scratch.

What is the team composition? 

There were three key people, with Sajin (Project Manager, Armia Systems) acting as our team lead.

How did you come to work with Armia Systems?

We worked with them for over three years on a different project with the same team. I was happy with their service.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from December 2018 until June 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re just starting to use it. I’m thrilled with them and have no complaints whatsoever.

How did Armia Systems perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management was exceptional. We had weekly calls and Sajin did a fantastic job of keeping the project on track, understanding our requirements and prioritizing.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’m happy with how they conducted the work in a remarkably organized way.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I’m happy with them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Having a dedicated developer that we could correspond with directly was like having our own employee. We could make decisions, change our minds, add things, increase the scope of the project, and we didn’t have to get quotes for every little piece. We could direct the developer as we saw fit.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there. 

I'm the founder, creator, and investor of a startup company. I'm developing a new type of integrated social media platform for business networking. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Armia Systems? 

I needed to work with a partner to create an intuitive, easy-to-use platform that would enable a complex set of relationship models and include elements of monetization. It needed to compete and differentiate itself through its intuitive usability and value-add against other well-established platforms in this market.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

Armia Systems serves as my key partner. They are responsible for developing the code and translating my business specifications into a practical working model and dealing with all of the technical aspects involved in this.

What is the team composition? 

Armia Systems offers a spectrum of very capable people who can address pretty much any aspects of my project needs, effectively a one-stop-shop for everything.

Key to the success of any project is the project manager, and Sajin (Project Manager, Armia Systems) has excelled in this role at Armia Systems. With great communication and interpersonal skills, he manages several equally outstanding team members to bring agility and innovation to delivery.

How did you come to work with Armia Systems? 

After some research online and some personal recommendations, I was able to reach Jon (Director of Sales and Marketing, Armia Systems). He offered me a flexible prototype scoping, which allowed me to assess their capabilities and fit for the larger project. 

What is the status of this engagement? 

This is a major project which began in May 2016 and is ongoing. The project has evolved with many iterations and high-level collaborative feedback.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I've been sharing early phases with user test groups to solicit feedback on the project and its usability, which we use to drive the evolution and the ultimate definition of the project

The platform hasn't been formally launched yet; I expect it to launch in the next few months.

How did Armia Systems perform from a project management standpoint? 

The project manager Sajin works closely with the rest of the team to translate what I'm looking for and to construct the right approach through software development. He’s responsible for placing the right people on the project and making sure it's being pushed through to completion.

Armia Systems has met all of my timelines and key criteria. There’s a number of people involved in the project, and Sajin is critical at orchestrating the entire process. 

What did you find most impressive about them? 

There is always a huge leap of faith involved when you are working with a new partner, especially when they are so remote, as you don't have full control over what they're doing or how they do it.

Armia Systems has earned a very high level of trust, which I feel is one of the most important characteristics required to achieve a great partnership. Armia Systems continues to reinforce that trust as the project has progressed.

The breadth of their expertise is also a really important factor. I know that they can meet my needs if I want to develop either a specific piece of code or to create an innovative design framework. Armia Systems has demonstrated a high level of trust and consistently achieved against key timelines and goals.

Are there any areas they could improve? 

They've been professional, prompt, and timely with everything. It's difficult for me to identify anything that I would change at this particular point in time.

Do you have any advice for potential customers? 

The key is to understand your vision in terms of what you want to create. However, be prepared to listen to feedback and change an approach in order to achieve the best possible way to deliver against that vision.

My project has evolved and changed quite a lot from the initial inception, but it has evolved with the support of Armia Systems into something which I feel has become an even more exciting version of what I initially started out with.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the owner and founder of Deliver VI, an online courier service specializing initially in meal delivery.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Armia Systems?

We hired Armia Systems to customize our website.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted our finished product to serve as a platform for people to order meals online and have them delivered to a specific location.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I found them via online search. I was impressed with their website and the examples of their previous work.

Can you go into detail about the services they provided and the scope of the project?

We selected a predesigned website option from them and made changes to make the site suitable for our market and make it distinguishable from any others. We provided mockups for what we wanted the site to look like, and they produced it exactly as I had envisioned.

What was the team composition?

Our project team consisted of three people, including a project manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

We are still early in the startup phase, so I do not have results readily available. However, the members of the focus group we held found the site visually attractive and easy to use.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

They prioritized clear workflows and meeting deadlines. They always managed to meet or exceed our expectations.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Even if we had any miscommunications, they remained courteous. I was impressed by their professionalism and their attentiveness.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

Their work ethic needs no improvement, but I would suggest they expand their product offerings so that everything does not need to be designed from scratch.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the school liaison for 8to18 Digital, Inc., which is a media company that provides schools and organizations with tools for scheduling and managing activities. We also offer an online registration solution, build public websites, and improve communications between schools/organizations and the community.

We serve over 600 schools and organizations throughout the U.S. I’m a retired athletic administrator and co-founded the original software in 1994. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Armia Systems?

We needed to take a reliable piece of software that was built with an old tool (PowerBuilder) and move it to PHP to improve efficiency and gain more economic control of the software. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had written a program in 1994 using PowerBuilder, but it was no longer being supported. We looked at iScripts from Armia Systems to rebuild our software from scratch and put it in a new language that we could adapt in the future with our own developers.

The software manages athletic and organizational scheduling, transportation, and workers and officials. It also creates all kinds of reports, including schedules by date, facility, team, bus, and official. Many parts are intertwined, so it’s not a simple database. Because of the intricacies of how the software was built over time, we needed somebody with real experience to rebuild it.

What is the team dynamic?

Jonathan [Director of Sales and Marketing, Armia Systems] is our contact in Illinois, and I work directly with Sajin [Senior Business Analyst, Armia Systems] in India and his team. I believe there were 5 people altogether.

How did you come to work with Armia Systems?

Our CEO knew another company that had worked with Armia. He described them as a vendor that could do the work we needed in an efficient and economical way.  

What is the status of this engagement?

The project has been ongoing for a year and a half. We have the software and are going through the debugging process. We will be adding enhancements based on Armia’s suggestions to make a better user experience [UX]. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They did a good job in producing a quality piece of software. I just act as the consultant about what the user needs, so I don’t have any metrics. Armia has been extremely helpful in providing additional tweaks to the system and making the app more robust. We’ve only shared it with 50 of our 600 schools. Some are using it, and others are still using the old system.

As we’ve gone through the process, Armia listened closely to our needs and provided a solid solution. If something didn’t work as well as we needed it to, they came up with a better way of doing it. We’ve had fewer than 25 bugs in the system. Everything else has been pretty efficient.

How did Armia Systems perform from a project management standpoint?

We had weekly meetings that each lasted an hour. We communicated via email with the project manager, Sajin. If I had any direct questions, I’d communicate with the developers, who would always respond within 24 hours. The developers were located in a different time zone, but they were very responsive.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their flexibility is impressive. Armia asked questions ahead of time to clarify the software’s functions. Typically, that’s not been the case in dealing with other developers. Other developers take the software into a vacuum, build it, and hand it over. Armia was much more in tune with our specific needs. That prevented some of the issues that come with building software.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The hardest part of working together is coordinating tasks over Skype and email. Sometimes, the language barrier can create difficulties. After a while, we found ways to accommodate each other. We made adjustments at the beginning because of time zones, different accents, and language variations. After a couple of months, things went really smoothly. I can’t say enough about their ability to cooperate and improve our software.

Do you have any advice for potential clients?

Having a clear definition of your project will solve a lot of problems. We knew exactly what we wanted and how it should perform from the day we met with the representative in Illinois. Putting that information together before Armia worked on the software helped us give them a clear outline. They understood that the software needed to be user-friendly for our clientele. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the manager of a company that brings people together with community relations.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Armia Systems?

Our idea was in the beginning stages, but we needed to upgrade our software and add customizations.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Armia Systems made different adjustments to the software based on my specifications. There’s been a series of sporadic upgrades and customizations since I bought it 2 years ago to get it to do what I wanted, and I plan on adding more. I’m in the process now of getting it launched, and the changes I’ve already made will be backdated once it’s up and running. The goal of the launch is for the software to run on its own, and I’ve found that to be difficult because it can’t really do that. I still want to get it as close to that state as possible.

The software brings people together to promote their own online businesses by supplying sub-domains for stores and a type of content management system. It’s shifting the power for people who want to be a home-based business with tax incentives. I’ve added features to give different incentives for recruiting, and we’ve been updating the software to include those percentages. I can log into the admin and put in whatever percentage I want for that.

What is the team dynamic?

I’ve worked with about three of their team members.

How did you come to work with Armia Systems?

I was looking around for about a year, and a lot of places wanted a large sum of money up front. Armia Systems was a more reasonable route financially, which is why I chose them. I also have money invested in a separate website to promote this one, as well as other projects in case this one doesn’t work out.

How much have you invested with them?

I’ve spent $20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

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

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I wanted to make sure it’s exactly what I want before I launch it, so I don't have any results yet. Hopefully, it will be finished this month. 

How did Armia Systems perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management seems satisfactory, but I was indifferent about it at first. The only bad part was spending the money I didn’t think I would have to. In the beginning, there was a little bit of confusion because of our language barrier. When I talk to them over Skype, I sometimes have to go over things a few times depending on who I’m speaking with to make sure we understand each other. This communication problem may have caused some delays or things being done wrong at first.

I communicated with the project manager and the entire team. I am more comfortable communicating with only one person due to our language barrier, and I’ve had repeated trouble understanding one specific person on their team. We interacted through Skype every other week, but it got to the point where I was more comfortable sending emails because it didn’t make sense to use Skype for general questions

There were a lot of technical issues in the beginning. For example, I was having problems with the site loading, and I brought this to their attention numerous times, but they didn’t think I knew what I was talking about. I was looking at other servers, and knew they had to have high qualities for this software in particular to function. It was going to cost me a lot of money to put it on another server, like GoDaddy. I talked to Jon [Director of Sales and Marketing, Armia Systems] in Chicago, and he said he didn’t understand why I wanted to spend money when I was receiving free hosting. However, free hosting wasn’t beneficial to me if the website didn’t work. They finally listened to me and examined the problem.

After a customization, they would claim everything was good to go. Then, if something wasn’t working or if there were bugs, they would tell me they needed additional time despite their original claim. Throughout the process, there’s been a lot of bugs in the system, but they did eventually work them out.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I don’t have a lot to compare my experience to.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They should have been more upfront about the cost, and it seemed they lied in the beginning concerning this. It cost me 4-5 times the promised amount after I purchased the software. They didn’t disclose this initially, so I’m not really happy about that. They misled me by saying most customizations are under $1,000 and that I should only need one, but only one customization has fallen into that bracket.

They had a person working on their team in the beginning of the project who quit a few months later, and because he had given me bad advice regarding the project, I lost all that money. It was like hiring another company to promote it. They also initially told me I wouldn’t have to pay for hosting, but 2 years later, I found out that was a lie as well.