Bitstream

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

My company is a family-owned business called Tennessee Valley Ice Company in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and I'm the director of sales. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Bitstream?

Before, we didn't have anything to do with an IT service provider, and we tried to do everything on our own. 

However, everything has become so technical that we had to bring somebody in to make sure the data, records, and information we were holding on accounts and customers were protected, secure, and had some level of safety. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We hired Bitstream to help us guarantee that our customers’ internet and data had a certain level of security. 

What is the team composition?

I work with Ollie (Owner & Managing Member) and 4–5 other employees. My main point of contact is Chris (Senior Systems Administrator), and I also worked with Loran (Senior Systems Administrator). 

How did you come to work with Bitstream?

We used a smaller company to help us with some hands-off tasks and IT work, but we hadn’t been searching for services. Through connections and acquaintances, I met Chris, and he told me about Bitstream. I’d known him for several years before we pulled the trigger on using their services. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested around $50,000 in the last two years. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Bitstream in October 2018, and the engagement is ongoing. We don't have any projects, but they continue to monitor our servers and other things.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Bitstream helped my business grow by allowing me to go after accounts that require us to have a certain level of safety and security. 

We've never had a full service from an IT company like them, so I didn't know what to expect, and I didn't have anything to measure their performance by. However, ever since we brought them on, I've had no issues. They’ve made my life, my job, and my employees' jobs a lot easier. 

We have zero downtime when it comes to computers and technology in our office now. If we do have an issue, Bitstream is there to fix it within minutes. There have been times when we're down, and we don't even know it. They’ll call and tell us we're having issues, and I don't even know there’s an issue while sitting in my office.

If something were to happen to them, I'd be looking very hard for somebody to replace them. I’m almost at the point now where we rely on them so much, and they've become a very valuable asset to our company. We’re a medium-sized company that needed to have an IT department, and we’re glad we’ve taken that step with Bitstream. 

How did Bitstream perform from a project management standpoint?

Bitstream’s project management is great. They’re easy to work with, knowledgeable, professional, and always timely. The communication is great, and they've never missed a deadline. They're always there when we need them. 

Everybody has been great, and there's never been a holdup due to their lack of punctuality. They're on top of things and keep us well-informed on the steps they take from setting up all the way to when the service is underway. 

Ollie is fantastic and very easy to get a hold of. He’s very hands-on and involved in making sure things are operating up to par. 

Chris is amazing, knowledgeable, and hands-on with the software company that we use. He set up our entire system, so he knows exactly what we've got and how it works. We've integrated their system with our software service provider, and that has just made everything streamlined. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Bitstream has a level of service that’s unparalleled. They're there 24/7 to make sure that we keep things going. For any questions we have, they're more than happy to help us.

If they can’t do it, they'll put me in a direction with somebody that can help me. They're just a great tool, a great resource, and a great added team member to our family. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

There's nothing they could improve that I've seen so far. I don't know of anything that I would want to change. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Just be honest and straightforward with what they need and want. No project is too small or too big where Bitstream won't give clients their honest evaluation. If it's more cost-effective to go a different route, they'll do that.

They’ll tell customers when it makes more sense to do something else, so they save them money. 

Just be honest and straightforward with their needs, and Bitstream will be more than happy to give them an honest opinion on the direction they need to go.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the managing partner of a development and real estate group. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Bitstream?

They helped us with our IT needs including refurbishing our IT for our entire building, rewiring and ensuring connectivity.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They did all of our computers and our connectivity, similar to doing a hub for the building so that everyone could have WiFi including all of the tenants. They also did all of the network cablings. Overall, they managed the planning, configuration, budgeting, and implementation.

What is the team composition?

I worked with Ollie (Owner) and two other people.

How did you come to work with Bitstream?

I looked at 3–4 service providers. Bitstream was referred to me by my banker. I chose them because of their success rate of being able to help clients and customers and working with clients for their individual needs.

Basically, they set up a foolproof system, so that you don't do things that could be bad for your system. They try to make it as foolproof or as childproof as possible.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent between $25,000–$50,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them 12 years ago, specifically in June 2008. Our connectivity project ended around eight years ago, but our contract is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It was a very successful engagement. We never had any problems or issues with anything that Bitstream did. 

How did Bitstream perform from a project management standpoint?

Bitstream always met their deadlines, and their communication was on point. We typically communicated through email. When I sent service requests, I received responses from them very quickly. They were also extremely automated. In addition, they were exceptionally efficient and effective.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their success impressed us. Bitstream was extremely customer-oriented and they helped customers figure out what they need. They were also good at maintaining systems. Furthermore, they recommended products that we could use and helped us maintain them. Whenever we had issues, we could call them and they would resolve them quickly. 

They were extremely proactive and always ahead of us. They always reached out if we need to consider something or if they need to suggest things we might need. Most of all, Bitstream always tried to anticipate our business needs. They also told us issues on our system, specifically its flaw or weaknesses, so that we could address it before it becomes an issue.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’ve been with them for over 12 years, so I haven’t seen anything that they could improve on. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be honest about your needs. Have an idea and checklist of what your goals are and the end goal you want to see. If you’re clear on your end goal, I think that will help both parties to be very successful. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of the Wilson Marketing Group.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Bitstream?

We were looking to improve our IT network here in the office. Since we tried doing the work ourselves, we had trouble with our network and our server kept shutting down.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The team helped us set up our Google Cloud, Gmail, and Google Drive. Bitstream helped us get back to speed and solve our IT problems. They brought everything from our hard drives to the cloud — this dramatically reduced our need to do paperwork and file emails. 

Whenever we have issues with our computers, they tell us whether we need to replace it or not. Aside from those, they handle our licensing, website address, WiFi, phone contract, and other technical needs.

What is the team composition?

We directly work with the owner of Bitstream and he relays the tasks and information to their team. 

How did you come to work with Bitstream?

They were referred to us by our colleague. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested close to $90,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing engagement started in September 2012.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We don’t measure the engagement’s success based on metrics, we tend to focus more on how they serve us — how fast they attend to our needs and solve problems. Our customers are happy with Bitstream’s efforts.

There is definitely an improvement in how our IT runs and how our customers perceive our services. Thanks to them, we’re able to work on Google Docs with our customers and we check our business there.

How did Bitstream perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re responsive — the team will immediately answer our questions and address our needs. Their team is also good in terms of project management and beating deadlines. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Bitstream’s level of expertise is impressive. They allow us to focus on our business instead of worrying about IT or technical needs.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We can’t think of any negative feedback. They’re doing a great job.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have an idea of what you're looking for but remain open to what they could suggest because they know a lot about the industry.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the service manager at Tyler Brothers Farm Equipment. I also manage our company's in-house technology and team management. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Bitstream?

Before working with Bitstream, we had done everything in-house. As a result, we experienced many network and hardware issues. Thus, we hired them to take care of our general networking needs including making sure our servers and the entire system are stable. Overall, we brought them in to streamline everything for us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

After setting up our IT system, the team has been making sure that we don't experience IT issues such as computer crashes and network problems. Currently, we have a total of 17 different workstations and all of them are managed by the team. 

We have a monthly subscription service that includes unlimited technical support and unlimited system updates.

What is the team composition?

I work with a total of four different people at Bitstream. We closely collaborate with Ollie (Director) when dealing with major issues. He also regularly checks in and is available when needed.

How did you come to work with Bitstream?

I come from the car business and had personally worked with them in the past and experienced the level of service they provide. Due to my great past experience with them and referrals from others, when we began to look for someone to manage our IT services, we elected to go with Bitstream.

How much have you invested with them?

So far, we've paid $50,000–$60,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in July 2015, and the collaboration is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We didn’t use any metric-based system. We measured their performance based on the fact that we didn’t have any regular system issues, computer crashes, or network problems. With their effectiveness, we went three years without a work stoppage which has been absolutely phenomenal.

There have been little software things along the way, but they have been addressed immediately. We haven’t even had to keep track of any major issues. It’s been great and their quality of service has been excellent too. Overall, we could not be happier at this point.

How did Bitstream perform from a project management standpoint?

We have an integrated icon in each one of our stations where we can immediately request support from Bitstream and they usually respond in ten minutes. Overall, they have been prompt and quick in their responses.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their constant accessibility has been impressive. Whenever we need any assistance, they consistently help us. It’s a major blessing to come in and not worry about having any problems with our system.

Are there any areas they could improve?

At this time, I don’t think they have any areas they could improve on.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Just be clear in what you want to accomplish in your business. Let them know your goals, speak with them, and they will be able to execute. Every time we told them to get things done, they were able to do it right away. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the office manager at Morriss, Shim & David.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Bitstream?

We were looking for a company that will help with our IT needs. This company will help us in setting up our computers, securing our information, and creating backups in case something happens to our servers.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Bitstream helped us set up our server, install computers on the individual stations, and configure our wireless network. Right now, they are maintaining our internet connection, assistance with software issues and management, providing general IT support, and creating Cloud backups for our server.

Overall, they make sure our operations won’t go down and if something goes wrong, they help us get back up.

What is the team composition?

I am working with four different people, but I usually communicate with Ollie (Managing Member). Also, we are utilizing a ticketing system for our problems and questions, and whoever gets the ticket will reach out to us. If it’s something they can’t handle, we go directly to Ollie and he’ll take care of it.

How did you come to work with Bitstream?

We were in the same neighborhood as Bitstream’s owner. We started talking to him about their services and he explained what he did, and we knew we needed his help. At that point, they took over our IT. We even moved our office to a different location and we kept the team with us.

How much have you invested with them?

We pay them $5,000 a year.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Bitstream 10 years ago in 2010 and we are still working with them today.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We don’t have any metrics, but they make sure our business and computers don’t go down, which is important for our business.  They provide 24/7 IT support. Even if we go down on the weekend, they give us a call or an email, so they’re constantly monitoring us and keep us going 24/7.

How did Bitstream perform from a project management standpoint?

They typically email us saying they are reviewing the problem as soon as they get a ticket from us. A Bitstream employee will call us to go over the information they will need and they’ll let us know what’s going on. If our system is down, they will immediately call us.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The best thing I can think of is that they are available 24/7 and even on the weekend. They are constantly monitoring us and they keep our operations going. The speed of their response is also impressive.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don’t have anything for that — I think they are doing a great job.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Bitstream is a trustworthy company and they’re worth the money.