CETech

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the IT Specialist of Villager Construction, Inc.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We do Heavy Highway Construction projects, mostly public works jobs.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Oversee our IT infrastructure
• Provide helpdesk support for users
• Provide IT security support and best practice methods

SOLUTION

How did you find CETech?

• Online Search
• local publications

Why did you select CETech over others?

• High ratings
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from CETech were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

CE Technolgies helps us to manage and maintain our on-premise IT infrastructure as well as implement new technolgies.  We rely on them to support our cyber security initiatives and help us maintain a safe environment for our users.  They have provided us with a comprehensive group of applications to help keep our users and data secure.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

All hardware is managed and maintained by CE Technologies with updates as necessary and monitoring programs in place.  All users are required to use MFA in multiple ways depending on devices they use.

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

All deliverables were discussed at the beginning and timelines were put in place for the various aspects accordingly.  They were completed within the agreed upon timeframes with few exceptions which were communicated timely so that we were aware of any issues that arose.  We continue to have regular recurring meetings to discuss ongoing status of our environment as a whole.

What was your primary form of communication with CETech?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

They have a robust staff with subject experts in various IT-related areas. Depending on the nature of our need, they can assign the correct person to our task.  Their staff will reach out with phone calls to make sure they are addressing any issues properly instead of relying solely on email.  The one on one conversations help us to feel valued as customers.

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

Not really, they are very responsive to our needs and do a good job of putting the correct person on our tasks right from the beginning.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the president of Vail Agency, an independent insurance agency. We search for insurance carriers for our clients, whether they need personal or commercial insurance.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with CETech?

We needed a new IT service provider.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

CETech provides us with managed IT services, including cybersecurity. The team takes care of our security and any other issues we have. For example, if we have a problem with a printer or receive an email that we're unsure whether to open, we call CETech to check where it came from and whether we should open it.

Initially, CETech came in and analyzed our system and installed Sophos. Based on what we had, the team started implementing their software. They've installed a bunch of hardware and other things. We've also upgraded our system and gotten rid of our server, going all cloud-based so we can work anywhere in the world.

At present, CETech provides both on-site and off-site services. When we switched, the team came in to see what we had and our setup, cables, and networking. Then, CETech did everything on their end in the background. They come right in if we have an issue and need them.

What is the team composition?

Chris is our main point of contact. He's essentially our account manager.

How did you come to work with CETech?

We were working with a tech company providing à la carte services. When we needed them, they'd come in. We weren't unhappy with them, but they were going toward a 24/7 service similar to CETech, and the cost was quite a bit higher. As a result, we decided to look around and look at other companies and options. We were referred to CETech by another agency.

We sat down with Sue, CETech's owner, and were impressed with everything they did. CETech's services were better, and there were more staff to help us. When we spoke to others we knew, they also had CETech and were very happy. As a result, we decided to work with CETech.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent around $15,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2024, and the engagement is ongoing. We've just signed an extended contract with them because we're so happy.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We haven't had any significant issues. When an employee leaves, CETech has been great at decommissioning the person immediately. The team can save the emails and put their name in our emails, so we have all their prior emails. They also set up new users and help integrate them with our management system and Outlook.

Overall, CETech has exceeded our expectations, and we can rely on them. The team helps with our efficiency. When we call, 95% of the time they go in, handle the problem, and fix it immediately, so we don't have any downtime. We don't have to figure anything out. If there's a problem, our employees make a phone call.

How did CETech perform from a project management standpoint?

CETech meets deadlines and stays on budget. There have been no big surprises. What the team says something will cost is what it is, and they're more than willing to help out with anything.

On their end, CETech sends us monthly reports showing how quickly tickets and everything get done. We started meeting once or twice a week to get up and running. Then, we went once a week, and there was a time frame when we met every other week. Recently, based on some other stuff we're working on, we've returned to once a week.

For example, two weeks ago, I emailed Chris at 10 p.m. so he'd get the email the next morning. He emailed me right back. That's by all means something CETech doesn't have to do. Usually, we communicate issues via phone, and our meetings occur on Google Meet.

What did you find most impressive about them?

CETech's responsiveness is impressive. The team is quick to respond to get a task done. If we call, Chris will answer and go over everything with us. He's phenomenal at converting the tech language to someone who isn't a tech person.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We've had a couple of minor conversations with Chris about some things. However, CETech doesn't ignore them; they make notes to fix them next time. However, the team does a phenomenal job.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Every business is different, so meet and sync with Sue. If it seems like a fit for what your company does, I suggest meeting with the account person who will handle it for you. You have to have a good connection, and I give the majority of the credit to Chris because he helps us understand what CETech does. I highly recommend him.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the VP of H. Risch, Inc.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We manufacture and sell custom menu cover holders, placemats, and other tabletop signage and accesssories.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• IT Security and Compliance

SOLUTION

How did you find CETech?

Referral

Why did you select CETech over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from CETech were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

CE-Tech has done a wonderful job at ensuring that our company remains secure and compliant on all things IT and cybersecurity. They continual monitor our online presence and alert us of any unusual activities. They created a WISP document for our company and employees, as well as provided assitance for our PCI compliance.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our company has not had any major cybersecurity incidents since we began our partnership with CE-Tech. Prior to this, we had multiple fraud incidents with our ERP system and banking platforms, of which CE-Tech has mitigated all risks. Our team is more equiped with online/cybersecurity skillsets and have benefited from the mandatory annual trainings provided by CE-Tech.

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

Working with CETech is a breeze. They manage a working document that contains our weekly agenda along with current and future project deliverables and deadlines. Our weekly meeting is catered to our needs as the client and can last anywhere from a 10-minute check-up to an hour long conversation if we are diving into a project. CE-Tech has always been upfront about their deliverables and have always been on-time or early with deadlines. They are extremely responsive and helpful to all our needs, no matter how small.

What was your primary form of communication with CETech?

Virtual Meeting

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

Their company culture is something I admire and appreciate when working along side of them. It appears that every one of their employees thoroughly enjoys their job and working with their fellow teammates, which makes working along side of them as a vendor a breeze.

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

N/A.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the treasurer and IT coordinator for North Greece Fire District, a government company that provides emergency fire and medical services.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with CETech?

We needed backup for our current IT staff and wanted to improve our cybersecurity posture.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of work with CETech?

CETech has been documenting our system, including our WISP, network inventory, and other vendors' contact information. They've also set up managed firewalls as a service and delivered online cybersecurity training.

What is the team composition?

We work with at least seven teammates from CETech.

How did you come to work with CETech?

We found CETech through an online search. They had the best price for the services we needed, and their business approach impressed us.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with CETech in July 2024, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Thanks to CETech's support, I've been able to disconnect on vacation, knowing that they're there. After the cybersecurity training, more users have started questioning me when they receive questionable emails.

How did CETech perform from a project management standpoint?

CETech delivers on time, and the regularly scheduled video meetings ensure that they respond well to our needs. We communicate through video conferences, email, and phone support.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I'm most impressed by CETech's desire to support and build a relationship with us. They don't just answer the phone when there's a problem; they get involved with our system to provide the best support and recommendations.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of anything for CETech to improve.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Executive Director of Tim Hortons Iceplex

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Multi-use sports and entertainment venue.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Upgrade entire IT infrastructure
• Convert team from Microsoft to Google platform

SOLUTION

How did you find CETech?

• Referral
• Other

Why did you select CETech over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned
• Positive experience with them in the past

How many teammates from CETech were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Our IT infrastructure underwent a complete overhaul (switches, access points, etc.), which included a shift to Google Cloud. Concurrently, they prioritized enhanced security through comprehensive training, policy development, and protocol implementation

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our upgrades and migration to the cloud were a success. The more measurable outcome is the increased efficiencies our team now sees, as well as less downtime. 

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

We hosted weekly virtual meetings throughout the entire process, which ensured they were on top off everything while responding to all of our needs in real time.

What was your primary form of communication with CETech?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

They demonstrate exceptional proactive management, consistently meeting deadlines and preventing issues, no matter the volume of concurrent projects.

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

None to report.