GenCare

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a graphics company that predominantly works with entertainment companies. We create digital and print artwork. I’m the operations manager.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with General Networks?

We were hosting our own email and as the company grew it became more and more difficult.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

General Networks facilitated our move to Microsoft 365 from Kerio. They set up everyone’s email accounts in one day. They continue to offer support email for our email accounts.

What is the team composition?

I call their support line and the contact changes all the time. The initial team was just a handful of contact. We contact Jeff (Sales Representative) if something is really troublesome.

How did you come to work with General Networks?

They were referred to us by Microsoft. I was looking for an email host that wouldn’t require much help from us.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $5,000–$10,000 so far. It’s very affordable.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in October 2016, and our work is ongoing with support.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They made a really smooth transition from the initial setup to migration. It’s been nice to take that responsibility off my plate and put it on theirs. The email is much more stable than when we were managing it ourselves. They’ve been really valuable.

How did General Networks perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicate via phone and email. If it’s something we can’t do ourselves, we reach out to them.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’ve been very flexible. They work with another IT vendor we have to make sure our needs are taken care of. Even though it’s an odd setup, they’ve been really good about accommodating us. They leave me feeling confident.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We only ran into one issue that took a little while to figure out. Other than that, they’ve been rapid at getting things back to where they need to be. I really don’t have any complaints.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner and CEO of Coast Motor Werk. We specialize in BMW Mini Cooper service and repair with two locations.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with General Networks?

We were having some connectivity issues between the two locations that we’re both promoting to a local server. We brought them on to be our managed IT provider.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

General Networks provides us with IT support. They got us up and running and handled all general maintenance. Once, we had a ransomware issue that they had to resolve. Because we have two locations, they need to share the same database. Currently, the provider of the software is the limitation when it comes to getting us on the cloud, General Networks has proposed a couple of options as far as getting us on the cloud. The main hurdle is getting the shop’s management software company to get on board properly.

They’ve addressed issues with both hardware and software. We had an older server we eventually had to repair. It went down a couple of times over the years. General Networks resolves those hardware issues remotely, working through software and connectivity issues.

What is the team composition?

We work with Charles (Director of Technical Services) and Jeff (VP of Technical Services Sales).

How did you come to work with General Networks?

They were referred to us by our internet provider.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested less than $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing engagement started around December 2013.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Prior to working with General Networks, we had frequent outages and they’d take hours, potentially days, to resolve. Since working with Jeff, the outages have been far less and certainly more on the hardware side than the software side. They’re always very quick to respond and very professional. General Networks resolves those issues very quickly when we identify them, often within minutes. Their tech support is very efficient. We get an immediate response. Sometimes, the problem is resolved before I even know it is. Everything has been extremely smooth.

My only criticism is that there are different weightings that need to be applied to different types and sizes of businesses. Obviously, we depend on computers but we’re a small company that doesn’t depend heavily on them. The level of professionalism is placated on the presumption that we fall into the mold of other businesses that General Networks works with.

Obviously, the importance of these computers is every bit as important to us as computers are to other companies. I treat clients differently depending upon their needs and reactions to their problems. With IT, I feel that I call General Networks in a panic because we’re down and can’t write service which means we can’t do our job. I think the weight of my level of panic versus another business of theirs needs to be taken into consideration a bit more. By this, I mean there needs to be a little less of a placating nature that this is the set way they do things.

We want to feel that they’re stopping whatever they’re doing at that very moment we call and are jumping onto our issue. We want to feel that we’re super important. Giving menu-driven responses and not acknowledging the customer isn’t very genuine from the standpoint of the person who’s on the other line. There’s always room for improvement, and I think all companies can work on that better.

How did General Networks perform from a project management standpoint?

I have a delegated team member who has the best computer experience. They work with General Networks. I haven’t heard any complaints from this team member. Occasionally, I’ll hear that responses weren’t as fast as they’d hope which is what I’d expect if we haven’t talked to General Networks for three months because everything is fine and then all of a sudden, we’re in panic mode.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It’s a combination of their timeliness and professionalism. Their technical prowess is excellent. They’ve always been extremely quick to fix the problem from a technical standpoint. Their competency from the understanding of what their job is is very high. They fix the problem every time, on time, for the right price. I feel like I’m getting a good value for the services they provide.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It goes back to what I shared about empathy in responding. General Networks is extremely good at their job. When I send an email or text saying our servers went down today, they go right to work but there’s no response until the problem is fixed.

I usually have to follow up and ask if they saw my email or text. They then express that the problem is fixed. It would be nice to get a message telling us they received our text or email and are working on it as fast as they can. The communication aspect is the only thing that’s lacking and could be improved.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a network systems engineer at an educational institution.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenges were you trying to address with General Networks?

We wanted to move to the cloud.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They migrated us to the cloud, and they’re our MSP. Their team helped us troubleshoot a SharePoint issue that we ran into. We use them mostly as consultants when we have larger projects.  

What is the team composition?

I work with Jeff (VP of Technical Services Sales), but there are other people we’ve worked with along the way. 

How much have you invested in them?

We’ve spent at least half a million dollars. 

What is the status of this engagement?

My organization started working with them in 1999, and our engagement with them is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We always go back to them. We’ve looked at other vendors, but we always end up choosing General Networks again. 

How did General Networks perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicate via email and phone calls. Whenever we need to contact their technicians, they’re responsive. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re flexible and accommodating. They’re not pushy. They provide the correct level of support for us. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

We haven’t had any issues with them. It would be nice if they had a stronger partnership with Microsoft and Sysco.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the systems administrator for a preference law group.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with General Networks?

I initially brought them in to help update our network.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They built and provided our server and its software. Over the years, they’ve done two upgrades to the server, too. Anything IT related that I found unusual and couldn’t handle, General Networks takes over.

Recently, they’ve worked on cybersecurity for us as well. It started with a basic firewall and it escalated based on our needs. They’ve also made recommendations for other service providers, like website builders, too.

What is the team composition?

I work with Jeff (VP of Technical Services Sales), Johnny (Help Desk Specialist), and Lee (System Engineer).

How did you come to work with General Networks?

We found them through a referral through a friend of mine.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $60,000–$70,000 over the years.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together 25 years ago, and our work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our relationship is great. They’ve been very informative, helpful, and compliant in fulfilling our requests. We’re very satisfied with their work. Because I have technical knowledge, I’m more explicit in explaining our needs. It helps them to serve us better. It’s been a very fruitful relationship.

How did General Networks perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicate over the phone and email. We didn’t lose any efficiency over the years, doing things electronically has made us more efficient. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re knowledgeable, which is why we’ve stuck with them. They’re accurate and professional in each level of assistance. They hire people who are qualified and any newcomers are under the supervision of more senior personnel.

 I’ve dealt with other vendors that aren’t as qualified and they get stuck because of their limited knowledge. General Networks’ employees, on the other hand, are well educated and keep their certifications up to date.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I’m quite satisfied with the way they handle things. I’ve been pleased for over 25 years. They’ve always been advancing themselves in the field. I can’t speak highly enough of them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the office manager of a compliance firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with General Networks?

They provided all our outsourced IT for about four years.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

One of the biggest projects they took on was migrating our email to the cloud. We’d been operating on physical servers for about a decade, and our email is the lifeblood of our firm. It took a lot of planning and strategy on their end to make we didn’t miss a beat with being able to respond to client emails. 

They also handled our day-to-day IT needs and were our sole IT service provider. We turned to them when we needed to install new laptops, printers, and other devices. They ordered materials and shipped them to us, so they would be good to go when they reached our office.  

What is the team composition?

We worked with Eric (Senior System Architect) and Johnny (IT Specialist). They were both helpdesk employees but developed a strong understanding of our company. We also dealt with Jeff (VP) and Herb (Director of Technical Services).  

How did you come to work with General Networks?

One of our clients recommended them to us. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $50,000–$200,000 annually. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from around June 2016–January 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their customer service was terrific. I always knew I could rely on their responses. Most of the time, they answered on the first ring. They were able to effectively troubleshoot problems whenever we needed them.   

How did General Networks perform from a project management standpoint?

They responded to our concerns as soon as they possibly could. Being able to get ahold of them to troubleshoot problems right away was tremendous. Our time zone difference never posed a single problem for us.  

We had weekly calls and status updates to determine what tasks needed to be done by each team to move forward. They always met any deadlines we set together. Most communication happened over email or phone.  

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were always available, and we always felt like our requests were priorities. Their team did their best to solve problems as soon as possible. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

It would’ve helped us if they had a presence on the east coast.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a nonprofit organization helping out low-income families with child care services. I’m the network administrator overseeing the day-to-day network operations of the agency. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with General Networks?

Our organization has been working with General Networks for 22 years. We hired them for their IT solutions services. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

General Networks helps us out with many projects. They’ve provided many IT solutions for our agency, such as Microsoft Exchange deployment. We’ve used them twice for Microsoft Exchange 2010 and 2013 servers, and we're planning to use them again for the Microsoft Exchange 2019 server deployment.

They also help us out with our annual security assessment, helping us do a penthouse penetration testing, and providing recommendations on what to remediate in terms of security concerns. Our most recent project with them was related to remote desktop environment requirements. 

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked directly with five people from General Networks. The first person was an executive account representative, but he’s already retired. The second one was a network engineer, but he was switched to a different account. I’m no longer working with them. 

Jeff (VP & Sales Director) is my current account manager, and he replaced the one that was retired. I also worked with a Citrix solutions expert, but he’s no longer with the company. I’ve also worked with three other engineers, including a network engineer and security engineer, and two sales representatives. 

How did you come to work with General Networks?

Our agency has already been using General Networks for five years before I joined the company. They’re one of a few companies that were locally available in the Los Angeles area — they're headquartered in Glendale, and we’re in Los Angeles.  They’ve also had many outstanding projects. Those are the reasons why we’ve maintained a working relationship with them for more than 20 years. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested more than $1 million. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in April 2000, when they helped us out with our first local area network deployment, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

My quality metrics are based on how much rework is needed after they finish a task. For instance, if they install any deployment provision and it works without crashing, then I’d describe that as 100% satisfactory work. With General Networks, we don’t usually have to do any rework. Their deployments are always a one-time deal, and they do everything correctly. 

Their services have been solid. We can use the network well until the next upgrade and refresh. Something might get broken, but it’s usually because of our users and not the team’s work. Just last week, we finished a project with them and all of the results have been very positive. They deployed a solid solution, and they've been very supportive. 

How did General Networks perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management is very good — it's also 100% satisfactory. We have constant communication. We have project discovery meetings and follow-up meetings, followed by the actual project kickoff date.

The team sticks with their schedule. If they say they’re available to do the work on a certain date, they’ll kick off the project on that date and never later. Usually, they get the project done earlier than the estimated completion date.

Working with them for many years, I receive a white glove treatment. I call and email them directly, and they respond almost right away. When there are issues or emergency situations, they're reachable within a few hours. They're very reliable. 

 What did you find most impressive about them?

We have the privilege to work directly with the director of IT consulting — their best engineer is working for us. He has a very solid knowledge of the technology we need. That's what sets them apart. I've experienced working with other consulting firms, and I’ve had to go through the process. We’d have a kickoff meeting, and then we get assigned the next available engineer.

With General Networks, we've got to work with people that already know our environment, so we don't have to start from scratch and explain how everything works. 

Another thing that sets General Networks apart is trust. They know our network and environment, so we don't have to worry about security. If they need to work, we open the door and give them the office. We don't need to look over their shoulder to ask what they’re doing because they’ve done so many projects for us in the past without any incident. We trust them to do whatever they need to do. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

The only area we’d like them to improve on is technology. They specialize in and deal with Microsoft Exchange servers. If we’d like them to work on another technology, they’d have no engineer with sufficient knowledge of that tech.

For example, as much as we love to work with General Networks on all projects, they’re not able to provide us engineers with knowledge and expertise on VMWare or server virtualization. As a result, I’d like to see them expand to other technology besides Microsoft. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the operations manager of J’s Maintenace, a janitorial company based in Glendale, California. We are family-owned and operated and have been in business for 51 years.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with General Networks?

They helped us salvage our information and data after a server error

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

After our servers were compromised, General Networks helped save and migrate our data and emails. They also introduced us to cloud-based servers, helping us get onto SharePoint. Their team also helped roll out our new Outlook email system. General Networks also helped trained our team and provided guidance on cybersecurity matters

What is the team composition?

I work directly with Jeff (VP of Technical Services Sales) for any tech support matters. 

How did you come to work with General Networks?

I was looking for someone who could quickly fix the issue but also had the necessary knowledge. I reached out to another client of General Networks who spoke very highly of them. It just felt like a natural fit, so it worked out very well. Less than 24 hours after contacting them, they came into our offices to hear about what happened.

How much have you invested with them?

We have invested between $10,000–$15,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing engagement began in October 2013.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They helped us through a very difficult situation. General Networks ensured our unfortunate circumstances did not derail our business and helped us set up a firewall. 

The moment we realize we have a problem we reach out to their team and everything is resolved within a matter of hours. I also appreciate the transparency and guidance they provide for tech support. 

How did General Networks perform from a project management standpoint?

Our teams communicate via email. They immediately open a ticket when I contact them and usually get back to me within the hour. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

General Networks works with a sense of urgency but never loses sight of the details. They follow through and then follow up with us. They always put things in terms that we can understand, which we really appreciate.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I sometimes wish we had a physical server, but I don’t believe they offer that service.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Trust them. Let them know what the issue is and trust that they’re going to find the best way to fix whatever the problem is.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a commercial lighting company. We design, sell, and manufacture decorative architectural lighting products.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with General Networks?

When I joined the company, I noticed our IT architecture was a little outdated. We brought General Networks in to update it.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

General Network’s main responsibility was building a network that was robust and stable from an IT standpoint. That included email, cloud storage, cybersecurity, employee training, and other related areas. Specifically with the email migration project, the team took us from GoDaddy to Office 365.

We’re based in California, but we have remote employees across the country, so our IT needs have been a little varied. 

What is the team composition?

It depends on the individual task, but overall, we probably talk to five or six people within their group, including Jeff (VP of Technical Service Sales).

How did you come to work with General Networks?

We found them through our web development vendor, who recommended them to us. When I talked to them, it was clear they could handle our project, so we went through with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $35,000–$40,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since August 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

When I joined, I felt extremely uncomfortable with the state of our computer network system. Since we’ve partnered with General Networks, I don’t even think of it. To be able to give them the reins and not have to worry has been incredible. Not only are they technically competent, they’re reliable. 

How did General Networks perform from a project management standpoint?

For each task, General Networks identifies a project manager or point person who will come onsite and execute. I personally worked with a project manager, who acts as the eyes and ears of the office. 

Overall, their project management skills have been fantastic. I don’t recall any dates that slipped, and there have been times when the team has stayed past work hours to finish a project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their ability to tailor their services based on our needs is really impressive. I’ve never felt like they were trying to sell me things I didn’t need. However, not only are they technically competent, they’re reliable. General Networks is hands-on, knowledgeable, and adaptable. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing that comes to mind; they’ve been exemplary. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you’re an IT novice, don’t be afraid to reach out to General Networks and explain what you need in your terms. They’ll be able to interpret you and help you on your level.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a systems administrator for an educational institution.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with General Networks?

We needed assistance with upgrading our data center — specifically, updating the hardware and maintaining the overall infrastructure and security. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We purchased a new server, and General Networks helped us spin it up and load the appropriate OS and RAID configuration according to their recommendations. They then installed digital services like Active Directory (AD), DHCP, and DNS roles. These act as a function of the organization to maintain our core infrastructure so that people can log in and change passwords and our computers can communicate with different appliances throughout the network. 

Lastly, General Networks helped us spin up a high availability failover server that would take precedence if anything happened to the first server. They provided both onsite and remote support.

What is the team composition?

We worked with three people: two engineers and a sales individual.

How did you come to work with General Networks?

I was new to my position, so I did my own research by searching Google and reading Yelp reviews. General Networks had very positive feedback, so I asked them to provide a bid. As a public organization, we’re required to consider multiple companies for a project like this. 

General Networks’ salesperson brought their team onsite to give us both a better understanding of what our needs were. They offered impressive suggestions and offered us a much lower bid because they were able to reuse our equipment instead of recommending new equipment.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $5,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started in September 2019 and wrapped up in April 2020. It could have moved much faster but due to constraints on our side, we experienced a lot of delays.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Thanks to General Networks’ help, we were able to update our machines to the latest OS, improving the security posture of our organization and letting us get the support packages we needed. 

We also went a discovery process to review our high levels policies like DNS and DHCP and to mitigate stale files in the database. This improved our performance and minimized errors. Lastly, General Networks helped us review our retention policies. That way, we’re not as susceptible to ransomware, and we can reproduce our server in a timely manner if anything happens. That was one of our biggest achievements.

How did General Networks perform from a project management standpoint?

I couldn’t have asked for a better organization. I’m relatively new to this and have limited experience working with other vendors. Any communication with General Networks was superb. They were easily accessible and prompt to respond. Their sales consultant followed up multiple times to make sure we were on task. The team was flexible throughout the project even when we found out we couldn’t achieve specific objectives due to a lack of time or resources. It helped us understand better our environment so we know what we need in the future. 

General Networks also did a good job of documenting our server, which was a major aspect of the project. In the end, we did a knowledge transfer to cover all tasks and goals that they met, inform us where we need to be, and go over best practices based on their recommendations for our environment. Now, we’re more informed of our network and what’s on it.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The ability to communicate effectively and in a timely manner is the number one priority for me. I could’ve hired someone to do what General Networks did, but not necessarily with the same level of communication.

Even when COVID-19 forced us and other clients of theirs to migrate to remote work, we never felt like General Networks neglected us. They kept us informed and reached out to check our status multiple times.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I was thrilled all around. They delivered everything we asked for, and I’d definitely work with them in the future.

Any advice for potential customers?

Trust them. Their prices are competitive and reasonable. Their communication is top-notch; their sales team will follow up with you to make sure engineers are on target and meeting your objectives in a timely manner.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the vice president of IT at Atkinson Baker Inc., a court reporting agency that provides services to law firms.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with General Networks?

We were looking for IT services and support for our business.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

General Networks has provided us IT support on a longterm basis, going back as far as when we had network servers. Most recently they have been helping us with infrastructure upgrades. Our last major project was a migration of our email server from Exchange Server 2003 to the 2013 version in 2014.

Additionally, General Networks is our Microsoft licensing partner. We have purchased other software through them such as Carbonite Solutions or Visual Studio. They provide us with Hewlett-Packard hardware. We don’t have any sort of retainer with them. I will occasionally contact General Networks for emergency support and they always muster up some people on my behalf within a few hours.

What is the team composition?

Generally, we work with one technician at a time. Our main point of contact has been Herb (Director of Technical Services, General Networks) and two other members of the General Networks team. 

How did you come to work with General Networks?

We were looking for support on NetWare Servers back when we used to have those. They were the local support contact for NetWare so we began working with them.

How much have you invested with them?

It varies year to year. For major infrastructure projects, we can spend $20,000–$40,000 in a year, but we will go eight years without a major project. We spend another several thousand a year on licenses. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve had an ongoing engagement with them going back to the 1990s, but our last major project was in 2014. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

General Networks always delivers on what they promise. On one occasion, we had ordered a server than they provisions, and it turned out to not be the right fit for us. Their team got the whole server swapped out by Hewlett-Packard for us.

The systems they have installed or provided for us have been running faithfully for many years. They’re rock solid. Everything they have built for us has worked very well.

How did General Networks perform from a project management standpoint?

They have fine project management. They show up on time and get things down. We communicate largely through email and will meet in person every now and then. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They go above and beyond to provide and provision Hewlett-Packard servers for us. They actually get them set up and ready to roll.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We tend to be a self-service shop, but if they could expand their services to include strategic advice or mentoring, we would love that. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be clear on what you want and frank in your discussions. Make sure to be transparent on the parameters of what you need and what your company is willing to spend.