Ntiva, Inc.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the operations, office, and systems manager for a mid-sized financial planning firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Middleground Technologies?

We had been working with the same IT firm for around 10 years and they couldn’t keep up with our needs as we outgrew them. We hired Middleground Technologies to take over and alleviate a lot of the workload that wasn’t be handled by the previous team. We needed to be on top of our game, as the world of technology is ever-changing, so we needed their team of professionals.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They provide basic IT services, covering all of our bases for daily needs and technology upgrades. If our printer isn’t working or we can’t open a certain file, they serve as a help desk resource. We also just finished upgrading our server with them, too.

As a financial firm, we have to adhere to a lot of compliance requirements, so they’ve been helpful in finding an archiving system. Our firm also needs to have a cybersecurity policy, and Middleground Technologies helped us completely rewrite the documents to actually match the protocols we have in place. They check in regularly to make sure our cybersecurity is up to speed.  They’ve come to our office to host a cybersecurity training session, as our business is required to host one of these. Their team has really been an all-inclusive package. 

What is the team composition?

They’re a medium-sized staff with about 15 people who support us. I regularly work with about 3–4 people but can speak to whoever is available when I call the help desk. 

How did you come to work with Middleground Technologies?

We chose Middleground Technologies after realizing our previous vendor wasn’t able to scale with us, and we needed a more middle-sized firm. 

How much have you invested with them?

Annually, we spend around $25,000. We have a monthly fee for the help desk services, and the other projects are one-offs, so the prices vary. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since May 2018. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We don’t have any strict metrics, but the quality of their support is top-notch. Their help desk is incredible. Their support has been a huge help for us, especially in the compliance area. Overall, they’ve been awesome. 

How did Middleground Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

In terms of meeting deadlines and scheduling, they’ve done really well. We have quarterly meetings where they meet with us, give us an update on our performance, and run through any details. They are available all the time and can always get into our computers immediately. I am the go-between for our two teams, so it’s easy for them to walk me through a solution. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I really appreciate the quarterly meetings we have. Middleground Technologies makes sure we’re on track with how many tickets we’re submitting and help find solutions to avoid going overboard. They continuously give us feedback to improve and stay on top of the evolving technology in our industry. 

I also value their various marketing and phone services they remind us of, even though we don’t need them currently. I’m regularly impressed with their customer service efforts. I know almost all of their team by name and they’re just a great, smart group of people. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

The only critique I have is the length of some tasks, but this is more related to the complexity of our industry, not their team. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I absolutely recommend working with them. They’re a great team of people to work with.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a dental office, and I’m the president of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Middleground Technologies?

We had to update our outdated equipment and renew our legacy software.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They had to transport all the information on our old server to a new one, which was a major relocation. This information included important patient files and charts. The team came in to physically manage our equipment and network as well.

What is the team composition?

I had one point of primary contact who oversaw all communications. This was helpful because I didn’t have to repeatedly explain myself.

How did you come to work with Middleground Technologies?

I was looking for a new IT company and was meeting with different businesses. I met with them after finding them on google search, and they seemed affable and fairly-priced. We decided we’d give it a shot with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent somewhere around $60,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our last engagement lasted from June to July of 2019, but they provide ongoing support.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The quality of their work has been excellent. Our newer system is much faster and smoother. There was almost no downtime when they were changing out the systems. Their turnaround time is consistently remarkable.

How did Middleground Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

If any issue comes up, we shoot them an email, and it’s always quickly resolved. They’ve even taken care of issues over the weekend. They’re great at prioritizing our requests and tasks, because in urgent situations, they’ll call us back in a timely manner—typically, within half an hour.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their customer service is great. They’re very open communicators, which makes for an easy engagement. They’ll continuously provide us with status and progress updates. I can trust them to promptly resolve any time-sensitive issue.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything. I’ve never had any issue with them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Maintain open communication and check your emails regularly.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a project and compliance manager for a professional heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) services company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Middleground Technologies?

We needed to achieve SOC2 compliance and meet NIST controls for cyber security.

SOLUTION

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

They are part of our business group and we’re recommended.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

We started with a GAP assessment to establish a baseline, then constructed different phases of the compliance project from there. It was long and detailed.

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

We had a project manager, a CISO, 2 engineers, pen tester, an admin service coordinator, and the account manager here and there.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Yes, we achieved our SOCII compliance. We passed an audit with flying colors.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It was good, constantly evolving.

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

I liked their thoroughness and responsive nature.

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

I wish we could meet in person more often, emails are good, but some times just easier to meet in person.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the operations manager.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Middleground Technologies?

We are a non-profit on a tight budget. All of our tech is so old, we needed all new up to date technology.

SOLUTION

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

We heard good things about them, so it was a referral.

Describe the project in detail and walk through their service package.

They helped us moved to full Cloud for our servers by putting us in Microsoft Azure, and also the Cloud for VoIP phone system. We then use them to deploy a cybersecurity policy for the company.

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

• Project manager
• project engineer
• service manager
• consultant

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Yes, now we can work fully remote since everything is in the cloud. We also had a security audit done and we pass with a 100 score!

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Good, I like their team very friendly. Sometimes we hit roadblocks but we all communicate well and worked through it.

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

They were very polite and cared about our business.

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

Hard for me to understand everything since I’m not technical, so maybe an easy to read guide.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a partner in personal injury law firm, mostly retired and of-counsel now.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Middleground Technologies?

We hired Middleground for IT support services, which is now bundled with Cyber Security Services.

SOLUTION

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

They came in as a referral from another law firm who highly recommended them.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

Yes, they replaced our servers with new servers. We also replaced old PC's as well (it just made sense to do it right away). We went from an ancient system, to one that is now super fast. They also new security products like training as well which helps me sleep better at night.

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

6. Sales, Onboarding, 2 Engineers, and the account manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Yes, we had to get an audit by our insurance vendor, and were able to checkmark all of the boxes. That made us super happy.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Good! I like their portal and ticketing system. Easy to reach the team as well.

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

They're very customer-centric and don't nickel and dime for everything.

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

Wish they did software dev or web design too :)

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the senior partner of a consulting firm in the historic building rehabilitation business.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Ntiva, Inc.?

As a small business, we needed an external firm to manage our IT needs, from help-desk to cloud-based data planning and execution.

SOLUTION

How did you select Ntiva, Inc and what were the deciding factors?

Ntiva was selected from a short-list of 3 firms because of price and value of their service offerings.

Describe the project in detail and walk through their service package.

Our main demands on Ntiva revolved around routine help-desk assistance, and they've been outstanding in terms of timeliness and expertise.

How many resources from the Ntiva, Inc team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We worked with Ntiva's Account Manager for some long-term planning, but primarily we used various help-desk personnel.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Ntiva has kept our tech up and running with no long-term problems.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Their communication and responsiveness have been excellent.

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

Help-desk wait times have been very manageable throughout our relationship with Ntiva.

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

We have no complaints or suggestions for improvement.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the SVP of Global Operations at a specialty food broker with business in over 60 countries

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Ntiva, Inc.?

Our company was having issues with spam emails and our employees needed a solution to help distinguish safe emails against suspicious emails.

SOLUTION

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

We work with Ntiva for our managed IT support services so it was a perfect fit

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

They created a program that will bolt on to our existing email client and monitor emails and suspicious activity as it comes in

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

Our Account Manager, the Project Manager and the tech working on the rollout

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Now, we no longer worry about whether or not we can safely open emails.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Great because our employees work with them everyday so they are familiar with the team and work flow

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

The communication every step of the way

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

I wish we would have done it sooner

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

501(c)6 trade association

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Middleground Technologies?

New network install, new laptops, establish remote work capabilities

What were your goals for this project?

Implement new systems and hardware to support a remote work environment for our staff and upgrade our old network and file management systems

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Previously worked with MGT on some simple network issues, they do good work so i keep going back!

Describe the project in detail.

Installed w new servers, firewalls, data backup, user laptops, and networking for all users. Also added cyber security compliance to manage critical defense information.

What was the team composition?

MGT team

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

good work

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

very effective

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They know exactly how to design what we wanted in our system, and helped us achieve our goals while helping us keep within our limited budget

Are there any areas for improvement?

nope, They're a great team to work with.