Program-Ace

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We are a digital agency founded in Cairo and now operating across the region and in Europe. We're the merger of five different companies working in complementary fields and coming together to form a one-stop, full-service shop for our clients.

What is your position?

I am the creative and innovation director.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Program-Ace?

There were multiple challenges. First of all, we are creating products that require thorough research. That was one aspect of the challenge for this project. The second challenge was that the timeframe was quite tight for both projects we worked together on. These are the main reasons we relied on them.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

For one project we produced together, we created an augmented reality application, but that's been sold at the World Expo in Milan. On that application, we worked together to come up with the concept, the storyboards, we created all the 3-D models, and they handled the programming part of the application. It was quite a successful.

The other project was for what we believe to be the first Oculus activation taking place in Egypt. We were the first ones to use that, and again it was a very tight timeframe. We came up with the concept, the storyboards, and Program-Ace helped us with the presentation of the project and the delivery at the end.

We are primarily in contact with the project manager at Program-Ace. Unity 3D was the main development platform for both products. 3D Max was used in the animation and graphics for both projects.

How did you come to work with Program-Ace?

We identified them online.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

We're talking about $10,000 to $15,000 for each project.

What is the status of this engagement?

The most recent project that we completed with them was the one at the World Expo. We delivered that at the beginning of May [2015], and the Expo is still running until the end of October, so that's actually a live project as we speak.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

There were no specific benchmarks. Our benchmark at the end of the day is the satisfaction of our clients, the level of engagement of the user, and how happy they are. The clients were very happy. People are actually enjoying the application. One of the criteria for success is if somebody gets his mobile phone out and starts taking pictures of someone using the application.

We haven't had any issues with pieces of defective work delivered to us or periods of unresponsiveness. Program-Ace is always very responsive and prompt when it comes to the feedback.

How did Program-Ace perform from a project management standpoint?

We have a project management tool in place, but communicating via Skype was easier. They were quite responsive to all of our requests, and that was much easier than having to rely on the project management tool that they're using.

What distinguishes Program-Ace from other providers?

I have to say they met tight deadlines. Most of the time with third-party suppliers, we'd spend a lot of time until we came to an agreement, and then it's too late to deliver the project. That was not the case with Program-Ace. With the help of the project manager, all our projects were delivered successfully and on time.

Is there anything Program-Ace could have improved or done differently?

I can't think of anything. In our case, they gave us a successful delivery, so I can't think of things they could improve.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

I've actually worked with them at two different companies. The previous was DarkVeil Games, and I had contracted them to build a game for Steam. I'm currently engaged with them in another company, Axon Spark Interactive, to create an educational gaming platform.

What is your position?

I am the founder of Axon Spark Interactive.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Program-Ace?

We had originally built a game using outsourcing before, and we hadn't had a good experience with it. We used a company in New Zealand and had problems with the time zone, and with nonfunctional builds coming in to our QA [quality assurance] department. When we would go through the build, we weren't able to contact them because of the time difference, so we'd lose a whole day on QA. We just had a bad experience. On the next game that we worked on, I wanted to find somebody local, in the same time zone as us. We were on the West Coast at that time.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

They've been primarily using the Unity 3D game engine. They have a 3-D art department that helped me with some 3-D models. They've built games for PC and for mobile as well. The one we're working on right now is for iOS and Android.

How did you come to work with Program-Ace?

I interviewed a lot of studios, and I couldn't find anyone that I felt comfortable with passing my technical interviews. Someone from Program-Ace had reached out to me on LinkedIn, so I gave them a try. Their tech lead did the best out of everybody on my technical interview. He was able to answer all my questions, and I felt really comfortable that they had a good knowledge of what they were doing. We went ahead and gave them a try, and I had a really good experience with them.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

The game that we made with them last year was between $50,000 and $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

I started working with them a little more than a year ago with the previous company. We worked for about six months with them. I've just started a new project with them this last month.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

The quality has been very good. It was exactly what we were looking for and what we wanted. I'm really happy with the results.

How did Program-Ace perform from a project management standpoint?

We used the scrum methodology, so we had two-week sprints. In general, they were always on time. They'd make their estimates of what they can complete during the sprint, and they were generally right on with what they were needing. Sometimes, like late on a Friday, I would need a build or need something special done. They would even come in on the weekend and make sure I got what I needed.

I got really good customer service, but it was the developers doing it. They just really wanted to make me happy, which is little bit unique for programmers and developers. If I was a little upset about something, they would be all over me asking how they can fix it and make it right. It was a good experience working with them.

What distinguishes Program-Ace from other providers?

The developers at Program-Ace are really looking out to make us happy and make sure our experience with them is a good one. I think that's unique compared to the programmer mentality that's usually out there. I would say that their technical ability is also a strong point. As I was describing earlier, I interviewed quite a few outsourcing companies who just really fell short on the technical ability of their staff.

Is there anything Program-Ace could have improved or done differently?

They have a sophisticated billing structures, but I've worked with them on projects before so it's not an issue.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

My company is a video game publisher. We've been in business for six years. We've published about 15 game titles on various platforms, such as PC, Mac, Nintendo 3DS, and Nintendo Wii.

What is your position?

I'm the founder and sole proprietor.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Program-Ace?

I was doing some consulting for my previous company. I needed to port a Nintendo DS game onto Flash to put together a Web demo of the game. The game was a rhythm matching game where players had to click to the beat of the music to advance in the game.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

Program-Ace has performed development work on a couple of apps for me. I have an app that they're helping me with under development that is a Web browser that uses a new service from AT&T called Sponsored Data, so that people are able to search the Web using the AT&T cellular network for free by watching advertisements. They have been responsible for developing and implementing that custom code.

How did you come to work with Program-Ace?

I met Program-Ace at a developers' conference in Europe. The two biggest considerations I had when I chose them was their cost and their online project management system that they created on their own. The project management system was crucial to making everything work because we were in the U.S., and they were in Europe. I also took a look at some of their previous work to get a sense of their quality and approach.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

The projects they've done have pretty wild range – anywhere from $10,000 to $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The most recent project was the Web browser game that I mentioned before, and it was completed last April [2014].

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

I don't have that information. The Web-based game was done for a company that is no longer in business, so I didn't get any results from them. The Web browser is still pending approval by AT&T, so it hasn't gone to market yet.

How did Program-Ace perform from a project management standpoint?

There were no issues collaborating with them. Program-Ace has been very responsive to our questions, as well as any challenges that have come up. They've been able to redirect their staff accordingly if there was a need or if they got behind.

What distinguishes Program-Ace from other providers?

Program-Ace's project management system helped them to adapt very quickly to our own processes. When their programmers had some issues, they were able to bring in more experienced developers to help overcome those issues. That, to me, was very important. They have depth in their talent pool, which they can draw from when things inevitably come up.

In hindsight, are there areas in which they could improve, or things you might do differently?

The only issue that I ever really had was their location. Their government and their banking typically also required more official documentation. If there was a change that needed to be made, usually the contract needed to be amended. You would have to work with the government to verify that you are the one signing the documents, and so on. There's a little more bureaucracy in dealing with them, and again, it's only a result of their location.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

I own a marketing consulting firm. We have various clients in many business sectors. We've been in operation for 22 years. We're down to one employee now. I'm just a virtual company.

What is your position?

I'm the owner.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Program-Ace?

I think our first project together was developing a website. I've done a couple high-end corporate websites with them. I designed them and created the conceptual frameworks and Program-Ace developed and deployed them. They provided the technical expertise, and I provided the strategic solutions.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

I do the creative concepts, and lay them out in a Photoshop document, and then I hire Program-Ace to do the tactical execution. They normally have a lead and maybe a couple other people that might be involved, like project managers and QA [quality assurance] specialists. Generally, they have a tactical lead that deals with all the client calls. I interacted with a project manager, and they had a project management tool that could be used. Sometimes, I would use their tool and, other times, I just sent them an email.

I've had them provide quotes on three projects, and had them work on two different projects. All of them were websites. I think the first two were hard coded in HTML5. I'm not sure whether they used WordPress or HTML5 for the others.

How did you come to work with Program-Ace?

They were referred to me by the president of a high-end 3-D modeling group.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

I don't know exactly what I've paid them to date because I do a lot of projects all the time. I would guess the projects were roughly $3,000 each. Maybe they reached into $6,000 or $8,000 range.

What is the status of this engagement?

The most recent project with them was completed maybe a year or two ago [2014].

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

Program-Ace built corporate sites, so there's no real quantitative data that I can give that'd make sense. We just needed to create a corporate presence, so there are no numbers behind that.

The clients were very happy with their sites overall. The technical execution was excellent. I was very pleased that they were more prone to understanding aesthetics and design factors than most people. Generally, when you get programmers, they do not have aesthetic comprehension. Most don't understand design and they just throw stuff together that they think look good. Program-Ace, however, did just what we needed.

How did Program-Ace perform from a project management standpoint?

These guys are very detailed. Program-Ace delivers on time and within budget. They do have an awful lot of legal paperwork because they're in Ukraine, and there are a lot of levels of bureaucracy. The benefit of them being in Ukraine, however, is their competitive pricing.

What distinguishes Program-Ace from other providers?

The positives are that they do an excellent job, and they're very nice people to work with. Their English is amazingly good, and their prices are quite reasonable. All those factors lead them to be someone you want to choose. They're very good at what they do. I don't believe there's any challenges technically that they could not overcome or deliver for you. They do a good job, they do it on time, and they do it on budget.

In hindsight, are there areas in which they could improve, or things you might do differently?

They do have a heavy amount of paperwork – legal stuff that you have to keep signing. Aside from that, they have very good project management approach. Their customer service people are very nice, but when it comes to pulling the trigger, sometimes they don't work fast enough to get the job done. They didn't get the last job I offered them because we had to have it done in a week and they wanted 30 days, so they lost it. On the other projects, time wasn't an issue. It wasn't even brought up, and they did it in fine time – no issue at all.

What advice, if any, would you give a future client of theirs?

I would recommend them without hesitation. I'm happy to use them again for all kinds of things. I think they have a lot of skill, a lot of talent. The people are nice and they speak excellent English, which is huge when you're dealing with an offshore company. The only thing that I would be watching out for would be the amount of paperwork involved and their delivery time. It might have been just that one instance that I had those issues. They're a very good vendor.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Marketind Director of Pinnacle Financial Strategies

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are a fintech company that offers retail banking solutions.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Program-Ace to accomplish?

• Create an educational game for account holders.

SOLUTION

How did you find Program-Ace?

Online Search

Why did you select Program-Ace over others?

Pricing fit our budget

How many teammates from Program-Ace were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Program Ace was tasked with taking our content and creating an educational course with quizzes for our clients. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

A finished, functional learning course. 

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

They were highly responsive and guided us through the entire process. This was our first time ever doing a project like this so we need a lot of help. 

What was your primary form of communication with Program-Ace?

Email or Messaging App

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

We were impressed with the quality of the design, the expertise of the entire staff, and the amazing customer service. 

Are there any areas for improvement or something Program-Ace could have done differently?

No

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director of a VR software company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We create virtual reality environments for training

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Program-Ace to accomplish?

• Replicate an interior from a room scan.

SOLUTION

How did you find Program-Ace?

Online Search

Why did you select Program-Ace over others?

High ratings

How many teammates from Program-Ace were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Recreate an environment from a 3D scan suitable to import into Unreal engine 4.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Realistic quality and delivered on time

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

Project management was very good

What was your primary form of communication with Program-Ace?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

They showed great attention to detail.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Program-Ace could have done differently?

none

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am an executive at a software company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Providing computer based training and management platforms.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Program-Ace to accomplish?

• Unity3D to WebGL conversion for computer based training

SOLUTION

How did you find Program-Ace?

Online Search

Why did you select Program-Ace over others?

• High ratings
• Relevant experience

How many teammates from Program-Ace were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Converting an existing Unity3D project to WebGL.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are able to migrate customers from desktop application to web browser.

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

They prioritized effective communication, understood our needs, and ensured the project's success.

What was your primary form of communication with Program-Ace?

Virtual Meeting

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

They pay attention to detail and provide thorough QA services to guarantee optimal performance across various platforms and devices. Their focus on quality ensures that the end product meets industry standards and client expectations.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Program-Ace could have done differently?

None

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the CEO of a company that makes videogames that teach cybersecurity skills.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Program-Ace?

Unity development and game design.

SOLUTION

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

We looked for an offshore firm that could provide Unity devs. The interviews with the devs and the interactions with the account manager, Kasenya, were the deciding factors.

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

The devs worked with our lead dev to develop various parts of the game. They specialized in different areas but all worked together very well.

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

3 devs total, all senior developers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They enabled us to meet our feature development milestones on time and add new features that we had not planned for the fiscal year, so 12 months in advance of expected delivery.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The interactions between our team and Program Ace are excellent. They're extremely responsive and dedicated to the project.

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

I wasn't expecting senior developers with the level of capability for the price that was charged. The quality of their work is exceptional.

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

None.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Project Lead from the agency hired to complete the work.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Program-Ace, and what were your goals?

We required a Unity developer to assist join our project in order to complete the project on time. Program-Ace were extremely efficient and professional in finding an excellent candidate for us.

SOLUTION

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

We had worked with them on previous projects as they have helped in finding us suitable developers.

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

We created an app for a large multi-national company which aimed at incentivising and rewarding children for partaking in physical activities.

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

We hired one Unity frontend developer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Unfortunately the app development was paused due to financial constraints from the client.

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

We ran the project in a standard 2-week sprint method, including twice-daily stand ups, retro's, backlog refinement and sprint planning sessions over the course of the project timeline.

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

Program-Ace were (and have continue to be) extremely efficient in finding high-level candidates which excel far above any other company I have tried to work with.

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

None. They're the best recruitment firm I've worked with in my entire career so far.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Flight School Mobile - Games developer. Head of Mobile.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Program-Ace?

Multiple mobile game projects.

SOLUTION

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

Knew of them for at least of a year. Once opportunity was available, evaluated their technical talent, and overall structure to support our projects. All seemed very high quality.

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

Mobile casual game. Match3. Needed programmer to work with our team's head of programming. Solid knowledge of Unity platform. Working on various game features, and then support for fixing bugs, and polish on game's performance.

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

1 programmer currently.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Working on game performance currently; however, Progarm-Ace's programer support was ciritcal in meeting key deadlines for the game.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Solid overall. Communication and overall process has been a non issue. Other than managing time zones, there has not been any key items to worry about.

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

Communication has been top-notch, and our overall pipeline and process have not been of any hindrance. Allowing everyone on the team to focus on tasks at hand.

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

No issues.