Vertical IT Solutions

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the IT Manager of General Produce Company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Produce and dairy distribution company

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Vertical IT Solutions to accomplish?

• Network Monitoring and alerts
• Vulnerability scanning and penetration testing

SOLUTION

How did you find Vertical IT Solutions?

Previously worked with company

Why did you select Vertical IT Solutions over others?

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

How many teammates from Vertical IT Solutions were assigned to this project?

1 Employee

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

Vertical IT completed a project that included network monitoring of all servers, switches, wireless access points and internet services. They also provide monthly vulnerability scanning for any exploit in our security as well as penetration testing to firewall and open ports.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our network now has monitoring on all sensitive and important components including servers, network uptime, switches, and our wireless network. In addition, monthly testing of our cyber-security keeps out network safe from outside intrusion.

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

Every step of the project was discussed thoroughly and all deadlines were met as the project progressed.

What was your primary form of communication with Vertical IT Solutions?

• In-Person Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Vertical IT Solutions' professionalism and knowledge were excellent. Options were offered throughout the process to better improve the project and the desired outcome.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Vertical IT Solutions could have done differently?

Every expectation was met and exceeded.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the former operations and HR manager of a small transactional law firm that provides transactional legal services for businesses, estate planning, probate, and trust. I was responsible for everything from HR to marketing, finance, and governance.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Vertical IT Solutions?

When I joined the firm, we worked with a different IT company that was really inefficient regarding spam filtering software. Their systems were completely at risk of failure, and the turnaround time for IT troubleshooting was very slow. We were looking for full IT support services, and I suggested to my team we change our provider to Vertical IT Solutions. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Vertical IT Solutions has migrated our traditional drive server to an entirely cloud-based system on SharePoint. The team has suggested we install Synology to back up our data even though our server is cloud-based. Vertical IT Solutions has also installed spam filtering software and deployed managed IT services to remotely access our computers when we need troubleshooting. The team provides both on-site and off-site services.

What is the team composition?

We work with three teammates from Vertical IT Solutions, including Josiah (Account Executive) and Javier (Technical Support Engineer).

How did you come to work with Vertical IT Solutions?
I had previously worked with Vertical IT Solutions and reconnected with the team when I joined my former company. I initially met the team while working at my previous firm in 2017. My firm worked with a company that Vertical IT Solutions acquired, so I reached out to my contact within the company to start working with Vertical IT Solutions.
How much have you invested with them?
We spend around $2,200 monthly. 

What is the status of this engagement?
We started working with Vertical IT Solutions in December 2023, and it took us about a month to fully integrate with the team because our previous IT services provider wasn't cooperative. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Vertical IT Solutions' turnaround time for IT troubleshooting is quick. When we send a support email, the team responds within 30 minutes, while our previous provider sometimes took days to respond. When we send a support ticket, we usually receive a response within 10–15 minutes, which is a huge difference for us. 

Our systems now run smoothly, while before, we were constantly having difficulties with applications freezing, computers shutting down, and the server environment wasn't working for us. Since we switched to Vertical IT Solutions and migrated our server, we haven't experienced these issues. 

How did Vertical IT Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicate with the team through a support email. For larger projects like our server migration, Javier and Josiah were my primary points of contact, and I emailed them directly. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Vertical IT Solutions stands out for their cooperative work with our team. Sometimes, there is a disconnect in communication with IT services companies. I've worked with many IT providers throughout my career, and Vertical IT Solutions is cooperative and explains things in simple terms that our team can understand. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of anything Vertical IT Solutions can improve because we've had such a positive experience working with them. I only recommend the team conduct an annual check-in with their customers, although I don't know if they already do it since we haven't hit our annual mark yet.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

I suggest ensuring you're responsive to Vertical IT Solutions' questions. The team asks questions for a reason, and they can't help move your project forward if you aren't willing to communicate with them. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the director of AV and IT at a university in California.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Vertical IT Solutions?

There was a recent staff change within our IT department, so we wanted to add some stability to our operations. We wanted to partner with someone who could be consistent in working with our old employees and new staff coming in.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Vertical IT Solutions helped us create a cybersecurity plan to ensure we were compliant with some upcoming audits. Their team also monitors some devices and helps us with general Tire 2 and Tier 3 support. Their work includes managing our campus firewall and hosting our server backup. Their entire IT support is remote. Although we're in talks with them for software and hardware installs regarding a future physical server migration, we haven't used those services yet.

What is the team composition?

I've interacted with 5–6 teammates from Vertical IT Solutions. I work with one main account manager who handles our tickets, and I've also been in contact with a couple of their on-site technician, who help us once in a while. Moreover, I have a main account executive assigned to my account.

How did you come to work with Vertical IT Solutions?

I wasn’t around during that time, so I’m unsure how we found them.

How much have you invested with them?

We pay them around $6,000 on a monthly basis.

What is the status of this engagement?

Vertical IT Solutions has been hosting our backups for 1.5–2 years. However, we recently updated our contract to include the other services in December 2023.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Although their success in our university is very subjective, Vertical IT Solutions handles our Tier 2 and Tier 3 IT needs. Whenever something comes up, they're able to cover some of the blind spots and tell me what to look for regarding our security or devices on campus. Simultaneously, they've helped us fill some of our IT needs.

With Vertical IT Solutions' help, I'm building a whole university's worth of ticket requests for tech support. Although I can handle some of those tickets, I need guidance on what to do for others. Still, Vertical IT Solutions always gets back to me in a timely manner and guides me or takes care of things on their end without causing much stress. I can always count on them to respond in a timely manner.

How did Vertical IT Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

Vertical IT Solutions is quick and detailed. We generally exchange emails to start the conversation, and we then communicate via phone calls to resolve issues at that moment or work on them together.

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

Duke (Tier 1 Support Technician) is very good at following up quickly whenever he needs more information, usually within a couple of minutes. He's also great at reaching out to ask for a meeting whenever we need to get things resolved. Therefore, I'm never wondering if he's making a headway in our case. He also does a fantastic job of communicating, being present, and being proactive. On top of that, he always works with a great attitude.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Vertical IT Solutions' timeliness is impressive, and they've fit our needs very well. I always work with the same team from Vertical IT Solutions, and it feels like we've been able to create bonds from afar. We've created great rapport, which has built our confidence in them, so we're very grateful. We're very settled with them because they've done a great job of assembling a team that's always responsive and actively helping us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I'm very happy with their services, so I can't think of any areas of improvement.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Don't be afraid to reach out if you have any questions. Vertical IT Solutions is very responsive and takes everything seriously. Whether your questions relate to your account details, their offering, or actual service needs, their team is always willing to respond and provide great support.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a surgeon and the owner of a medical practice.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Vertical Computers?

We had a traditional telephone and fax service in the office, and we had to pay monthly bills for each of our telephone lines, which was very costly. Additionally, the price increased every year, and we were wasting a lot of paper with our fax service. We used to receive a lot of junk or unsolicited faxes, which used our toner and occupied our lines, causing us to lose important faxes.

On top of that, we had multiple locations. Thus, integrating our locations and providers so that our staff could manage their needs was challenging. Therefore, we hired Vertical Computers to help us implement a modern phone system.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Vertical Computers helped me move my phone numbers from a traditional phone service provider to an integrated phone system, implementing different other services such as electronic faxing and voicemail transcription. Their services were both remote and on-site.

When they came and installed all the equipment, they provided helpful orientation to our staff. Still, when we required some changes to the system, they were able to do them remotely. Throughout the process, Vertical Computers even helped us with the cabling. They didn’t do it themselves, but they connected me with one of their associates who installed everything on short notice to get us up and running.

After completing the migration, Vertical Computers offered other services, such as data hosting and a computer maintenance contract. However, we’re still getting up to speed with our new phone system. Maybe we’ll hire other services in the future for our business development projects.

What is the team composition?

During the system installation, two teammates from Vertical Computers came to our office: an engineer and his assistant. Additionally, I worked remotely with another engineer and a salesperson, with whom I communicated over the phone.

How did you come to work with Vertical Computers?

Vertical Computers came highly recommended by another surgeon in the community who had experienced similar issues in the past. Originally, I was looking for an internet-based phone system because I didn’t know about electronic fax or voicemail transcription.

When I met with Vertical Computers, they told me about the range of services they could offer beyond a phone service, which opened my eyes to different possibilities we hadn’t thought of before.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent less than $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together in March 2023.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Now, we no longer have a monthly expense to pay to a telephone company. As a result, We’ve reduced our over $750 monthly costs on phone services to around $150 per month. Additionally, I was able to cancel an answering service that cost between $150–$750 per month, which has increased our savings.

Although our new phone service implementation is very recent, we’ll also save money on paper and toner because we’ve eliminated junk faxes. Before the electronic faxing service, I used to buy more paper every couple of weeks, but I haven’t gone back to the store since we launched this solution.

As for qualitative results, our new phone system allows us to integrate our various offices so that our staff can handle phone calls from different locations. Moreover, our electronic fax service allows us to receive faxes via email and print out only the pages we need, and our line is never busy.

On top of that, the voicemail transcription service is very helpful because, sometimes, our staff is not able to answer a call in time. This service allows us to get a voicemail transcript via email that includes the name and phone number of the caller, which helps us attend to our patients better.

How did Vertical Computers perform from a project management standpoint?

Vertical Computers’ project management was excellent. They were able to modernize my phone system in less than a week without disrupting our service, which was very important for us because we didn’t want our patients to be unable to reach out to us.

Additionally, they were able to troubleshoot the problems that came up throughout the process. For example, the fax service wasn’t working at first, but they helped us solve the problem. As for communication, we had virtual conferences and in-person meetings.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Vertical Computers was very attentive and responsive to our concerns. Their response was almost immediate to any questions, and they followed up on our concerns very thoroughly.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing Vertical Computers could have improved on. I was very impressed with their services.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Threat the engagement as a partnership to grow your business. You should spend time at the initial meeting to discuss all your needs because there might be some unmet needs you’re not aware of. If you talk about your challenges and workflow, Vertical Computers can help you with them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the senior leader of The Rock, a religious organization.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenges were you trying to address with Vertical Computers?

We needed help with IT support.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Vertical Computers manages our IT needs on-site, including purchasing, installing, and supporting our hardware and software, like laptops, printers, backup batteries, and things of that nature. In addition to that, they help us set up email addresses and Microsoft 365 for our staff while training them to use those tools.

What was the team composition? 

We mainly work with Tim (Engineer), but they have a support team behind the scenes.

How did you come to work with Vertical Computers?

I used to work with Steven (CEO) on a previous project, and that’s how I learned about Vertical Computers. We did have other quotes from other providers, but we decided to go with Vertical Computers.

How much have you invested with them?

So far, we’ve spent $100,000–$250,000 with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2017, and the engagement is still ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Vertical Computers’ work has been instrumental in increasing our internet’s speed and efficiency. Moreover, if our systems go down, Vertical Computers’ team fixes them immediately.

How did Vertical Computers perform from a project management standpoint?

Vertical Computers is very prompt and punctual. Regarding tools and communication, we use Microsoft Teams, Zoom, email, and a ticketing system — they’re very quick to get back to us. Overall, Tim and Steven are phenomenal in managing the project and helping us go forward with our plans.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Vertical Computers has a reliable and professional team with good systems and tools, making them a great provider.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think there’s anything they can improve on because they’re doing a great job.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Owner/Office Manager of Revive Aesthetics & Wellness Center

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We provide functional medicine, bio-identical hormone treatment and aesthetic services.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Vertical Computers to accomplish?

• Integrate a wireless phone system for our office.

SOLUTION

How did you find Vertical Computers?

Referral

Why did you select Vertical Computers over others?

• Close to my geographic location
• Great culture fit
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

What was the size of Vertical Computers’s team?

2-5 Employees

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

We were looking to install a wireless phone system and Vertical Computers helped us to achieve this goal, by recommending and installing the phones that we needed. In addition, they are now managing this phone line for us.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Understanding the correct solution to our issue
• Installing the phones in our office
• Showing us how to utilize these new wireless phones

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

They spoke with us a few times via text and the phone, then came for an in person meeting. They delivered on time and assisted us with some challenges that we ran into from the former phone company that we were utilizing.

What was your primary form of communication with Vertical Computers?

Email or Messaging App

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

We enjoy the vision that the owner exhibits and the knowledge that they possess. In addition we are now thinking of utilizing them for assistance that we need with using a cloud server.

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

My only concern was getting my direct payment set up. That did require a couple of tries, but all in all it was a good experience.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an administrative assistant at a nonprofit organization.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Vertical Computers?

We needed assistance with managed IT services.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Vertical Computers provides on-site and off-site managed IT services. They’ve assisted us on different projects, including improving our network infrastructure to stabilize our internet connection. Vertical Computers has also helped us install software both remotely and on-site, including Microsoft 365 and VPN programs. They’ve set up hardware for our community's children, including printers and computers. 

Moreover, Vertical Computers has provided cloud services for our email servers and migrated our information to the cloud. They’ve created an internal site for our staff with tutorial videos and onboarding documents. 

We usually have power outages in our area, and Vertical Computers has helped us come up with solutions for that — they’ve installed a program that alerts them when there’s a power outage.

Lastly, Vertical Computers provides troubleshooting services through a ticketing system and has helped us create and manage a custom database. 

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked closely with Steven (CEO), and one of Vertical Computers’ engineers is at our office during the week, except for weekends.

How did you come to work with Vertical Computers?

I met Steven at our organization and found out he worked in the IT industry. We discussed our organization’s needs and realized our IP had weak areas that they could help us resolve.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Vertical Computers in January 2017, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Vertical Computers has met our expectations and helped us improve our internet speed. We’re happy with their services, and Vertical Computers goes above and beyond to assist us, which makes them reliable during emergencies. For instance, we’ve had internet issues with live streaming during weekends, and Vertical Computers has fixed them. 

How did Vertical Computers perform from a project management standpoint?

Vertical Computers is excellent at meeting deadlines. Steven is very organized and an amazing project manager. He’s always clear about the project’s work and stages. 

Moreover, Vertical Computers is responsive and quick to address issues. They provide close follow-up through their ticketing system and email support line. When our staff has an issue, they open a ticket, and we get a notification when they open the email. We then start communicating until the problem is resolved. Their ticketing system sends automatic emails when a ticket hasn’t been resolved.

Vertical Computers also has a convenient system to install software remotely. They send me a download link to install the required software, and then I receive an invoice to pay for that particular service. They’re also quick to respond during emergencies. Vertical Computers has installed a system that alerts them about power outages — they’ve been ahead of us when we’ve had problems. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’m most impressed with Vertical Computers’ work excellence and communication. Their execution is great. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

The only aspect Vertical Computers can improve is their billing portal. When I want to look at past invoices, I can only see the total cost. I’d like to be able to download the invoice and see a break up of the fee. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I recommend being responsive through their ticketing system. They’re quick and stay on top of their game, but you have to do your part too.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the operations coordinator of RV Storage Depot.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Vertical Computers?

We were working with another small IT company, but we started to expand and surpassed what they could handle. They weren’t responsive, so we needed someone new.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Throughout our engagement with Vertical Computers, we’ve done a lot of equipment development. When we first started, they were in charge of managing our PCs and Microsoft 365 licenses and ensuring our environment worked as needed. They took care of our corporate office and lightly supported our facility sites. As we’ve continued to grow, Vertical Computers has grown our technological needs and ensured we get where we need to.

Vertical Computers has done additional projects for our corporate office. They’ve upgraded some of our firewalls and done some networking stuff. We currently have an open ticket with them; we’re waiting for an estimated time of arrival for some Wi-Fi-enhancing equipment for our corporate office. Vertical Computers has purchased it, and they’ll be coordinating with our cabling vendor to plug it in. In summary, they’re handling the whole installation process.

What is the team composition?

Ryan (Tier I Engineer) is the main technician answering our tickets. If Ryan is unavailable, they pass the ticket off to another teammate; they have a few people in the daily tech sector that are familiar with our company. We’re also regularly in contact with the COO and other high-level executives. Lastly, we recently renegotiated our annual contract with Jacob (Sales Engineer).

How did you come to work with Vertical Computers?

A friend was in the tech sector and referred Vertical Computers to me. They were great since the first time we sat down with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent close to $40,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in April 2020, and our relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Making requests is much easier than what we’ve experienced before. We have an agent installed on all our devices, so it’s easy to create a ticket. We can also send them an email. We switched from our previous company because they were taking more than 24 hours to respond. Meanwhile, Vertical Computers has a four-hour maximum response time, even if it’s just to say that they’ll work on it tomorrow morning.

Moreover, they’re great at understanding what we need. Not everyone on our team is tech-savvy, but Vertical Computers can interpret our nonsense into what we actually need.

How did Vertical Computers perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management is great. Vertical Computers is always trying to give us the best cost scenario; they always have our best interest and budget in mind. Sometimes they even tell us to order the equipment instead of them so we don’t pay twice as much.

We typically communicate through emails or phone calls. If there’s an issue, they might text us to let us know what they’re doing, but we usually don’t need to see each other.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Vertical Computers really cares about us. They want us to succeed so they can succeed; we feel appreciated.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they’re great. They offer suggestions on how we can be safer and more productive. Sometimes we don’t have the budget to do it at the time, but they’re amazing.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Sit down and talk to them. Ask them all your questions and don’t be afraid to sound stupid. Most people aren’t tech-savvy, so trust Vertical Computers. I’d recommend them to anybody.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the COO of a healthcare staffing company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Vertical Computers?

Our previous IT technician left our company to grow his career, so we reached out to Vertical Computers to help us. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Vertical Computers does everything for our IT infrastructure. They’ve also built two servers for us, and they monitor them, too. To elaborate, they’ve upgraded our previous server. As a form of redundancy in case the server reboots or encounters problems, the team built a second server. This way, if one server goes down, everything switches over to the other server. 

Through our partnership with them, we’ve replaced all 15 of our thin client computers running in the server environment. The team also installs and manages miscellaneous equipment, switches, and tools for us. Recently, they’ve provided us with a computer that we use as a scanning and printing hub. 

Generally, we’ve done smaller projects with them. One project can expand depending on Vertical Computers’ recommendations. Going forward, we’re planning to use Vertical Computers to manage our VoIP system after our current contract with another VoIP provider expires.  

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked with nearly everybody from Vertical Computers, including Jacob (Sales Engineer) who serves as our account manager. We also work with an everyday technician for simple problems. When we need to escalate issues, we talk to Josiah (System Engineer). 

Steven (President) has also been on a call with us, while Kody (COO) is generally in charge of everything else. We’ve also had interactions with their billing department. Finally, Matthew and Tim (Support Engineers) provide us with support services. In total, we’ve met upwards of 10 people from Vertical Computers, but we typically only work with 3–4 people at a time. 

How did you come to work with Vertical Computers?

Our previous IT person and I researched IT providers in our area. We’d used another IT provider in the past, but we didn’t like them so we didn’t consider going back to them. After that, Vertical Computers came up. Steven and one of their sales representatives did a presentation for us, and the numbers they showed made sense for our business. Essentially, if we worked with them, we’d get all the benefits of having an IT person on-site except it would be cheaper than having an in-house technician. Ultimately, we decided to work with Vertical Computers. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $113,000 on Vertical Computers’ services and about $22,000 on equipment and labor projects. In total, we’ve invested around $135,000 in this partnership over the last four years. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in August 2017, and the partnership is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

As a company that’s been around since the late ’80s, we try to figure out problems and developers by ourselves. If we can find a way to do something in-house, we usually do it ourselves. 

Given that, the fact that we continue to use Vertical Computers is a key success metric for our company. We don’t want to change our relationship with them because they’re highly responsive even during the after-hours. Unlike other companies, they handle all kinds of projects and not just the big ones. 

Moreover, the Vertical Computers team is great at walking everyone through solutions. Their ticketing system also helps us communicate well. When we have an ongoing issue, we simply submit a ticket, and they’ll provide constant updates for that ticket.

How did Vertical Computers perform from a project management standpoint?

Vertical Computers’ project management is consistent and quick. They have great connections, so we receive products from them quickly even though there’s a shortage in parts and equipment. 

Moreover, Jacob has also been a technician before being an account manager. In other companies, account managers or salespeople often have no idea what they’re selling. They simply hit customers with regular sales talk. By contrast, Jacob has the right knowledge of their services, having been a technician himself. He tells us what we can do better or where we can get a better deal. As a result, when we get transferred to the tech team, we know that they’re going to do what Jacob has told us they’ll do. 

To communicate with Vertical Computers, I usually send them an email — it’s the fastest way to reach out to them if there’s an issue. We also have a monitoring agent on all of our computers and servers, so I can submit a ticket through my desktop. Other than those two, we use phone calls and text messages.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I respect their communication style the most. I’ve dealt with technicians in the past, and they communicate differently with each other. That usually bleeds out to their customer relationship, resulting in rough or spotty communication. By contrast, I haven’t had that with Vertical Computers. The team’s communication style is on point and truly solid. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there aren’t any. If anything, they’ve already improved their ticketing system, which is something we’ve always used since we started the partnership. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Vertical Computers is good at explaining things, so you should ask questions. A lot of people are intimidated by technology in general, so they let the technical people figure things out. However, the team is great at telling you what you don’t need even if they can charge you for it. As a result, don’t be afraid to ask questions, and treat them as if they’re a part of your company. They’ll be happy to talk to you about your questions. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re Laguna Designs, a boutique design and manufacturing company. We have some fairly sophisticated software and workflows that require robust and reliable network infrastructure.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Vertical Computers?

About three years ago, we felt that we had outgrown the support services that our vendor could offer us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

After some initial meetings, Vertical Computers came in and took an inventory of our equipment and infrastructure, and they took the time to understand our workflows before initiating a proposal and contract. Next, they assigned a technician to us. It was somebody who could drill down and understand each of our devices and connectivity. Additionally, they had another level of service support. We talked about providing equipment to upgrade our infrastructure and improve our workflow. They gave us recommendations for our servers and networks, and they had the expertise and resources to help us make some physical changes.

Overall, they continue to be a practical IT solution for us.

What is the team composition?

We’re most familiar with 4–5 people from their team. In the first year, we were happy with our technician. We also know the director of service and some of their higher-tier technicians.

How did you come to work with Vertical Computers?

We had an IT person that we’d call when needed. Once we realized we needed more than that, we interviewed three managed IT solution companies. Vertical Computers took the time to do a good survey of all our equipment and infrastructure and tried to understand what some of our workflows demanded from a high level. Overall, they made a detailed, deeper, and more personalized approach than the other vendors.

How much have you invested with them?

We run a monthly contract with them, which is less than $1,000 a month. Then, we’ve done a couple of infrastructure projects where they’ve provided outside resources and coordinated upgrades. At least two of those projects were between $10,000–$20,000.

Additionally, they’ve sold off some computer hardware, so we’ve done equipment upgrades for $5,000–$10,000. Altogether, we’ve spent between $50,000–$100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began our partnership in October 2019, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our network performs 25%–50% better than before. We have fewer issues with our software, and we’ve experienced a faster response to emergency problems on individual computers or software upgrades. Our employees don’t have to go through a couple of days without the infrastructure they need, which has undoubtedly made us more productive.

Overall, it’s a valuable partnership. They provide us with the confidence that our platforms are strong and our workflows will operate in the way we need them to. We get a lot of value from their service, and they’re better than having an in-house IT professional.

How did Vertical Computers perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve done well. When we’ve done projects outside their monthly managed IT services, they’ve partnered with good vendors. Also, they’ve managed well the scheduling and follow-up.

Moreover, they’re responsive to our needs and have an eye for growth. They’ve installed an applet on all of our devices — not only here in our plant in California but also on our offsite computers. All our employees and outside contractors can contact them through the applet or by email and phone calls.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have a lot of integrity, and I enjoy the transparency that we have with them. They address critical issues promptly.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We’d like to feel that they could go deeper into the support that they offer us. We wish they’d have more people with an intimate understanding of our devices and software needs beyond our tier person.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I’d certainly recommend Vertical Computers to anybody looking to build a strong infrastructure and needs help with IT management. You have to understand as much as you can about your requirements before initiating contact.

Also, be open-minded in terms of availability and what might make sense. Vertical Computers never pushes us to buy anything, but their advice is pretty solid, and they offer us services that we may or may not need.