Xantrion

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

 I am the CEO of a financial services company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Is a Certified Development Company (CDC) and SBA 504 lender that helps small and mid-sized businesses secure long-term, low-fixed-rate financing for commercial real estate.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• To migrate our on-premises environment to the Microsoft cloud, including SharePoint Online and Azure AD.
• To modernize device and identity management by implementing Microsoft Intune and moving domain-joined machines to Azure
• To improve security, scalability, and support for remote work through a fully cloud-managed IT infrastructure.

SOLUTION

How did you find Xantrion?

Referral

Why did you select Xantrion over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Xantrion were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

The scope of work included partnering with Xantrion to transition our on-premises IT environment to the Microsoft cloud, migrating files and collaboration workflows to SharePoint Online, implementing Microsoft Intune for device and security management, and moving our domain-joined machines to Azure AD; key deliverables were a fully operational SharePoint cloud environment, Intune-managed endpoints with standardized security policies, successfully migrated Azure AD–joined devices, and supporting documentation to enable ongoing internal IT operations. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

With the migration to the Microsoft cloud, the Company eliminated ongoing issues with our aging on-premises host and resource constraints, improved system reliability and performance, enabled secure remote access to files and devices through SharePoint Online and Azure AD, centralized device management with Intune, and reduced downtime and IT overhead by moving to a scalable, cloud-based infrastructure.

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

Xantrion’s project management was well organized and responsive; they delivered key milestones on time, clearly communicated throughout the engagement, and were flexible and understanding of our concerns around a major infrastructure transition, taking the time to adjust plans, explain impacts, and ensure our team was comfortable at each stage of the process.

What was your primary form of communication with Xantrion?

Virtual Meeting

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

Xantrion's proactive approach to IT management truly stands out. They did not just respond to issues as they arose; instead, they anticipated potential challenges and addressed them before they impacted our operations. This forward-thinking strategy has significantly enhanced our system reliability and security.

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

While there were some initial concerns around pricing, Xantrion ultimately delivered on everything that was planned. The results justified our investment, as our systems have been significantly more stable and easier to manage since the transition to the cloud.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of Regency Investment Advisors

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Regency Investment Advisors provides relationship-driven financial advisory services including investment management, comprehensive financial planning, and retirement plan solutions.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Conduct a comprehensive current-state assessment of our existing collaboration infrastructure and provide strategic recommendations based on industry best practices for user experience and intranet design
• Implement a modern intranet solution leveraging Microsoft SharePoint and Teams to enhance collaboration, streamline document sharing, and improve internal communication across all departments.
• Drive broad end-user adoption by delivering a feature-rich platform that supports daily workflows and departmental needs with seamless Microsoft 365 integration to ensure accessibility, productivity, and scalability.

SOLUTION

How did you find Xantrion?

Referral

Why did you select Xantrion over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned
• Depth of Experience

How many teammates from Xantrion were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

The scope of work encompasses the implementation of a modern intranet solution leveraging Microsoft SharePoint and Teams to transform Regency Investment Advisors' internal collaboration and communication capabilities.

Key Deliverables:

·         Discovery and Assessment Phase: Comprehensive evaluation of existing collaboration tools, document sharing processes, and internal communication systems to identify gaps and opportunities for improvement

·         Strategic Recommendations Report: Detailed recommendations based on industry best practices for user experience and intranet design, tailored to support daily workflows and departmental needs

·         Design and Architecture: Development of overall SharePoint/Teams design strategy, intranet site architecture planning, hub site creation, department-specific site designs, and integration planning with Microsoft 365 suite including sensitivity labels and compliance policies.

·         Implementation and Migration: Department-by-department SharePoint site buildout with document libraries, data migration from existing file shares to SharePoint, OneDrive deployment and configuration

·         Training and Support: Customized one-hour department demo, Q&A sessions, user guides for new features and functionality, site administrator training, and comprehensive documentation on security best practices and additional site creation processes.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We experienced an immediate gain in efficiency when the project was completed. Our productivity improved as much as 30% with our new infrastructure and related Microsoft ecosystem and hardware upgrades. Client survey feedback also improved due to the efficiency and quality of client facing presentations.

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

Excellent. Kelly (PMP) our project manager and Tim our vCIO were excellent. She was the main point of contact throughout the process, with collaboration from Tim. Xantrion set clear expectations for the project and delivered it ahead of schedule. We had weekly project meetings with Kelly and their Team. There was a high level of collaboration, and all their SMEs were involved. We also used a dedicated Teams channel and they were always responsive.

What was your primary form of communication with Xantrion?

Virtual Meeting

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

Highly organized. Experienced staff. Professional. Reliable.

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

None. They were amazing.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Technical Architect of MidPen Housing Corporation

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Our organization is a nonprofit that develops, builds, and operates affordable housing and provides on-site support services for residents. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Modernize infrastructure to improve scalability and performance
• Enhance security and disaster recovery capabilities
• Simplify operations and reduce administrative overhead

SOLUTION

How did you find Xantrion?

• Online Search
• Referral

Why did you select Xantrion over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Xantrion were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

The project involved relocating all server workloads from a legacy datacenter to Microsoft Azure as part of a broader effort to modernize infrastructure, enhance security and disaster recovery, and streamline operations. Xantrion led the effort through five structured phases, beginning with a discovery and planning process that included a full inventory of existing systems and development of a detailed migration schedule and communications plan. 

In the next phase, Xantrion configured the Azure environment by provisioning necessary compute, network, and storage resources and establishing continuity safeguards to minimize disruption during the migration. Testing followed, with validation of system performance, application behavior, and connectivity to ensure a smooth transition. 

The production migration was executed within a planned outage window, during which systems were cut over to the Azure environment and legacy infrastructure was decommissioned. Xantrion provided post-migration stabilization support, updated documentation to reflect the new environment, and facilitated knowledge transfer to the our internal IT team. 

Key deliverables included a fully configured Azure infrastructure, the successful migration of all production workloads, updated operational documentation, and a clean transition of support responsibilities to our IT staff. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

This project represented a major shift from aging, colocated infrastructure to a modern cloud environment. The migration was completed on schedule and delivered several concrete outcomes that reflect its success. 

Smooth Transition with No Critical Downtime. The production cutover was executed within a planned four-hour maintenance window. Core business systems were brought online in Azure without service disruptions, and users experienced no critical downtime during or after the migration. 

Greater Visibility and Control. With everything centralized in Azure, the organization now has clearer insight into its infrastructure. The new environment allows for improved monitoring, faster detection of issues, and streamlined management of updates and system performance. 

Stronger Security and Resilience. Moving to Azure significantly strengthened the organization’s security posture. Built-in protections, better backup capabilities, and a more resilient architecture now support both daily operations and long-term recovery planning. 

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

Xantrion approached this project with a clear, structured plan and executed it with a strong focus on communication and responsiveness. From the outset, they provided a phased roadmap with defined milestones and remained transparent and flexible as the project evolved. 

All major milestones were met as scheduled. Planning and design work was completed early in the year, and the production migration occurred during a planned maintenance window in March. The cutover itself was executed cleanly, with no disruption to critical business operations. Follow-up tasks, including cleanup of legacy systems and stabilization work, were addressed promptly in the days that followed. 

Throughout the engagement, the Xantrion team remained highly responsive and solution-oriented. They collaborated closely on planning decisions, adjusted timelines and technical approaches when needed, and maintained consistent communication from start to finish. The ability to pivot in real time during the migration and address any unexpected issues without delay was a clear strength. 
Xantrion delivered the project on time and with a high level of professionalism. Their disciplined approach, clear communication, and willingness to adapt to changing priorities were all key to the project’s success. 

What was your primary form of communication with Xantrion?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Xantrion brought a strong combination of technical skill and collaborative execution. Rather than treating the work as a one-time handoff, they approached the project as a partnership, engaging regularly, listening closely to feedback, and making thoughtful recommendations that aligned with both technical standards and business priorities. 

They remained proactive and flexible throughout, helping us navigate decisions and adjust course where needed. That level of engagement made a complex infrastructure migration feel clear and manageable from start to finish. 

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

One area that could have been improved was the early communication around licensing requirements. Some of the implications around software licensing weren’t fully surfaced during the initial planning phase, which introduced some uncertainty during budgeting and required late-stage adjustments. 

That said, once the issue was identified, the Xantrion team moved quickly to clarify the situation and worked closely with us to ensure everything was in place ahead of the migration. Their responsiveness helped prevent the issue from impacting the overall timeline or outcome. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

 I am the Director of IT of a financial services company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Community Development Financial Institution

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Enhancing Collaboration and Accessibility of Business Information
• Improving Security and Compliance of Business Information
• Enhancing Operational Efficiency

SOLUTION

How did you find Xantrion?

Referral

Why did you select Xantrion over others?

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

How many teammates from Xantrion were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

We partnered with Xantrion to modernize our data management by migrating our legacy network shares to SharePoint, enhancing accessibility, security, and collaboration across our organization. They proactively identified and resolved potential migration challenges, such as incompatible data formats, ensuring a seamless transition. 
Xantrion designed our SharePoint environment to align with our needs, structuring department and project sites, and implementing branding and compliance policies. They managed the entire migration process, including data transfer, backup configuration, and security enhancements like device trust and conditional access. 
With their comprehensive training resources and ongoing support, SharePoint has become an intuitive and reliable platform for our team. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our experience with Xantrion led to significant improvements in our IT environment, making our data more accessible, secure, and easy to manage. They successfully migrated all of our legacy network shares to a collection SharePoint document libraries, ensuring full data availability without loss or corruption. 
Since the transition, our team has seamlessly adopted SharePoint and OneDrive, with increased engagement and collaboration. File access is now faster, more reliable, and available from anywhere, giving our team greater flexibility and mobility. 
Xantrion also strengthened our security with enhanced compliance policies, including device trust and conditional access, giving us greater control over our data and who has access to it. Their thorough training and support made the transition smooth for our employees. 

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

Xantrion managed our project with precision and efficiency from start to finish. They adhered to deadlines, keeping each rollout stage on track without delays. Their team was proactive and receptive, swiftly handling any concerns or modifications we needed. Thanks to their clear and consistent updates, we always felt informed, which made the entire experience seamless. 

What was your primary form of communication with Xantrion?

Virtual Meeting

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

Xantrion stood out for their commitment to preventing IT issues before they happened. Their team takes a strategic, forward-looking approach, identifying vulnerabilities and implementing solutions to keep our systems running smoothly. This level of foresight has made a noticeable difference in our operational stability and data security, giving us peace of mind. 

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

Xantrion handled our migration efficiently, but one area for improvement would be better anticipating SharePoint’s file and folder naming limitations. Some restructuring was required to meet SharePoint’s constraints, which added extra steps during the transition. While they addressed these challenges effectively, more proactive planning in this area could have made the process even smoother. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Sr. Mgr. IT Infrastructure and Security of a manufacturing company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Food Manufacturing

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Infrastructure monitoring
• Centralized patching
• Cybersecurity/identity monitoring

SOLUTION

How did you find Xantrion?

Referral

Why did you select Xantrion over others?

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

How many teammates from Xantrion were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

We hired Xantrion to strengthen IT security and ensure operational stability. They implemented server patching to keep our systems secure and updated, along with infrastructure monitoring to proactively detect issues, minimizing disruptions. Additionally, Xantrion provided end-user cybersecurity and identity monitoring, safeguarding our accounts and sensitive information against unauthorized access.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project with Xantrion brought clear improvements to our IT environment. With their proactive infrastructure monitoring, we saw a noticeable reduction in downtime and smoother daily operations. Their server patching approach has kept our systems consistently updated, enhancing our overall security. Additionally, the end-user identity monitoring helped prevent unauthorized access, leading to fewer security incidents. These results have allowed us to work more efficiently and confidently, knowing our IT systems are stable and secure.

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

Xantrion demonstrated excellent project management throughout our partnership. They consistently delivered on time, ensuring each phase of implementation was completed according to schedule. They were responsive and attentive to our needs, quickly addressing any questions or adjustments we required. Their team kept us updated on progress and maintained clear communication, making the process smooth and straightforward.

What was your primary form of communication with Xantrion?

Virtual Meeting

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

Xantrion's proactive approach to IT management was outstanding. They don't just respond to issues as they arise; instead, they anticipate potential challenges and address them before they impact our operations. This forward-thinking strategy has significantly enhanced our system reliability and security.

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

One area for improvement would be the initial setup phase of identity monitoring. It took some time to refine and adjust the system to meet our specific needs fully. However, Xantrion was diligent in addressing these challenges, and now the service operates smoothly and reliably. Their commitment to improvement and responsiveness throughout the process ensured we reached a solid, effective solution.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Operations Manager of a financial services company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We deliver thoughtful financial planning, disciplined investment management and ongoing coaching, advising and support to have a positive impact on our clients’ lives.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Have an IT partner that is an expert in our space including SEC cyber requirements.
• Reduce the time spent on IT issues internally. Previous MSP required a fair amount of internal IT involvement and oversight.
• Improve and outsource more of our Firm Security & Cybersecurity Program.

SOLUTION

How did you find Xantrion?

• Online Search
• Referral

Why did you select Xantrion over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Referred to me
• • Specializes in our client profile i.e. RIA in Bay Area

How many teammates from Xantrion were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

• Managed IT services and project management.
• Improved security and oversight via Intune, Azure, SSO and KnowBe4.
• Reviewed existing Cybersecurity Program and provided recommendations.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Xantrion has fully taken over as our MSP and they handle all things IT for our firm.
• We rolled out SSO for 3 available programs, which has heightened our security & improved the overall user experience.
• We implemented policies within Intune to increase our overall security on our machines. 
• Xantrion demonstrated thorough knowledge and expertise in all things IT and cyber in Q&A, thought partnership and security recommendations.

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

Xantrion was attentive to our needs and delivered items in a timely manner. They made sure to communicate during the entire process and got approval prior to making any changes. They made sure we understood what was happening and were there to answer any questions.

What was your primary form of communication with Xantrion?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

• The onboarding process and initial project work made Xantrion impressive and unique: 
  • Their attention to detail, organization and follow-up made it easy to make decisions and stay informed on the project and key updates.
  • They committed to due dates and followed through on them.
  • They were easy to get a hold of and proactive.

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

No areas for improvement. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the General Manager of Van De Pol Enterprises, Inc.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Van De Pol Enterprises, Inc. is a full-service distributor of petroleum-based & renewable fuels, lubricants, propane and related products from our locations in California, Arizona and northern Nevada.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

General upgrade of existing IT systems, particularly multi-site networking, wireless consolidation, and server infrastructure.

SOLUTION

How did you find Xantrion?

• Online Search
• Research & RFP process

Why did you select Xantrion over others?

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

How many teammates from Xantrion were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

Network Infrastructure 

• Deploy secure and standard configurations to existing equipment 
• Simplify and secure local and intra-site networking 
• Deploy standard hardware to all sites 

Server and Identity Infrastructure 

•  Simplify and consolidate server infrastructure 
• Upgrade hardware where necessary 
• Implement best practices for sign on services 
• Implement best practices for file replication 
• Centralize printer deployments 

Remote Desktop Services 

• Upgrade server resources 
• Reduce Azure costs wherever possible
• Implement best practices for profile management 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Reduced IT downtime
• Better RDS performance
• Server hosting cost savings of $9500/month
• More reliable printing services
• Seamless wireless roaming between sites

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

• Defined tasks & goals with assigned timeline and budget
• Weekly call to report progress, segment completion and outstanding issues, if any
• Project timelines were met and on-budget, stakeholders were completely satisfied

What was your primary form of communication with Xantrion?

Virtual Meeting

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

Xantrion was professional, organized and thorough throughout the project. We continue to retain them as our ongoing IT partner.  Our experience with them has been, by far, the best IT company we have experienced.

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

None.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and your position there.

We are a law firm, and I am in charge of the business operations, including our Information Technology

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We were having uptime and the timely addressing of issues with the previous provider. We also needed a level of expertise that Xantrion provides through their deep bench.

SOLUTION

How did you find Xantrion?

Referral

Why did you select Xantrion over others?

• Close to my geographic location
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How did you come to work with Xantrion?

I have been working with them for several years at a prior company. I transitioned to them to replace a vendor that was not performing up to our expectations.

How many teammates from Xantrion were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

What was the team composition?

vCIO, dedicated engineer, helpdesk

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

Ongoing - we have completely outsourced our IT program.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Identifying potential areas of weakness in 3rd party password management software and plugging all potential holes. The outcome is that there have been no breaches to our firm's systems.

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

The uptime of our critical IT systems is phenomenal, and when there is an issue they quickly and efficiently address and resolve it.

How did their team perform from a project management standpoint?

Excellent project and time management on an ongoing basis.

What was your primary form of communication with Xantrion?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

There customer service and dealing with issues as they arise, as well as their working with me to proactively keep our systems secure and running smoothly.

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

None that I can note.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Hire them!

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an executive at a private foundation.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Xatrion?

We had been working with Xatrion for a long time. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, our IT systems still relied heavily on hardware rather than software, so we tasked Xatrion to help us go through a digital transformation process.

We already had an external CTO through them, but we wanted to find a different one because we needed a stronger partner who had a background in software solutions rather than hardware so that they could support our digital transformation. Thus, a new CTO was part of our requirements.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Xatrion works with us as our external CTO. Their team has helped us go through our digital transformation, including improving our cybersecurity, changing our PC equipment to all laptops, and seeing our business differently according to that digital transformation.

Throughout our engagement, Xatrion has also helped us implement different technologies for our business as needed. For example, they first helped us implement Zoom and a Zoom room for our meetings. Since then, they’ve helped us move our phone system over to Microsoft (MS) Teams. Our previous phone system was expensive, so they helped us sort out that problem.

As for hardware, Xatrion has helped us purchase and install our laptops and monitors. Whenever we need a new laptop or to fix an issue with our existing equipment, they come to our office and help us set up everything right.

Regarding cybersecurity, Xatrion has helped us find the right broker with the right cybersecurity insurance coverage. On the forefront, they’ve also helped us with cybersecurity training for our staff for the last four years. One of our main concerns is that we get aggressively phished, so they do all they can to keep us safe.

Moreover, the actual security in our office building was a concern. Thus, Xatrion has worked on our security cameras and constantly watches over us in that regard. On top of those services, Xatrion acts as our IT consultant, so they provide us with IT consulting services.

What is the team composition?

We work directly with one person from Xatrion, who acts as our external CTO — we work with him extensively. Additionally, we communicate with their help desk for remote assistance, and they send one person for on-site assistance.

How did you come to work with Xatrion?

Our CEO originally found them. Xatrion had been working for us for a long time, but when we decided to do our digital transformation, we thought of moving somewhere else. However, Xatrion was able to find a really good CTO for us with the expertise we needed, so we stayed with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We pay Xatrion around $70,000 per year, not counting the cost of additional special projects.

What is the status of this engagement?

We originally started working with Xatrion around 2006. However, we switched to a new CTO around March 2020, right before the COVID-19 pandemic started. Our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

As a result of our digital transformation, we now operate on MS products, so we’ve consolidated our systems in a cloud solution. Before having this solution, accessing our systems from anywhere but our office was cumbersome. Thanks to this implementation, teammates can now access our systems from anywhere in the world.

Additionally, since working with Xatrion on this project, we’ve been very lucky and proud of our staff. Thanks to their training and cybersecurity support, cybercriminals haven’t been able to access us, which is great. Xatrion constantly ensures that our staff is well-trained to avoid phishing attacks.

How did Xatrion perform from a project management standpoint?

Xatrion’s project management has been great. For example, the phone system update project was very organized; Xatrion tried to think ahead for us and planned the whole project well. Additionally, they stuck to the budget, which we really appreciated. Overall, they’ve been very reasonable and responsive, and they provide us with a great service even if technology is not our expertise.

Xatrion provides us with off-site services because we feel there’s no need for them to be on site. Still, whenever we need on-site assistance, we call them. Initially, they were on site frequently to help us with our digital transformation. Since then, we’ve been very capable of collaborating off site.

As for communication, we have MS Teams meetings with our external CTO twice per month. This person has become a strategic partner for us, so we constantly discuss how to do things differently. Additionally, he visits us when he’s in town.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The relationship with our CTO is outstanding. The ultimate reason for staying with Xatrion for this project has been having such an amazing CTO. Our working relationship is great; we constantly work with him, and everyone on our staff knows who he is.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The only thing that Xatrion could improve is their cost. At times, we feel like we’re paying a lot. However, we haven’t compared their prices in the market.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Having a great CTO in your company is very important. The right CTO will help you get to where you want to be. Moreover, there are a lot of things going on regarding cybersecurity these days, so a good IT consultant will help protect your organization.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

At Revel, creativity shines. We combine our love for well-designed spaces with a culture of working together to get things done right. Every concept we bring to the table and experience we bring to life come from an empathetic deep dive into our client’s company culture, aspirations, and needs. The end result — modern interior and architectural designs that inspire as well as perform.

In my position as one of the executives, I derive and implement IT strategy for the company, as well as Finance and Accounting oversight. Having purview into both the financial budgeting responsibilities for the company, as well as those over all-things-IT, gives me the unique position of overseeing the project as well as having power over the resources to do it.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Xantrion?

Overall, we organically grew, both in size and geographic presence.  We needed the ability to scale while reducing the risk of poor network performance for employees working at a distance from the server closet in our HQ in Northern California.

The project at hand was comprised of two goals:  first, we needed a hybrid server model whereby our on-site server environment would be mirrored in the Azure Cloud;  second, we needed to decrease the on premise server closet (IDF) size as well as reduce the number of servers.

SOLUTION

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

Xantrion had already been providing Managed IT Services when we came to them with this problem.  Because we already had grown to fully trust Xantrion as a valued partner, we came to them with this problem scenario, fully confident they would find an economical and solid solution.

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

Design and Preparation:

- Create Azure tenant

- Configure Azure networked environment

- Purchase Azure resources

Implementation:

• Deploy virtual machines
• Install and configure operating systems
• Configure replication for Active Directory
• Configure file replication
• Update, monitor, and configure backups
• Modify DNS records and connections to point to the Azure resources

User Testing and Validation:

• Connect pilot users to the Azure infrastructure
• Test applications, throughput, and performance
• Update configurations as needed
• Validate Active Directory and file replications

Documentation:

Update documentation on file to reflect environment changes

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

Four members of the Xantrion team worked directly with us.  This was great for communicating with us often, and reducing the incremental risk relative to wasted time and money:

Two (2) Xantrion vCIO employees - one primary, the other secondary - served as direct-to-client managers and points of contact

One (1) Xantrion Sr. Project Engineer who served as the non-customer facing technical conductor to steer the project from beginning to end.  Continuity was key in giving us the project would work as expected.

One (1) Xantrion Project Manager who was the non-customer facing driver of the schedule.  This role was key in helping Revel feel confident that the Xantrion team would accomplish the project on time and on budget.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

In an ideal world, my hope was for our employees to experience this project as a non-experience, meaning, they would otherwise have no idea this project ever happened; no interruption in server access, no degredations of server/file performance, and no loss of data (all the same stuff would live on both the physical server in HQ and in the cloud server remote employees would access).  

Xantrion executed on the project such that all these objectives were met.  Awesome job!

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow between our teams was excellent.  The Xantrion team would meet regularly with myself and ownership to establish, and later give status on, priorities and objectives.  The subsequent hand-offs of deliverables between Revel and Xantrion were seemless because the up-front communication on establishing clear goals, with a feasible action plan for each, was so good. 

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

Xantrion actually, truly cares about the success of the work they do.  No joke.  With us, they have consistently come to the task with a proactive, capable, and congenial team.  In my view, this reduces the risk of poor project performance and cost overruns.  Selecting Xantrion was the proverbial no-brainer. 

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

Xantrion could have supplied me, up front, with an updated network topolofy map with the new server names.  Because of my role, I often need to remote into servers or use server-specific apps.  Due to the nature of this hybrid environment, the names of the new servers in the cloud had a different naming schema than that of the on-prem servers with which I was already so familiar.