BigStep Technologies Pvt. Ltd.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm Founder of a caste based Social Networking company, MaaKulam that is geared for Indian Diaspora to help people connect with similar heritages and family backgrounds.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire BigStep Technologies Pvt. Ltd., and what were your goals?

I first bought the ready made online community solution offering from Social Apps Technologies , a subsidiary of BigStep Technologies. I am very impressed with latest social networking features on both the web-based platform and mobile apps (Android and iOS).

Then hired them to develop a custom based solution on top of the existing solution, that is tailored to my web site features.

SOLUTION

How did you select BigStep Technologies Pvt. Ltd. and what were the deciding factors?

I made a decision to hire BigStep Technologies Pvt. Ltd after seeing their mature and advanced Community based product offering and their exceptional reviews on Social Engine.

I interviewed other players in the same space but they did not give me the confidence that they can handle the project especially the custom part of development.

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

In the past I have developed a social networking from scratch but that fell short in many areas such page load times, and features. So I started to look around a ready made solution and then tailor to my requirement.

I think BigStep Technologies helped to bring my requirements to light. They were able to pull the development close to the timeline they committed.

I did some issues after the product was delivered but they were quick to resolve the issues amicably. I will surely will be working with them with again in near future.

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

I think about 6-7 developers worked on the project. But most of the communication was with the project coordinator and sales, which was very professional.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The website I am developing with them hasn't gone live yet. So I will have to see how the product is received by the users and what issues I will encounter. But I am confident it will be a good experience.

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

BigStep uses Skype for 1-1 communication and it uses it's own ticketing service for issues and tasks, and it has worked perfectly.

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

Big Step is unique in how they understand our unique customer needs and develop solutions that solve them perfectly.

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

None that I can think of now.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the owner of a social networking site for black lesbians

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire BigStep Technologies Pvt. Ltd.?

This is the parent company of Socialapps Tech whom I purchased products and services from. I purchased the bulk app package which included 12 months of support, installation, server set up and site configuration.

I hired Socialapps Tech to install, set up and configure my website in a timely manner as assured to me during the pre sale conversation.

What were your goals for this project?

As discussed during presale, my intentions were to have my site up and running after the 1 1/2 week timeframe of installation as quoted. The goal was to have my site, configured upon setup, to replicate the demo site that I demo'd the previous week. Efficiency was of the upmost importance during the presale conversation

SOLUTION

How did you select BigStep Technologies Pvt. Ltd.?

Bigstep is the parent company of Socialapps Tech whom I purchased products and services from. I was researching membership CMS platforms and ran across a company that I thought was a good fit for my project.

Socialapps Tech was listed as the top developer for plugins and addons for this particular company. 5 stars and over 1500 reviews. We thought we found a winner

Describe the project in detail.

This was to be a very simple project. I contact Socialapps Tech and received an email from sales requesting that we Skype so we did. I explained to him that I'm creating a niche social networking site and requested additional info on the bulk package.

He provided links that I reviewed.

We discussed hosting and and the functionality of some of the apps. I explained that I wanted my site to duplicate the demo. He assured me that could be done. We discussed installation turn around time.

He assured me 1 1/2 weeks. That seemed a fair enough time to install 120 apps. I explained, in detail, my past horror stories with support. I let him know in advance of the sale that support and communication was of the upmost importance to me.

Customer service and support would definitely make or break the business relationship. He expressed his thorough understanding. I was informed that Bigsteps was having a sale to celebrate their 12 year anniversary so I took advantage of the discounted package.

I was provided with a list of details I needed to send to support for them to begin installation.

What was the team composition?

1 sales person 2 support reps and developers

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Purchased July 7, 2020 installation completed on July 23, 2020

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

This is the parent company of Social Apps Tech, supposedly an outstanding website plugin and application company. I've reached out to both Co-Owners via LinkedIn email.

That was weeks ago.

Imagine that, no acknowledgement or response what so ever. I can see why the company runs the way it does. Expectations are set by leadership. I've reported all of this on consumer affairs complaints as well as filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau.

I'm posting this review anywhere I can find both companies. The online reviews posted on their social media have obviously been paid for. My experience has been absolutely horrible with a waste of time and money.

Stear clear of this company. 1,500,.00 gone and 2 months of no communication. My website has just been sitting here while I pay server fees. Worse support I've ever experienced in my life.

They don't respond to support tickets even though you pay for support (please message me if you'd like to see proof of date of purchase, tickets submitted and respond dates) Chats go unanswered for hours, if you get a response at all. I have chat transcripts for proof as well.

Website landing page has been waiting on major subscription fields bugs to be corrected for over a month now. No one can even join the site if they wanted to. Waste of time, waste of money.

They're blaming it on the update to the original code. I mean really, it's been over 2 months. In the process of filing a dispute with my bank. I'm not receivung what I paid for. If support is vital to you, stay a million miles away from this company. Trash Service

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The only positive experience that I've had with this company is my salesman Rajdip Banerjee. He has tried his best and hardest to accommodate me. He's gone above and beyond his job description to make me a happy customer.

He responded to my skype inquiries regardless of the time and even on his off days. The gentleman was sick and running a fever but was still responding trying to escalate my issue.

He was calming and reassuring. He's the only reason I've given this company multiple opportunities to get it right. Remarkable job Rajdip. They should clone him, it would definitely improve customer experience

Are there any areas for improvement?

Support needs to take their job seriously and don't discriminate against what may go against your beliefs. I can't find a single bad review on the parent company or socialapps tech. Makes me question why I've been so singled out. Black lesbians exist. It's a fact. And money is still green regardless.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We provide cybersecurity and e-commerce/e-learning products. The company was founded in 2003. My position is the CEO of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire BigStep Technologies Pvt. Ltd.?

My company required a way to adapt several existing technologies into a platform that could assist us and our clients communicate better around projects during the pandemic. We hired BigStep Technologies, to assist in custom software development and integration of our platforms.

What were your goals for this project?

The goal of the project was to develop custom software, provide integration support to include development of mobile applications to accomplish our goal of a unified secure way to communicate.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

The vendor was selected based on the expertise they brought to our project that covered many different aspects of our technical requirements.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

They designed, developed and integrated several platforms for us to launch a successful e-learning and e-commerce site.

What was the team composition?

The project included several engineers. The team size changed over time to fit the needs of my requirement as this moved to launch.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

Our solution was able to launch to fulfill a need we found not only we had within the organization, but many others given the current pandemic. This has increased our capacity to expand our market beyond our traditional niche of cybersecurity and make a positive impact on our surrounding community.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The project management was excellent. We had frequent communication and adaptation to the requirements as we moved forward the project.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The most impressive aspect was the level of communication and attentiveness was not only provided by the project mangers, but also the developers. Everyone makes sure they are clear on the vision and direction to move the project forward successfully.

Are there any areas for improvement?

There is very little, I would improve. The only item, I would suggest for new clients is to be mindful of time zone differences. We did have to accommodate time between the US and India.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm president of a software company that does its own product development as well as providing consulting services.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire BigStep Technologies Pvt. Ltd.?

I was brought in to manage BigStep on an existing website they had been working on and help move the site from a VPS server to dedicated AWS instances with RDS on the database side and S3 on the storage side.

What were your goals for this project?

A seamless transition from the current solution to the new solution, with increased speed and improved development practices.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

They had been the developers on the website for a few years and offered good synergy with the developers and website owners.

Describe the project in detail.

Existing development processes were inconsistent and undisciplined. We needed to both improve the dev procedures and create an infrastructure to support the new way of working. The new BigStep team needed to help improve the GItHub setup, use Amazone pipelines for CI/CD, and design the processes for automated deployment to the new AWS servers on every check-in.

What was the team composition?

We hired a new full-time developer at BigStep and brought on their DevOps team to manage the AWS side of things.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The team at BigStep responded well to our requests and requirements. They brought multiple candidates for interview and heard feedback on what we were looking for, and ended up getting us a great team in place to execute on our strategy. We ended up achieving our goals and now have a much better infrastructure and set of development procedures, backed up by our CI/CD process.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Great. They were responsive to messages and listened well to direction.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They have a strong team in place and were able to work together seamlessly at a time when COVID-19 forced them to all work from home. It spoke well of the strong relationships they had with each other internally.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Coordinating meeting times could be challenging.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Founder of an educational networking company based in Nigeria. We basically provide a platform where students and scholars can connect to share innovative ideas and promote scholarship and research.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire BigStep Technologies Pvt. Ltd.?

They developed the mobile apps of our platform and often carried out many custom work services on both the apps and the website, and they did that with all professionalism and excellence.

What were your goals for this project?

Since we already had the website developed, we wanted a mobile app to make usability easy for our members, and we had the opportunity of hiring one of the best tech company in the field.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

It wasn't difficult selecting them to work on our app development. They are already at the top of app development for social software. So, we simply picked them without any hesitation.

Describe the project in detail.

Once we decided they were going to do the project, we requested for a demo, which was already available, and a quotation. After a brief negotiation, we signed and commenced the project, and everything went smoothly.

What was the team composition?

From day one, we were assigned a team of app development and a web development team. They worked together closely to ensure all our specifications are met.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project started immediately after the signing of agreement. Withing three weeks to one month, we received a test apk. After a few adjustments and customization, our apps were uploaded on Play Store and Apple Store.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Workflow was highly smooth and effective. We experienced one of the best and responsive technical team and customer relations.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They had a great team of experts that was always eager to understand what client wanted and give him or her their best. They are an amazing team!

Are there any areas for improvement?

Overall, their work has always been satisfactory. Nevertheless, due to traffic of work sometime, one needs to send reminder, and once that is received, they are usually prompt in their response.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are a startup incubator doing both internal projects and external projects. Businesses we incorporate or help have to have an online focus and can be both B2B or B2C.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire BigStep Technologies Pvt. Ltd.?

We have used BigStep Technologies since 2015 to develop websites. The markets we have developed web sites for is anging from health tech websites, to interior design website to closed communities. No matter the challenge BigStep has perfectly solved each one of them.

What were your goals for this project?

Since we are working with startup projects it has been most important to build with flexibility as the foundation. Customer demands might change and so being able to change according to these needs has been crucial to our success. BigStep has proven a valuable partner in order to accomplish this.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We used online directory services to find and compare vendors and considered 3 companies. We started out with small tasks for each one, and quickly saw that BigStep differentiated themselves in speed, quality of the work and easy communication.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

We have used BigStep for several projects. Two of the projects that are currently live is a diabetes platform and a closed community for a Norwegian airline. BigStep has provided the underlying technical platform for both websites as well as the ongoing bug-fixing and development.

What was the team composition?

The team size has changed over time over the years depending on tasks needed to be fixed.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

We would not have been able to deliver our project to the Norwegian airline´s pilot association within the limited time and budget we had if it had not been for BigStep. Today this client is daily using their website for all communication internally and is adding new features expanding the use of the platform.

The same goes for the diabetes site. Using BigStep we have been able to create a full functioning lifestyle platform making it easier for people with diabetes to find and apply healthy lifestyle changes.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

We have used BigStep´s own ticketing service for our tasks, and it has worked perfectly. Language has not been an issue and all communication has been done in English.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

BigStep is unique in how they understand our unique customer needs and develop solutions that solve them perfectly. Since these needs often change in the early phases we are operating in, it has been a important that our technology can change with these changes and this is where BigStep is different than most. We have yet to run into a problem that cannot easily be fixed as their underlying approach to development allows for flexibility.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None that I can think of now.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of Costa Women, the largest women’s network in Spain.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with BigStep Technologies Pvt. Ltd.?

I wanted a community website for my members. My previous website became very unreliable.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

My site is a social and business networking site with 9,000 members, which aims to connect women living in Spain or who are thinking of moving to Spain. Using one of their plugins, BigStep Technologies helped me build the site. 

Since we’ve been working together, we’ve updated it twice. That process has been a bit complicated because the community is quite large. We had to make sure that they would be able to host that data and organize it correctly. The team managed that process for me, and they’ve been keeping the site updated as they’ve released new modules. 

They also use their own in-house designs. 

How did you come to work with BigStep Technologies Pvt. Ltd.?

They seemed perfect for what I wanted to achieve.

How much have you invested with them?

We initially spent $800, and we pay a monthly support fee.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in July 2016 and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We receive very positive comments from users. The functionality of their design and layout met my needs. BigStep Technologies is always coming up with new ideas for my business, like creating an app, which I want to do in the future.

Occasionally, when we have a new upgrade, they’re quick to respond if there are any issues. I get excellent support.

How did BigStep Technologies Pvt. Ltd. perform from a project management standpoint?

If I have a problem, they are very quick to react — I can contact their support desk and they immediately work it out. They don’t mind that I don’t speak in IT terms. They have a support platform and communicate via email as well. They work around my schedule.

What did you find most impressive about them?

BigStep Technologies has provided me fantastic support. They’re very reactive to my needs even if it’s something very simple. They also come up with new ideas.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I’m very satisfied with who they are and what they offer.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They have different types of designs. Make sure there’s one that fits you.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

My company is Next G Resources. We’ve developed a social network called Primefigure.com. It’s available as a website and Android and iOS app.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with BigStep Technologies Pvt. Ltd.?

I’d bought the SocialEngine platform, and I was looking for a third-party provider to improve the system.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

BigStep made improvements to my website, built a payment gateway, and developed my Android and iOS apps.

What is the team composition?

They assigned me a main point of contact, whom I can contact directly through email and WhatsApp.

How did you come to work with BigStep Technologies Pvt. Ltd.?

I looked at reviews for multiple companies that provided SocialEngine development. I got a quote from BigStep for one particular service, and I started working with them.  

How much have you invested with them?

I’ve paid them $35,000–40,000 over the past four years.

What is the status of this engagement?

I started working with BigStep around May 2016. They delivered the stable versions of the Android and iOS apps last month, but the collaboration is ongoing for improvements and bug fixes.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I tried multiple companies before BigStep. With some, I just wasted my money, while others delivered something other than what I asked for. BigStep has done a very good job, they have reasonable pricing, and, most importantly, they assigned me a single person to deal with all issues. I don’t think I would’ve found this level of customer service at any other company.

How did BigStep Technologies Pvt. Ltd. perform from a project management standpoint?

I had problems communicating with previous companies I’ve worked with. It was difficult to get a hold of them, and they’d reply three or four days later. Luckily, BigStep gave me a single point of contact for my project.

She was a manager in the customer service team, and I could contact her on WhatsApp. She responded and solved any issues I had very quickly. I didn’t have to go through different emails and wait for several days.

They have a web ticketing system in place, and we also have calls and talk through WhatsApp, which is much faster.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I haven’t considered moving to another company. Any mobile app will have bugs that we won’t anticipate in the beginning. I don’t have an internal IT team, so I rely on third parties. If I had to rely on email conversations and ticketing systems, it would’ve been troublesome. BigStep is reliable, and they gave me a direct contact. I plan to stick with them for the long term.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It’s not possible to avoid all bugs, but they could have a quality person in place that could monitor the delivery of the app and identify basic bugs.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

I’ve been working for 4–5 years with BigStep, and we’ve had a long process together. They haven’t disappointed me, and I’ll definitely recommend them to other people.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We connect people on a social network that is respecting our member’s right to privacy and their right to freedom of speech. Everyone has a voice at the Patriot Network and sign up is free. I am the Senior Executive Officer, Media Production I am heading Product Management, Design and Business development and are responsible for the core products and features.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire BigStep Technologies Pvt. Ltd.?

I hired BigStep Technologies for various tasks. Among them for assisting in setting up the online network infrastructure, including various IT developments and network monitoring services.

What were your goals for this project?

To build a solid Social Media Platform with high functionality and increased user value.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I am using two developers on this project. One of them is BigStep Technologies. I have had previous experiences with both developers in this field. BigStep Technologies was hired by me for the first time in 2013, to provide similar services for a Prototype project. The pleasant experience led me to rehire the company for the current project.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

We are developing a new Social Media Platform to be launched for Beta Testing on July 4th 2020. BigStep Technologies assisted in various stages, ranging from server setup and deployment to module installation, mobile app development and 24/7 network support

What was the team composition?

Big Step Technologies Team composition consists of an Account Manager, two IT Experts and one Mobile App Developer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

Thus far the results are great. In complex projects like this, technical as well as logistical challenges occur almost on a daily basis. BigStep Technologies is assisting us in the IT sector and helped troubleshooting various tasks.

Our company is located in the US. While the time difference, thus the working hours, between the two countries constitute sometimes a challenge, the communication between the team and myself remain satisfactory.

To improve response and communications, one of the lead technicians offered me today his personal contact info, as to further improve the response time. Gestures like these go a long way in building trust in professional relationships.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The Project Management is structured between the IT department and the sales department. With sales I mostly communicate via email and Skype, if required. The IT department communicates via live Business Chat on their platform, or via Skype for group meetings.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their expertise in setting up the network infrastructure and application development was impressive. For us it is critical to get many moving parts into harmony. BigStep Technologies is playing a major role, assisting us in the accomplishment of these crucial tasks.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Improvements can be made in reducing lag time for resolving critical tasks. Social Network Operations will greatly depend on immediate response to critical issues that might cause the Network to go off-line.

My confidence is not at 100% that we are at this point. The development phase and subsequent occurring challenges within building the Network revealed that responsiveness has room for improvement.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

My company is a private social media company and I am the President and majority stock holder.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire BigStep Technologies Pvt. Ltd.?

To help create a web and mobile platform to include live messenger and live broadcasting for members.

What were your goals for this project?

To create a social media engagement platform for our members that gave them all the relevant features that today's social media user requires.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I have worked with BigStep in the past on another project with great success.

Describe the project in detail.

I engaged BigStep to build my Social Engine PHP platform on AWS and develop the web and mobile applications for iOS and Android to include live messenger and live broadcasting and streaming.

What was the team composition?

Myself and several Big Step developers and engineers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

BigStep was able to get my project, including the iOS mobile app up and running inside of 2 weeks. The project is still under development but their team is quick to respond to the ongoing requests for continued development, installation services, and troubleshooting efforts as we find issues.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

There has been very good synergy between myself and the BigStep team. They are very responsive, quick to respond, and always go the extra mile to resolve any issues. We also use live chat to engage directly with one another when working on any setup or problem and that has been very helpful and useful.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The cost effectiveness of their products and the responsiveness and professionalism of their team have both been superb.

Are there any areas for improvement?

At this time I would not suggest any changes or improvements to their product or team. I will say that since my last project with them over 4 years ago their platform and their service excellence has greatly improved and I am very happy about both.