CGTechnologies

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm an IT consultant for a nonprofit.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with CGTechnologies?

We needed to upgrade our existing server to a more secure platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

CGTechnologies has helped us with hardware and software procurement, IT managed services, subscription services, and cybersecurity to a lesser extent.

When we first brought them on, they upgraded our Windows Server 2003 to a more secure version and the hardware. For example, they purchased and set up replacement laptops for some staff members before shipping them to our office.

They work remotely and in the office. Recently, they've been coming into the office less frequently, so it's more remote. 

What is the team composition?

We typically work with the help desk and two particular people.

How did you come to work with CGTechnologies?

They were a referral from another company in a similar industry.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend around $900 CAD a month.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in June 2005, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They have provided a more professional environment and better services than the previous organization.

How did CGTechnologies perform from a project management standpoint?

They deliver on time and within budget. We communicate effectively via phone calls, email, and a ticketing system. 
Typically, if I want a quick response, we call the help desk. If we have a less urgent response, we work through the ticket system. If we want to get in contact and arrange a phone call, we email our contacts and schedule a time to actually have a conversation about what we want to achieve.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They handle the IT-managed services well and quickly and efficiently address any problems or questions.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We always have new people on the help desk, so it would be good if they had someone who could learn about the organization.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

CGTechnologies provides quality service, and we're satisfied with them as we move into the length of time that we've been their clients.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the design manager at a manufacturing company. We fabricate custom stainless steel pressure vessels and equipment. I’ve been with the company for 32 years and am the IT liaison with the IT provider.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with CGTechnologies?

We needed their expertise with servers and other equipment, as well as their services and advice on dealing with current situations like fraud, fraudulent emails, and cybersecurity.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Initially, we only needed on-site or remote IT services. We liked their approach of prepaying a bank of hours and then deducting the time from the bank of hours. It was something we didn’t find anywhere else.

They helped us with computers, servers, and backups at the time. In the year of 2019, we had a ransomware attack, and they took over all the IT services. They installed a brand-new server and backup. Now, they provide us with web hosting, server monitoring, firewall monitoring, antivirus, workstation monitoring, and off-site and on-site backups.

What is the team composition?

We've worked with four or five teammates but mainly worked with two people; one of them was Indy, the director of technology. A few IT technicians have come in and out throughout the years.

How did you come to work with CGTechnologies?

They were a referral. Someone we knew had contact with them, and they came over and discussed their business model.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent between $50,000–$200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in February 2016, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We really appreciate working with them. They’re very dependable, and we can rely on their expertise. When we call them, they’re always there and generally handle technical issues very well.

How did CGTechnologies perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve exceeded our expectations. They’re pretty good at project management. Sometimes, they don't explain how long it will take to switch things over. For example, we had a new server put in two years ago. The initial phase was quite easy, but when we had to do the switchover, there were a lot of interruptions and debugging to do. There was no timeframe for this.

Overall, I’m very satisfied with their responses. We communicate regularly through email, Zoom, Google Meet, and phone calls.

What did you find most impressive about them?

How they respond and how quickly they can rectify issues have impressed me the most about their work.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don't think there’s anything they can improve on. They meet and exceed our expectations.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Connect with the two people we work with. They're very knowledgeable and around. You can ask them any questions, and they'll guide you and give you the best feedback. They're looking out for the customer's interest.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the office administrator for an accounting firm. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with CGTechnologies?

We needed their managed IT services.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We used to work on desktops. CGTechnologies worked to transfer us to a remote desktop server so that we could work anywhere as long as we had our usernames and passwords. We didn’t have that option before.

At present, they still provide such services to us.

What is the team composition?

We work with Dario (Business Development Manager) and Matthew (CTO).

How did you come to work with CGTechnologies?

CGTechnologies was referred to us by one of our clients. That client used them, and since we weren’t happy with our existing IT firm, we decided to check CGTechnologies out. We reached out to them and they gave us a proposal. We liked what they had to say, so we hired them. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spend $2,500 per month on their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in February 2019, and the partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

CGTechnologies is great. In terms of business impact, we don’t have to do any updates by ourselves anymore. We can call them, and they’ll update all our programs to save time. 

How did CGTechnologies perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management has been great. When we have problems to solve, they can fix them over the phone. It’s also easy to talk to the team; their resources are truly helpful. We’ve had no problems with them at all. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

CGTechnologies is highly communicative. They always contact us for any updates, changes, or problems. Every time I call them, someone always answers the phone. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there aren’t any. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be open with your intentions and communicate with them. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a nonprofit organization that offers daycare before- and after-school programs.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with CGTechnologies?

We were having some issues with our system where we stored confidential information on our students and their parents. We had lost all of our data, so we needed someone to secure our data to prevent further losses.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

CGTechnologies first retrieved our lost data, including our accounting statement and emails. In total, they recovered information on our 11 schools. The team now helps us keep everything safe on a remote database. They also provide other IT services. For example, they’ve set up a firewall to keep our network secure.

What is the team composition?

We’re currently in contact with two teammates, but we’ve worked with five people overall, including Matthew (CTO), Dario (Business Development Manager), Attilio (President), and two technicians. 

How did you come to work with CGTechnologies?

A friend referred CGTechnologies to us, and they offered to help after we lost our data.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $150,000–$175,000 CAD (approximately $118,000–$137,000 USD). 

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started in September 2016, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Other than rescuing our data, the CGTechnologies team has also given us peace of mind. We never have to worry about our security — the firewall works well, and since our data is stored remotely, we can work from home. Their help has saved us a lot of money, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, they’ve been a great partner.

How did CGTechnologies perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management is perfect. If we have any problems, we would just give them a phone call, and they’d create a ticket for us. They would then access our desktop remotely to fix it. The team always solves our issues very quickly, and we never have to call back to follow up.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re a fantastic team that works well with our organization.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, CGTechnologies is very good at what they do. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Let CGTechnologies know what you want, and they’ll help you out.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a nonprofit association that includes members of the bench and bar. We serve to advance advocacy and protect the judiciary through our membership program. I’m the senior IT specialist. I’m a department of one, and I support all of our internal technical functions.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with CGTechnologies?

We needed someone to provide day-to-day technical support and various hosting services.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

CGTechnologies is our primary tech provider. They support our daily technical needs. Furthermore, they provide a multitude of different hosting solutions, including domain name system hosting, file transfer protocol hosting, and email hosting on Exchange. They host our database server, web server, file server, and test environment. Additionally, CGTechnologies provides security and firewall monitoring. 

Most of their work is done remotely, but they come to our office if we need a piece of equipment installed. For example, the team has set up WiFi extenders for us. In addition, they’ve conducted some on-site cybersecurity training for our staff.

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked closely with over six people: Michael (CTO), Inderjit (Infrastructure Manager), and several help desk teammates.

How did you come to work with CGTechnologies?

When I joined the company, we were already working with them. Our former CEO had a long-standing relationship with Attilio (President). CGTechnologies helped us transition into the 21st century, and they’ve been providing support ever since.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend $64,000–$68,000 CAD (approximately $50,000–$54,000 USD) each year for their services. Expenses relating to equipment and hardware are not yet included.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started in January 2013, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We don’t use any formal metrics to evaluate them. However, I can say that we have a solid relationship with the CGTechnologies team, and we’re delighted with their performance. We’ve been working with them for over eight years now, and we've never experienced any significant disruptions. They’ve truly kept our systems in check and prevented any security breaches. It’s rare to find that kind of expertise, so the partnership is very valuable to us. 

How did CGTechnologies perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management is excellent. CGTechnologies is incredibly transparent when it comes to costs. Meanwhile, their turnaround time is often within an hour or a day, depending on how large the project is. 

In terms of communication, they’ve done a great job, and their response times are fantastic. The team doesn’t pass us back and forth between representatives, which is helpful when it comes to avoiding miscommunication. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

The quality of the work that they can deliver within such a short turnaround time is really impressive. Their response times are also superb.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They recently switched to a new type of ticketing system for intaking technical requests to the help desk. Since then, it’s become difficult to communicate directly with the teammate working on the request. It’s not a big issue, but I would prefer it if the process were more personal and less faceless.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have your technical plan and specifications outlined and be very detailed with your requirements. Furthermore, stay on top of communication with them. If you’re able to provide that, they’ll give you precisely what you’re looking for.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the IT manager at the Ontario Association of Certified Engineering Technicians and Technologists (OACETT). Our organization certifies people in the engineering field. We have 30 people in our staff and 25,000 members; most of them are located in Ontario.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with CGTechnologies?

We hired CGTechnologies to provide us with technical support. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

CGTechnologies hosts five of our servers, including our web, database, and exchange servers. Everything is located in a data center, which the team can duplicate in another facility in case we experience any issues. Their resources also help us with specific IT tasks, such as WiFi, server, and configuration upgrades. 

When we have projects with CGTechnologies, they’re mainly related to our IT infrastructure. For instance, we’ve switched from an in-office setup to using remote desktops, and they’ve collaborated with us to adopt the software pieces we need. To support this, they’ve worked with other third-party vendors. On top of that, they’ve set up our VPNs and firewalls. Simply put, they handle everything related to our network infrastructure.

What is the team composition?

Since their company has grown over time, the team composition has also undergone changes. We’ve worked with Attilio (President) and Matthew (CTO). Inderjit (IT Infrastructure Manager) has also been working closely with me, especially regarding software licenses. Overall, we’ve collaborated with many technical people from their side, but these three people have been providing us the support we need. 

How did you come to work with CGTechnologies?

We chose CGTechnologies because of their loyalty and flexibility. They accommodated us well and developed an excellent relationship with us in a way that worked perfectly. They were also efficient and dependable; they were always there when issues occurred. As a result, we continued our relationship with them.  

How much have you invested with them?

We spend $80,000 every year. 

What is the status of this engagement?

They might have been working for our company before I joined it, but our partnership started in February 2009, and it’s ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

For success metrics, if we have any project or tasks that demand anything from CGTechnologies, we ask our association’s directors for feedback. So far, every feedback has been positive; we never receive any negative comments. On top of that, the team’s response times are good. 

How did CGTechnologies perform from a project management standpoint?

CGTechnologies is good at meeting deadlines. One good thing about our relationship is that we’re realistic. Apart from that, we also count on each other; if we need anything, we tell them in advance. They then set up a team and work with us. 

CGTechnologies is also great around resources, time, and completions. Delays rarely happen, and we understand them if they need more time. More often than not, they complete their work on time. Finally, they’re highly dependable; in many situations, they go beyond what we ask from them. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re truly reliable. When we’re in a complicated situation, they pursue our goals and continue working hard to solve our problems. Whatever I ask them to do, they’re there; they have my back and provide support.

Are there any areas they could improve?

In the past, they had one accountant so the billing came on the first of every month. Now, they no longer have that role filled in, so the billing sometimes comes on the fifth or sixth of the month. This doesn’t have any impact on the quality of their work, but it may be something they’d want to change in the future.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be clear about your needs. If you need something, say it — CGTechnologies will work with you and find a solution for you. The clearer your needs and expectations are, the better. This advice is applicable to everyone, but it’s the best approach to the CGTechnologies team.