F12.net

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of finance and administration at a health charity.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with F12.net?

We needed help with IT services.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

F12.net provides off-site IT services, including hardware, software, and infrastructure support. They host our servers and handle most of our Microsoft software and IT help desk. The team underwent extensive onboarding to understand our current processes and transition from a previous vendor to them. After the transition, we've moved into a more regular routine. They've given us a customer service person and tools to contact them. Our staff can submit tickets for any IT issues using F12 Connect, their online portal.

What is the team composition?

Nick, the account manager, is our primary contact. We deal with several people from their help desk. Sometimes, more senior executives have become involved in our file.

How did you come to work with F12.net?

They were working with us before I joined the organization.

What is the status of this engagement?

We've been working together since March 2022, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have quarterly meetings with Nick, and we review various metrics to understand our progress. We also examine the feedback that our team provides for the help desk in terms of service time responses and surveys from those who have used F12.net for help desk support. Their response times have met our expectations and slightly exceeded them.

How did F12.net perform from a project management standpoint?

We have no concerns; the project has been managed well. We communicate regularly through email, Zoom, Google Meet, and phone calls. It's worked relatively smoothly.

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

Nick is fantastic, and I appreciate working with him.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They show strong subject matter expertise, and they're very responsive.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There's nothing they can improve on.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be clear on the scope upfront, work collaboratively with them, and ensure there's clear alignment on the scope.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of A1 Air Conditioning & Heating, an HVAC company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with F12.net?

We needed help with IT services, and we wanted to rely on and trust an IT company more than our previous one.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

F12.net provides us with various IT services. They manage all of our Microsoft 365 accounts, including Outlook, Excel, Word, and OneDrive, and we buy all our computers and software from them. They also manage our computers’ security and do everything related to that. Additionally, they do some of our cloud computing and backups.

They also develop security software for mobile devices such as iPads and cell phones. They’ve added mobile device management to enhance cell phone security.

What is the team composition?

We have a primary contact from their side, but they have a large call center that looks after us.

How did you come to work with F12.net?

We found them through a referral. We liked their proposal, and the referral said they were good to deal with.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend about $8,000 CAD a month.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in November 2020, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They've helped improve our efficiency; our turnaround on resolving problems is four times better now. We've also definitely decreased the odds of being hacked and are getting more services from them. Overall, we trust them more that they’re getting the services performed properly. 

How did F12.net perform from a project management standpoint?

They deliver the work on time and within budget. They communicate well and are quick to answer and hop on our computers right away. Most of the time, they can fix the problem immediately. Sometimes, they just help you out with whatever you need.

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

Brian has been doing a good job.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’re happy with their services.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there's nothing that comes to mind.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Sign up for their management program. You’ll have the service when you want, and your downtime will be limited.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of IT at a credit union.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with F12.net?

We needed help with our entire IT technology stack, including help desk support. We also needed assistance with running our network and applications in a data center.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

F12.net installed new firewalls and switches at our locations. They were also responsible for implementing software on their servers and some local servers. Additionally, they supported our end user computing, particularly desktops and laptops. The team provided on-site services to implement various devices. F12.net also provided security monitoring services.

What is the team composition?

We had direct contact with 20–30 members of F12.net’s team during the implementation project.

How did you come to work with F12.net?

We went to an RFP, and F12.net was one of the respondents. We used a weighted scorecard to assess the 6–7 responses to the proposal we received, and F12.net came out on top. That’s when we started to onboard them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $50,000–$100,000 CAD.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from August 2023–December 2024.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

By and large, the project was delivered on time. There were some delays, but those were predominantly outside of F12.net’s control.

How did F12.net perform from a project management standpoint?

F12.net had a very strong project manager. She was replaced partway through the project, but she was replaced with a really good replacement who took care of the last few milestones. He also did a great job.

We used Microsoft Teams for communication.

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

I’d like to give a shout-out to Ross, Jamie, Christine, and Edward.

What did you find most impressive about them?

F12.net was open to discussing anything and willing to listen.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The one thing that they could have improved was the turnaround time. However, this was more related to the operational side. Additionally, F12.net did an internal reorganization halfway through our project. The objective and goal of the reorganization were sound and helped them improve in the long run, but it did cause some disruption to our project.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure you have internal partners assigned to work with F12.net so that they have a go-to person within your organization.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO of a long term care and assisted living facility

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire F12.net?

To take over managed IT services, complete an IT health check, and improve network security and corporate processes

SOLUTION

How did you select F12.net and what were the deciding factors?

I had worked with F12 with my previous organization, however they also put forth the strongest bid when I went to market for three pre-qualified bidders

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

They made sure they understood the scope of work, the looked where gaps currently existed, looked at leading practices, understood our budget limits and parameters. They did introductions to their key team members along with understanding the goals we had as an organization

How many resources from the F12.net team worked with you, and what were their positions?

6-10 resources were working on the onboarding project with interfaces with our team. From the Business Innovation manger, to the Account Manager, Project Manager, Project Technician, help desk support to accounting.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The biggest success is that very few front line staff even knew we changed because it was relatively seamless. Senior Managers from our team had new awareness to the risks associated with poor IT security and processed that had been the norm, and the possibilities that exist when work with an IT partner

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Work flows were very detailed, kept us informed of plans, and were flexible to work around our needs and time constraints

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

The team's quick response time, level of depth and resources, and expertise available are notable in the workflow.

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

Perhaps more time spent on site to better understand the comm room, hardware etc. However, knowing that COVID is still interfering, it was understandable

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Revelstoke Credit Union, a mid-sized, independent, locally-owned credit union.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with F12.net?

Since we’re an independent credit union with a staff of 50 people, it’s very difficult to have just one individual overseeing our IT services. This includes cybersecurity and equipment maintenance. The IT world is becoming more and more complex, and one person can’t stay on top of everything in an organization of our size.

We recognized that we needed a more established company that dealt with nothing but IT day in and day out. For our safety and soundness as a financial institution in this day and age, I knew that we absolutely had to step up our game.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We manage our information systems, but F12.net manages our IT. They offer three different packages and we chose the one that provides full-service management and equipment. This involves managing all of the equipment we use and handling all of our protective measures, ensuring that our servers and equipment are safe from attacks. 

Not only do they provide IT management services, but they also offer back-office monitoring and security. When we have breakdowns or need replacements, they give us the surplus equipment from their nearby warehouse. During our partnership, they’ve also provided training, and have dealt with minor issues and equipment failures. 

What is the team composition?

We work with no less than 4–6 people at a time.

How did you come to work with F12.net?

We had a long-standing relationship with another company that was in the midst of a merger with a new corporation that happened to be F12.net. Their contact came into our office and gave us a presentation about what types of services F12.net could offer and we really liked what we saw.

How much have you invested with them?

Our three-year contract is $178,000 per year which includes full equipment every three years.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in December 2018 and our engagement is still ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

F12.net’s IT management services have been incredibly impressive. Now, when we have challenges or difficulties, we don't have to look in-house. It’s as simple as making a phone call and accessing the team right away.

They are very interested in doing a good job and making sure that their products and services are up to the standard that we expect.  They’ve saved us from two brute force attack attempts, a crypto attack, and one phishing scam. 

How did F12.net perform from a project management standpoint?

Their communication is good now. Once they put a full team together, it improved. They have an office within 90 minutes of us and visit regularly

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re very receptive to feedback, positive or negative, especially when there are issues. They take it very seriously and remedy our problems quickly. All small- to mid-sized credit unions should be partnering with them.

When they first came to work with us, there was a very steep learning curve for them. We were the first financial institution they had ever partnered with so they were surprised at the amount and complexity of the software and technology that we use. However, they learned our business very quickly and are now able to easily support us. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Double-check the initial proposal and contract to make sure that the language is very clear. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the manager of infrastructure & products for Covenant House Vancouver. We are a non-profit serving youth.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with F12.net?

We were doing major facility extensions involving technical upgrades and needed support.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They are our managed service provider, providing all IT support for our organization. They’ve upgraded our entire organization, switching us to cloud-based storage. We now use Skype Business instead of analog phones, too. They’ve implemented Office365 and switched our employees to Microsoft Surfaces for more mobility. Their team has also helped implement Robin, a meeting room booking service. 

They’re currently working on expanding the IT and electrical components of our building. 

What is the team composition?

There’s an account manager, an acting CIO, a project team, and techs on-site, as needed. We work with multiple techs at any given time.

How did you come to work with F12.net?

My predecessor found them through word of mouth. They were the managed service provider at my previous place of employment, as well.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $300,000 – $400,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in January 2018 and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have a completely different work culture thanks to them. Our mobility is increased and we can now work remotely, update our systems, and do much more. 

How did F12.net perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re incredible. Communication is excellent and work is always delivered on time. In the rare case they miss a deadline, they deal with the associated costs.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Everyone on their team is great to work with, no exceptions.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have a point person in your company to coordinate the engagement, ensuring a smoother process.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m one of the owners of Con-Elco, a utility construction company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with F12.net?

Our IT service provider went out of business, and we needed someone to take over those services.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

F12 manages our servers and IT needs. They first took stock of the programs and hardware we had to identify the most important services first. They migrated our onsite servers to a cloud environment per our request, and we’re now reducing total servers and capacity when we can. After that, they deployed our workstations and provided onsite training for our employees. 

A lot of this work required an onsite presence, but now, they’re largely remote. The team helped us upgrade to Microsoft Office 365 and Microsoft Teams, and they installed a remote access system. They’ve taken over management of our satellite offices as well, deploying workstations there under their oversight.

The only software we had in the cloud already before F12 joined the team was our accounting set-up. However, our service provider for that ran into trouble, and F12 was able to onboard us to their own server in an hour. We were in a tight spot because of that, so I appreciate how quickly they got that done.

What is the team composition?

From the onset, we worked with five different people, including a project manager. It changed during the process, but the people tended to stay the same.

How did you come to work with F12.net?

F12 took over the client list for our previous IT service provider and reached out to us to pitch their services. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $50,000–$100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The partnership started in December 2018. We’re still working with them on different projects.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

F12 does a great job. In the beginning, we had some transition issues because I don’t believe we were the type of business their model was created to support. They lacked processes to handle certain situations that we faced, and we saw a lot of turnover in our account management. However, they worked with us, and now we have a strong partnership. I’ve definitely noticed process improvements as a result of us working with F12.

How did F12.net perform from a project management standpoint?

Since the transition ended, they’ve done a good job. I have a close and open dialogue with our point of contact and the team underneath them. We’re constantly making sure that our processes are working properly on both sides. We communicate via email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Whenever I have an issue, F12 listens to me, helps me come up with a solution, and executes it quickly. That was not the case with my previous service provider.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The rollout of F12’s services could have been better. We would have liked more communication around their expectations and progress in the beginning.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Any time a company asks me for a referral, I ask what they’d need F12 for. F12 works well for us because they’re our entire IT department. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend them to work alongside an existing in-house IT team.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the VP of Innovation of ACHC

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Provides community health and social support to some of the most materially deprived communities 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire F12.net to accomplish?

• Outsource IT supports to move us to cloud
• Unleash the power of cloud based software
• Innovate our operations with continually building my capacity for tech

SOLUTION

How did you find F12.net?

We were with 365it and f12 bought it

Why did you select F12.net over others?

It bought the company we were with

How many teammates from F12.net were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Outsourced our it support including MDS and cyber security. Moved to cloud, unleashing power of cloud based software, transforming our VPN network, introducing new tech and building my capacity for leading innovation and tech at my company

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Succeeded in cloud migration, helping with change management and finding solutions to complex issues

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

They're always helpful and customer-oriented. Very proactive and took initiative-never undermined or belittled my lack of IT background 

What was your primary form of communication with F12.net?

Virtual Meeting

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

Cost beneift

Are there any areas for improvement or something F12.net could have done differently?

Not at this time