Fantastic IT

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an executive at an IT software company.

What challenge were you trying to address with Fantastic IT?

We needed help with our IT services.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Fantastic IT is our company’s IT partner for on and off-site services; they do part of the administration of our server and firewall issues. In terms of hardware, they help us set up new machines and rigs. Additionally, they provide ongoing maintenance and support.

What is the team composition?

We work with Chris (IT Specialist) and around a dozen technicians.

How did you come to work with Fantastic IT?

They’ve been working with us before I took my current position.

What is the status of this engagement?

I started working with them in August 2009, and the engagement is ongoing.

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

My employees are satisfied with their response time in solving issues and bugs that may arise along the way.

How did Fantastic IT perform from a project management standpoint?

They handle good project management. We usually use phone calls, email, and Slack for communication. They also have software installed on our computers for submitting tickets whenever we need something from them.

What did you find most impressive about them? 

Their reliability is outstanding.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We had a couple of issues due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but they quickly recovered from them. I can see nothing but good things about their work. 

Any advice for potential customers?

They’re already accustomed to a routine, so help them think outside the box — they’re able to do that.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CFO of a private club combined with the homeowners association.

What challenge were you trying to address with Fantastic IT?

We hired Fantastic IT to support us with their IT services.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They manage all of our IT networks and security, and part of their work is resolving all of our technical issues. On top of that, they’re in charge of troubleshooting, updating our system, adding new users, installing upgrades, and managing our servers.

In addition, anytime we need new equipment, they give us their recommendations and they purchase them on our behalf. As an example, they purchased a new physical server just this year. Overall, we have an ongoing arrangement with Fantastic IT because they function as our IT department.

What is the team composition?

We have two main contacts, including a client manager and a technician specialist. However, if we need something after work hours, they assign any technician available on their side.

How did you come to work with Fantastic IT?

They were already contracted when I started working in the company. I was just happy to continue our relationship with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $103,000, which includes the server they purchased for us. We continue to pay them a monthly fee that covers all of their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing partnership started in March 2014.

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

Fantastic IT is an integral part of our business; they help us maintain a stable and secure environment. They always get things fixed immediately. However, I don’t have the number of tickets they’ve processed for us.

How did Fantastic IT perform from a project management standpoint?

I’ve always been pleased with their responsiveness. We can always call them if our network is down, and if it’s a new user request, we just fill out their web form.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We really feel like they’re an extension of our company because they know our business and our users. However, I personally haven’t worked with another outsourced IT company so I don’t have a lot of relevant experience on what makes them different from their competitors. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

On a couple of rare occasions, we’ve had outages that happened multiple days in a row. It was disruptive, but maybe if they had another person locally that could’ve helped diagnose and fix things, that would’ve been great. Other than that, we’ve been pretty happy with Fantastic IT.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be very personable and seize the opportunity to get to know them. In our case, our main point of contact is really good at introducing himself to our new department heads and members, making sure that they’re aware of how our relationship works.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of South Bay Association of Realtors, a trade organization for realtors, though I like to think of it as a union for real estate agents. We have approximately 5,400 members, and we provide everything they need to do their job, including education and discipline. Our organization is also the liaison between the multiple listing service (MLS) and the state and national associations. Overall, we try to be the place where realtors can get anything they need to be successful. 

What challenge were you trying to address with Fantastic IT?

When I took this job, I inherited an in-house IT service provider. Even so, our internet was constantly down, and there were many insurmountable problems. As a result, we hired Fantastic IT for their IT consulting services. 

What was the scope of their involvement?

Fantastic IT has done many services for us; they work remotely 90% of the time, but they also come on-site when necessary. For one, they’ve set up our servers and computers. They’ve also put together a beautiful training lab. Moreover, we’ve hired a webmaster, who works closely with Fantastic IT. That way, our agents can pay for everything online and be completely paperless. 

Meanwhile, we’ve also worked with other third-party vendors. For instance, we collect money from our agents and then we supply it to our MLS provider. In this process, Fantastic IT serves as our go-between to get everything set up and ensure it’s working smoothly. Apart from that, the Fantastic IT team has also had to deal with our member management system, which is quite complicated. They’ve served as our liaison and set that system up for us.

Further, they purchase everything for us; we give them approval, and then they take care of all purchases. They don’t provide security and alarm systems, but they deal with our vendor for those things to ensure no issues appear when they set up everything. We also have an all-new phone system, and Fantastic IT has worked with another vendor to make sure that that system is handled properly.

In terms of cybersecurity, they let us know when they see issues or when they think something needs to be done. For one, they’ve recently installed Duo Mobile on our phones to provide us with more security. 

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with at least five people from their top-line management team. Our team goes to them when we need advice for IT services. Over the years, we’ve also worked with around 6–8 people that deal with or fix our computer issues. Overall, we’ve worked with a total of 15–18 people. We’ve tried to have one main point of contact before, but we’ve had our favorites over the years. As a result, when we get frustrated, we go right to the top and talk to them about our issues. 

How did you come to work with Fantastic IT?

I was on a business trip with someone who was having a computer problem. At that time, I didn’t even know that one could remotely use a computer. That person called Fantastic IT, and I watched them repair everything remotely on her computer that was right there in our hotel room. That did it for me — as soon as I got back from the business trip, I called the Fantastic IT team to work for us. That was the start of our relationship. 

How much have you invested with them?

We pay Fantastic IT around $45,000. Usually, I pay them in advance for the next year. 

What is the status of this engagement?

I started working with Fantastic IT in July 2008, and the engagement is ongoing. 

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

Fantastic IT meets our expectations, and our network speed has been absolutely great. We run classes with as many as 120 people at a time, and they’re always on top of that. If we have a problem, we call them and they’re on it immediately.

Their team has systematically built us to where we are now. We currently have 100% great IT support for every little nuance. Overall, they’re on top of everything, and I don’t how we would exist without them; we’re 100% dependent on them doing their job.

How did Fantastic IT perform from a project management standpoint?

Fantastic IT has great project management skills; I’ve had no problems with this at all. There’s never been a budget issue, either. They’ve also been upfront about dealing with urgent matters. For instance, if we have an ongoing class and the internet goes down, they drop everything and deal with the problem immediately. If the issue isn’t urgent, they take advantage of that and schedule it properly. Simply put, they let us communicate how urgent every issue is.

To communicate, we use emails or open a ticket; they prefer tickets if possible. As such, we call them for urgent matters. The person who answers our calls is lovely and great at assessing the problem. They ask us what we need and get us something that can help us.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Fantastic IT has always been consistent over the years. If they assign someone to us who doesn’t meet our needs, they instantly assign someone else who’s better suited to do what we need them to do. Their consistency in doing that without interruption has been a high point in our engagement. 

Moreover, they’ve started with only two people, but they’ve grown with us. Despite that, they haven’t lost their personal touch. While I don’t get to meet with their leaders as often as before, they’ve assigned highly competent people to us. We’ve never felt like we’re just a number to them. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

One thing they can improve is their call-out costs. Specifically, instead of charging call-out costs, they can just charge annually. From a budgeting standpoint, it’s easier to pay a set fee that encompasses everything. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Start with a serious conversation about your needs and expectations. Then, work with Fantastic IT’s system whenever possible. For instance, in our engagement, if we have a problem that can wait, we open a ticket and give them enough timeframe to do it. We also let them know when we have an urgent problem, and we require attention right away. 

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of a boutique hotel.

What challenge were you trying to address with Fantastic IT?

We needed someone to take care of all of our IT and networking needs. We're a 24-hour business, so our systems have to work the whole time — our online booking and property management system have to work so guests can make reservations and we can check them in. It’s also vital that our WiFi works because our guests have high expectations.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Fantastic IT is in charge of all our computer and networking needs. They help us when we’re having problems with our internet or property management system. In line with that, they also make sure that our connections are secure. Furthermore, they keep our files organized. 

What is the team composition?

We work with two people, including one team leader.

How did you come to work with Fantastic IT?

The owner and I had a mutual connection, so I was aware of his business. Eventually, we began talking, and I decided to work with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

The engagement began in March 2004, and it’s still ongoing.

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

The quality of their services has been outstanding. Whenever our systems go down or aren’t working right, Fantastic IT quickly figures out the problem and fixes it. They’ve been very successful in solving issues. Among all the vendors I work with, they’re the best and easily my favorite.

How did Fantastic IT perform from a project management standpoint?

The project management has been perfect. The team is very flexible and works around our schedule — they’re very sensitive to the needs of our operations and understand the urgency of our problems. They have their own ticketing system that is highly effective. We just have to go to the website, create a ticket, and they receive it immediately. 

Communication-wise, we use email and phone calls. Fantastic IT is good at explaining what they’re doing and why. They’re careful not to oversell on things we don’t really need. They always make sure that the solutions they present are within our budget, which we appreciate. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Fantastic IT is skilled in simplifying technological language — they explain things in a way that is easy to understand. As a result, we’ve never felt unqualified and stupid whenever we talk to them.

Moreover, the team asks really good, intelligent questions. They do a great job of investigating the issues we have to come up with efficient solutions. I love that they don’t do guesswork and truly analyze problems. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I honestly can’t think of anything. If anything has ever gone wrong, they’ve always been transparent and accountable.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be open and honest with them about the project scope and your budget, and they’ll work with you.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president of Contractors State License Schools. We’ve been in business for over 35 years, and we have 150 employees and 21 locations throughout California, with our headquarters located in Van Nuys. We help construction contractors prepare for the state exam and get their general license, as well as obtain their specialty certifications.

Additionally, we offer an array of other educational programs and business services to support contractors and their businesses.

What challenge were you trying to address with Fantastic IT?

About eight years ago, when I took over, we had an in-house IT department. For a variety of reasons, I decided to outsource that function, and I found Fantastic IT.

We proceeded to outsource our technology management to them and improve our business operations so we could focus on building the business rather than dealing with IT problems, which we had at the time.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve handed over all of our day-to-day IT operations to Fantastic IT. They manage our IT systems, servers, end users’ needs, backups, security, antivirus, file and email management, software applications, and more.

They also handle our wired and wireless networks, and they’ve helped us find, interview, and secure a third-party programming firm to help us with the proprietary software package that we use in-house. On cybersecurity issues, they’ve set up antivirus and anti malware, and they constantly upgrade everything for us.

Basically, Fantastic IT has handled all of our technology issues for more than seven years, supporting all of our locations and streamlining just about everything related to technology. They’ve done a number of fixes and improvements to our application software, and they’ve pointed out many times how we can improve things in technological terms.

Additionally, when the pandemic hit, they managed every aspect of moving our workforce to work remotely from home, carrying out a quick and seamless process. Now that we’ve started to get people back into the office, we’ve also had a very smooth transition.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with different people from Fantastic IT. We have a primary client manager, who is essentially the same as a department head. At different times, we’ve worked with different levels of techs and IT staff, as well as people up in the chain of command for more complicated issues.

All in all, we've probably had seven people working with us over the years, but we’ve been consistently managed by one person.

How did you come to work with Fantastic IT?

I met the owner of the company before working with them, possibly through networking. I’m not sure I recall since it’s been a long time.

How much have you invested with them?

Over these seven years, we’ve spent somewhere between $750,000–$1 million.

What is the status of this engagement?

They started working with us in March 2014. They’re an ongoing service for us, and we don’t see any end to it soon. We’ve outsourced that department to them, and they manage it for us as if they’re our in-house team.

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

As the president of the company, the most important thing for me is to ensure that all the support functions are working well and predictably so we can focus on building our business, and we’ve been able to do that ever since Fantastic IT got involved. Our operations have become very smooth since they took over from a technology standpoint.

One of the big benefits of having Fantastic IT is that they do a superb job all along. They have far greater and current knowledge of all new developments than our old in-house team could’ve possibly had. They’ve been a huge additional benefit to our company.

When they first came in, they cleaned up the mess we had. They solved all the issues with our old machines, networks, and servers, and now they monitor everything constantly. There may be problems that arise, but we never see them because they handle them in the first place.

In that sense, I think the ultimate measure for an IT firm is the lack of problems, and we really don’t have any problems. Of course, any computer or server may have an issue from time to time, but Fantastic IT’s responsiveness is great. There’s never been a problem that has lingered. We don’t track tickets submitted nor metrics on downtime, but it’s been minimal. For me, that’s the ultimate measurement of their performance.

Finally, from a financial perspective, we’ve saved a lot of money. Compared to our three-person in-house team, we reduced our cost by over 40% per year, so it’s been a huge win for us.

How did Fantastic IT perform from a project management standpoint?

There haven’t been many huge or significant projects, but their project management is very strong. We start with the client manager, and he’ll put together a project plan, which he’ll work closely with us. They bring into that process anybody else from Fantastic IT that they think may benefit the project — they put together the right team every time. Overall, they manage all our initiatives the way that I would manage them myself.

Most of our communication is done by email and phone, although some has been by text and Zoom calls. We also have ticket submission through their website and mobile application.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The ownership is very sharp, fast, and concerned about quality at all times, which is reflected in their entire team. They have really good staff — they’re friendly, easy to work with, and responsive.

I haven’t looked at their competition in several years, but I know that there’s no need to look elsewhere. There aren’t any technology issues that they’re not strong with, so there’s no need to fix something that isn’t broken.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing that I would improve in their performance. Their intelligence, knowledge, speed, and ease in terms of working with them have been all stellar. These days, the biggest challenge for most companies is probably with security issues, and they haven't had any problems with that. If we’ve had any issues or needs, they’ve already been handled.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I think the first issue for any company considering outsourcing is to look internally at how they’re doing and whether or not a function is problematic or getting in the way. Closely related to that, you have to evaluate the cost of handling it internally and whether or not your internal team can stay in front of it and current on all technology issues in the way that a much larger outside team could. That’s why outsourcing makes a lot of sense to me.

Now, evaluating Fantastic IT, you'll first meet and interview them, and it’ll come across immediately that they’re extremely strong. They care about your business, and they’re going to learn quickly and figure out all the IT issues and solutions in order to get things to run smoothly.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the operations manager at a consulting firm.

What challenge were you trying to address with Fantastic IT?

We needed help in modernizing and streamlining our IT service. 

What was the scope of their involvement?

Fantastic IT provides us with full-service IT support. They manage our server and help us if we have issues with it. Additionally, they assist us with our actual hardware devices, computers, and printers. 

Our engagement started with us having conversations and deciding what IT service would be best for our company. Since we're a consulting firm, we don't fall in the same category as other businesses that use generic IT services. 

Once we chose our IT service, we began transitioning into the systems implemented by Fantastic IT. We started with our Outlook accounts and email system, which used to be individualized. They didn’t sync from one account to another, and we had to manually log each person’s computer and email. Fantastic IT updated our contacts and connected all our accounts. 

From there, we decided what server would suit us best. After figuring that out, we bought the server. Fantastic IT migrated everything from our old to the new server, creating log and passwords for our employees. They also made a user-friendly guide on how to use the server.

Fantastic IT also helped us acquire new desktops and laptops for our staff. They facilitated the purchase, set up, and delivery of the computers.

What is the team composition?

We have worked with Jason (Partner), who evaluated what we had on our hands and provided advice on what they could do for us. Joshua E. (Technician) helped us with the installation. Meanwhile, Joshua M. (Director of Onboarding) and Christopher (Client Manager) handled our email migration project; Joshua M. helped us in installing our server and in purchasing new computers. 

How did you come to work with Fantastic IT?

I knew Fantastic IT’s team outside of work. When my husband and I purchased the consulting firm, we saw how outdated its technology was — we knew it was something that needed to change. So we contacted Jason and asked him if he could assess what issues we had and what they could do for us. 

How much have you invested with them?

Right now, our monthly payment is $1,600, and that’s the highest it’s ever been. The lowest monthly payment we had was about $1,300. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working in February 2018, and it’s ongoing. 

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

Fantastic IT has been a great partner and I don’t know what we would do without them. I’m not really familiar with using computers, so I rely on their assistance. They’re quick in providing their services, and they’re very responsive and accommodating. Even though I sometimes break their rules, they’re always understanding. 

How did Fantastic IT perform from a project management standpoint?

They are exceptionally good at project management. We communicate using tickets on their system and sometimes via email. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Fantastic IT is very responsive to my concerns. Additionally, they do a good job making computer illiterate people not feel stupid and accomodating to their concerns.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of any. Fantastic IT is great, and I don’t have a complaint about them. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make the engagement such that everyone from your team can communicate with Fantastic IT. 

Please describe your company and your position there.

Climate Resolve builds collaborations to champion equitable climate solutions. We connect communities, organizations and policymakers to address a global problem with local action. We inclusively develop practical initiatives that reduce climate pollution and prepare for climate impacts. Using our collective power to tackle climate change, we are creating a thriving California and inspiring others to act.

Our purpose is a just and resilient future. Since its launch in 2010, Climate Resolve has prioritized working with communities that are most affected by climate change impacts. The residents of these communities are predominantly Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). Our work includes advocating in partnership with grassroots groups, assisting communities to obtain funding for climate solutions, and ensuring equitable implementation of climate legislation.

As a collective, Climate Resolve staff have identified and made commitments to elevate racial, social, and environmental equity throughout all of our work.

For what projects/services did your company hire Fantastic IT?

Ongoing Managed IT services

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

Created an RFP which we sent to several potential vendors. After extensive interviews, service reviews and cost analysis, we picked FantasticIT

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

The agreement covers ALL technology, including any servers, network equipment, desktop machines, iPhones, iPad's, Android's and Internet and Intranet connectivity and any and all online hosted services we may have. It also covers any and all requested fixes and improvements, as well as any and all proactive adjustments, improvements and fixes. It also covers any and all EMERGENCY situations and any and all MAJOR as well as minor crashes that might occur.

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

A variety of staff starting with the Founder/Partner.

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

The various onboarding processes were implemented with a minimum of issues, good collaboration, and cheerful support.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow was timely and efficient.

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

They are friendly and truly try to help at every level of the organization.

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

When things work well, they stay behind the scenes. This has the pro of being low stress. However, I'd like them to be more proactive about reviewing our practices and presenting options for improvement.

Please describe your company and your position there.

CEO of a family-run business supplying windows, doors, molding, and hardware.

For what projects/services did your company hire Fantastic IT?

we use them for all of our new equipment, troubleshooting, upgrades, etc.

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

They came highly recommended, extremely professional, and easy to work with.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

We were just relocating some employees and upgrading equipment. Fantastic was here on time with all of the equipment and the job was completed in a few hours.

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

We dealt with Sean in sales & Joshua was the technician on this job.

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

they wrapped it all up in a couple of hours

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

extremely good, they are always available and helping explain things

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

how available they are 24 hours a day