GAM Tech

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the IT manager at PetroChina Canada, an oil and gas trading company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with GAM Tech?

I’ve been managing everything by myself for two years now and needed an extra set of hands. I wanted someone who’d help with IT product services, licenses, support contracts for hardware, billable hours, and project planning and execution.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

When they came on board, we didn’t have an IT infrastructure. Their team helped me build everything from the ground up. This included our main server, firewalls, core and distribution switches, and more. In some cases, like with the firewalls, I made the purchases myself, but they advised me on what to buy with most other hardware. Once we’d bought everything, they helped me configure, operate, and maintain it. They also helped me transition lots of our hardware during a network restructuring in 2017. In addition, they step in as-needed whenever there’s a power outage or unforeseen problem, even on weekends and holidays.

At the moment, they’re working on a huge server co-location project. We’re moving all our hardware from our on-site data center to a secure location. They’ve helped me physically move all our equipment from the server room to this facility and are helping to route, switch, and reconfigure the hardware.

What is the team composition?

I primarily work with Alex, their VCIO, and Adrian, one of the managing partners. He’s a friend of mine and we’ve been working together for the last 3-4 years.

How did you come to work with GAM Tech?

We initially received a referral from our account manager at an internet company in Calgary. One of the main reasons I chose them is that they’re good at finding low prices. They’re also good at accomplishing tasks according to our specifications.

How much have you invested with them?

We pay $500–$600/month for monitoring services and we also have a hardware and support contract. We spend between $150,000-160,000 CAD ($120,000 USD) per year.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in May 2014 and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They helped me build and rebuild everything from the ground up, which was a huge relief after doing everything on my own for so long. When they came in, they did a full security and structure assessment of our environment and found that I had made some big mistakes I wasn’t aware of, and they’ve helped me fix them. Their assistance with restructuring is the main reason our network still works smoothly.

How did GAM Tech perform from a project management standpoint?

They wrote a solid plan when we started and we have very good communication. From a documentation standpoint, however, it’s not the best. They have the technical experience and they can step in and do the technical part very well, but I often have to take care of documenting what’s been done.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They truly understand our environment and they have great people skills, even if they don’t have the best technical expertise in the country. They understand what I want and deliver exactly what I’m looking for. Their technical advice has helped me maximize the uptime of our network.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They need to be more on top of documenting their progress. Maybe they can hire someone new to undertake it, or maybe they need to change their procedures to make sure it isn’t forgotten, but that needs work. Another issue is high employee turnover. It’s like a revolving door every two or three months, which is a bit frustrating. In my field, it’s important to build a good working relationship with the technical person because they understand my environment. Constant changes mean it takes longer to get things done.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Give GAM Tech a chance. They’re very good at negotiations and will go above and beyond to please the customer at their own expense. Sometimes prices change after they send me the quote, but they stick to their word. If you find another provider with cheaper prices, you can ask GAM Tech to match it or give a lower price and they will do that. They care more about enduring customer relationships more than how much they’ll profit from a single project.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm a manager at a coworking office. We offer desks and working space to web developers, high-tech startups, and some nonprofit organizations.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with GAM Tech?

We needed a vendor to provide IT services to us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They make sure we have seamless Wi-Fi access and functioning Ethernet connections and VoIP phones for our clientele. They also set up all the infrastructure, arrange services with Internet and printer providers, and come on-site to fix any problems we have. They come to our office once a week and address all the outstanding issues we've had throughout the week, or provide the same-day service (especially if it’s an emergency).

What is the team composition?

We mostly work with Adrian (Owner, GAWM Tech), but we've also dealt with other members of his team.

How did you come to work with them?

We found them through networking.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend $1,600 a month.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in January 2012 and the relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Adrian stays on top of everything and always solves our problems quickly. Also, he's very knowledgeable. We often get frustrated by the little things we can't fix, but Adrian deals with them in no time, making our lives much easier. Our clients also love having an IT service in the building.

How did they perform from a project management standpoint?

He's very responsive and often deals with our issues the same day we send a support ticket.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They do an excellent job, but I haven't worked with other providers, so I have nothing to compare them to.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of anything.