Generation Technology Solutions

Please describe your company and your position there.

Information Technology Manager for Employee Benefit Funds Administration Ltd. (EBFA) which is a small non-profit organization that administers Pension, Health & Welfare, and Education benefits on behalf of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), Local Union 424.

For what projects/services did your company hire Generation Technology Solutions?

We needed more expertise and help with our hardware, network and security.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to make sure we had minimal downtime and that our information was secure.

How did you select Generation Technology Solutions?

By referral from our previous hardware provider.

Describe the project in detail.

We had already been working with Generations for our hardware and some technical support so it was a natural progression to enter into a Managed Service Plan contract.

What was the team composition?

We worked with the President and General Manager to get setup. We now mostly work Technical support team and occasionally with the CEO.

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

Our network is more stable, better maintained and secure. It has freed up time for the IT department to concentrate on our other duties.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We all work very well together and everyone communicates well though phone calls and emails. There is also a ticketing support system in place which makes it easy to track any on going and completed requests.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their willingness to always be there when needed and make sure we looked after. Our staff find the technicians helpful and personable. They are continually training and keeping up to date with all the changes in technology to provide us with a better product.

Are there any areas for improvement?

It can be difficult to find the right staff but the current team is great.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m one of the owners of a home health product retailer. We sell incontinence supplies, wheelchairs, elevators, and more.

What challenge were you trying to address with Generation Technology Solutions?

They’ve been working with us for about eight years, handling all our IT work.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They manage all of our IT services and just moved our system to the cloud. We work on a monthly contract with them. The contract includes hosting, day-to-day maintenance, and coordination with our software company that’s located in a different province. Whenever we have updates or internal changes to make, they visit and work with our internal IT team to ensure the transition is smooth. 

How did you come to work with Generation Technology Solutions?

One of their owners used to be one of our employees. We brought them onto the project after he helped to start their company. 

How much have you invested with them?

Our contract amounts to about $3,000 each month. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since around January 2013.

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

Their work has reduced the number of lengthy delays due to billing and product supply. Those delays are pretty common in our industry, and they can mess up processes. They’ve helped us avoid them. The quality of their work is strong, and we have very few issues.  

How did Generation Technology Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

They streamlined their service tickets and follow-up processes a few years ago, and it’s quite efficient. When we run into an issue, we email them. They issue a ticket very quickly from there. We communicate with them weekly.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their communication, response time, and customer service are all great. We trust them and their expert knowledge of the IT space. Their speed and personability stand out. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Not at this time. I haven’t seen any issues.  

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Ask around and phone for references. There can be a fear of the unknown when dealing with IT, so getting references is helpful.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the owner of Life Stiles Spa.

What challenge were you trying to address with Generation Technology Solutions?

We needed help with our phone systems and computer support.

What was the scope of their involvement?

I bought a phone system from Generation Technology Solutions, and then after that, I bought all of my computers from them as well. They do all the computer support and provide a full service for me.

If we have a glitch on our phone system or our computers go down on a Saturday, and it has been known to happen when we work on Sundays as well, I can just phone them or email them. The team can either go in remotely or they have a support system that comes out and visits us. 

What is the team composition?

I’ve interacted with Wesley (CEO) and Steven (Technical Team Lead), and I also know the person who takes care of their books. Their support team always comes down and introduces themselves.

How did you come to work with Generation Technology Solutions?

It’s been several years, and I think it was through a referral. They started off as a small business, and I liked the fact that they came to visit me. They are very personable. 

How much have you invested in them?

Altogether, it's anywhere between $15,000–$20,000. I do a monthly support payment of around $300 a month as well.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working with them for five years.

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

It’s huge in the sense that when our system goes down and we're not able to use our computers, or if there's a glitch or an update that we don’t understand, or if the phones don’t work, it’s very easy for us to contact them and have them take care of it. 

It’s imperative that we have that type of personal support. I feel like they are my own personal computer company that helps support me in an area that I know absolutely nothing about. 

How did Generation Technology Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

They've been excellent. They send regular emails to me, and Wesley is brilliant at keeping me up to date with what is going on. Steven and another person were great at coming in during COVID-19. 

I feel like I have a connection to my support people. Installation of the computers was done extremely well and in a timely manner.  It feels like they are part of our team. They’re a small business that is striving to give their clients excellent service.

They never oversell me, and I feel like they have always been good about giving me a forecast of what I need to spend to upgrade. The team is very generous in terms of keeping the cost balanced and affordable for me.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Generation Technology Solutions’ personal contact is exceptional. They perform their service in a timely manner and they’re professional, friendly, and efficient. I have a personal relationship with them, which is awesome. I have no complaints at all

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don’t think so. They have been pretty up to date with trying to keep their systems improved and current. I have worked with them long enough and we have gone through growing pains together. They have done an excellent job of keeping the course of improving their service.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Give Generation Technology Solutions an outline of what it is you need, and they will always come back with a good perspective of what they think they can offer as a company. Lay out your needs and be clear and concise with how they can support you and your business.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the office administrator as well as one of the director shareholders for a trailer repairs company.

What challenge were you trying to address with Generation Technology Solutions?

They look after all of our IT.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Whenever we run into IT problems, they help us solve them. In the past, they’ve set up computers, replaced two computers, set up WatchGuard, and more.  

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with Mike (President), Steven (Technical Team Lead), Wesley (CEO), and two additional teammates.   

How did you come to work with Generation Technology Solutions?

When we started in 2007, we were working with a team that eventually grew into only serving large clients. Our contact with our previous team recommended and introduced us to Generation Technology Solutions. We’ve been using their services ever since. 

How much have you invested with them?

We pay a monthly maintenance fee of $336. That covers day-to-day IT problem-solving and systems maintenance. Additional projects are charged on top of that fee. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working with them since September 2013.

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

They always get us up and running quickly. If our computers go down, our team doesn’t have access to anything. That makes their importance very high.  

How did Generation Technology Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

Once they schedule a date and time for a project, they always stick to it. They’re never late, and we don’t ever need to reschedule. I’m also able to send them an email if something goes wrong, and they can correct system problems remotely. They’re great at managing our systems.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their customer service is excellent, and all their technicians are knowledgeable.  

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’ve never had a problem with them. They’re a knowledgeable, friendly team. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Give them a call because they’re second to none. You’ll get excellent service from them.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a comptroller at a commercial HVAC contractor.

What challenge were you trying to address with Generation Technology Solutions?

I’m the de facto IT person here, and we don’t have in-house IT other than me. My knowledge is basic, so we brought on Generation Technology Solutions to help us.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Most recently, Generation Technology Solutions configured the VPNs on some of our laptops. I had an issue with my user ID, and I believe I locked myself out. On a monthly basis, they’re in charge of monitoring our network and backing up our information to the cloud. There’s some antivirus protection in there, as well.

What is the team composition?

I deal primarily with 2–3 teammates.

How did you come to work with Generation Technology Solutions?

I inherited them as a partner when I took over my current position.

How much have you invested with them?

I estimate the total cost of their services is $50,000.  

What is the status of this engagement?

I’ve been here since November 2014. I’d say that the relationship with Generation Technology Solutions predated me by at least four years, so they’ve been working with the company for at least 10 years. We pay them a monthly fee for network monitoring, but it’s not in the form of a retainer or a long-term contract. 

We could change providers next month if we wanted to. They do offer more robust service plans, by which they turn themselves into the client’s in-house IT, and cover everything that goes on. In our case, the model we have now was the most cost-effective. 

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

Everyone in an office environment uses computers every day, and the most important thing in my opinion is how much the business will be impacted by any kind of obstruction. Windows problems occur, and we’ve had a server crash. 

Generation Technology Solutions has been there for us in those situations, and they’ve been able to resolve those problems quite quickly. I feel they’ve been able to solve problems in better-than-reasonable time. They understand the urgency and the nature of their clients’ needs.

I’ve been able to rely on them anytime I’ve had a problem, minimizing any kind of disruption to our workflow. We’re not a big outfit, with only 4–5 users, but it’s not ideal for them not to be able to do their work. Generation Technology Solutions understands that, and they’re there for us when we need them.

How did Generation Technology Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re pretty good. Because of the scale of our business, any “project” they’d have to do for us wouldn’t be that large. The most significant thing in my history here was when a server crashed.

We had to get a new one, do some data recovery, and so on. Generation Technology Solutions met my expectations in terms of how they were organized and how they executed.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Ultimately, the less I need to use Generation Technology Solutions, the better. This isn’t to say that they’re not proactive. They’re constantly in communication with me, telling me what they’re seeing and recommending upgrades or new software.

What sets them apart from everybody else is the thing that I value, namely the reliability of our network and the reliability of their response when we need help. If that wasn’t there, I’d have a compelling reason to look elsewhere, but we have a good relationship at this stage. They’re there for me when I need them. 

If the network’s running, then everyone’s happy. It’s like life insurance: we don’t want to use it, but we want to make sure that it’s there. What I value is how quickly they reply to me when I have a problem. 

The network could be bulletproof, but we’re still going to have problems. They hold up their end of the bargain, and they’re nice people, so there’s no compelling reason for me to reevaluate the collaboration. Generation Technology Solutions also knows our network well.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, not that I can think of. For the size of company we are and how Generation Technology Solutions operates, it’s a good fit. It may be part of their sales strategy, but they’re pretty proactive in keeping me informed of what’s out there, what to look out for, and what we should do as some of our equipment ages.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Someone looking to work with them should be clear about their expectations and understand what they’re getting. We’ve had differences in expectations in the past. We thought we were getting one thing, and Generation Technology Solutions was providing another. 

There was maybe a bit of a knowledge gap there, but everyone got on the same page eventually. Anyone looking to engage with an IT provider should make sure that they understand the product that they’re getting. 

For the most part, if we ask a question, Generation Technology Solutions can give us an answer in layman’s terms. Without generalizing too much, some individuals working in that field can relay things in terms that are a little technical, but this team is good at explaining things in layman’s terms.