Intivix

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the director of IT operations for United Way Bay Area, which is based in San Francisco, California.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Intivix?

We established a long-term partnership with Intivix for infrastructure transformation, technology upgrades and other IT Projects.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We used to have a Novell Netware, but it was facing discontinuation many years ago. Intivix helped migrate us to Microsoft Network, Office Suite to Microsoft 365 so that we could enjoy security enhancements and more robust features. We also get to utilize the self-service password reset feature without having to go through the IT department. 

Intivix also helped us with implementing a single sign-on and multi-factor identity authentication application (OKTA). This gives us the ability to log in from anywhere and have all of our apps in one place with security and ease in place. 

Apart from those projects, Intivix serves as our network service provider. They maintain our network, provide strategic input about how we can change our infrastructure, and train us on security awareness. The team is also responsible for the upkeep of our hardware and the consolidation of all of our servers.

What is the team composition?

We used to have a full-fledged IT department, but now there’s only me and the whole Intivix team. I have a dedicated network engineer, who comes into our office once a week. I have weekly meetings with Rob Schenk (Partner) who is my account manager along with their top engineer to regularly check in with me and my boss to review projects, discuss new projects, concerns and just to see how things are going.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working with Intivix since 2003 and our partnership is strong and ongoing.  Intivix is instrumental with our technology upgrades, IT strategic planning, and developing and implementing our 3 year Road Map.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Intivix knows our system inside out because they've been working with us for quite a while. Most of the changes that they implemented have changed the way we work. We’ve been more solid, secure, productive, and efficient in our operations, and we’ve been able to pivot towards a work-from-home arrangement with no issues at all. 

We’re very happy with their work. Our current infrastructure allows us to safely access all of our files and applications remotely, and we haven’t had any downtime because of it. We consider ourselves very lucky to have such a strong partnership with Intivix

How did Intivix perform from a project management standpoint?

They have a helpdesk system which our staff can email to report IT issues.  Intivix Team will follow up with the user and if need be, remote to their computer. 

As for project management with Rob and Team, we meet via Zoom to discuss projects on regular basis. We just started to use Monday.com

What did you find most impressive about them?

Intivix is very knowledgeable and very mindful of our ideas and goals. They really understand our business, our mission, and what we're trying to accomplish. Because of their services, we're in a much better place now than we were 2–3 years ago.  Though we're not a leading business, we're also never at the bottom; we have a good place at the forefront of our industry.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There's nothing I can think of. Everything is good. Intivix has been very accessible and supportive and handles emergency requests immediately. In the future, though, maybe they could set up onboarding calls to help our new hires get acquainted with the system.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Technology is always changing so you have to be mindful to not get left behind. Always reserve a budget for upgrading your IT infrastructure and rely on Intivix to help you with all of those changes.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the COO of an e-commerce company that sells a health and wellness product.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Intivix?

We were a brand-new startup company looking for our first IT service provider.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Intivix set up our entire email structure as well as all of our Office 365 accounts. They got the license for Office 365. They do all of the regular maintenance and patches on our Macs and PCs. Aside from working with licensed software, Intivix also does hardware and equipment upgrades.  They take general service calls when our people are having trouble with their computer or printer. They also provide a cloud-based backup system for us.

They have a technician who comes to our site every week for half a day. We’ve had 2 different technicians over the course of our relationship. The first person who was assigned to us had a long drive to our site, and he expressed interest in having clients that were closer to his home. They honored that request and let me know about it before making the switch. They hired a replacement who lived closer to our location.

How did you come to work with Intivix?

We asked friends and network acquaintances who were happy with the service providers for their startup companies. Intivix was one of the firms that came up on that list. I met with them as well as several other providers. I decided that I liked them the most.

How much have you invested with Intivix?

We spend $5,000 per month. That includes their charges and also license fees that they manage for us.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working with them for 2 years.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

We’ve been satisfied with the quality of the people and the timeliness of the service. When Intivix solves a problem, they’re not hunting to figure it out. Their people know the answer and resolve it very efficiently. They are very cognizant of data security, so they set up a system that’s protected both internally and externally as much as possible.

They also send out a regular newsletter and webinars that give information in layman’s terms. They help understand what is important to our business.

How did Intivix perform from a project management standpoint?

They have an email ticketing system. If something can be resolved remotely, they’ll do that and send us an update. If solving the issue will result in a lot of back-and-forth discussion, they call and resolve the issue in real time. They’re very responsive. If someone is not on-site to handle a problem, we can reach out to their support system. They usually reply in a timely manner.

What did you find most impressive about Intivix?

What gives me the most confidence is that when Intivix solves a problem, it’s solved. That’s what I like about them the best. With other service providers, the problem would come back again. When they set something up, it’s robust from the beginning. If something goes wrong, they fix it, and it’s fixed for good.

Are there any areas Intivix could improve?

Lower prices would be great.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the executive director of Haynes Beffel & Wolfeld, a boutique intellectual property [IP] firm that primarily focuses on patent prosecution. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Intivix?

We'd worked with Don [Account Manager, Intivix] before. When he transitioned to Intivix, we definitely experienced a downturn with our old provider in terms of the level of service that we were accustomed to and their general knowledge of the specific systems that we are required to use for IP law. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our migration to the new system was pretty seamless and traditional in most respects. Due to increasing demands from clients in the Bay Area, we asked Intivix to come in during the migration to identify improvements for IS [internet security] compliance with regards to future audits. These included tasks like upgrading servers, ensuring that we had redundancies in place, implementing multiple backups (both desktop and server and off-location), testing protocols, and email security.

After we did the servers, we had to start updating the software. We have limited IT resources, so we really rely on Intivix. They upgraded all of our operating systems and Microsoft suite software. In Q3 and Q4, we plan to transition to more cloud-based applications for all of our billing and docketing.

We look to Intivix to ensure that we’re doing everything at the right time and in the right order. The RFPs were also really critical because they helped us ask initial questions to avoid being blindsided and to factor in the total cost. They are very good at improving the predictability of our pricing. They stick to their quotes as much as possible. They are proactive in communicating with us so that we don’t have any surprises when I review our budget.

They work with us remotely and on-site. They have a support system where we can submit general tickets via email; they assign a ticket number to the request and track it that way. Because we do not have an IT person on-site, it’s really important to have someone here at least once a week. They come in for half a day every week, which seems to work pretty well.

How did you come to work with Intivix?

We learned of Intivix through Don, who was our account representative, and Glen, our IT technician, when they were at their prior tech firm. We really enjoyed working with them and appreciated how they’d handled our accounts. We did a full RFP process and reached out to Don because he knew our firm and our infrastructure well. We also met with the partners at Intivix and felt that they would be a good fit for us. We try, when appropriate, to support local businesses.

What is the status of this engagement?

We have been working with them for 15 months. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

They have a strong understanding of the industry and broader technologies. They’re able to present different solutions, from updating the internet service to integrating a new phone system to overhauling our servers. They’re flexible and forward-thinking with regards to our company’s direction and needs in relation to the infrastructure and the type of software and licenses that we purchase.

How did Intivix perform from a project management standpoint?

We have a ticketing system for everything that comes in. Intivix sends reports via email that show the different results of a number of tickets, as well as patching and server uptime and downtime. The reports are thorough and easy to understand. We also have a quarterly meeting with a detailed agenda provided beforehand. Typically, we start with a meeting at the beginning of the year, and as we go forward with each quarter, things are added or removed. Each meeting is done in-person with the tech and Don, who has been our consistent account rep throughout the relationship.

What did you find most impressive about Intivix?

Because IP is a very specialized business, I find that IT services tend to be more rigid. We can’t learn different systems; it just doesn’t work for our business. We need people to shadow us and understand the key software that drives our firm in terms of our services and profitability. Intivix makes sure that they understand our key programs and support them.

Are there any areas Intivix could improve?

They are doing a good job. I don’t have any criticisms at this time. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the practice manager at Nor Cal Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Hospital. Typically, our patients have an urgent problem or a chronic disease. Other veterinary hospitals refer special cases to us. We don’t see generalized cases as far as well-checks or vaccines. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Intivix?

We handle all of our medical records electronically, so we need a file server and managed email. We’re a pretty email heavy culture with our 58 employees. We were in a bad state concerning IT. When I first came onboard, we had a period of pretty rapid growth, moving from a small operation with 12 employees to 30–40. We had a loaned server and workstations, but nothing was being monitored or supported. Everything was outdated, and we didn’t have virus protection on a lot of the stations. No one on our staff could manage the IT work. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Intivix did an audit of our IT infrastructure by looking at things like our backup to see if we were protecting our database appropriately. They set up on-site and off-site backups. They gave us suggestions of other things we could improve, looked at all of our workstations, and cleaned them up. They installed monitoring agents and made sure all of our servers and stations were patched appropriately, addressing security vulnerabilities that had been ignored for a long time.

We have doctors off-site that finish records from home or need to access them, and we didn’t have a good way for them to do that. Intivix put a terminal server in place so we had secure access from home. Our former partner was not the best at monitoring things, so certificates were out of date and weren’t licensed properly. Intivix did a thorough audit and gave me suggestions of things we could do.

Intivix provides help on-site and does all the patching remotely. They run a help desk for us, which solves a lot of problems off-site. Someone comes on-site for a few hours a month. They give me updates about what they’re doing and make sure that fixes work with our schedule. We can’t shut things down for patches and updates because we’re a 24-hour hospital. They’re always willing to do things in the early morning. We now have 2 virtualized servers that run multiple applications.

How did you come to work with Intivix?

We looked at reviews and found Intivix on Yelp. When I spoke with Don [Account Manager, Intivix], I liked what he had to say. He was very personable. Intivix didn’t just have a quick phone conversation where they told me what we needed. Don came out personally and looked at our infrastructure as it existed and got an understanding of how much we could afford to do. He gave us suggestions based on our budget and laid things out in tiers. They were willing to work with what we could afford and what we wanted.

How much have you invested with Intivix?

We spend around $3,000 a month with them, which everything from on-site service, help desk access, patching, and monitoring our multiple servers. We’ve also done special projects where we’ve updated workstations, which added about $6,000 on top of the monthly fee.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them about a year ago, and the work is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or impact of the engagement?

We had a lot of issues before with a former partner. Once, we had a failure and lost a large chunk of a database. We couldn’t recover invoices and client records, which was almost catastrophic for us. With Intivix, those problems have been eliminated. We had a lot of server outages and downtime with the previous partner, but we’ve had no downtime since Intivix took over. They alert us when something appears to be wrong and often fix problems before we know they exist. We also had an issue with our old remote access system where only 1 doctor could be working remotely at a time. Now, we can have up to 7 users working remotely at the same time.

How did Intivix perform from a project management standpoint?

The help desk runs through a ticketing system, and we get a monthly report of tickets based on the time and day. I have meetings with Don, who’s our representative and manages our account. Outside the help desk issues, Don gives us a report on where things stand and what’s coming up in terms of expired licenses and warranties. We typically have that meeting in person but have also done it over the phone.

What did you find most impressive about Intivix?

I really appreciate their willingness to work with our 24/7 schedule. During normal business hours, we can’t do any updates or patches. They’re willing to do off-hour projects for us without tightening the bill, which is great. We are very confident in their engineers. When they say they’re going to do a project and tell me how it’s going to happen, there aren’t any surprises. They’re very good at preparing me for what to expect. They don’t just do what is convenient for them like our previous provider did. Everyone is very personable, including the on-site technician. They’re a good group to work with, and we’re very happy.

Are there any areas Intivix could improve?

In putting together initial proposals, their default is to present the best program and the best possible equipment, which are expensive. When I raise concerns about that, they are always willing to work with us. This strategy might fit a company that can afford it, but we can’t, so it seems like a waste of time. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the COO and CCO of a vault-management firm. We manage around $1.3 billion in assets and provide overall loss management, including financial planning and investment management for our clients’ money.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Intivix?

We were growing rapidly, and the external IT support firm we were using at the time was having a hard time dealing with our expansion. They were great for us when we were a small firm with a handful of employees, but, as our company grew to over 35 employees in 3 states and 4 locations, they became unable to keep up with us. We made an assessment of other firms in our area and found Intivix. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Intivix initially looked at our overall IT infrastructure at the time. There were a couple of issues that our previous firm was unable to rectify, which Intivix handled rather quickly.

We moved from San Francisco to our current location in San Rafael. When we made the move, we elected to keep a primary internet connection and a failover link. It was a seemingly small issue on the outset, but it had a big impact. If Comcast went down, it would hinder everyone’s productivity, which is why we wanted the failover link. It was frustrating to have a link that never worked. When we got Intivix onboard, they were able to fix it quickly.

The larger infrastructure planning project was for our data backup system. We had been using a tape-based system, believe it or not. We’re now doing more frequent backups to another server and have a colocation backup as well. That process was a big improvement.

Intivix’s technical director, Ed, supports us with many cybersecurity issues. He has experience in the banking industry, which is regulated to the same degree as our firm or even more so, in terms of anti-money-laundering.

Intivix is responsible for managing our relationships with ISPs [internet service providers]. We have a technician who comes on-site twice a month. They handled the initial equipment setup for us but not the employee training.

We use Salesforce as a CRM [customer relationship management] system, but Intivix doesn’t provide assistance with that.

How did you come to work with Intivix?

We looked at 4 different companies and chose Intivix because they seemed adequately staffed. I felt that, if someone left their firm, they would have enough resources to impact us minimally. There was always someone at the help desk, and Intivix seemed to have large, qualified staff pool, so we felt they’d always be there to support us.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Intivix in 2015. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or impact of the engagement?

Once, we had a ransomware attack. Intivix responded quickly, and, because our system was being backed up every 10 minutes or so, they were able to get everything running fast.

Intivix is reliable, and all their technicians are competent. We have a dedicated resource, but we can call anyone on their support team and receive helpful, knowledgeable, and prompt replies.

How did Intivix perform from a project management standpoint?

We’ve gotten very good support from Intivix. We have quarterly meetings with our relationship manager and the security technician. We’re able to address broader infrastructure and planning issues. Intivix has always given us good options to consider, as well as pros and cons for each point. We have a ticketing system in place, besides phone calls.

We have rather unusual business hours, starting at 7:00 AM. Intivix’s team only gets in at around 8:30 AM, so there is a bit of a gap. We’ve always been able to get in touch with someone if we needed to, but this window simply fell outside of their regular service hours.

What did you find most impressive about Intivix?

Intivix is a responsive group. As I mentioned, our previous firm had some staffing difficulties, and we were no longer the right fit at a certain point because of our own growth. Intivix is better-equipped in this regard. They’ve always met industry standards. Based on my overall assessment of the 4 groups we considered, I was struck with the expertise of Intivix’s security personnel. It was a big consideration in choosing them.

Are there any areas Intivix could improve?

I’m happy with our relationship overall. We’ve had good communication, the quarterly meetings keep us on track, and Intivix has guided us down a good path. We’ve brought our IT infrastructure up considerably, and I feel confident in the cybersecurity insurance that Intivix provides. Nobody in our company has a background in IT, so it’s fantastic to have a group to rely on that patiently explains things to us in an easy-to-understand manner.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a startup company in the medical device industry. We are creating a machine that not only detects cancer but also cures cancer through radiotherapy. I’m the manager of HR and operations

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Intivix?

It was prior to me joining the company in August of 2016. They had a part-time contractor who was handling all IT-related support. When I joined during that period, they did not really have anybody, as that person was an ad hoc contractor. They were looking into transitioning a lot of their Google Docs systems, Gmail, that sort of thing, to a more robust, long-term solution. We then migrated to Office 365, with Outlook and a full portal of videos, Excel, that sort of thing. So, it’s full-on into the Microsoft suite, and then we expanded. That was coming down the road, but initially it was more for our systems in general and more tech support.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We hired Intivix to do the migration over to Office 365. I’m not sure if they helped us with the licensing part of it, but I believe they might have done it. In addition, they also helped us with the Okta single sign-on migration. That was in the very beginning, and I think that was my co-founder’s request.

They’ve done lots more for us since setting up and managing our Office 365 environment. They set up a ticket system for any tech support needs in terms of employee support in their systems. When I joined the company last year, we had about 50 employees. So, Intivix partnered with me in the onboarding process, to get all the new laptops set up for new employees. They’ve conducted new hire orientation sessions. They get an hour with each new hire, on their first day, to describe systems, our intranet, and then get them familiar with their own personal laptop. Intivix sets up their long-ins and gives a description of our different systems. They’ve gone beyond just setting up technology; they interface quite closely with the employees.

From that, we’ve expanded a technician on-site. First it was two days a week, and then we scaled it down; then we expanded offices, which they also helped with. We then requested a technician to be here twice a week. So, in addition to setting up our internal productivity suites, they’re also helping us with equipment and setting up our whole network infrastructure.

When I say expanded offices, we expanded a suite across the parking lot of our current office. Intivix helped us set up the wireless and physically moved our server room to the new suite. The previous one was not a standard and long-term solution. It had a stand-alone air conditioning unit, where this new suite is built for being a robust server room. They helped with all of that, including coordinating with our cable folks, all the TVs in our reading room, the projector system in our breakroom, and just helping us order all the equipment. They made recommendations on the kind of technical equipment we’d need. They do quite a bit with us.

They also manage the relationships with other vendors, such as our internet service provider. We don’t have anyone internally in a facilities management position. Being a startup, you’re pulled in several directions. Intivix has fully come on to be not just a tech partner, but almost an internal partner. We have a storage room of tech equipment, and they keep that inventory as well and manage our licenses.

Intivix also helped us set up a disaster recovery, business continuity plan. I don’t know the specifics to it, but I do know that they have something in place, in addition to back-up plans for terminated employees and the records we need on file once they leave.

How did you come to work with Intivix?

From what I’ve learned from my boss, I think he felt that Intivix could transition what we had in place at the time. They were able to do it within a pretty sufficient timeframe with less disruption to our employees.

How much have you invested with Intivix?

Between $50,000 and $200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working in January 2017, and the relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

I’m quite impressed with their services. I’ve worked with others in the past. They can take on high-level projects that affect the entire company, in terms of systems in general and of course, with our expansion. They are able to handle the daily tech support requests through a ticket system. To me, that adds a lot of value for me, as I also have a multi-faceted role. I know I can go to them with any of my concerns, regardless of how big or small the project.

When we expanded offices, it was the first day in the new suite. Even though there were instructions prior to the move, some people didn’t know how to log into the network, or didn’t know if they were going to use Wi-Fi and that sort of thing. On that same day, somehow our network went down. So, in addition to the roaming technician to help the employees, Intivix sent someone else out to help facilitate the network part.

We’ve had other times when the power went out, or a projector wasn’t working. Their technicians have attended to these issues, even when they were there for a different job. The quality of their people, and their knowledge, really highlights the company as a great service.

How did Intivix perform from a project management standpoint?

I work with quality folks at Intivix. If I have an urgent need, I have access to text them directly, and they get back to me immediately. That’s really quite nice, especially when we have fire drills in place. They’ve set up a ticket system with priority needs for our employee base. When they’re on-site, the technician will come see me or the point person to run through the priority jobs. We’ve gotten to the point where I don’t need them to check in with me all the time, as I know they have their priorities in place. I don’t have to micro-manage them. They’ve gotten to that level of being very efficient.

What did you find most impressive about Intivix?

We have a lot of custom systems here and custom needs. We have different licensing needs depending on the department. Intivix is always looking for ways to better service all of these needs. So, it’s more about growing pains as a company, but they seem to assist us along the way. They help us move to better systems and streamline things, and that’s been really nice. It’s attesting to the quality of folks they have working for us.

Are there any areas Intivix could improve?

I think they’re doing a great job.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a residential interior design firm. We have high-end clients whose needs we serve wherever their homes may be.

Our IT needs include an extensive portfolio of our work. We have architects working on CAD and designers using custom procurement software. We’re located in an 1870s Victorian building in San Francisco, which means that many of us are working out of separate rooms with a server in the basement.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Intivix?

After our IT person left, we needed support but didn’t want to hire a full-time, in-house resource again.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Intivix has helped us decommission an old server and transfer its contents to a new one. They’ve also helped put parts of our data portfolio onto the cloud, and have transitioned us from a server in the basement for our email needs, into a cloud-based Outlook one. Intivix has interfaced with our proprietary software provider, which has been around for many years. We’re in the cloud using that firm, but Intivix crosses the line and interacts with other vendors, even though they’re not our host. They make sure we’re alive and kicking.

They keep us up to date on all our software needs. We can’t have our CAD in the cloud, so Intivix makes sure to monitor that. We are being handled in such a detailed way, that I rarely have to think about anything. I’m also talking to one of Intivix’s people about potentially upgrading our phone system to a VoIP system.

Intivix also manages our ISP. We have a kind of odd situation with the wireless in our neighborhood. It’s an old building near Potrero Hill, which is an area not serviced by Comcast. In order to have them extend their cabling to our office, we would have to pay around $20,000. We have looked into this a few times using Intivix’ help, but haven’t started the project due to cost. What Intivix did was get us set up with a dish wireless provider, using an AT&T U-verse backup. They’ve done the best job possible in working with them, setting us up as a satellite location. The little dish on our roof helps serve a small region in the neighborhood, so our own wireless got pumped up to a fantastic bandwidth. Intivix can make creative deals like that one.

We have put fireproof storage boxes in our basement, which get picked up. We have offsite storage but are considering upgrading it to colocation or cloud options. We have daily, quarterly, and yearly backups, given that the founder of our company is very concerned about this matter. We also have a dedicated analyst who works from our office once a week, as well as a helpdesk which we can contact at any time in order to put a ticket in. They’re very responsive. I called them last week due to a user error and they walked me through it immediately, staying on the phone for about 20 minutes.

Intivix has even helped us install a big screen TV in our conference room when we had the need to make presentations to clients on the field. Intivix loaned us laptops and TVs which were connected to our servers. They also take care of the recycling of electronic equipment.

How did you come to work with Intivix?

We’d had an internal IT employee in the '90s and into the early 2000s, who used to consult with them. We were one of their first clients after our IT person moved on from our employment. Intivix was working with us before our IT person left, so we did not interview other people.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Intivix around 18 years ago.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

There is a general efficiency to how Intivix works. They come in at the beginning of the day, make all the patches necessary over the course of a half-shift on Tuesdays, and provide helpdesk consultation for the rest of the time. We have significant savings compared to using a full-time IT person, and I feel that we get more done.

How did Intivix perform from a project management standpoint?

Outside of email and phone communication, we have made server upgrades using 3 onsite people who checked switches and made sure that all the computers accepted the new profiles. Intivix has elegant staffing in this sense and documentation is also very good. If we plan to have a change, we ask their team to send emails to our staff. Intivix acts like in-house employees or managers, and don’t get mixed up in trying to send emails.

The system is set up as to not generate many headaches, but in the beginning, when Intivix was trying to initiate us with printer programs, software, and so on, they had a hands-on approach. I’ve worked with them day and night, and have no complaints. We have quarterly meetings with our project manager. He joins our analysts and talks about any initiatives, requirements, expiring warranties, and project needs we may have while being sensitive to costs.

We’ve recently become Salesforce customers. One of Intivix’ project managers is a certified Salesforce expert and has been helping interface between us and Salesforce consultants in order to get our account set up.

What did you find most impressive about Intivix?

There is a degree of sophistication in how Intivix manages staff — we have the same person coming every single week. He knows where our switches, computers, and screens are, and also the names of our employees and so on. He’s a member of the team, which is very cool. Whenever we need to switch a resource (which has happened over the course of 18 years), they accommodate us, ask us how we feel about the new person, and if there are any complaints. 

Are there any areas Intivix could improve?

This is not something which affects us directly, but I noticed that Intivix doesn’t have any female employees. I’ve wondered if this might be something that other clients would want, as a matter of diversity. There is diversity in terms of the ethnicity of the people being employed, and it can be a matter of the tech industry in general tending to employ more males. This is more of a thought than a complaint though.

From a technical and operational standpoint, I have no complaints. If I have an issue with pricing, Intivix is responsive and tries to work it out with me. Another nitpicky issue is that we’ve tended to accumulate old disks and packaging at our workstations, which we’ve had to recycle. I put in tickets for analysts so that they will gather that stuff the next time they’re in.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director for IT operations at a nonprofit organization. We take a holistic approach to ending the cycle of poverty in our area by partnering with more than 200 high-performing nonprofits to advocate for programs and policies that will provide family support, financial stability programs, and basic needs.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Intivix?

They’ve been our consultant for over 10 years now. In the beginning, we were on the Novell network and we wanted to migrate to Microsoft.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They helped us with migrating from the Novell network to the Microsoft network. They helped us migrate from the Office Suite, like WordPerfect to Lotus, to the new Microsoft Office. They assisted us in two big moves. They virtualized our servers, from 20 physical servers down to eight. They standardized our servers, our desktop, and they do the network consulting that maintains our infrastructure. They’re part of our IT, so they help us with a strategy to be more innovative in the applications we have to help us in our work. We’ve had a lot of projects with them. The latest one was moving to Office 365, which we just did a month or two ago.

They don’t do the physical move, but they help us determine how things should be set up from one office, to be more efficient, effective, and secure. They’re also a big part of our disaster recovery (DR) plan. We use them for our DR location, so our servers are replicated to our DR site as well. 

In addition to remote work, one of their technicians comes to our site for four hours, twice a month, to confer with our internal staff, determine if there’s anything we need help with, and make sure the servers are up to par. I interact with multiple people, but our main contact is Rob Schenk, who is our account manager.

They not only do our network and infrastructure, maintenance and support, but they also do our licensing. We subscribe to their MyWorkDrive, which is part of their product. They also provide anti-virus software.

How did you come to work with Intivix?

When we were migrating to Microsoft ten years ago, their name came up with another consultant we’ve worked with before.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them ten years ago, and the relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

When we moved our on-premise exchange to Office 365, there was a lot of detailed prep work beforehand. We have a very large database and a lot of customized items. We needed to ensure it all got migrated over. During that period, there was a lot of testing and prep work. On the day of the cut-over, it was very seamless.

We cut over, told people to leave their computer open, pushed out the agent, and upgraded their client. They were up and running the next day, with no lost data or downtime. Of course, there were little things here and there, but that was expected. Intivix sent three people here on the day of migration. They had a plan to hit all the VIP’s right away. The mobile devices had to be updated to make sure they’re getting their emails and calendar. It was a well-planned execution of the migration to Office 365.

One thing I can say about them is that they follow through. They know that we’re a nonprofit, so money is tight here. They always try to find the best way to achieve the latest, greatest technology with the least cost. If it wasn’t for them, we would still be in non-standard desktop, non-standard application.

Their technicians are very good. We had sub-tenant come over here, and we needed to separate them. Intivix found a way to use our internet without combining our data here. They have a lot of creativity with less cost. There was no additional cost on our side, and they followed through. They bring us the latest technology with a clear plan and cost, and they watch out for us because they know we’re a nonprofit without a lot of money to devote to our projects.

How did Intivix perform from a project management standpoint?

We have a ticketing called ConnectWise, so all service requests go through that system. Both sides monitor it, and if our queue gets too long, they tell us we need to work on it. We also email and text them, and they come here for visits. The communication is very open.

Every day, we have a report to tell us what’s open and how many days it’s pending. We also have a monthly review of our network, how many computers are patched, how many need updates. They call it an executive summary for the devices on our network. They tell us how long the servers have been up, what’s been down, their disc space. On the last report, we had some desktops that didn’t have the latest patches. It was identifiable, so we could just go there and update it.

What did you find most impressive about Intivix?

They help us with our security awareness training. They have a tool for new hires. They have to go through a test and get certified. Then every week, they have a little security tip, and those are very helpful. Our users really like it a lot. I think they’re going to be more focused on enhancing the security aspect of their services. They do a lot of security training. Once a month, they do a web seminar for their clients. We’re able to talk to them about ransomware and other things. That’s something I really like. They’re moving forward in that area, and not just patching servers. They’re taking a more proactive approach.

Are there any areas Intivix could improve?

I think they’re trying to enhance their security services. Two weeks ago, we had a meeting with an FBI person, educating the clients about ransomware and how to protect your company. They provided tips to give to clients. I think they should continue to educate clients about what’s out there, how to protect our data and our business, and continue to innovate.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

The company provides a variety of biological services to both public and private organizations. I am the Office Manage.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Intivix?

We needed a vendor who could handle our IT needs.

SOLUTION

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

We chose this service vendor based upon their experience and professionalism.

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

Reviewed our existing IT and provided solutions to update and maintain our infrastructure.

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

The CIO was the initial contact and support. Since then various IT specialists have handled keeping our systems running.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They keep us up to date on hardware, software, and update patches. They monitor our systems to insure that we are protected from outside sources.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Everything flowed smoothly for all upgrades to hardware and software. No issues.

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

They explain everything, and are proactive in making sure that our company is up to date on technology.

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

Before COVID response times were almost immediate, within a day. Since COVID I know they will be working on my problem, but I don't know when. It may take a two or three days for them to actually work on my issue. It would be nice to be informed of an approximate time for work to be initiated/completed.