IT Tropolis

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP and general manager for the California operations of Sage Hill NW, an exporter of foliage products. We export to Asia and the Middle East. Our headquarters are in Washington state.  

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with IT Tropolis?

We needed better IT services to keep our information systems more secure. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

IT Tropolis provides managed IT solutions for us. They do plenty of work for our company, such as setting up servers, shipping them out, and installing them. 

What is the team composition?

I work directly with Bob (Co-Founder & President). Another person works in the background, but I mostly deal with Bob. 

How did you come to work with IT Tropolis?

I was working with another company that provided software and inventory system services, and they recommended IT Tropolis. At that time, Bob was working with that company, and I thought it would be good to deal with a vendor like them. Moreover, I was the IT manager for our company during that time, so I needed more help around security. 

That was when we started our conversations with Bob and IT Tropolis. What truly attracted us to him was that his firm was highly flexible; they were willing to do what needed to be done for us — they weren’t rigid. As a result, we chose to work with them. 

How much have you invested with them?

We pay about $1,800 per month. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in May 2011, and the engagement is ongoing 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

In terms of success metrics, the way that IT Tropolis deals with issues has given me confidence; I trust that they’ll do what we need them to do in terms of security. 

For instance, when we were hit by a ransomware attack, Bob went to work on it and resolved the issue fairly quickly resulting in minimal downtime. 

How did IT Tropolis perform from a project management standpoint?

For project management, we communicate through phone and emails. We can also send IT Tropolis messages or notifications through the security software. Based on such messages, Bob generates a ticket and follows through until we’re satisfied with the work we’ve asked them to do. Overall, this level of communication is great; it’s something I’ve learned to appreciate.

For comparison, other companies start off well, but then their communication falls off. Bob, on the other hand, has always risen to the occasion and does more than what we expect. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

The personal connection that IT Tropolis makes with their customers distinguishes them from other service providers. Even before hiring Bob, we’ve looked at different solutions and companies. Those companies will set you up, but certain things will be passed on to others, who may not be so good at communication. As such, some things fall apart. 

By contrast, Bob follows through and excels in more ways than we expect. He’s flexible, and I feel confident in asking him about anything. He spends time and talks to me about my inquiry, and if he doesn’t know the answer, he connects me with someone who can help me. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there aren’t any. IT Tropolis is doing exactly what we’ve hired them for, and Bob is spot on in what he provides. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be open in what you want to be done. Lay out your goals and expectations. Sometimes, business people communicate what they want but don’t always do it correctly. To avoid that, be prepared to tell your goals and expectations clearly. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We proved transloading service in the Port of Los Angeles to the international agriculture community.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Our IT service provider did not have time for us and our small system so we had to find another provider. We hired IT Tropolis to maintain and upgrade our network and system. Since we hired Bob our system has doubled in size and he has taken care of all that that required.

SOLUTION

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

We had to find a new provider and I had a friend that was using IT Tropolis and happy with their service so we contacted Bob and he gave us prompt and satisfactory service. We needed that and IT Tropolis provided it.

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

Basically it was to modernize our old system, make it faster and more reliable and upgrade it where needed. They took care of all of our needs with minimal down time (if any) and we continue to use them for day to day IT. We pay a monthly fee and get prompt responses to our problems and good advice on our system needs.

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

We are not an IT company nor do we have any in house IT staff. Bob worked directly with our employees and addressed their needs. His communication was clear and understandable for us non-tech people. He would consult with me and our VP about our system needs and changes that should be done.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Well our system works every day, that to me is progress and success. Our number of users has doubled since we started with IT Tropolis and there have been no glitches, again that to me means progress and success.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Great, since we have an ongoing relationship there is continuing workflow and issues get resolved quickly and correctly.

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

IT Tropolis made us feel that we are an important client and has continued to treat us that way. Even though I know he has many other customers to help with their IT problems. Also they do good work.

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

I am not an IT person so I can’t speak to anything that could have been done differently from a technical perspective. From a customer service perspective they could not have done better.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president of an organization that has had two main companies over the years: a vacation rental business and a conflict resolution company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with IT Tropolis?

I needed someone to consistently provide their IT services, so I brought in IT Tropolis.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

IT Tropolis provides a wide range of services, from managing our internet access, emails, domain, web hosting, and even the configuration of our wireless network. I use them for everything IT-related. Their team keeps my computers and servers up and running. If there is a problem or if one of our servers is down, they notify us so we could call their help desk to have the issue fixed. 

Security is our main focus because I have my customer’s financial information. I don’t have ransomware or anything set up against hacking, so they oversee that.

What is the team composition?

I usually work with 1–2 people from their team. Bob (Co-Founder & President) is always available if needed, and I can email or call their help desk anytime. They don’t have a huge bank of members, so I tend to work with the same couple of people all the time.

How did you come to work with IT Tropolis?

IT Tropolis was referred to me by another business owner. According to them, the team really cared about their computer systems, so I thought I’d give them a try. 

How much have you invested with them?

We invest around $15,000–$20,000 per year.

What is the status of this engagement?

I engaged with them around February 2009, and our partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

IT Tropolis quickly resolved any problems that we would have. One of our servers is in Hawaii and would be affected by the hurricane, but they really stay on top of it to get us back up and running. They have a very high level of responsiveness and confidence. I’d give them the highest rating for excellence in this aspect.

How did IT Tropolis perform from a project management standpoint?

Bob is very hands-on. If there is a problem, he jumps in and get involved. IT Tropolis’s accessibility, depth of knowledge, and ability to communicate are excellent across the board.

We typically communicate via text and email. I prefer to send them a text message when an issue is time-sensitive, but if it can wait an hour or two I just email them. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their proactiveness is impressive. It is the fact that I don’t encounter any problems at all anymore. IT Tropolis doesn’t wait for me to have an issue to solve it; they ensure that it doesn’t happen in the first place.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t see anything for them to improve on. I think their work is excellent.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be clear about your priorities. The more clarity they get from you, the easier it will be for them to meet your expectations. I’ve also found that the more projects they do for me, the better I get at communicating what I want.