LayerCake Technologies

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Practice Manager of Paradise Valley Medical Clinic

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Well established Medical Clinic in the Valley for 50 years. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Total Networks to accomplish?

• Complete IT services

SOLUTION

How did you find Total Networks?

Online Search

Why did you select Total Networks over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location

How many teammates from Total Networks were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Total Networks was contacted to assist us with transferring our IT Service Provider to them from a previous IT company.  They initiated contact and control in the beginning of the project and remained fully attentive to this migration over the course of 2 months.  They ensured a smooth transition for us during this timeframe. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Full, successful migration to new IT service Provider with ease. As a Business owner and one that values and aligns with the integrity of a high level of performance, Total Networks exceeds all service expectations.   

A business analysis project is set in the near future.  We are excited to have Total Networks in charge of this for us. 

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Total Networks service from day one, with any staff member, in any department, has been outstanding.  All questions and concerns are handled immediately. We trust in the knowledge they provide and continue to prove they are the best at what they do with every request we assign to them.

What was your primary form of communication with Total Networks?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

I was impressed with how attentive and knowledgeable their employees were.

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

From the service we have been receiving thus far, no improvment is suggested. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm one of the owners of an asset management company. I'm also a partner and manage compliance, finance, and vendor management.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Total Networks?

We needed a managed IT services provider.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Total Networks is our managed IT services provider. They do all our monthly patches, order computers, handle IT issues, and do annual business reviews with us. Since they have rules in place, they give us input on the more secure way of doing things when we ask questions.

When we started working with them, they discussed our needs and what we wanted. They've taken care of everything because we have moved from a previous IT company. Total Networks obtained all of our Microsoft licensing and other assets.

They keep an inventory of all of our computers, and Linley is in charge of ordering them. Anytime one of our employees needs a new computer, she helps with the options and needs and then gets everything ordered.

They will also start doing penetration testing and cybersecurity audit work for us.

What is the team composition?

Bill and Jon are our main points of contact. Bill just retired, and we just got a new account manager.

How did you come to work with Total Networks?

We had worked with two different IT companies but didn't enjoy working with them at all. I looked online and narrowed it down from 4–5 companies I found online. We chose Total Networks mainly because of their processes and documentation. We're in the financial industry and regulated by several agencies, so we must do third-party reviews annually. Total Networks documents all of their processes very well. It was the visibility and transparency of what they were doing. They do what they say they're going to do.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in March 2022, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Everything is in the cloud, so we don't have downtime. Nonetheless, the quality of Total Networks' service exceeds our expectations. We fired the other companies we had before working with Total Networks and plan on staying with them.

How did Total Networks perform from a project management standpoint?

We don't have a lot of projects, and we have those one-off computer orders, but they're pretty good about keeping us up to date. We have an ongoing Python programming project specific to one of our partners, and Total Networks has been assisting us with that. Communication with Total Networks has been good.

We hold our meetings through Zoom, and we use ticket management software. We also communicate via emails and phone calls.

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

Jon, the VP of client services, is always highly responsive. We contact him if we have any issues, and he takes care of anything within minutes. He's also very pleasant to work with.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Total Networks trains their employees well, so it's pretty consistent. There's no need to escalate any issues because they're well-trained for their positions.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there's nothing I would say.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the President of Techniquex

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Resinous flooring subcontractor. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Total Networks to accomplish?

• To formalize a seamless transition from the cloud
• move offices

SOLUTION

How did you find Total Networks?

Online Search

Why did you select Total Networks over others?

High ratings

How many teammates from Total Networks were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

We used to be on the cloud with several different IT companies. They would start out strong and peter out almost as fast. We had one company that was very good for quite awhile and went through COVID and lost most of their employees and their services got terrible. Since switching to Total Networks, we are thrilled. We also moved offices and it was completely seamless, they did just a great job. I would highly recommend Total Netowrks to anyone looking for a high quality IT Company. 

PS - They are also very nice people! That matters to us.  

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Took us from the cloud to a VPN with shared dektop was 3 months. Moving was 2 weeks from notice. Total Networks exceeded our expectations with both time and quality. 

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

They do what they say they are going to do. 

What was your primary form of communication with Total Networks?

Email or Messaging App

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

I was impressed with how organized and efficient they were.

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

None. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Firm Administrator of Thorpe Shwer

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are a law firm, working in litigation.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Total Networks to accomplish?

• Office 365 migration project.
• Switch from BEC to Law ToolBox for docketing
• Maintain our IT needs, by keeping us up to date with technology.

SOLUTION

How did you find Total Networks?

Referral

Why did you select Total Networks over others?

Referred to me

How many teammates from Total Networks were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Due to BECs incompatibility with Office 365 apps and LawToolBox's incompatibility with Office 2013,currently, in use at the firm, we must complete two changes simultaneously. We will configure a generic calendar in Office 365 that the docketing clerk will have access to. 

After LawToolBox completes the import of dockets, the docketing clerk will access that calendar via browser and manually enter dockets in your on-premises Exchange email system. Then once the migration to Office 365 is complete, all dockets will sync automatically.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

With this project we will be able to retire an obsolete server.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

They are exceptional when it comes to delivering on time and they are very quick to respond to our needs.

What was your primary form of communication with Total Networks?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

They are always looking to the future for our needs. What are we going to need to have to make us secure and up to date.

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

There really is no areas I see for improvement. They are great knowing what we need and helping us to get it.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the CEO of a growing and thriving organization which would like to be appraised of all on-going cybersecurity issues and incidents that could negatively affect our organization and the clients we serve.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Total Networks?

Dave and Stephanie not only advise our company of cybersecurity and managed IT best practices, they also both sit on an advisory board for our company.

SOLUTION

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

We met at an industry event in which we became very impressed with their acumen.

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

On a quarterly basis, Dave and Stephanie continue to advise us on managed IT security and managed IT support best practices.

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

I've personally worked with Bill, Stephanie, and Dave. Bill is a VP, Stephanie is the CFO, and Dave is the President.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I feel like the entire Total Networks team continues to improve our business processes and helps us understand what we need to be doing when it comes to cybersecurity and managed IT support.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Dave and Stephanie are "Go-Givers" of the first order. Their communication and attention to our success have helped propel our business.

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

I appreciate how passionate Dave and Stephanie are with respect to keeping our organization not only secure but also efficient.

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

If something comes to mind, I'll update this in the future...

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Co-Founder of Coterie Advisory Group, Inc. which is an insurance program manager and consultative advisor who develops and leads distribution of Affordability-Based Medical Plans to help benefit brokers, employers, and associations in the benefits industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Total Networks?

We are a rapidly growing company that needed to focus our resources on our core business services. We were looking for a vendor partner who could could provide Managed IT Services for our technology infrastructure, hardware, software, security, and employee helpdesk. We also needed to migrate company email and related services from Google Workspace to a full Microsoft shop.

SOLUTION

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

We received quotes from several companies who seemed more focused the either the managed services or the conversion project. Total Network delivered a competitive proposal with a level of expertise and confidence in accomplishing both for us.

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

First step was to gather requirements for both the Managed Services takeover and the email/data/platform conversion project. Once finalized with target dates, the began by accessing our current infrastructure and installed and updated the necessary hardware for internal networking, firewalls, switches, wifi access points, phone switches, cooling fans, etc. All with hardware that is consistent across their clients for expertise in managing and servicing. Next they moved to workstations to update and install the necessary software and security for ongoing managed service. This allowed them to begin servicing our employees while working on the platform conversion project to Microsoft. They conducted this project in stages to accomplish the big email/data move to MS365, Sharepoint, Onedrive, and Teams. They tested an initial user conversion with success and then scheduled the all employee move during off-business hours to avoid any disruption to our business. Once completed, they conducted several training classes to get our employees familiar with the new email and data structure, along with usage of new applications like Sharepoint and Teams.

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

They pulled in a team of experts to engage with our company for the various parts of the project. They assigned dedicated account managers, project managers, and specialists in the execution of hardware, software, security, and email/data migration.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The projects were completed on time and within proposed budget. Our business did not experience any significant downtime from start to finish. For ongoing managed services, their helpdesk is responsive and has achieved 100% resolution for any issues identified. They manage our business on a partnership level with ongoing reviews to anticipate any future changes that may required based on our business growth and needs, along with updates to best-in-class protocols.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Scheduled check-ins and updates were provided on a consistent basis with open opportunities to discuss any concerns on an ad-hoc basis. The availability of their team was never in question and continues to operate that way in our steady state of the Managed Services they provide.

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

The broad range of expertise at Total Networks to accomplish what our business needed for the initial project and the service-levels provided for their ongoing Managed Services continues to shine as they have proven to be one of our most important vendor partners.

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

The project and ongoing Manages Services by Total Networks has been an exceptional experience and I have nothing to add for their improvement at this time.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founding partner of a law firm started in 1974.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Total Networks?

We had many firms assist us with our IT needs but none of them delivered the service promised. It was our impression that they were focused more on sales than service. Our firm hired Total Networks years ago to handle all our IT needs including internet telephone.

SOLUTION

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

We learned of Total Networks from a seminar presenter. We contacted them and were impressed by their knowledge and experience in this industry.

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

They inspected our computer systems and how they were configured. Our firm has 14 employees at the present time and several printers on our network. Total networks recommended improvements in areas of retiring aging hardware, increasing security, use of better products and vendors to increase our efficiency. They perform an annual review and make recommendations to keep us up to date and functioning well. This is an ongoing relationship.

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

There is a project manager that is our main point of contact. Various service personnel are dispatched or assigned depending upon the issues that arise.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Total Networks completes its projects on time. It under promises and over performs. Most of our needs are upgrading our systems annually or, in some cases, quarterly to avoid downtime.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Total Networks is always responsive. A concern is responded to within minutes and assigned to a service person the same day. We are always contacted the same day and, often, our issue is dealt with the same day.

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

We have never had an IT specialist in our office. With Total Networks handling our IT needs and concerns, we have no need for one. Total Networks is highly capable and competent and provides advice and service to prevent problems instead of merely reacting to problems. We are impressed with their level of service and the knowledge of the Total Networks Team members. All our interactions with this firm and its staff have been very positive.

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

Not that I am aware of. If I do have a concern, it is addressed quickly and explained to me in non-technical language.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the accounting admin manager at Barrett & Matura, a law firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Total Networks?

We needed IT support for our system since we don’t have in-house resources.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Total Networks does IT services for us; they’ve helped us migrate from desktop computers to laptops, including all the setup for our employees. Overall, we use them for everything regarding IT; they purchase our equipment and keep us updated on the latest virus and malware issues to have our security under control.

What is the team composition?

We’ve been working with 1–2 members of their team, including a support member and someone from their management department.

How did you come to work with Total Networks?

We’ve worked together for several years, so we decided to use them for this project.

How much have you invested in them?

We invest $2,100 a month with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since January 2018, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They have a virus protection program on our laptops, which has helped block any security breaches.

How did Total Networks perform from a project management standpoint?

We have face-to-face meetings where we go through what they’ve done and what they’ll do in the future regarding updates and additional options to enhance our security. Regarding communication, we use phone calls.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their dedication is outstanding; if we have a problem, they won’t stop until they find a reason and a solution to the issue. Overall, their communication is impeccable because it doesn’t matter who we speak to; everybody has access to our profile to assist with a personable approach.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think there’s anything they can improve on.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the office manager for Hannay Realty Advisors. I’m also the IT administrator in our office. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Total Networks?

We hired Total Networks as our IT vendor. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

At the height of our company, we had offices in California and Chicago with about 80–100 people. 

At present, we’re down to 27 people, and we no longer have offices throughout the country. We’re now a local company in Phoenix, Arizona, and I’m still in contact with Total Networks on a day-to-day basis for our IT needs. They send me scopes of work and recommendations around the IT industry climate. We either agree or disagree with their recommendations and track the progress of their projects from beginning to end. 

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked with everyone from Total Networks — from the owner to every single technician. I’ve also worked with the members of their executive team. I basically know everybody. 

How did you come to work with Total Networks? 

They were recommended to me by a friend. 

What is the status of this engagement?

Started working with Total Networks in January 2015, and the engagement is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We measure success through Total Networks’ completed projects; I also check whether or not they complete projects on time.

How did Total Networks perform from a project management standpoint?

Total Networks understands our company and budget limitations. In terms of our relationship, we’re like a family in that we’re on a name-to-name basis — they know us, and we know them. They’re also always on time. To communicate, we use phone calls and emails. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’ve known them for a while now, so our relationship with them is truly like family. They know our needs. For instance, I have several staff members that have special needs, and they completely understand that — they’re open and willing to help us. On top of that, all of them are professionals; they’re completely reliable, responsible, and respectful. Overall, they’re a good company.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there aren’t any. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I’ve recommended Total Networks to other companies that I’ve worked with, and they’ve had success in the relationship. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the office manager at Emergency Environmental Services, a hazard response provider.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Total Networks?

We needed their expertise in IT managed services.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Total Networks supports our IT efforts by setting up our office equipment, including our computers, telephones, and network- and security systems. We’ve given them access to our network drive to authenticate their solutions and provide them with any necessary documentation they need.

What is the team composition?

We mainly work with their technical support team.

How did you come to work with Total Networks?

I found them online while searching for potential IT providers to onboard for this project. Total Networks seemed like the professional and skilled team I was looking for, so hiring them was an easy decision to make.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $10,000–$15,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing engagement started in April 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We haven’t encountered any system downtimes since we’ve engaged Total Networks — this speaks volumes about their technical capabilities and solution-orientedness. We’re an emergency response company that heavily relies on accuracy and system preparedness, and their team strives to help us further our vision.

How did Total Networks perform from a project management standpoint?

We mainly communicate via phone calls and text messages. Total Networks is a highly responsive partner — we can always count on them to address our needs within quick turnaround times.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’ve worked with many providers before, but only Total Networks consistently shows up on time and brings their expertise to the table.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They can consider expanding their team.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be straightforward in highlighting your goals and trust their team to know what’s good for your business.