NMG Technologies

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Our company provides a freelance marketplace with a focus on creative jobs like mobile and web design. We work with entrepreneurs looking to hire talent and vice versa, offering secure payment functionalities.

I am the founder and Executive Director.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with NMG Technologies?

We had used other development companies and had a bad experience.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

NMG Technologies not only developed the technical aspects of our web-based .NET platform but also consulted us on the business side. We haven't developed mobile versions of it.

We have worked with 6-8 resources from NMG Technologies, including a project manager, designers, and different types of developers.

How did you come to work with NMG Technologies?

I found NMG Technologies on clutch.co, after looking at a number of companies. I chose NMG Technologies because they understood the startup field and what it entails in terms of technology and business strategy. The founders and principals of NMG Technologies are also developers, which is a big advantage for the company.

How much have you invested with NMG Technologies?

The total cost of our project with NMG Technologies was $59,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with NMG Technologies in January 2016. The platform has been completed after a 6-7-month development time and currently runs in demo mode. We will launch it soon.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

NMG Technologies produced very good quality, and the results were better than I expected.

How did NMG Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

NMG Technologies delivered on time and on budget. We used Basecamp for project tracking and InVision for designs.

What did you find most impressive about NMG Technologies?

NMG Technologies is a dedicated and committed company. They were by my side not only on the technical work but also on the business side, providing a point of view on issues of marketing.

Are there any areas NMG Technologies could improve?

No. Everything was better than expected.

What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with NMG Technologies?

I advise customers not to hesitate in working with NMG Technologies.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a small software company specialized in Photoshop plug-ins. We also offer image consulting. We sell our software directly through the company website.

I am one of the partners of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with NMG Technologies?

We inherited an older website from a previous startup in which I was involved. We needed to modernize the page and make it compatible with our brand and products.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

NMG Technologies worked based on our previous website. We wanted to modernize the stack and design, so we used newer technologies. Much of the content from our previous page was used, but not the images.

We worked with a designer from NMG Technologies for the first half of the project, defining what we wanted to have done. NMG Technologies also assigned a team leader to our work. It's hard to say how many other people were involved, as I mostly communicated with the designer and project manager.

How did you come to work with NMG Technologies?

I looked at local companies and interviewed some of them. I didn't like the first impressions that I received, so I started looking at a platform for development resources. I found NMG Technologies, had a few meetings with them and found their company to have the best abilities in terms of graphics work.

How much have you invested with NMG Technologies?

The total cost of our project with NMG Technologies was around $12,000, which was in the range initially estimated.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with NMG Technologies in May 2015. Our website was launched at the beginning of 2016. We have an internal team that handles maintenance for the site, so we're not using NMG Technologies at the moment. I wouldn't hesitate to contact them in the future.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I am very pleased with our website's features. Our front page has a before-and-after functionality, showcasing our products. Users can hover over the images and use a slider to switch between the two versions. This isn't a unique functionality in itself, but it stands out compared to competitors' websites. I was very pleased with NMG Technologies' work.

We haven't had any maintenance problems at all. There was never a time when I thought that I was overcharged, even though we worked on an hourly contract with NMG Technologies. I never disputed their work.

How did NMG Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

I initially collaborated with 2 executives from NMG Technologies, after which we were assigned a designer. Once that work was completed, I worked with their project manager and the team. I was pretty much isolated from the team, which was fine for me. Our manager handled the project very well.

We used Skype for communication and InVision along with Photoshop mockups for prototyping. NMG Technologies designed almost the entire website using InVision, allowing me to approve and comment on the work.

What did you find most impressive about NMG Technologies?

The reason for choosing NMG Technologies was that their designs were more modern. They also had a better grasp of the problem that I described, actually coming back with a proposal that made sense, instead of simply saying that they could take care of it. NMG Technologies' written proposal covered all our bases. Other companies that I looked at were not as professional, and simply gave me generic estimates.

Are there any areas NMG Technologies could improve?

I was overall happy with NMG Technologies. Because we were working remotely, I was overly cautious about how they would perform, but I was pleasantly surprised with NMG Technologies. They were good at isolating their junior resources, so I always dealt with a project manager.

Because NMG Technologies is based in India, our holidays differed from each other. I never knew exactly what their work schedule was. NMG Technologies should make that clearer to customers.

BACKGROUND

Our company is a startup business intelligence cloud-based product designed for the fashion apparel sector initially, but will also be developed for the retail sector in general.

The company was founded in 2014 in Melbourne, Australia and is privately held. Its directors have expertise in technology/software in the retail sector and also executive level fashion apparel industry expertise. The software application is still under development and will have many further iterations over time. The market for this product is global with the major markets being Australia, USA, UK, and Europe.

The software application consists of collecting e-commerce data of selected retailers from the internet and compiling the data in such a way that relevant analysis of the data can be performed by the customer by way of filters. This software product provides the user with business intelligence for their market.

BENEFITS TO THE CUSTOMER

• Make well-informed buying decisions with ease using our analytics reports.
• Gain critical insight into your competitor’s range, pricing, markdown, and delivery activity.
• Work more efficiently with less time spent on manual comp shopping.
• Empower your team with the knowledge to make quick decisions.
• Take data wherever you go, with access to report history on any device.

BE MORE EFFICIENT

Knowing what your competitors are doing is paramount, but manual comp shopping can be laborious. Our product reduces the time spent on comp shopping by keeping you updated on the activity of your nominated retailers. Receiving updates as and when things change in your market, you are able to quickly assess the impact on your sales and adjust your own range accordingly. Leaving you more time to focus on what you do best.

BE MORE INFORMED

With accurate, up to date statistics at hand on any device, you are instantaneously able to back-up your buying decisions with data. Our archives are easily accessible, making it easy for you to answer queries, share insights with colleagues or collate statistics presentations at the touch of a button.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

Our product was largely complete notwithstanding some bugs and a few remaining enhancements. Our local developer in Australia proved to be somewhat deceptive in terms of their apparent lack of skill level and professionalism. This unfortunately resulted in totally unacceptable excuses and delays which impacted our ability to achieve a minimum viable product [MVP]. This was a frustrating and expensive exercise.

In situations such as this, the dilemma is whether or not to persist with the existing team and try to get a MVP before moving on, or transitioning prior which carries with it many issues. The issues are predictable and in our case included average documentation, splintered relationships, and unenthusiastic support at handover. Our application also includes dealing with external providers of technology on a global basis. This of course is a challenging situation for a new development team, and something that should be considered with great care.

We spoke with over a dozen developers from all over the world with wide ranging variations in speed/ability of communication, pricing, enthusiasm, and value add on a long term basis. NMG were a real breath of fresh air. Immediately upon contacting them, we had booked in a detailed conference and openly discussed the issues and predicament we faced. NMG provided a level of assurance and comfort in their abilities that others could not match. NMG was totally understanding of the inherent issues with taking over a project from another developer who is likely to be disgruntled and uncooperative. NMG was fast, responsive, thorough, and very organized in relation to pre handover and of course during the handover.

The initial scope of corrective and enhancement work is now complete to our satisfaction and we are very happy with the service and costings provided.

SOLUTION

NMG commenced handover with the outgoing developer and in the process, we discovered many issues that were not disclosed to us by the previous group. This, of course, is not desirable as a new team requires time to familiarize itself with a new application. As we had hoped, NMG was very confident and professional, and despite these roadblocks, they were more than capable of resolving any issues both known or yet to come.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Suffice to say, the current scope is now complete together with some further enhancements, and we are now at a MVP and due to launch. We are very happy with NMG and consider them our technology partner going forward. They are very responsive, prompt, and professional and we have no hesitation recommending NMG.

BACKGROUND

Please introduce your business.

Homabroad is a social networking website that connects international community members in different cities around the world. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with NMG Technologies?

We needed assistance with our website. We did not have the skills needed to do all of the things we wanted on our own, so we knew that we needed a partner. That's when we began to consider who we should work with and ended up with NMG Technologies. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The scope of the project included NMG Technologies designing and developing the site from scratch. They handled all of the technical work under our supervision. 

How did you come to work with NMG Technologies?

I found NMG Technologies online, contacted the owner and discussed my idea to get a sense of how much the whole project would cost. During that initial discussion, NMG Technologies brought up many insightful suggestions that ultimately ended up helping the project. Other service providers didn’t even attempt to suggest anything; they were just eager to get my business and nothing more.

What is the status of this engagement?

It's concluded now. The project lasted six months and was on completed on-time based on my demands. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

NMG Technologies did an excellent job throughout the whole project. They were very professional and always willing to make sure I was satisfied with the deliverables at all times. Anytime I did not approve of something, that was a result of miscommunication, and NMG Technologies would go well above and beyond to rectify the issue. It was definitely a pleasure to work with the NMG Technologies team.

How did NMG Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

The project was within the specified budget but slightly off schedule due to my own request to add more functionality to the site. They managed everything and sent me milestone deliverables for my approval from time to time.

What did you find most impressive about NMG Technologies?

What truly sets them apart is that they would always suggest new ideas or politely reject your idea when needed. They became a crucial part of the creative process, which gave me a better chance to succeed.

Are there any areas NMG Technologies could improve?

The only thing I can suggest they improve on would be to spend more time on communication at the beginning of the project, but they more than make up for that during the project itself.

BACKGROUND

Please introduce your business and what you do there.

Sweet or Sour is an online dating and social networking website connecting singles in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom and New Zealand. I am the director and founder of the service. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with NMG Technologies?

There was a lack of dating websites for young individuals. The majority of such services were either outdated or too sexually explicit. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I am not a programmer by trade, so I conducted numerous interviews with many companies to identify the best solution and direction for Sweet or Sour.  I was looking for a company with a strong programming background, up to date technologies and website design, innovative thinking and good pricing.

How did you come to work with NMG Technologies?

I conducted an extensive search of the top website and software development countries in the world—America, Australia, Europe, and India—and received detailed proposals from six to eight potential companies. NMG’s proposal was a detailed 40-plus page document clearly outlining the functionality of the site and how the site would run from a programming point of view. A Skype call was conducted, and we went through several questions I had. We talked through how the site would function. NMG Technologies ended up having the perfect solution and like-minded thinking for the direction of my company. 

How much have you invested with NMG Technologies?

We have spent somewhere between $21,000 and $23,000 working with NMG Technologies.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project took about three and a half months, which was very quick for such a large undertaking.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

How did NMG Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

The detailed specification document was followed perfectly. NMG Technologies recommended the right software solutions, and the schedule and budget very close to what was proposed originally.

What did you find most impressive about NMG Technologies?

The NMG team is not only very hard working but goes above and beyond to deliver the best possible outcomes. I constantly received updates on how the site was coming along, they were always available on Skype to discuss any issues or needed changes and promptly replied to my emails.

I am very pleased with their work ethic, and I will continue to do business with them. NMG Technologies is a great company to work with!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We provide support for customers who need help with plumbing, electrical, and other home repairs. We connect them to consultants via videophone. We are a small startup in the Washington DC area, operating across the United States. Our experts are located across the country.

What is your position?

I am the owner of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with New Media Group?

I needed to create a website for my business.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

New Media Group developed my website.

How did you come to work with New Media Group?

I searched Google for vendors that developed websites for startup companies. I chose New Media Group based on their ratings on clutch.co. We had a small budget, so cost was an important consideration.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

The total development cost was between $10,000 and $15,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The website was completed 3 weeks ago. I have talked to New Media Group about future site changes. They mentioned a maintenance plan, but I haven't signed-up for it yet. New Media Group did tell me that any changes within the first two months would be taken care of.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

I wanted a simple, customer-friendly website, which New Media Group delivered for me. I couldn't find a US company within the same price range that could have done as great a job. New Media Group provides great value and quality.

We're now beginning the process of attracting customers, so I have no significant metrics. I will be hiring experts for consultation. Once this is in place, I will start advertising.

How did New Media Group perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicated on an almost daily basis. New Media Group gave us great customer service, explaining everything step-by-step and guiding me through the process. There was a bit of a language barrier, but New Media Group was overall good.

What distinguishes New Media Group from other providers?

Their fast response, customer service, and development capabilities made New Media Group stand out. They implemented everything that I wanted.

Is there anything New Media Group could have improved or done differently?

No.

BACKGROUND

The National Association of Software and Services Companies, or NASSCOM, is a trade association of Indian information technology and business process outsourcing industry. Established in 1988, NASSCOM facilitates business and trade in software and services and encourages the advancement of research in software technology. It is registered under the Indian Societies Act from 1860.

NASSCOM is the industry association for the IT-BPM [business process management] sector in India. A not-for-profit organization funded by the industry, its objective is to build a growth-led and sustainable technology and business services sector in the country. NASSCOM's membership has grown through the years and currently stands at 1,800-plus. These companies represent 95 percent of industry revenues and have enabled the association to spearhead initiatives and programs to build the sector in the country and globally. NASSCOM members are active participants in the new global economy and are admired for their innovative business practices, social initiatives and thrust on emerging opportunities.

NASSCOM is the premier organization that represents and sets the tone for public policy for the Indian software industry. NASSCOM is headquartered in New Delhi, India, with regional offices in the cities of Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Pune, and Thiruvananthapuram.

I am senior manager, Communication & Web Group at NASSCOM. I manage NASSCOM's web-based intellectual properties and communications with NASSCOM's agencies on records.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

NASSCOM organizes multiple events focusing on different verticals, and event microsites play a very important role in marketing the activities. We needed microsites that can play a key role in helping our users easily look up the right information in just a few clicks.

We were looking for the partner or team that could understand the requirements and work on the website that would communicate information around upcoming events. Some of the major challenges of this task were working on multiple microsites at once, email marketing setups, content strategy, fast turnaround time for custom designs, responsive designs, easy registrations through the microsites, and 24-hour support from the agency when needed.

NMG build around 15 microsites in the year 2015, all of which were great and an easy-to-scan resource providing an uncluttered path to the information our users look for. 

SOLUTION

We met NMG through one of our initiatives focused on emerging companies. During our first engagement with them, we could see the passion and enthusiasm in the team when it came to working creatively. The NMG team proved their commitment by making the event website live in just one week's time – which included conceptualization, design, and development. NMG was involved with us in developing 15 event microsites, which benefitted us with the following:

• Branding: Microsites were branded in a great way, which is unique from the "mother" brand while introducing it to a new audience. 
• Details: We have a lot of information for each event. Displaying that information in few sections was fantastic work by NMG team.
• Creative design and engaging user interaction: The microsites provided a clear path to the call to actions, without the distractions, so our users were able to filter what they need to do more quickly.
• SEO benefits: Each microsite had its own unique URL making it easy for people to look up for an event. This feature helped us in SEO [search engine optimization].
• Fast deployment: Microsites were deployed quickly making them perfect for events with a short lifetime on the web.
• Email campaign integration: Designing email campaigns allowed us to determine effectiveness to a higher degree.
• Increased online footprint: When combined with a network of other microsites, our company's online footprint increased. This leads to higher search rankings and more successful organic search marketing results.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

After the first online portal completed by them, we have engaged NMG to work on all events microsite for NASSCOM. Microsites are one of the most valuable tools in a marketer's toolbox, especially in today's rough economic climate where marketers are looking for innovative and inexpensive ways to reach their target audience effectively and efficiently.

NMG helped us build and maintain our microsites and develop strategies to achieve our marketing goals. NMG accomplished the entire task within budget and were agile and responsive to the day-to-day requirements of the project. Daily reporting, tracking, and communication were smooth and feedback was implemented quickly and effectively.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

It's a small startup offering a social media website.

What is your position?

I'm the founder.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

From a project standpoint, the objective was to take a concept and turn it into an operational online business. It's still at the conceptual stage as far as getting the overall business launched but, from a development standpoint, we went through some wireframes and PowerPoint slides, and worked through to an operational website, available to the public.

Their primary focus was on development, but were also involved on the aesthetic design of the website. They provided plenty of feedback on the structure, look, and feel, as well as the flow.

They took part in that, as well as in engineering, developing databases, writing HTML and the other types of code.

They took part in that as well as in engineering, developing databases, and writing HTML and the other types of code.

SOLUTION

How did you come to work with NMG Technologies?

I did research on smaller development companies in the area. I narrowed it down to a couple of different vendors, and found that they had the best approach in terms of methodology, structuring, and how they would work with myself and my organization. They were the best fit in terms of size, price, and expertise.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

It was from $10,000 to $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The primary delivery is completed. We have some ongoing work on the maintenance side as well as some expansion and enhancements.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

They completed a difficult project in four months with few issues that caused project delays.

How did NMG Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

NMG's quality of work and methodology were top-notch. They put together a very well-structured team. They had project managers that lead the effort, designated resources to the design and layout teams. All of them played their role very well in the organization. The communication was also set up very effectively. Despite the fact that we were operating in different time zones, working with them was very convenient.

From kickoff to completion, it was a four-month project approximately. We used different programs for management, one of them being Basecamp. We would track all our progress, action items, and bug lists. Their turnaround time in terms of resolving issues was next day, with very few exceptions.

What distinguishes NMG Technologies from other providers?

They work extremely hard for long hours. They're extremely committed to getting the job done, no matter what it takes. The owner is dynamic and engaged in the business. Knowing that he has as much of a vetted interest in my project as the people on the engineering side was a determining factor in choosing them. The individuals were always available for conference calls and conversations and responsive to emails.

Is there anything NMG Technologies could have improved or done differently?

I can't say anything per se. Website development is very much an evolutionary process. As you work on it, you start seeing things and getting new ideas. For the most part, we had a good definition of how it was going to look, but there were changes along the way. I would have maybe tried to have a more clear idea from the start of how it was going to look in order to avoid extra charges and the additional time needed to make those changes. 

This is more of a reflection on myself, and the nature of the process. They were open minded about making such improvements. For the most part, we would agree to sideline issues until the troubleshooting phase. Overall, it went according to what my expectations were.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

FliptheCourse is a reward-based learning management tool compatible with any modern device. Our company would design, host, and implement gamified learning software to fit customized applications within universities and large commercial businesses.

What is your position?

I am the former CEO of FliptheCourse. My main role was to build a team of savvy, hardworking, and driven developers who I could count on to deliver/maintain/support FliptheCourse and leverage my relationships with decision-makers in commercial businesses and academia to get the tool implemented.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with NMG Technologies?

The challenge with FliptheCourse was to meet the learning management needs of businesses and academia in a way that incorporated gaming, which would be compatible on any modern device. Through our collaboration, we were able to design a modular framework that allowed us to configure an iteration of our platform for virtually any need in a matter of minutes. We could then demo that version to the client immediately, instead simply walking them through a wireframe. The flexibility in our platform coupled with their quick turnaround time meant that we could deliver to the client FliptheCourse with significant competitive advantages.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement.

They provided us with the technical talent that we needed to accomplish our goals. This meant UI/UX [user interface/user experience] designers, back-end and front-end developers, mostly senior level, QA [quality assurance] people, and a project lead. Together, we solidified the scope and the technical requirements we needed and then we began to build the functional components using those specifications. For the most part, we steered their team and gave them direction when they needed it. They executed on our vision and now they help us maintain the solution and work on further enhancements.

How did you come to work with NMG Technologies?

I selected them through an online advertisement after being dissatisfied with my previous local developer. I began interviewing companies all around the world, and although NMG was not the cheapest, Rohit [Maheshwari, director] from NMG made me feel that he believed in my product just as much as I did. Everyone else that I had interviewed would represent themselves as qualified, but none of them ever took ownership in my vision like Rohit did.

What is the status of this engagement?

NMG and I have worked together for well over two years now, and we're still going. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics, benchmarks, or user feedback from this engagement?

Although we have had some minor hiccups along the way, they always take responsibility for their work and will fix any bugs missed in beta process. I found them responsible, timely, and diligent. Building complex solutions can get pretty tricky, and you spend a lot of time trying to articulate your vision, which may be somewhat ambiguous, and you want a team that understands the importance of clarifying the vision before jumping into the code so you don't end up scrapping work altogether and starting over again. I appreciated that approach and their willingness to get into the weeds, to understand the business logic behind some of our key decisions and align them with the requirements needed to build the solution. 

Is there anything unique about their practice that distinguishes NMG Technologies from other providers?

They take their time with you when it comes to strategizing. They seem like much more than a simple production shop in which the customer comes in, tells them what to do, and then two weeks or two months later they deliver the final product. NMG understands that success is dependent on having a full understanding of what's at stake, what objectives need to be met, and how certain potential solutions might bring them closer to the end goal. 

In retrospect, were there any areas in which they could have improved or done things differently?

No. NMG hands down delivered, and I would highly recommend them to anyone who's serious about building some really cool and innovative tech.