Octal IT Solution

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We are a general practice law firm operating out of ten offices in Florida.

What is your position?

I am in charge of digital marketing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Octal Info?

We needed help in recreating our website. We were consolidating our business into one operation and wanted a more powerful website with a custom backend.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

We initially hired Octal Info to create our website, but have since gone through an additional wave of enhancements.

How did you come to work with Octal Info?

We looked up a few different companies. Some of the work that had been done by the previous company we'd worked with had been outsourced to different developers, one of which was Octal Info. We cut out the middle man and decided to work with them.

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

The total development work so far has been between $10-50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We've been working with Octal Info for one year and three months. We have retained their services twice within the last year, but our work isn't continual. We'll engage with them in the future whenever we need a revision or facelift for our website.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

We have been satisfied with the website built by Octal Info. It's the main reason for rehiring them.

We have added areas to our site which were not present before, such as our frequently asked questions section and our video gallery. The video gallery has become amazing, especially after the latest enhancement phase. We receive a lot of traffic from people finding our videos, as well as inquiries made by them. We currently have around 150 videos live on our website, and the number keeps increasing. This hasn't affected its performance at all.

What distinguishes Octal Info from other providers?

They may not have known definitively what our goal was in the beginning, but Octal Info worked very hard in order to satisfy us, and made sure that we were on the same page. On a few occasions, Octal Info has gone above and beyond the scope of work, just to maintain a good relationship with us.

Is there anything Octal Info could have improved or done differently?

Clarifying the scope a bit more was something they could have improved in the beginning. On our second project, they learned how to better understand requirements before starting the work.

BACKGROUND

We are a social enterprise geared to help online training in Africa. We want to help the local communities develop their economies and help people further their career potential.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

We want to offer better online corporate training in the continent of Africa to help people and further local enterprise.

SOLUTION

Octal Info developed a platform that could be used on the web or Android mobile systems. They started in February 2015, and the work is still ongoing. They are in the final stages of the project now, but haven't fully launched yet. We have two full-time developers, so it's quite a large project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

They are easy to talk to, and they can match African culture. Although their culture is different, their flexibility is strong. African culture requires flexibility and Octal Info is flexible. They can work with anything regarding payment, schedule, and review schedule. They have no major improvements to work on.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We offer a portal where restaurants can enter their menus. Customers can then choose venues based on their postal code and make orders online. The restaurants receive the orders and deliver them.

What is your position?

I am the owner of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Octal Info Solution?

We needed development work for our solution.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

They designed and developed our web platform from scratch, including iOS and Android apps.

How did you come to work with Octal Info Solution?

I found them through a normal internet search and conducted a series of phone interviews.

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

The total development cost is expected to be around $25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in May of 2015. The work is still in progress. The initial estimate for the project was around five months initially, but it was extended due to some problems on our end. It is a large project and we hope to complete it within the next two months.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

Development is going well at the moment. I was initially skeptical about their abilities to complete the deeper, more dynamic aspects of the work. I recently visited their office, expecting to find a smaller company, and instead found a full-fledged team of about 100 developers.

The total cost increased from what they initially promised over the phone. It's necessary to mention every feature that you want added into your project, otherwise they will appear in a list of extra additions.

I'm overall happy with their services, and I appreciated working with their company owners.

How did Octal Info Solution perform from a project management standpoint?

They have a deep team that works together well to deliver work quickly.

What distinguishes Octal Info Solution from other providers?

They have specialized staff for sales, project management, and so on. Octal Info offers the same services as other companies, but they are more professional and experienced than the competitors which I found in the UK.

Is there anything Octal Info Solution could have improved or done differently?

They should stick closely to what their sales team promises. There were many items which we initially agreed upon over the phone, that they later said were not among the included features. One of their owners did intervene and agreed to honor everything they initially promised.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

The Medical Wellness Center focuses on medical weight loss and body contouring aesthetics through the use of natural hormones.

What is your position?

I am a co-founder of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Octal Info?

We needed help in changing the look and feel of our website.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

They developed our new site starting from scratch, based on a new framework. We didn't want it to look like our old page.

We're currently receiving training from Octal Info in order to ensure that we can manage the website. I've also offered them the SEO work for our page. I'm looking forward to continuing the relationship.

How did you come to work with Octal Info?

We found them through Elance.

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

The total development cost so far has been around $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The website work is complete. I've given Octal Info the SEO project for our website, which will amount to around 100 hours. I've had a good experience so far, so I wouldn't hesitate to use them again for any other work.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

They did a pretty good job. We're happy with the results.

In our line of work, we rely heavily on people finding us online and spending a lot of time on our site looking at our procedures. So far, people have said it is nice, professional and user-friendly. Our previous page was boring compared to it.

How did Octal Info perform from a project management standpoint?

Octal Info was responsive, and I've had no issues with their work. Our experience was great, and I wouldn't mind working with their team again.

What distinguishes Octal Info from other providers?

I've worked on developing the site along with their project manager and senior developer. They addressed all my needs, which was helpful, given that I'm not experienced in project management of this kind. They work well with non-technical clients to explain the project.

Is there anything Octal Info could have improved or done differently?

There is always room for improvement. I've never had a negative experience as such with Octal Info. They've been extremely helpful with everything I've asked for.

The only negative aspect I could mention is their payment policy. Octal Info could be clearer in drafting their documents.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

Our company produces music videos. We're also producers for different artists in the music industry; we develop marketing strategies, and are the owners of an application which we published two weeks ago. We're now starting the marketing for the application.

What is your position?

I'm the Chief Executive Officer [CEO] and owner of the application. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Octal Info Solution?

We've developed an application for local companies and shops. Most people shop online, through sites like Amazon and Ebay, and I wanted to bring in more users to these local shops. We also want to enter the market in Austria, and move on to the rest of Europe. We are currently discussing the project with investors.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

We just needed them to code the application since the user experience and design were handled internally.

How did you come to work with Octal Info Solution?

I researched a number of companies through the internet. I read a lot of feedback from people who worked with them in places like LinkedIn, and saw that it was mostly positive. I contacted them, and we've worked together for the last four months.

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

Being an Indian company, they will definitely be cheaper than an Austrian one. The cost factor is about one to five. The quality is also an important factor. Everything they've sent me works fine.

What is the status of this engagement?

I still work with them, and plan to do so in the future. I like their company and would like to stay with them long-term.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

We don’t have formal metrics but we are pleased with the quality of the application and lack of downtime.

How did Octal Info Solution perform from a project management standpoint?

If they continue to work like this, holding deadlines and offering quality results, Octal Info will always find clients.

What distinguishes Octal Info Solution from other providers?

The connection we have to them is very good. I can write to them anytime, and I will get a reply. If I have a problem, they will check it within a few hours. A company in Austria would take longer.

They work very fast, and offer good quality.

Is there anything Octal Info Solution could have improved or done differently?

I can't find anything to say. Everything has been fine until now. There are no major problems with their work quality.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We provide an online service to shareholders and potential shareholders of privately held bank stock. If you can envision an online Craigslist type of format, users can post an intent to buy or sell their privately held stock for a particular financial institution. This helps buyers and sellers.

What is your position and responsibilities?

My role in the company is chief technology officer. All things technical fall into my world. Whether it's email or getting the application developed – you name it, that's me.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Octal Info Solutions?

We had an existing platform that was out there, which was outdated. The PHP framework that that was built on was several years old and, personally, I didn't like it. I was familiar with Cake PHP, which is a different type of PHP framework.

When I was researching for companies that I thought may be a good fit to help us with this new solution, I ran across Octal. I gave them a call and asked them if they could do a proof of concept for us, look at our existing platform, and look at building us a new platform.

We went through the proof of concept, they did a great job, and we decided to move forward with them. Since then, they have redeveloped and deployed a brand new platform for us.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

They essentially managed the entire software testing life cycle for us, with the exception of requirements development. We developed all of our requirements in functional specs. They wrote technical specs, put that into a timeline, did the project management, did the development work, did some level of QA [quality assurance], and we did some level of QA internally. Then we've hired them for post-implementation support, as well as ongoing enhancements that we're going to be rolling out in the near future.

How did you come to work with Octal Info Solutions?

In a different role for my day job, I work very closely with some of the big consulting firms across the world – Accenture, CSC, Capgemini, and ATL. I looked at working with those guys and, honestly, I got more of that personal feeling when I reached out to Octal.

We didn't do a formal RFP [request for proposal], but I did talk to a lot of different companies before I settled on them. One of the reasons I particularly liked them the most was their familiarity with the framework that I wanted to implement, which again is Cake PHP.

After talking with an account manager representative, I got to know their team, I got to really like him, and when he put me in touch with the team lead, we established rapport very quickly. The relationship just developed from there. It's continued to evolve, and it's been good so far.

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

It was from $50,000 to $200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started talking with them about a year ago, although we didn't really truly start development until right around the first of 2015. We moved very quickly, definitely rapid deployment, so overall I would say we’ve worked with them for six months.

They still provide some post-production support. It's not uncommon to find a bug here or there or a small enhancement, something that we missed in the requirements. We're still working with them. As a matter of fact, I just asked them to bid on what we'll call an enhancement. It's not as meaty as the overall project, but it's pretty big. It's definitely worth their time.

We're doing that, and then I'll actually have a separate, almost completely different project – although it does have some similarities with the platform – that we're putting together for those guys to work on. Our intent is to continue the relationship with those guys and have them continue to do development work for us for the foreseeable future.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

I don't believe it would be fair to provide the feedback from our customers. We've had some negative feedback, but it's not Octal's fault. It's more of an overall design. We added a lot of bells and whistles, and a lot of our customers are older, and they liked the simplicity of our old platform. You could go in and do two or three things.

Now, you can do 20 or 30 things, and our users are starting to get a little confused because we've added so much functionality to it. In essence, some of those guys are having a hard time with the site, but none of that is Octal's fault at all. If anything, it's our fault for taking a different design approach. I can say that everyone, bar none, has said that the site looks incredibly better than it did before.

How did Octal Info Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

The quality was pretty good. We had to go back and re-QA some stuff. We were doing one move from development to production, and I'm not sure if some files got deleted, but we noticed that there were quite a few bugs. Those guys stepped up very quickly, and they brought in an extra person to only do QA. They went in there and they found all the bugs. They resolved them very quickly.

All of the testing was covered in the production maintenance and warranty period, so there was no additional cost to us. They did a really good job, and I would have said that's the only negative, and they've spun that to a positive very quickly. Overall, I think the work that they've done and the responsiveness has definitely been there. Octal Info Solutions did a good job.

What distinguishes Octal Info Solutions from other providers?

In comparing Octal Info to some of the other companies in the same space that are larger, I have found Octal's willingness to meet with us essentially at any time, to stay on the weekends, to work extra if we needed to, pretty much whatever it took to get the job done, those guys always deliver. In working with some of the other big companies, they'll just tell you, "No. Sorry, we can't get to it until next week." Octal doesn't really do that. If we impress urgency, then they step up to the plate, and they get it done.

In hindsight, are there areas in which they could improve, or things you might do differently?

We didn't build as much QA into it as I would have liked to. Along with that, it's time, and all the time is cost. We were trying to get in and out as quickly and as cheaply as possible. It may have been nice for them to say, "Hey, if you don't double check this area, or make sure this is OK, you may run into some problems." So, less of anything that they did wrong, and more of knowing that we're not an IT [information technology] company and they are, they could have probably given us some pointers to help us avoid some of the very small pitfalls that we had. Aside from that, there was nothing materially that I would change about the process.

BACKGROUND

I work for [a speech therapy clinic]. I am the founder and run the business as the sole proprietor. I provide audio, video, and written training to help individuals overcome challenges, such as stuttering, fear of public speaking, and some forms of social anxiety.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

I wanted to turn my training materials into a modern format, so I decided to create two iOS training apps. 

SOLUTION

I decided to hire an offshore development team since I'm not a technical person and don't have the time to develop the materials. I found Octal Info Solution through Elance. I liked their presentation and how they had a deep company with many specialized resources.

The first project took about six months total, and then I added a second mobile application soon after. They were responsible for creating the app and managing the project. I would talk with them often to provide ideas and input. We would work at night and at odd hours to get everything launched.

The apps were fairly large and complex so the two projects together cost more than $50,000. I would have paid a lot more if I had hired someone in the U.S. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

All of the applications are successful and still run well. There were only minor bugs when the applications were first launched but all of those were quickly fixed by Octal's team. They managed the project well and had a deep team of developers, so there were no delays or quality problems.

They were responsive so they usually got back to my requests very quickly. I liked that they were a large company. It gives the client more confidence. The only issue was that they didn't offer weekend hours. I spoke with them about adding more convenient hours and they listened, which will make it easier to work with American clients.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

It’s like Tinder, but it’s different in several important ways. We’re located in Charleston, South Carolina. 

What is your role and responsibilities?

I am the founder of the startup.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your goal for working with Octal Info Solution?

It’s a social media app, so I just needed an offshore developer.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their work.

They handled the mobile app project from soup to nuts.

What was your process for selecting Octal Info Solution with which to work?

There were about 100 companies and individuals that bid on the project. I wanted to find companies that fit our brand. A key factor was finding companies that spoke English well, and I wanted a company that actually read through our requirements and provided us good estimates based on what we wanted vs. just copying and pasting something into a document.

Can you give a sense of the size of the initiative in dollar terms or a personnel work-hour figure?

The cost is confidential.

When was the work completed?

We’ve been working on the project for three months. We will probably launch the app in the second half of 2015.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Do you have any statistics or metrics to track improvement from the project?

The work is still ongoing, so I don’t have stats or metrics to share.

Are you satisfied with their performance?

The project is great. The project manager has done a good job. Their English is good. I have no complaints. This isn’t my first time outsourcing experience and, in terms of communication and working well with me, this is the best experience I’ve had.

Is there anything unique or special about Octal Info Solution that really makes them stand out compared to other business partners?

They’re a good company. They have about 150 employees in India. They cover a variety of technology platforms and types of code. 

What advice would you give to future clients of theirs?

I would say to give Octal Info Solution a chance if they fit your needs because they can deliver.

Looking back on the work so far, is there any area that you think they could improve upon or that you might do differently?

I have nothing major to note here for constructive criticisms.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We do online broadcasting to raise awareness for charities and raising funding for charities using online media content from artists and entertainers. It’s kind of like the old school telethons, but we make short videos so artists can promote their work as well as promote the charity.

What is your role and responsibilities?

I’m the founder and CEO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your goal for working with Octal Info Solution?

They’ve been developing a website. The entire platform is what they’ve been working on. There’s nothing existing like it because we’re doing time slot scheduled broadcasts. When you go to YouTube, you hit play and watch on demand. 

We’re making it more like TV where when you go to the site and all viewers tune in at the same time. Artists have their own time slot throughout the day.

Octal has been helping integrate sequel databases with a video player and being able to upload and schedule content into specific time slots. They help with profiling of the website as well as the payment processing and messaging.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their work.

[They handled] Web design and development. As far as support, we test and check for bugs, and then they fix anything. I go to them for everything now. It’s more like a partnership.

What was your process for selecting Octal Info Solution with which to work?

I was looking for a Web designer, but I wanted somebody that really understood it almost like software design. I wanted a good blend of both. They knew how to develop good software and design sites. With this site, it’s a massive amount of work to get everything to work together.

Can you give a sense of the size of the initiative in dollar terms or a personnel work-hour figure?

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

When was the work completed?

I started to work with them last year in the summer. It’s ongoing work. We finished development, but I’m having them do more work for me.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Do you have any statistics or metrics to track improvement from the project?

I don’t have real metrics to track because we are always adding new features and elements. It seems like the work never ends.

Are you satisfied with their performance?

Yes. From the Web design and development aspects, I’m satisfied. They make everything flow very well. It looks really nice. They really know colors and designs. They find out what you’re interested in for designs and, from there, they’ll take all your ideas and provide four or five mockups to focus on and fix. I really like their process of getting exactly what the client wants.

Is there anything unique or special about Octal Info Solution that really makes them stand out compared to other business partners?

I hired a firm in L.A. to do this, and they wasted two months of my time. Octal tackled it in two weeks. They figured out how to execute it, and six months later, they had a working prototype. They do great work. I went to their office in India and saw them. They work crazy hours to get the job done. They always stay late to turnaround what I need done in the same day.

Looking back on the work so far, is there any area that you think they could improve upon or that you might do differently?

It comes with all companies that you work with in India. There’s a loss in translation. Some things are not understood right away. It’s so minor that it’s not a big deal. It is the cost of doing business anywhere in the world. If I would spend the same amount of money here, I would spend $60,000 to $70,000. Sometimes, wording needs to be reworded to explain better.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We provide image library services to large retailers. We have a comprehensive database of hundreds of thousands of images. We supply those to the media worldwide. 

What is your role and responsibilities?

I’m managing director of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your goal for working with Octal Info Solution?

We were looking for a partner that was a long-term partner. We’re looking at saving costs on outsourcing.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their work.

They’ve done website and mobile and iPad work, but just in terms of UI [user interface] for the different responsive systems. We haven’t developed a full-blown mobile app. The main work has been Web development – largely desktop.

What was your process for selecting Octal Info Solution with which to work?

We did a small Elance project initially. It was a discreet process. We approached some, and some approached us. We looked at a bunch of firms, and I actually went to India to visit with quite a few, and then we selected Octal after meeting with their team and management.

Going to meet them really made the difference for us. We did a test of their skills, and we engaged with them. 

Can you give a sense of the size of the initiative in dollar terms or a personnel work-hour figure?

On a monthly basis, we’re doing $5,000 to $6,000. So, our annual spend would be $50,000 to $70,000.

When was the work completed?

We’ve been working with them three years. It’s ongoing work.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Do you have any statistics or metrics to track improvement from the project?

When I check my support emails at the end of the month, we don’t get many. That’s the best indication. Not hearing from anyone in our business is the best news we can have. That has gone down over time.

Are you satisfied with their performance?

They can program very well. Their core skills and eagerness are first rate. We get very frequent updates and that helps keep track of things.

Is there anything unique or special about Octal Info Solution that really makes them stand out compared to other business partners?

They’ve got extremely good management, which has resulted in stability of staff. That’s a critical factor.

What advice would you give to future clients of theirs?

To spend more time up front on the exact features and thinking about the architecture of what you want as much as you can before you start. Then, to communicate that and make sure the team is on the same page and has a good understanding of the scope.

Looking back on the work so far, is there any area that you think they could improve upon or that you might do differently?

There were challenges to begin with. With any offshore team, they’re not aware of the business implications and, when we first started, it was hard work to establish procedures and communication.

We started with detailing, wireframing, and itemizing. The more work you can put into the front end of specifying exactly what you want, the more you get actually what you want. That speeds up the project. You can’t take your eye off the ball.