Booster for the digital evolution of business
We provide IT teams that are formed especially for your project and integrate seamlessly into your processes
Our expertise covers IT audit and IT consulting, mobile and web development of complex enterprise projects, and implementation of solutions based on AI/ML, Big Data, AR/VR, IoT.
There are 2 situations when you need us:
1) your team needs to be augmented with IT experts (Systems Analysts, Developers, QA Engineers, DevOps Engineers, Project Managers, UX/UI Designers);
2) you are in search of growth points to improve development speed and quality.
We deliver weekly stable and measurable results due to our well-tuned processes.
About the Team:
- IT experts with the commercial development experience of 3 years and more;
- MBA experts with experience in IT of 12 years and more;
- ITIL certified auditors.
About the Company:
- 11 years on the international market;
- 14 unique services;
- 250+ professionals;
- 220+ successful projects (Variety, Rolling Stone, Disney, Hamleys, Mary Kay, 9GAG, IKEA, METRO AG, BCS bank);
- 75+ international awards (IAOP Global Outsourcing 100, Clutch, Stevie Awards, Big Innovation Awards, DesignRush, etc.);
- named among Top 100 Employers in Russia by hh.ru.
Do you need a team? Contact us at [email protected]
headquarters
other locations
Focus
Portfolio
Disney, METRO Cash&Carry, Hamleys, Rolling Stones, SheMedia, Stylecaster, Mary Kay, IKEA (Ikano bank), Alcon, 9GAG, TSUM, Home Kredit Insurance, etc.
UX/UI for business mobile app from scratch created
Goal
To design UX/UI of an app to scan business cards and add them to a CRM.
Obstacle
There are similar business card recognition applications on the market. It was necessary to create an application that would be different from the others apps processing business cards and contacts.
Solution
When creating UX/UI, we tested similar applications and analyzed the patterns in the design.
We collected all the cases and created prototypes of the application, which we tested in real situations.
On the basis of the received data, we improved the UX to make the application as user-friendly as possible.
Business scaled 1.5 times with AR promotion app
Goal
To spread the business influence and attract more clients.
To offer an easy and interactive process of choosing residential properties.
Obstacle
The challenge was to find a unique way to promote and present the properties according to clients’ needs.
Solution
We created an AR-based application by implementing Vuforia and Unity to overlay the target image with videos of specific properties.
As a result, users enjoy an immersive experience.
Streaming platform for fashion portal implemented
Goal
To create a streaming platform for a women’ community portal.
Obstacle
StyleCaster TV is just one service of the portal. It was necessary to provide retention of users so that they would not want to go to specialized streaming platforms.
Solution
We have worked the UX out, providing an easy-to-understand structure.
We built in a convenient video player, providing streaming video.
Each video has recommended thematic articles to diversify the content and increase retention.
IT rescue team integrated to implement Fashion Week marketing campaign on time
Goal
On a tight schedule to develop a landing with a parallax effect for the advertising campaign at New York Fashion Week.
Obstacle
With lots of things to improve, it was necessary to keep within a fairly short time in order to make it to the Fashion Week in NY.
Solution
To be in time, we decided to reduce scope. Together with the client’s team, we prioritized the tasks. We worked the second shift on our part to increase the number of working hours per day. We used every opportunity to meet the deadline and to avoid any impact upon the final quality.
Landing page for a Disney Tomorrowland ad campaign developed in collaboration with SHE Media
Goal
To prepare a landing page for an advertising campaign to be launched by Disney together with SHE Media.
Obstacle
The landing had to be created in a very short period - less than 2 weeks.
Solution
We brought in an IT Resque Team. We developed the landing page integrated into SHE Media ecosystem. We set up a tag system for the Google DFP platform and created a customized quiz for fans.
600,000 users migrated without data loss and site downtime
Goal
To move 600,000 users from BlogHer to SheKnows and update information about their profiles.
Obstacle
It was necessary to merge accounts that doubled each other without information loss. To provide the centralized user management regardless of the platforms where they were registered previously.
Solution
All the users were moved from the old database to the ID Manager, that redirected to the global SheKnows oAuth service.
7,000 user profiles were merged with their duplicate accounts.
We conducted a process audit in the IT department of XXI ВЕК corporate group and identified areas of potential growth.
Goal
To identify growth areas for IT in the corporate group. The business executives realized the necessity to grow the IT direction in the department, but they did not fully understand what was needed for this.
Obstacle
There are many sub-departments in the IT department that needed to be analyzed and identified.
Solution
We conducted a comprehensive audit, indicated bottlenecks, intersection of areas of responsibility, possible growth areas. Identified opportunities for improvement in the testing and product release processes. After the audit the work continued through a strategic partnership.
Web app developed for Japanese leading startup accelerator
Goal
To develop a website and a web panel to manage startup projects.
Obstacle
The site and the web panel shall support 2 languages - English and Japanese. It was necessary to take into account the localization specifics.
Solution
We developed the application with a single backend and functionality to fully support the internationalization of the site and the web panel.
An application developed for school selection supporting integration with US schools and universities.
Goal
To create an application that would allow any school or college graduate to identify their strengths/weaknesses and choose the appropriate educational institution to enter.
Obstacle
The application was supposed to operate with an unlimited number of various schools and universities' databases.
Solution
We developed the application. There were some specific aspects: the hosting structure was selected and architecture was developed that made it possible to scale the application when adding new educational institutions if required.
Developed custom CMS for Forbes Middle East
Goal
To develop a content management system for the Forbes Arab division.
Obstacle
The CMS was required to be developed taking into account the specifics of the text layout and presentation in Arabic (from right to left).
Solution
We designed and developed CMS capable of supporting a bilingual format for user interaction with content. The administration panel provided for switching between the English and Arabic versions. We implemented lists management system for Forbes ratings, magazine subscriptions and issues.
SMS-based organization search system created
Goal
To create a system to process SMS requests to search for organizations located in the YP Jamaica database and generate responses.
Obstacle
Lots of various data entry options had to be taken into account. For example, pizza, piza, pizzeria, place with pizza, etc.
Solution
We developed an application. There were some specific aspects: we compiled a tag cloud for every object in the database and used the NLP search to increase the syntactic accuracy. The search is performed through 8 YP databases. We provided for the possibility to launch advertising campaigns that add advertising to the SMS response text. The response SMS includes the aggregated search results prioritized depending on the amount of the advertisers' contribution.
User outflow issue solved for website powered by Wordpress VIP
Goal
To identify and fix critical site errors leading to high user churn.
Obstacle
The site was based on Wordpress VIP, where the operating rules differ significantly from standard WP and require the relevant developer experience.
Solution
We brought in an IT Rescue Team, performed an express audit, identified eventual error causes and ranked them by criticality. The detected errors were eliminated within 2 weeks. As a result, the user churn decreased.
IT department augmented with a dedicated team for global entertainment media network 9GAG
Goal
To increase the volume of functionality released.
Obstacle
It was impossible to foresee all possible roles of application users in advance, and to differentiate access levels.
Solution
Umbrella IT team was integrated seamlessly. At the start, there were three team members involved: PM, Developer, and QA The activities were scheduled according to the Client's timezone. The UIT team was assigned a small task: to implement 9GAG Pro purchase option in a mobile version of the site. The task was successfully completed: we added functionality allowing to purchase 9GAG Pro and performed integration with Stripe. Upon completion, the UIT team was engaged for a next larger project for the site mobile version improvement.
Customer Development testing performed that allowed to double user session time
Goal
To create a new corporate website that would replace an existing one and correspond to the Company's updated positioning to work as an effictive tool within the sales chain.
Obstacle
An optmized structure had to be created to provide flexibility in terms of introducing changes.
Solution
At the initial stage, we collected and analyzed information about our clients and how we communicate with them. We tracked the interaction of the target audience with the product and make improvements based on the data obtained. Relevant content was added, the structure was optimized, the page loading speed was increased, and the site acquired a modular structure allowing for more flexibility.
The mobile banking app improved under pressure of time in collaboration with the Bank’s team and ranked among the top 5 by Markswebb
Goal
The goal was to improve the iOS and Android mobile apps and bring them to the market leaders level.
Solution
The UIT team developed the banking functions for iOS and Android apps: payments, transfers, bonus and partner programs, currency exchange, revenue and expenses analytics, Apple Pay and Google Pay.
The updated basic functions UI/UX and the introduced new features allowed the application to take the 7th place in the Markswebb iOS mobile banking apps rating and the 4th place among the Android mobile banking apps.
Number of active users increased by 25% within 3 weeks due to app operation acceleration and critical issues elimination
The team ran the application diagnostics, checked the code of the mobile application, made the necessary changes to eliminate errors. We determined that the authorization query was the heaviest. To solve this problem, we divided the types of authorization and changed the logic of the heaviest query building to the database, and also cleaned the database from redundant and obsolete data. As a result, the database server load was reduced from 100% to 1% allowing the app to work faster. A number of interface and app logic improvements were made as well, which allowed increasing the session length and number of daily active users.
Omnichannel e-commerce platform developed including QR code payment feature
We developed the marketplace for business owners to register their stores and carry on trade online. For offline purchases in the store the instant payment by QR codes placed physically on goods was implemented.
A flexible tax rate management system requires an initial set up after which prices are calculated automatically depending on the province.
We also created mobile apps for merchants and customers.
Site optimization for high loads: more than 50 million users per month
We applied lossless compression to content.
Then we took some load off the server by providing an extra reverse proxy server.
Partially refactored code also accelerated the speed of the website.
New paywall integrated retaining subscriptions and user's loyalty
We developed the new paywall connected to the core via API and removed the old one.
A counter tracks the number of articles the user read and shows the notification if they reach their limit.
Unsubscribed users can read only a part of an article.
AI-module integrated for virtual colored contact lenses try-on
We analyzed the solutions offered on the market and chose the most appropriate platform. We integrated VisageSDK into the CMS allowing to upload the photo and to virtually select colored contact lenses prior to purchase.
Traffic increased 3,5 times due to promotion solution
We developed a virtual makeup system. After uploading a photo, the user chooses some parameters, ‘try on’ different variants of the makeup and get the information on those they liked.
Strategy worked out to seamlessly integrate new e-commerce module without shutdown of system
We designed the architecture of the new e-commerce module. The solution is to plug the new module into the current system via the ESB bus without violation of data integrity.
Custom modules implemented and data security increased without investment system shutdown
We transfered the application to a custom solution to ensure greater security and optimised the architecture. We used Vue.JS to replace the application front-end with modules unnoticeably for the user without system shutdown.
Complex functionality seamlessly integrated for an interactive Medici library
We implemented an editor that supports co-editing mode.
We added new modules that allow to execute complex sorting, objects grouping, change history viewing, etc.
We conducted the full system and code audit, and optimized development processes: changes are committed to the Staging environment only after testing.
Internal processes and integrations with 3rd party systems (SLA) automated
We automated the SLA contract management platform and integrated systems for monitoring (Zabbix, Ansible) and collecting information on the infrastructure state in real time.
We prepared a system for notifying contractors and automatic calculating the cost of monthly support, depending on the number of failures and downtime.
Reviews
the project
UI/UX Development for Amusement Startup
"The output has not only been well-received but has really helped us take our product to the next level."
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
I'm the director of product innovation for a startup in the amusements industry. Within our team, I drive the product vision as well as work with our customers to ensure the lifecycle of our products meets the needs of our clients.
For what projects/services did your company hire Umbrella IT, and what were your goals?
For several years, I did most of our UI/UX design. While the design and output were adequate for our MVPs, we really needed to take it to the next level. The UI/UX spans multiple mobile apps, self-serve kiosks, and desktop designs.
How did you select Umbrella IT and what were the deciding factors?
We conducted a search for our outsourced partner. To be honest, we have not had a lot of luck going to agencies in the past. We used an online search tool and conducted multiple interviews including with Umbrella IT. It was a clear choice based on the knowledge base and understanding the Umbrella IT team had.
Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.
The scope was to take our MVP product and update the UI as well as to expand it into a design system that can be used to scale our product into the future. This comprised of roughly 500 various "pages" across multiple types of devices (mobile, kiosk, desktop).
How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?
We worked with two people at any one time. There was a project manager as well as a UI/UX artist. There were a few handoffs during our time and each one was handled smoothly with little to no interruption to our workflow.
Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?
The UI design has really taken our product to the next level. We've converted multiple prospects into paying customers and won accolades from our peers and potential clients.
Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timelines.
We have a video conference call on Mondays to kick off the week. We use Slack for messaging throughout the week. We use a project planning system (Smartsheet in this case) to track deliverables. I believe the Umbrella IT team us using Jira for their tickets, but for this project, I am not involved in that side.
What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?
As stated, we haven't had the best of luck outsourcing to agencies in the past. Umbrella IT has changed that. Super professional, high-quality team members that care about our product. The output has not only been well-received but has really helped us take our product to the next level.
Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?
As we got rolling, it took a little while to form a workflow that we all could get behind. There have been a few times where we've gone back and tweaked nomenclature and asset naming. Beyond that, I would do everything the exact same way again.
the project
Development & UI/UX Design for Mobile Payment Startup
"They took our ideas and made decisions without us micro-managing all minor details."
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
I am the co-founder of a new mobile payments app
For what projects/services did your company hire Umbrella IT?
The first UI/UX design of our app, including a working prototype we can use in our app development and initial sales
What were your goals for this project?
Create a working prototype using the ideas we had, in a visually appealing version of the app that could be used by our app developers to build the front-end
How did you select Umbrella IT?
Via Upwork
Describe the project in detail.
We had an initial phone call with Umbrella to review the project and scope of work. After deciding it was a good fit, we had a few calls with their team to discuss what we wanted and were looking for. Once started, we had daily check in via Slack to follow the status of the project and make any changes or ask questions on the fly
What was the team composition?
One project manager and one to two designers
Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?
The prototype is very good and has been very useful in our initial sales meetings, with good customer feedback. Our app developer also noted that it will make it easy for him to develop the app using the components provided by Umbrella
How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?
Very effective. Communication was clear and consistent via Slack and video calls were made available when necessary
What did you find most impressive about this company?
Quick response times. They took our ideas and made decisions without us micro-managing all minor details. Anything that was a question or concern was presented, but we didn't have to go back and forth on every detail - their self initiative was the best part.
Are there any areas for improvement?
Making it easier for us to modify the prototype after the project was complete would be nice, but otherwise very good!
the project
iOS & Android App Development for Bank
“They remained calm and came up with reliable solutions in challenging situations.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the head of digital for Ikano Bank.
What challenge were you trying to address with Umbrella IT?
We initially hired them to develop a mobile app for iOS and Android. The first company we hired wasn’t meeting our needs, so Umbrella IT took over development.
What was the scope of their involvement?
When we first started working with them, they immediately dove in to understand the problems that we were experiencing after our first partnership. Then they used native technology to finish development and deliver according to our initial plan.
What is the team composition?
There were about 20 people initially working on the project. Now we’re working with a software development team comprised of one analytic designer, a project manager, a developer, an architect, and two QA testers.
How did you come to work with Umbrella IT?
The tender itself took quite a long time. Then we needed to follow regulations
They were the best fit based on their experience. They also offered a great price and were flexible. They tried to understand what we were looking for. They proposed a few options for us to choose from.
What is the status of this engagement?
They started the project in March 2020 and they delivered it in November 2020.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
They met all of our expectations. They were very experienced and used their extensive knowledge base to provide multiple solutions as the project changed.
How did Umbrella IT perform from a project management standpoint?
Their sales process was great. They created several options for us to move forward. It was really important that both of our teams were aligned on our project goals, so we established metrics to track the project’s progress, outlined the product roadmap, and planned synchronization calls to ensure we were on the same page. By setting clear deadlines and deliverables, we were able to stay on track.
They were also very transparent and accommodating when things came up. Our contact person helped us manage the scope as we had to adjust our plans.
What did you find most impressive about them?
They remained calm and came up with reliable solutions in challenging situations. When they took over the project, they were able to address all of the challenges we were facing.
As a startup, we also adjust the project scope frequently, but Umbrella IT responded immediately and found a solution while keeping our deadlines in mind.
Are there any areas they could improve?
I don’t know what they need to do better. They just need to continue to work with the same speed and passion they already are.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
If you’re looking for a new partner who can create custom solutions in a unique environment, Umbrella IT is the best choice.
the project
Custom Software Development for Natural Gas Company
"The Umbrella IT team is friendly and hard-working."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m a drilling expert for Novatech NTC. We are part of Novatech, which is an independent gas company in Russia, and we deal with issues in wells.
What challenge were you trying to address with Umbrella IT?
We needed help developing custom software.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Umbrella IT provides custom software development services for us. They built a digital solution for searching our database and an architect software for planning jobs.
What is the team composition?
We work with three people full-time: a manager, a developer, and someone in analytics.
How much have you invested with them?
We have invested about €35,000 (approximately $42,000).
What is the status of this engagement?
We began working together around May 2020, and it’s ongoing.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
The database software is expected to be released by the end of the year; the other one has been released and works well. They worked quickly and did a good job. We are satisfied with their work and are enjoying the software.
How did Umbrella IT perform from a project management standpoint?
We use Slack and Trello to communicate daily. Umbrella IT is responsive and have met all deadlines we’ve set.
What did you find most impressive about them?
The Umbrella IT team is friendly and hard-working.
Are there any areas they could improve?
They could have more people available to work with us; this is a common problem for many companies.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
They are not afraid to jump into projects for you.
the project
Mobile App Dev for Russian Wholesale Foods Company
"The app has served us greatly, especially from a marketing perspective."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I am the product manager for a wholesale trading company in Russia. We focus on providing food supplies to restaurants, cafes, hotels, and shops.
What challenge were you trying to address with Umbrella IT?
We needed someone to develop a mobile app for us.
What was the scope of their involvement?
The Umbrella IT team created iOS and Android applications that address the marketing issues we were facing. The apps also help our clients order their supplies in an effective way.
What is the team composition?
We worked with a team of approximately 6 people. It consisted of iOS developers, Android developers, designers, and a QA tester.
How did you come to work with Umbrella IT?
We’d worked with them on another project, and after that one, we decided to engage them in building our mobile app.
What is the status of this engagement?
We started working on this project in January 2020, and it’s an ongoing engagement.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
The app has served us greatly, especially from a marketing perspective. In addition to being an effective e-commerce solution, it also enables us to know important stats. We’re now more aware of our conversion rate, as well as the number of app installations, purchases, users, and more. We’ve enjoyed an increased online rating after kicking off this app.
How did Umbrella IT perform from a project management standpoint?
I’ve been very comfortable with my point of contact at Umbrella IT. He oversees all tasks and deadlines, and he’s been excellent at keeping things on track. We communicate through email and Telegram, and he’s always available to answer my calls and messages.
What did you find most impressive about them?
They’re very dedicated to their projects. They can also foresee problems and offer appropriate solutions.
Are there any areas they could improve?
While there’s always room for improvement, they’ve shown us very good results.
the project
Dev Staff Augmentation for Branding & Design Firm
"Their wide range of abilities and skills set them apart from other developers."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
We’re a small branding and design firm. I’m the head of the web development team.
What challenges were you trying to address Umbrella IT?
We were working on a project with a client who wanted their desktop and mobile app built in React Native. However, our in-house team didn’t have the expertise or resources to take on that kind of work. So, we reached out to Umbrella IT for help.
What was the scope of their involvement?
They built the desktop and mobile apps in React Native. The apps were designed to work as a virtual project manager and have the ability to collect testimonials.
What is the team composition?
We had two developers, a QA person, and a project manager named Artem who was our main point of contact.
How did you come to work with Umbrella IT?
We found them on UpWork. We liked their communication and the wide range of skills they possessed.
How much have you invested with them?
So far, we’ve invested about $31,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
We started working with them in February 2020, and we’re still working together.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
Overall, I would say the experience has been exceptional. The artwork was exactly what we wanted, and the backend development was clean. It was great to work with someone that we could trust and rely on. Their team gave us excellent advice and shared their knowledge which has been incredibly helpful.
How did Umbrella IT perform from a project management standpoint?
We had a Trello board where we could see their progress. We also had weekly updates and phone calls. It was seamless.
What did you find most impressive about them?
Their wide range of abilities and skills set them apart from other developers. They accomplished exactly what we wanted.
Are there any areas they could improve?
We had some trouble adjusting to their payment system, but that was more on our side, not a result of their shortcomings.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Be fully prepared before passing on the work to them. Make sure you know what you want things to look like and iron out the details beforehand.
the project
Web Development for Translation Company
"Working with Umbrella IT has been a collaborative effort."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I am the CEO of Driving International Authority. Our organization is basically a translation agency, but we are focused on the translation of driving licenses all across the world.
What challenge were you trying to address with Umbrella IT?
We were looking for someone to help develop our website.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Umbrella IT developed our website for us. They are responsible for everything that is website related, including site maintenance.
In the beginning, they provided wireframes and documentation. They used Symfony framework and WordPress for the blog. When a customer visits our website, they can fill out a form. Following that, we receive their information through our admin panel.
What is the team composition?
I work directly with our project manager. He's a great guy and I've come to rely on him.
How did you come to work with Umbrella IT?
We were both located in the same city. They offered a complex solution, told me they could do everything for us, and the price was right.
How much have you invested in them?
Overall, within the last three years, we have invested around $100,000 USD.
What is the status of this engagement?
Our ongoing engagement with Umbrella IT began in March 2017.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
Everything has been working fine. The website looks good and stands out within our industry.
How did Umbrella IT perform from a project management standpoint?
The project management is very good. I have no complaints. Working with Umbrella IT has been a collaborative effort.
What did you find most impressive about them?
I don’t have that much experience with developers, but I am totally satisfied with them.
Are there any areas they could improve?
They may have some room to improve, but I am not sure where.
the project
Development for Archive Portal
"Their level of technical and support qualifications are outstanding."
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
Since its foundation in the early 1990s, the Medici Archive Project (MAP) has been innovating new strategies for research in the Humanities. This research institution with the mission of actively generating scholarly discourse and embracing disparate dimensions of scholarly experience. At the center of this operation has been MAP’s online platform, BIA, funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Fully online since 2013, BIA provides access to an unparalleled range of digitized early modern material. As of 2015, this material comprises over 24,000 transcribed documentary records, 18,000 biographical entries, 87,000 geographical and topographical tags, and over 300,000 digitized images from 292 volumes of the Mediceo del Principato. I am the IT Director.
For what projects/services did your company hire Umbrella IT?
I hired Umbrella IT because I needed a highly qualified development team to build some of the new software features needed to the MIA’s system, which is The Medici Archive Project’s archival community sourcing portal.
What were your goals for this project?
Finish the project using freelancers.
How did you select this vendor?
Rating on Upwor,
Describe the project in detail.
We needed to develop some modules of our software using JAVA, AngularJS, etc.
What was the team composition?
A techinical Project Manager, a Front End developer, a Back End developer, a Graphic Designer, a QA testing person.
Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?
The team, directed by Alexey, was highly capable. They used JDK 1.6 и Spring 3.2.1 and NodeJS, MongoDB for the RichTextEditor module which are the technologies we required. In fact, I was never told that any feature I wanted to add was too difficult to build for them. The team was very flexible in terms of design changes. I asked for many alterations throughout the process and never went at odds with the team.
How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?
Umbrella IT provided the Medici Archive Project with expert advice and qualified work to meet the software requirements we provided them. We have built a confident relationship with the Umbrella IT team. Their level of technical and support qualifications are outstanding.
What did you find most impressive about this company?
They have met tight deadlines, accommodated last minute changes and delivered high quality results that met all stakeholder needs.
Are there any areas for improvement?
post sale guarantee on the code produced.
the project
IT Staff Augmentation & App Dev for Agricultural Platform
"The project manager was very talented, professional, and had good management expertise."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the CTO of SmartSeeds.ru, an agricultural automation platform. We have several parts on our platform.
What challenge were you trying to address with Umbrella IT?
We have our own IT team but we needed additional resources who could help us with development.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Their team worked along with our in-house group as one big team. They solved the same issues as our internal team, and they worked on the same projects and issues. But, they worked remotely in their office in another city.
Now, they are developing native Android applications. (They develop them with no help from us.) They've also done web development.
What is the team composition?
About 15–20 people worked with us.
How did you come to work with Umbrella IT?
We did some research and found several companies that help with outsourcing development. Umbrella IT showed us big projects in their portfolio, and they impressed us.
How much have you invested with them?
We've invested $300,000–$500,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
We started working together in February of 2018, and the work is ongoing.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
The app they've developed successfully launched to Google Play, and it has been downloaded. They worked as fast as our team, and there weren’t any issues.
Without their help, we wouldn’t have the same number of transactions. Our company is in the first position in the market for the service we provide. Without Umbrella IT, we’d be in the second or the third.
How did Umbrella IT perform from a project management standpoint?
There were no problems with project management from their side. The project manager was very talented, professional, and had good management expertise. We had regular daily meetings, and there were no issues with communication.
What did you find most impressive about them?
They’re professionals, and they have great authority in the IT area.
Are there any areas they could improve?
They could lower their costs.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
I recommend using them. They were very helpful!
the project
Development and Staff Augmentation for Digital Publisher
“They bend over backwards to give us what we need, when we need it.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the vice president of the technology of the partner network at Penske Media Corporation. We’re a digital publisher that owns a number of different brands, which include monetization and a publisher network.
What challenge were you trying to address with Umbrella IT?
Initially, we needed help with fixed-scope projects. Later, we recognized we needed more of an elastic workforce, so we moved to a staff augmentation model with Umbrella IT. We wanted to the ability to have, remove, and change skill sets on the team at will.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Umbrella IT has been effective at getting us the right talent, very quickly. Their personnel has done a number of projects for us; the lion’s share of their work has been serving as an engineering force. We’ve used them in reprogramming and data engineering for various technologies. Additionally, we also use them for QA and project management.
Past projects include content management services, microservices architecture, middleware, frontend development, and WordPress based websites, just to name a few. They also manage all the management tools for the partner network as well as all of the publishing sites and a lot of internal administrative tools.
What is the team composition?
Our team varies quite a bit. On the low end, we’re augmenting our team with three people from Umbrella IT. On the high end, we’ve had as many as a dozen people at a time.
How did you come to work with Umbrella IT?
Initially, one of the companies that we acquired had been using them for project work. After we decided to implement the staff augmentation model, we started using Umbrella IT on a more permanent basis.
How much have you invested with them?
We’ve invested more than $5 million.
What is the status of this engagement?
We began working together in 2014, and our engagement is ongoing.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
Generally speaking, we tend to retain Umbrella talent more than other firms. While I’ve had to cut back and even close the contracts of other companies we work with, we view the Umbrella team as part of our team. They’ve grown with us and we’ve given them an opportunity to learn, and they’ve pitched into help well beyond just in engineering. We’ve shared a very close partnership, as a result.
For example, one of their project managers filled in as a product manager for a few months while we were looking to backfill, and they did an excellent job of building relationships with our stakeholders. Another one of their engineers has been with us for 4-5 years and was recently promoted to a more senior technical role in our company; he’s really grown in the role and it shows. Overall, they tend to focus on solutions and outcomes more than just tickets. They’re not just an outsource firm for us, they’re intricately involved in our process from planning all the way to execution.
How did Umbrella IT perform from a project management standpoint?
They’ve time-shifted their work to be available during the day for us even though they’re remote. It’s very beneficial and has helped with communication but also with building the team as a cohesive unit. They attend standups, meetings with our users to explain how things work.
What did you find most impressive about them?
They bend over backward to give us what we need when we need it. They’ve been flexible with scheduling and even rates, at times, where we need to make rapid swings and changes in talent as business fluctuates. With other partners, during those same times, had a lot of friction in the process. It was totally different from Umbrella. Our account manager would come out and visit Russia to visit us and ask what we needed and would find a way to do it. It’s something I haven’t seen with our other providers.
Are there any areas they could improve?
At this point, things are pretty good. There was a time when one of the other providers had a local presence in the states and they were able to send staff on-site to work side by side with our team. It would be great if Umbrella would consider providing the same option.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
My advice, if it’s a non-technical organization, is to have reasonable expectations for hiring engineering personnel. Honestly, Umbrella is one of the easier firms to work with. They can work effectively in a fixed scope or augmentation model. If they’re in a fixed scope project, make sure they have clear requirements and expectations. If they’re in an augmentation model, then make sure there are no communication barriers.
Umbrella IT's output helped convert leads into paying customers. The vendor was commended for their dedication to the product. The teams used Slack to communicate, Jira for specific tickets, and Smartsheet for their project planning system.