Zibtek

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of a real estate company that helps connect people during the closing process.

What challenge were you trying to address with Zibtek?

We were building an MVP application that was supposed to have a search directory, the ability to submit job posts, and the ability to respond to job posts. It’s a rudimentary, basic web app.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had no infrastructure when we signed with them. Our proposal stated the exact specifications for the project, and they took one week to review them and provide a quotation, which was around $70,000. The timeline stated that the application was to be done by mid-March as well, including all QA tasks. The solution was supposed to be built on MongoDB and have a Zillow integration.

What is the team composition?

We worked with Brandon (VP of Sales) and Colton (Director of Client Success).

How did you come to work with Zibtek?

I’d used another product they’d worked on, but I later realized they most likely didn’t fully build it like they claimed they did, but only contributed a side project to it. That solution had some similar features that mine was supposed to have but they couldn’t develop mine.

I found them on both Google and Clutch. Some of the other reviews must be from smaller projects. Zibtek told me that they could meet my budget and that I was in good hands.

How much have you invested with them?

The budget for the project was $70,000, and I paid about $40,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

They were under contract from November 2021–April 2022. The engagement has been terminated and we’re working through a lawsuit.

How did your relationship with the vendor evolve?

When the deadline came, we were nowhere close to having a market-ready product. Zibtek keeps claiming that they were almost there, but they didn’t know how to integrate the Zillow API. This specific task took them two months to complete, and it didn’t work in end either. I conceded this point and tried to work with the Google Maps API — the simplest API — and they couldn’t deliver this either, despite one more month of work.

We didn’t make any changes to the scope of work throughout the engagement. The fields in the application were all off. They said they had QA processes, but users couldn’t even change their passwords. There was also no integration that allowed users to go from the app to the website. I even sent Zibtek the Squarespace log-in information to connect the website and they didn’t know what to do.

When we realized near the deadline that tasks hadn’t been completed, we sent them a large list of edits, including the Google Maps integration via API. Additionally, I had to completely redo the UX myself because it looked like someone with no experience had designed it. it was very rudimentary and didn’t fit the nationwide platform we were attempting to build. The core functionalities like moving to our website and creating job posts didn’t exist.

How did Zibtek address the challenges that arose?

When we hit the deadline and the solution wasn’t ready, they offered to finish the work for free, but I ended up receiving another bill for nearly $19,000. After they failed to deliver the Google Maps integration, I terminated the project. I didn’t request any code, even though I was $70,000 in the hole. Since then, I’ve hired another developer, and they’ve hit my timeline and cost.

I’ve also reached out to Zibtek’s CEO on LinkedIn, Twitter, and email, and he hasn’t responded. To take someone’s money and then not respond is very insulting. Our family’s finances were affected by this as well, as we’re investing our own money in this startup.

Further, they gaslighted me by saying that I wasn’t meeting my payments when I held evidence of the payments being deducted from my bank account.

Describe the impact this engagement has had on your business.

I actually sent the app to other developers to look at what they were doing and it turned out to be a completely fraudulent app. Their developers didn’t seem to be trained properly, and there was a lot of turnover.

I lost money, time, an accelerator spot, and an investor because of Zibtek. By the grace of god I found another development team who has finished the work. I even was forced to cancel an investor meeting because I didn’t have anything to show them.

How was project management handled?

I’m a kind person, and I don’t like making it difficult to work with me, but I don’t believe Zibtek understood the project. The biggest problem with the communication was that no one understood our goa.

They weren’t results-oriented and didn’t seem to care about getting this project done. The project manager seemed to be an entry-level team member.

Is there anything that the vendor did well or that you would consider a strength?

No, there is absolutely not. They lied about the payments I was making and the CEO has refused to respond to me.

In what specific areas can they improve?

Their CEO needs to foster communication, and the whole company must honor the proposed budget. They can’t just claim development hours and overbuild. The final work can’t be 50% off from the proposal. It’s not ethical.

What advice do you have for clients with similar needs to yours?

Make sure that they’re not just using outsourced developers with high turnover rates that aren’t skilled enough to complete your project.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CRO at truDigital Signage, a software company that provides digital signage services. Digital signage allows you to put different content, such as the news, weather, company announcements, on your TV. We write the code that enables you to go on your computer and change what’s being displayed on the TV. We put our software on a small Android device that gets plugged into the back of a TV. 

What challenge were you trying to address with Zibtek?

Our development team needed extra support.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Zibtek helps us develop our product. They’re an outsourced team that supports our current development staff and helps us get more work done. They’ve supported various projects, whether that’s starting from scratch or coming in to help customers with an issue. 

Zibtek has helped develop the connection to the back of the TV via an Android player. They’ve also supported our web app, which customers can log into and use to manipulate their TV display. The app is written in WebView and our technology stack.

What is the team composition?

It varies, but we work with at least five team members. Donyale (Scrum Master & Product Owner, Zibtek) is our project manager and main point of contact. We also work with three developers and a web designer who helps build prototypes of our web app.

How did you come to work with Zibtek?

I found Zibtek on Google. We vetted some companies and ultimately landed on them.

How much have you invested with them?

My company has spent $150,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our work together began in April 2019, and it’s ongoing. 

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

Zibtek has had a significant influence on our business. We’ve been able to get a lot more done. One of the biggest stressors we have is hiring new developers, and being able to lean on Zibtek for our development needs has made a massive difference in our day-to-day. They’ve opened up additional opportunities for our business. The solutions they deliver are reliable and functional. 

They’re great about being flexible with us and will add or take away developers at any time. That flexibility is huge, since hiring a developer can take many months. Our ability to quickly add or remove someone who is familiar with our code is huge. It also allows us to be a lot more direct with some of the problems we’re trying to solve.

How did Zibtek perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management has been exemplary; I’d give them an A+. They’re great at staying within budget and timeframes. If something might take a little longer, they’re very good at communicating that. We use Monday for project management and Slack for communication.

We’ve been frustrated with outsourcing companies in the past because we never totally understood where the project stood, but Zibtek sends a daily email recapping everything they’ve done. They also include anything they need from us to continue moving forward. We have an escalation process in case anything needs to be addressed quickly. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I think it all comes down to communication and reliability. A lot of people can do what they’re doing, but their ability to communicate with the client is what separates Zibtek. I know 4–5 people over there who I can call at any time, and I never have a doubt that I’ll be helped. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don’t have any complaints. 

Any advice for potential customers?

I know a lot of people are hesitant to do this type of work because they’ve had bad past experiences, and outsourcing often has a poor reputation. My sincere advice would be to make the phone call because you’ll be impressed by how truly different Zibtek is.

Please describe your company and your position there.

Our company is Integrity Support , Inc. We have built and maintain a software system where mental health agencies of all sizes can enter HIPAA compliant data pertaining to their clients. Our system is known as an EHR, which houses all of this data, and performs billing behalf of the users.

For what projects/services did your company hire Zibtek?

Zibtek was hired to perform various tasks to help us convert our Classic ASP code to the latest MVC.NET C# code.

What were your goals for this project?

From the beginning we simply have wanted our code to be updated from Classic ASP to MVC.NET C#. Along the way we have developed further goals such as enhancing some of the features that were already in place.

How did you select this vendor?

We selected ZibTek to come on board and help us with this conversion because they were well equipped, competent, affordable, and we had heard good thing about them.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Our EHR, Checkpoint, is comprised of hundreds of asp, js, css, etc... pages. We identified where we wanted Zibtek to start working and they began on our client related pages. Tasks that they performed were converting classic ASP pages to MVC.NET C#, consolidating js and css files, switching from inline sql to Stored Proceedures, etc...

It was a requirement to not only convert our pages by to also start using Telerik's Kendo controls. This took our EHR to a whole new level because it was now becoming responsive.

What was the team composition?

From what we could tell, there was a project manager at all times and two developers. There was also a QA team that we did not interact with. The team size remained the same from beginning to end even though there was a fair amount of turnover.

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

This project has been one of the largest changes we have ever made. Implementing the changes made by zibtek will take us much longer than the time it took to develop it.

Once we do get the MVC/Kendo pairing implemented, the experience our users will have on a day to day basis will be greatly improved. The functionality that is available to us now is virtually limitless.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

We received regular emails detailing the status of projects and any changes that were to be anticipated. We had stand up calls twice a week and the project management perspective was all around good.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I found their attitude was most impressive. Even when heavy things were asked of them, they always did it with a cheerful and respectful attitude.

Are there any areas for improvement?

The only area that was ever somewhat trying is communication, it was not the easiest in the beginning. Over time we began to jive on a deeper level which allowed for us to better understand what each of us were really asking for.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CFO of RMCRC which finances affordable housing throughout the Rocky Mountain, we work with over 30 banks to help developers get their projects completed in a timely manor.

For what projects/services did your company hire Zibtek?

We had Zibtek do a complete rehabilitation of our website, from the ground up.

What were your goals for this project?

To have a user friendly and visuals pleasing site for our customers to use.

How did you select this vendor?

We selected Zibtek through a rigorous process, of reviewing, testing and checking portfolio work of many various vendors of web designers.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Zibtek were the professionals here, there were many functions and problems we had with our previous site dealing with interruption and communication with our day to day business activities. Zibtek was there to handle all arising issues from the host to our end users.

What was the team composition?

Zibtek has a plethora amount of individual who can step up and solve problems the moment they arrive. The best part in working with Zibtek was their team or professional.

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

The work provided by Zibtek is insurmountable as far as one would qualitatively look at it. We truly appreciate the dedication to detail and professionalism we received. Our end users have also expressed their thoughts and it is miles above expectations.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Project management was done in person and discussed weekly in our weekly all hands on meetings.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We were impressed with Zibtek's ability to see our vision and to make it a reality. The whole staff at Zibtek were also great to work with, friendly and very responsive.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm currently the lead developer at BoomCloud, a company that helps dental practices create and manage an in-house membership program. Our tool allows practices to create and market yearly or monthly plans to their patients without insurance, helping practices increase patient loyalty, patient lifetime value, and create predictable recurring revenue.

For what projects/services did your company hire Zibtek?

Before I came on board in January, Zibtek was hired to make improvements and provide support for the old ASP.NET Web Forms application. After I came on board, we laid out plans to modernize the existing application.

What were your goals for this project?

We had three main goals. First, we needed to move the database from IBM's UniverseDB to MySQL. Second, we needed to move the hosting of the application from the former CTO's personal server to a company AWS account. Lastly, we needed a new frontend on the entire application.

How did you select this vendor?

Zibtek works in close proximity to us here. We had a level of trust with them and had heard good things both online and offline.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

They did several minor releases to the old version of the product and provided us with the help needed to change from UniverseDB to MySQL and lay down a new frontend on top of it.

What was the team composition?

We used a team of three developers, one senior web developer, and two junior web developers. As requested, all the developers were competent and knowledgeable in web languages, ASP.NET, and SQL.

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

Prior to Zibtek coming on board last year, the application hadn't had an update in over nine months due to a founder fallout. Zibtek provided some critical updates to the software prior to my arrival at BoomCloud. After completing the refactoring and releasing the new version of the application, we've seen a dramatic uptick in new sales and a decrease in logged support calls and emails.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

There was a point of contact in place, but when I came on board, he left Zibtek and another person was assigned. The new point of contact was attentive and provided support where necessary, facilitating calls between our two teams and keeping us updated daily with Slack messages and emails to report daily progress.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their project managers were quick to respond and the developers were great team players that were willing to compromise, eager to learn from others, and excited about the project.

Are there any areas for improvement?

There really is very little to be improved upon. I think that we both had clear expectations. Proper introductions were made and communication lines were clear.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of operations at an educational company.

What challenge were you trying to address with Zibtek?

We were looking to build out a client relationship management (CRM) tool to help us with data tracking.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Zibtek built the CRM tool from scratch. The tool is for internal use, and our management team uses it to keep track of their clients, track task progress, and check relevant timelines. I now work closely with their team when bugs arise or new features are needed. I don’t have a technical background, so they often provide suggestions when the bug is particularly complex or when the feature we’re looking to add could be improved.

What is the team composition?

We work with a project manager and two part-time developers.

How did you come to work with Zibtek?

I started in my current position after the project was completed, so I wasn’t involved in the selection process or initial stages. Since then, I’ve helped manage their team in providing ongoing maintenance and adding new features as necessary.

What is the status of this engagement?

They started working with our company in 2015, and the work is ongoing.

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

The CRM tool that Zibtek built allows us to be more strategic in the number of clients we take on.

How did Zibtek perform from a project management standpoint?

I typically have brief Skype meetings with a project manager and a developer twice a week, but we also communicate daily on their ticketing system. The developer usually provides us with updates on progress, so their project manager’s role is actually fairly limited as far a direct communication with us.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their response times have been impressive, which has made for a smooth development process.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’ve had to be especially detail-oriented when laying out a project plan to avoid misinterpretation. This is fairly standard for developers, but things that seem obvious need to be explicitly outlined for them to get done.

Any advice for potential customers?

The meetings and ticketing system have been crucial to the success of the project. Initially, we were only doing the meetings, but the addition of the ticketing system has been extremely helpful for us in tracking projects and keeping the process efficient.

Introduce your business and what you do there.          

I’m the Director of Product Development at Lirio Inc. We are a technology and communications company that specializes in industry-specific approaches to client communications. Our platform is primarily web-developed software that specializes in communications at scale. 

What challenge were you trying to address with Zibtek?

We needed development services to help with stand-ups of several versions of an MVP.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Zibtek helped develop the integration platform for our new email management product. They provided both front– and back–end services, managed the technology stack, ran code reviews and did QA. They also offered us marketing and design services, which we seriously considered accepting, but ultimately declined.

What is the team composition?

We worked with a U.S.–based project manager and a development team in India. That group was made up of front– and back–end developers and a QA resource. We were fortunate to have the same team throughout the engagement.

How did you come to work with Zibtek?

Zibtek was one of vendors we found through online reviews. After our evaluation process, we felt that they were the best bet for us. Their U.S.–based project manager, as well as the cultural fit between their team and ours, made them the right choice.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $250,000–$400,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started in July 2016 and ended in October 2017.

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

I don’t have any quantitative measures, but an almost 18–month long engagement speaks for itself. They were open and responsive, and as a part of that, they were willing to learn, and met our expectations fully.

How did Zibtek perform from a project management standpoint?

We used JIRA for task management and transitioned to GitHub for issue management. Additionally, we used a code repository and our own management suite. They were open to and familiar with using both tools.

We used the standard Scrub methodology, so development velocity was a primary measure of our progress. As we settled into the partnership, we saw increased efficiency, and therefore velocity, over time. 

We had daily communication and they were always available during any emergencies or outages. There was a little time difference, but we did our daily stand-up’s during an overlap in the morning. When deadlines were approaching, the team was willing to put in extra time if necessary.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were an extension of our team and our family. It didn’t feel like a typical engagement with an offshore partner. I felt that they had a vested interest in our success that extended beyond contractual terms. They showed true care and stewardship of our organization and our goals.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’d be hard pressed to find any at this point. 

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and managing partner of a branding agency that handles a wide range of digital, print, and social media branding engagements.

What challenge were you trying to address with Zibtek?

We needed a team of experienced developers to assist us in building a website for one of our clients.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We started by giving Zibtek an idea of what we were trying to accomplish. We then discussed how many people were needed on the project to complete it within our deadline. After deciding on that, we provided them with all of the designs and user interface, as well as specifications on how we wanted the site to operate. 

They then built out the site using web-based coding; it was a bit more intricate, given the website had an integrated database element. After they built a fully responsive site, they ran it through their QA system and we ran it through ours. They’ve also created a web repositories system that allows them to store scripts that can be accessed by developers later if needed.

For the last few months of the project, we’ve been iterating the development process based on feedback given to us by our client.

What is the team composition? 

We work with a project manager, a technical lead, and about two or three developers from their team.

How did you come to work with Zibtek?

They reached out to me a couple times via email and offered their services. We happened to be looking for an offshore company to work with, so we checked out their site and it seemed legitimate and professional. We then had a brief call with one of their account reps to discuss their experience in conjunction with our company’s needs. 

The call went well, but before deciding to work with them, we talked to three companies that had worked with them on similar projects. They had nothing but great things to say, so we felt comfortable partnering with them.

How much have you invested with them?

When the project is completed, we’ll likely have invested over $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began partnering with them in November 2017, and our work with them is ongoing.

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

Qualitatively, both our clients and I feel very positively about the work they’ve done. Though I am not a developer, I can say their code is clean and well-structured. 

How did Zibtek perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve done a great job. It’s why we continue to work with them. They understand that our deadlines are also our clients’ deadlines and aren’t particularly flexible. As such, they work extremely hard and will go above and beyond to meet them. 

We typically have two calls per week with their project manager and lead developer to discuss our needs, time-sensitive tasks, and any upcoming project milestones. We use Slack for day-to-day interaction and Zoom for calls. Despite them being an offshore agency, they’re more flexible with their hours than other agencies we’ve worked with. There’s been more overlap with our timezone, which we greatly appreciate.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It’s been an extremely collaborative relationship. We’re kept apprised of everything happening within the project, and they’re very responsive to our needs, questions, and concerns regardless of the method we use to reach out to them. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t think of any. So far, our partnership has been great.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I’ll give the advice that was given to me when I spoke with Zibtek’s references: Have a very clear idea of what you want to accomplish before development begins. Costs begin adding up immediately, so any slowdown in production due to you being unsure of what you want will create unnecessary expenses.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the CEO of Lionstream Media. We live stream amateur athletic events so that parents, coaches, and fans can watch the games when they can't attend them in person.

What challenge were you trying to address with Zibtek?

I had an idea to develop a real-time platform to live stream content, but I needed a developer to help me bring my ideas to life.

What was the scope of their involvement?

I met with one of their sales representatives and we discussed the scope of work. Then, they introduced me to their software development team and my project manager and we began developing wireframes. We did the mock-ups and worked collaboratively throughout the whole process. 

My website is a mix between Twitch and YouTube. We focus on amateur athletics, specifically, indoor sports (we're planning to grow and stream outdoor sports as well). We're located in Dallas, Texas, where college sports and club teams are very popular, so parents invest a lot of money into their kids being able to play these extracurricular sports. The platform we're creating will allow kids to record all of their games, so that they have a repository they can use when applying for colleges. I also wanted to give parents, grandparents, and friends an opportunity to watch the kids create those memories.

Everything we do is in HD. For every sports event, there is a number of static cameras that are streaming 24/7. In addition to that, our subscribed users can record the event with their cell phones, turning their mobile devices into another camera. Then, our subscribers can choose to watch the feed from other users or the fixed camera streaming.

They used node.js and some other technology to do both the backend and the frontend development for the initial phase. Now they're doing the maintenance and we're starting to develop the  features for phase 2.

What is the team composition?

I worked with a project manager, iOS and Android developers, and a website developer.

How did you come to work with them?

Initially, I considered hiring in-house developers. I was also looking at third-party companies who had worked on similar projects. As I was going through that process, I came across Zibtek. They made a very good impression on me and I decided to give them a chance.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent between $10,000–$50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in October 2017 and the relationship is ongoing.

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

The platform is live, but it's still in a very early stage and we don't have any customers signed onto the platform. The feedback from the people who saw the app has been very positive and some of them say they would definitely subscribe if the app was available in their area.

How did they perform from a project management standpoint?

They were exceptional. They use agile methodology and touch base with us regularly about what they've completed, where they are, and what objectives they have for the week ahead. They communicate clearly and I've never had a question about where the project was going. We use Zoom and Google hangouts to keep in touch, but they also send me emails and we meet at least three times a week. In addition, the developers use Bitbucket, which is a shared repository for coders, for project management on their end.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They're very professional and understand my needs. I have a high level of confidence in them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

If I had my way, I would have wanted to finish the project a little faster, but it's not something they could control – it was a complex process. They did an exceptional job in terms of development and communication.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

The reason my project was so successful is because I was very precise and clear about the scope of work. I wasn't relying on them to bring ideas to the table, but rather expected them to execute what we discussed. However, I was open to their suggestions if they knew how to do something better.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Creative Business Resources (CBR) is an HR outsourcing company. I previously served as the point person overseeing the implementation of new software and now I’ve transitioned into a sales role.

What challenge were you trying to address with Zibtek?

We were unhappy with the service of our previous IT/software company. We wanted to find a new company to outsource our IT needs that could also help us with internal software development projects.

What was the scope of their involvement?

The first project Zibtek worked on was fixing the issues and patching the holes the other company left behind. Once that was done, they started building a human capital management and onboarding platform. We handle the onboarding needs (i.e., new hire paperwork) for the companies we manage. The tool we were using wasn’t cutting it, so we decided to build our own platform.

We had many discussions with Zibtek to map out exactly the custom features we want. They took point on building the platform including writing the code. They incorporated DocuSign technology for time stamps and signatures as well as E-Verify so forms will be accepted by the government. We have weekly calls to discuss the roadmap, how we can hit our goals, and work out any issues or kinks that come up. They also provide customer support if there's an issue with the onboarding platform.

What is the team composition?

I mainly interact with our project manager, who is based in Utah. He coordinates with the programmers based in either Utah or India.

How did you come to work with Zibtek?

Zibtek reached out to our owner and he asked me to lead the vetting and screening process. I’d spoken with three other companies but Zibtek stood out as the best choice for the project. We sent over a detailed description of the code we use and luckily they’re able to work with it, making them a perfect fit.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $150,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in April 2016 and the engagement is ongoing.

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

Our HR team is extremely excited about the onboarding tool. I’ve shared updates on the new features and functionality as well as how it will help streamline their work. The tool is on track to be done this week and will soon be in full use by everyone in the HR department.

How did Zibtek perform from a project management standpoint?

Their teams in Utah and India are always available and in constant communication. In addition to weekly calls, the project manager sends over daily progress reports of what they’re working on and deadlines for completion. They immediately jump on any issue that pops up and get it taken care of very quickly. Every project we give Zibtek is completed in a timely manner, which makes them a great partner.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We never knew what we’d get with the previous software company. There was no communication, projects were pieced together at the last minute, and we never felt like a priority. What I truly enjoy about Zibtek is having a project manager that I've gotten to know on a business and a personal level. We have a good relationship as well as a strong partnership. Their communication is great and they put our needs on a priority list, which helps them get things done in a timely manner.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The only area they could improve would be the small language barrier from the India team to us. There have been times where items/tasks can get lost in translation and can sometimes take extra effort to come to a clear understanding.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

When working on a software project, it's good to have a roadmap of what the finished project is going to look like. Then it's best to stay the course and keep the programmers focused on that one goal and hitting your timeline. You can always go back and make changes or adjustments once it’s complete.