The Heart of Small Business
Shoreline Business Machines Ltd. (SBM Tech Ltd.)
Industry: IT Services
Average Network Size: 75 users
“Untangle is easy enough for our end users, which in turn makes life easier for us.”
Background
SBM Tech is a locally owned and operated IT services organization providing a range of computer networking and office automation products to their client base throughout Nova Scotia, Canada. In addition to expertise in Windows, Macintosh and Linux servers and desktop platforms, SBM Tech brings their trusted recommendations for network security to their customers, which include legal firms, medical clinics, schools and non-profits.
Jeff Hope, IT Manager for SBM Tech for the last seven years, has a deep background in Linux. He found Untangle online and downloaded it to try in his own network. After familiarizing himself with the product, he felt that it would be a great fit not only for SBM Tech but for their customers. As a Linux expert, he appreciated the way that Untangle was built, but also appreciated the value it would bring to their small business market.
The Heart of Small Business
SBM Tech serves many small business clients with the need for a turnkey solution. One segment that has been particularly well-served is medical services, like optometry offices. Jeff knew that network breaches and productivity distractions would come at a dire cost. Their need for anti-virus and spam blocking at the gateway was acute. Additionally, many offices choose a whitelist model, allowing employees Internet access only to specified websites. Reporting was also critical for business owners, which would enable them to see a high-level overview of network usage that they could understand. Untangle meets all of these needs at a price that is palatable to businesses with limited resources and competing priorities.
“We recommend Premium Package to our customers,” said Jeff. “It is easy to set up on site, easy for our techs to run, and easy for end users to maintain. It has everything a small business needs.”
The Right Choice
When deciding to become an Untangle partner, Jeff weighed his experience with the Untangle solution against other competitors. “We found that Untangle is most definitely comparable to Sonicwall at about 60% of their cost,” said Jeff. “And I’ve always had a great experience with the Untangle support team. Turnaround time for a call back has always been less than one hour. You never get that from competitors.”
Jeff also appreciates the personal, friendly support from Untangle Sales. “The last calls I’ve received were to check in to see if I needed anything, not to see what I’ve sold.” Jeff continued, “As a partner, my relationship with Untangle is good and I’m happy to have their solution as an offering.”
