In addition to voting Vircom ModusGate top in the Best Software and Most Innovative Product categories, Windows IT Pro readers handed Montreal-based Vircom the award for Best Service and Support. What sets Vircom's service and support apart from others in readers' eyes? And how has Vircom become highly touted in the industry and well regarded enough to sweep three major awards?
One example of Vircom's dedication to providing the highest level of service and support comes from Mako Internet, an ISP provider in California. Jeff Beadle, a network administrator at Mako, said, "Other companies I have worked with give you an auto response that says 'check out our Web site for your problem.' Not Vircom. I get a message back right away with an answer. I have been very pleased." Francois Bourdeau, Vircom director of marketing, feels Vircom has a distinctive approach to customer support that sets the company apart from its competitors. He said, "When a customer phones in for support at Vircom, they immediately have access to a qualified technician who will provide a fix for their problem, and if for any reason the technician can't find the answer, he or she will provide fast access to the development team for help."
Vircom offers a Gold Care Plan with 24 x 7 support, which provides a committed 30-minute response time, senior staff available 24 hours a day, and a private phone number to call when emergencies happen. The Gold Care Plan is available in three different packages: 24 x 7 support with a 2-call allowance, 24 x 7 support with a 10-call allowance, and 24 x 7 support with unlimited calls available.
So, what's the background on this company? Here's a bit of history. Vircom started in 1994 and provided TCP/IP server solutions. By 1997, Vircom launched the Vircom Online Platform (VOP) with VOP Mail and VOP Radius software, which established the company's reputation as a developer of Internet connectivity software. Vircom then launched a Web-based email client and, in cooperation with Cisco Systems and RODOPI, improved VOP Radius to support Voice over IP (VoIP) technology. By 2002, Vircom was the first to market a fully integrated mail server solution with 24 x 7 spam and virus protection under the VOP ModusMail banner. In 2003, Vircom developed its most powerful antispam engine ever: the Sequential Content Analyzer (SCA).
Today, Vircom remains a private company with 50 employees and is well on track toward expansion throughout Europe and Asia. Although currently penetrating mostly the North American market, Vircom solutions are deployed in more than 100 countries.