Getting Our Geek On—How Our Gorillas Leverage New Technology for Our Clients
Ask any Gorilla to describe the best part of their job and they’ll immediately respond with, “Sharing my knowledge about technology with my clients and colleagues.” Our Gorillas are geeky for a reason. They have an absolute blast pushing the limits of the “latest and greatest” technologies to develop new solutions that help their clients be unstoppable. So it’s not surprising that clients often rely on our Gorillas to guide them in making smart, future-focused technology investments.
Gorilla Logic is one of the few nearshore software development firms with a robust, customer-centric training program that puts cutting edge technologies in the hands of our Gorillas so that they can learn and explore. We only hire smart, creative, clear-thinking Gorillas who can see beyond the prescribed technology application and ask, “What if . . .?”
“Our commitment to providing Gorillas with a rich training curriculum is deeply embedded in our culture,” notes Gorilla Logic Technology Manager Mariana Santamaria. “Not all technology outsourcing companies provide their developers with opportunities to expand their knowledge and skills. Since we only hire the best technical talent, it’s a given that we would support them in their professional development.”
Looking for developers who “check the box?” You won’t find them here.
Many software development firms act as staffing agencies that provide developers who ‘check the boxes’ based on a client’s specific technology requirements. We find that this approach puts the client at a disadvantage since it limits the talent pool available to them. Clients end up getting exactly what they ask for—and nothing more.
Gorilla Logic’s Technology and Client Services teams create multi-level training programs for our Gorillas to learn, refresh, and expand their technical skills. Clients benefit from having top-tier developers with the acumen and agility to quickly ramp up their skills in virtually any tech stack. Gorilla Logic’s in-house training lead helps guide Gorillas in their training and professional development while overseeing certification processes. So clients get what they need—and much more.
Gorilla Logic Workshop Series
Gorilla Logic workshops combine coursework and hands-on training in high-demand technologies such as React, Angular, and more. Typically lasting two to three months, the workshops include lectures, coding, and testing. Regular homework assignments require the Gorillas to develop concepts and solutions that incorporate specific tech features. The workshops culminate in a final group problem-solving exercise.
Gorillas participate in these optional workshops to hone their skills in new technologies and often request that specific topics be added to the series. In some cases, the syllabi development is also guided by our clients’ needs. For example, Gorilla Logic recently held a three-part Angular technology workshop. It was so popular with the Gorillas, that a second workshop was added to accommodate all the registrants.
The workshop series resonates so well with the Gorillas that a “train the trainer” workshop is being developed for Gorillas who want to conduct workshops for their colleagues.
Gorilla Logic Bootcamps
Gorilla Logic bootcamps are based on multi-faceted curricula including lectures, supplemental reading, and videos. We provide these intensive training sessions so that Gorillas can quickly get up to speed on a client’s tech stack in advance of the engagement. It also provides an opportunity for Gorillas to refresh their knowledge of popular technologies such as Kafka, Spring Boot, Microservices, Angular, and Go. For clients in compliant-sensitive industries such as healthcare, our Gorillas also undergo intensive training in HIPAA compliance and the secure handling of Protected Health Information (PHI).
Gorilla Labs
As our proprietary research and development division, Gorillas who are in between client engagements can “test and tinker” with new technology stacks in a lab project. Designed to challenge Gorillas’ expertise in solution innovation, these projects have all the attributes of a live client engagement. We often refer to Gorilla Labs as the Gorilla Sandbox since they can dig deep into the cutting-edge aspects of technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Cloud Computing, Data Warehousing, Amazon Alexa, and Google Assistant.
The projects that Gorillas conduct in Gorilla Labs are designed to add value to our clients. For example, a team of Gorillas recently experimented with the use of beacons (devices that can track a person’s movements within a designated environment such as a shopping mall). They were able to extend the solution they created to one of our clients in the sporting goods industry for use in their point-of-sale (POS) activities.
Pluralsight®
Video training courses on Pluralsight® allow the Gorillas to refresh their knowledge of technologies they already use in their client engagements. It offers a venue for Gorillas to learn about new technologies that are tangential to the ones they are currently using such as Angular and Python.
Training our clients in new technologies
Clients who are deep in their digital transformation initiatives often want to leverage the latest technology stacks. Gorilla Logic partners with these clients to determine if they have existing training in place or if they would benefit from us creating a custom training program for their internal teams. For example, in response to client requests, we now offer training programs in Scaled Agile Framework® (SAFe®) that are tailored to our clients’ specific initiatives.
Providing the best partnership experience for our clients
With the speed of technology and innovation, others may find it challenging to hire a developer that meets both their current and future needs. Gorilla’s expertise and proven process enables us to not only hire people who are technically adept, but who also align with the client’s culture, workstyle, and business needs—a combination that uniquely equates to “Being Gorilla.” By providing ongoing training and support to our Band of Gorillas, we offer our clients developers prepared to evolve with their business.
Technology needs change quickly. What worked for our clients two years ago may be obsolete in the next six to twelve months. Working with a developer whose expertise is limited to last year’s tech stack only hinders a company’s growth. Gorillas can quickly learn and apply new technologies that meet your needs today and in the future.
As a premium player in the IT consulting space, many of our clients ask us for assistance in choosing a technical path. We provide that level of guidance for our clients. While collaborating with clients, our Gorillas aren’t shy about sharing new and better ways to achieve their goals, based on their past experience. They offer their expertise in the spirit of collaboration with the steadfast belief that “Your mission is our mission.”
A creative, proactive approach to application development
Not only do we access a broader pool of talent, we’ve also created an environment that promotes continuous learning. We’ve seen the frustrations of having developers limited to current technologies. Instead, clients reap more benefits from working with an elite group of developers that possess a creative, proactive approach to leveraging new technologies. Which is why we continually invest in our Gorillas by providing regular exposure to training and new challenges. This process enables them to eclipse other developers. Our Gorillas excel in productivity, problem-solving, and the creative use of technology to surpass our clients’ goals. And for us, that’s what being geeky is all about!
