Item: Buddy
Rating: 10
Author: Dimitris Rakopoulos

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

It is used in our organisation to provide a central repository for a series of development projects. Since its power lies beneath existing versioning technology such as GIT and SVN all our projects are maintained under source control. Moreover, the deploying functionalities help us deploy project changes to different environments (dev, uat, prod) with ease.

Pros and Cons

Easy of use - clear user interface
Fast deployment to all environments
Great combination of source control and project management

We would love to have a more flexible management for resources (users, storage)
More advanced web hooks would be a plus

Return on Investment

A total time saver - just commit changes and Springloops can handle the deployments
Total control of source code and commits - you never have to think about those things again

Alternatives Considered

Bitbucket

Springloops has a built-in feature that is lacking from Bitbucket (at least on the out-of-the-box functionality). Deployment of projects to various servers/development stages. The process is so easy and painless that even remote servers can act as local environments. This is a feature that differentiates Springloops from other solutions that require other tools to perform the same task.

Other Software Used

IBM Watson Campaign Automation, Asana

Likelihood to Recommend

Springloops is the best tool for deployment to any environment. Especially, the auto-deployment feature on development servers is essential for the early stages of development. The built-in source control mechanisms are a perfect combination of ease of use and a rich feature set that allows the development team to have an easier and more complete view of each part of the project. A section that is lacking is time tracking - but then this is not the main usage of the service.

Users and Roles

6 - Our development team uses Springloops as the main code repository for our web development projects. By using SVN or GIT source control we maintain our code on a single central system. The code can be accessed from anywhere and the team keeps track of all changes throughout the development cycle. Moreover, the team can review our code online for changes and updates.

Support Headcount Required

6 - Front-end developers, back-end developers, mobile developers use Springloops on a daily bases to maintain their code. Springloops is a straightforward tool to use. Most of the work is done outside Springloops using tools such as Tortoise or SourceTree. So, basic knowledge of those tools can help developers use in essence Springloops. Then within Springloops, everything is simple as using a common web browser. The UI is straightforward and easy to use - making it an ideal environment to maintain and update our code base.

Business Processes Supported

Maintaining the code base for all our projects
Deploy code on all environments - dev, pre-prod, prod
Source control either using GIT or SVN
Bug tracking and fixing
Time tracking

Innovative Uses

Extensive use of commit commands that provide guidance to Springloops for executing commands
Use of webhooks to perform automated actions when deployments/commits are made

Future Planned Uses

Extensive use of time tracking
Solely use the project management features - and stop using other tools

Likelihood to Renew

Apart from being a great versioning control system Springloops offers the options to automatically deploy code to multiple systems. This feature alone is a determining factor to renew Springloops over and over again. Another important factor is that it offers a full set of tools that help the team during the development cycle. No switching between time-tracking to project management. This is a real time-saver.

Products Replaced

Key Differentiators

Price
Product Features
Product Usability

The ability to deploy code directly to any server related to the project. The option to auto-deploy to staging or development environments is a real time saver for all members of the team. No additional time is needed to use other tools to deploy our code. No more hand picking file - just commit and everything is done by Springloops.

Evaluation Lessons Learned

I would not change anything. Springloops is a must-have tool for our organization. The overall approach and implementation So, it helps us do out work faster than before. After started using the tool we never went back or had second thoughts. It really helps us achieve more and improves our day-to-day processes.

Support Rating

I rarely use it but when I need it the team is there. During the initial steps of Springloops, I had close contact with one of the founders. He provided support to me over Skype! He didn't have to but he did. We had a couple of long talks about some issues I was facing. He has there regardless of time. It was a great experience!

Buddy Customer Support Pros and Cons

Pros	Cons
Quick Resolution Good followup Knowledgeable team Problems get solved Kept well informed No escalation required Immediate help available Support understands my problem Support cares about my success Quick Initial Response	None

Bug Resolution

Exceptional Examples of Buddy Support

One of the founders helped me over Skype on an issue I was having. The founder, not some support guy. He was available and we talked about my issue and he helped me resolve it. This is what I call 100% satisfaction and feeling that you have someone watching you at all times.

Usability

Easy to use, automatic deployments, comments on projects are only a few factors. Multiple servers per project is another must-have feature. User permissions and rights offer granular control on access to the system.

Usability Pros and Cons

Pros	Cons
Like to use Relatively simple Easy to use Technical support not required Well integrated Consistent Quick to learn Convenient Feel confident using Familiar	None

Easy Tasks

Deployment to servers
Source preview and browsing
Messaging within the team
Comments on commits

Difficult Tasks

Rarely deployments get stuck - but it's only some sort of glitch of the interface

Mobile Interface Availability and Impressions

Yes, but I don't use it

Springloops - an important companion for source control and application deployment

Software Version

Overall Satisfaction with Springloops