Quantum Web Solutions – The art of misleading Clients and the resulting damage it’s causing!

Quantum Web is now called Quantum Network & Promotions.

So firstly to those who don't know, here’s a quick history on Quantum Web Solutions (from what I’ve been told):
The company is a simple, small Web Development company based in Shrewsbury, they take their clients requirements and build them a fully functional website system.

It  started it’s life under the name “JETA Services Limited”, before quickly changing names to “Linesave UK Limited”, but with it’s offices registered in Birmingham (for some reason??). Here is a company check for Linesave, and the Companies House records.

The company only operated for a few years before hitting financial difficulty and eventually hitting liquidation in 2010. From this liquidation came a new company operating by the name of Quantum Web Solutions, all the staff remained the same, and so did the management. However it was now under a new owner which is possibly Burney Hurley (He ran everything) or his wife. Here is a company check for Quantum Web Solutions, and the Companies House records.

This is where I came in, I started working for Quantum Web soon after they had setup. I was told about the liquidation and how it had swapped names and restarted, I was told they had understood there previous problems and were starting a new company that would improve upon the last. The company went to great lengths to detach itself from it’s previous company name and all the clients from the old company were offered a so-called “discount” if they transferred there projects to the new company (Yes they had to pay again). Some clients however mysteriously had there projects moved, without any extra cost (perhaps these were more tech-savvy clients who would have won a court case otherwise), I’m not unsure on how these arrangements took place and hence I’m only speculating.

Company Structure

The first problem with Quantum Web Solutions is it’s internal structure, it focuses more on marketing and sales than it does on development and customer service. I cant give exact figure but here is a rough idea of how the company ratio’s employees:

15 - 20 Sales + Marketing
5 - 8 Designers
4 or 5 Bug Fixers
3 or 4 Integrators
3 - 5 Developers

It’s all about the product!

Just think if you could take a run down mini and make it look like a brand new BMW – without whomever buying the car knowing that they are really purchasing a run down mini.

Unfortunately when it comes to dynamic websites, you can theoretically do just this, you can make a great looking front-end with a feature infested back-end and drop it onto the worst Core in existence. Quantum Web have done just this throughout their existence, their cart system started it’s days as a open-source beginners e-commerce system that floated around the internet, Quantum took this base and dropped pieces of code on top of it to create what they call “their system”. More recently they have started with yet another “new” product called Tovuti, which in fact is the same e-commerce system but with yet a newer front-end and back-end and a new languages/modular system wacked in for good measure.

Can I prove it? Well yes actually I can, I have a copy of the Quantum Cart system and if presented it could be used as a means to track down the original developers of the system. Also we would probably find most of the vulnerabilities could be replicated on new Tovuti systems.

The “Dress Older” Practice

Quantum Web Solutions likes to give the impression it’s a bigger company than it in fact is, for instance in the “about me” on their website it says there “UK Market Leader”, and in various places on the internet it says it was “independently voted as the best Web Development company”. The company also used to have an office registered in Birmingham to make it look more legitimate and high standing.

Of course this is not illegal and although misleading on it’s own would not really pose any damage, unless the company is making promises that it cannot keep…

I’m glad you "promised”…

A company’s promise should never be taken unless it is in writing, fortunately most of the worlds companies like to give a good impression and at least try and help their clients with any problems.
However when it comes to Quantum Web Solutions, you should never take any promises they give you. I came in contact with countless clients who were promised that their website would be completed in 3 – 5 months from the date they signed their contract, only to discover 12 months down the line that they would be waiting yet longer before there website solution would be STARTED, let alone completed. Many of Quantum’s clients actually went bankrupt just waiting for their vital business to get going! (luckily most didn't blame us developers, we really did try hard to manage everything).

This is where the “Dress Older” concept starts to destroy people’s lives, Quantum Web is taking on more projects than they can actually work on, there’s a backlog of clients still waiting for work to begin on their website, as well as some waiting for vital security/usability fixes or new features they have paid for. But Quantum keep on taking new clients and starting new contracts which I presume have clauses in them so they don't have to deliver on the date’s they promise (several clients have considered taking Quantum to court and to my knowledge none of the cases have won).

But were secure… see!!

Ok, I’m not sure if this is illegal or not but it sure is misleading to Clients and to Clients customers! I found out a very shocking thing today related to Quantum Web.

website-secure.co.uk – is apparently a website security certification service, however unlike legitimate services this one is owned and operated by the same web development company utilizing it! Yes you guessed it… Quantum Web Solutions… if you need some proof then look at this WHOIS for website-secure.co.uk.

Looking at the information all over this website, you will see there is in fact nothing legitimate about this website, there’s absolutely no guarantees that any site apart of this service is secure or will ever be secure! This could mislead firstly Quantum’s client into thinking their website is secure and meets government set security standards (which could be illegal if broken btw) and then this could filter back onto the Customers to that client, using the website, parting with sensitive information because they believe the site is checked by a third-party service and is secure.

Notice also there misuse of the Facebook logo, just next to the “Corporate Partners” heading, kind of looks like Facebook is partnered? Well your fooled. there not. and I’m contacting Facebook directly about the blatant misuse of there branding.

Author: Dean WilliamsI'm a Web Developer, Graphics Designer and Gamer, this is my personal site which provides PHP programming advice, hints and tips

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