Two mid-market, privately held IT services firms with Eastern European roots, blue-chip clients, and AI-forward strategies — but fundamentally different business models, market positions, and growth vectors.
| Dimension | Customertimes | Forte Group | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2006 (Eastern Europe) | 2000 (Chicago, IL) | Forte +6 yrs |
| HQ | New York, NY + Paris (EU HQ) | Chicago, IL + Boca Raton, FL | CT (NY prestige) |
| Founder / CEO | Dmitry Sidney (CEO) + Max Votek (Managing Partner) | Slava Kreynin (Founder/Chairman); Mikael Carlsson (CEO since 2022) | Tie |
| Employees | ~1,200 | ~900 | CT +33% |
| Revenue (Est.) | $50.7M confirmed; estimates up to $213M–$316M | $126M–$219M (multiple sources) | Comparable |
| Funding | Private, bootstrapped | Private, bootstrapped | Both bootstrapped |
| Global Offices | 17+ offices, 6 continents, 60+ countries | 12 offices, 3 continents | CT broader |
| Clients Served | 250+ | 400+ | Forte +60% |
| Clutch Rating | 5.0/5 (4 reviews) | 4.9/5 (20 reviews) | Forte (5x reviews) |
| Glassdoor | 4.3/5 (371 reviews) | 4.1/5 (131 reviews) | CT slightly higher |
| Analyst Coverage | ISG Leader 3 yrs + Gartner mention | None (Gartner, Forrester, ISG) | CT major edge |
| Key Certification | Salesforce Summit Partner | WBENC Certified | Different moats |
| Proprietary Products | 10+ (CT Mobile, Vision, REx, Pharma, Orders, Sign, AI Workbench) | None (pure services) | CT unique asset |
| Business Model | ISV + SI Hybrid (products + consulting) | Pure Services (outcome-based delivery) | CT diversified |
Dmitry Sidney (CEO) — CS Master's, Kyiv; ex-SAP architect (Vodafone, Siemens). Technical founder still at the helm after 20 years.
Max Votek (Managing Partner) — Pharmacist turned tech leader. Unique domain expertise drives HLS vertical dominance. Active thought leader (podcasts, healthcare AI media).
Jim Goldfinger (CCO) — 40+ years enterprise CRM. Ex-SAP, PeopleSoft. Brings Big Four credibility.
Strength: Multi-founder with complementary skills (tech + pharma + enterprise sales). CEO continuity.
Slava Kreynin (Founder/Chairman) — CS/Math, Loyola Chicago. Built Forte from scratch over 25 years. 88/100 CEO approval. Now Executive Chairman.
Mikael Carlsson (CEO since 2022) — ex-GlobalLogic, Capgemini/Lohika. Grew Lohika revenue 5X. Professional operator brought in to scale.
Nadiya Kreynin (Exec Chair & COO) — Instrumental in WBENC certification. Operational backbone.
Strength: Successful founder-to-CEO transition. Professional management + founder culture. WBENC via Nadiya Kreynin.
| Service Area | Customertimes | Forte Group | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salesforce | Summit Partner Full multi-cloud, Industry Clouds, Agentforce, ISV/PDO, 1,715+ certs |
Dedicated practice but not primary platform. Implementation + managed services | CT dominant |
| Custom Software Dev | Secondary focus; custom development for ISV clients | Core offering Full-stack custom dev across 15+ languages. 25 years of delivery |
Forte core strength |
| AI / ML | Agentic AI Workbench, CT Vision (computer vision), Einstein AI, Azure OpenAI | AI-First rebrand (2025), Chief AI Officer, AI-augmented SDLC, Copilot/Cursor internal adoption | CT (products) |
| Data & Analytics | Databricks, Snowflake, Data Cloud, DataRobot | Data strategy, engineering, pipelines, migration, BI, governance | Comparable |
| Microsoft | Dynamics 365, Azure, Power Platform, CT REx on Marketplace | Not a listed practice | CT only |
| SAP | SAP BTP migration, ERP integration | Not a listed practice | CT only |
| DevOps / Cloud | AWS, Azure, GCP (secondary focus) | Core Docker, K8s, Terraform, Jenkins, multi-cloud |
Forte deeper |
| Quality Engineering | Testing within Salesforce implementations | Founding DNA Dedicated CQO, Utopia Solutions acquisition, QA heritage |
Forte core DNA |
| Proprietary Products | 10+ products CT Mobile, Vision, REx, Pharma, Orders, Sign, AI Workbench |
None | CT unique |
| Engagement Pricing | $100–$149/hr | $50–$99/hr | Forte lower cost |
Builds and sells proprietary products on AppExchange/Microsoft Marketplace AND implements enterprise solutions. Products serve as accelerators for consulting engagements (claim: 40% faster delivery). Creates both project revenue and recurring product revenue.
Valuation implication: Software products command 5–10x revenue multiples vs. 1–2x for pure services.
No proprietary products. Delivers custom software, AI, data, and Salesforce services with outcome-based pricing (value delivered, not hours billed). 90% client retention suggests sticky long-term relationships.
Valuation implication: 90% retention + outcome-based model supports premium services valuation. WBENC certification opens structural procurement channels.
| Vertical | Customertimes | Forte Group | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Healthcare & Life Sciences | Deep Pfizer, AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Takeda, Bayer, Abbott, IQVIA, Kenvue |
Deep EMR platforms, AI healthcare analytics, HIPAA compliance |
CT (marquee pharma) |
| Consumer Goods / CPG | Deep L'Oreal, Danone, Coca-Cola, Bacardi, Pernod Ricard, AB InBev |
Not a listed vertical | CT only |
| Manufacturing | Deep Toyota, Siemens, Volkswagen, Generac, Sharp |
Emerging | CT dominant |
| Financial Services | Moderate SF Financial Services Cloud |
Deep Claims modernization, fintech, BMO, Nasdaq, Trustmark |
Forte deeper |
| Software / SaaS | ISV clients for product development | Deep Zendesk, Tinder, Grubhub, Guideline |
Forte deeper |
| Retail | Retail execution via CT products | Moderate E-commerce, Walgreens, Crate & Barrel |
Different angles |
| Private Equity | Not a listed vertical | Moderate Portfolio company tech acceleration |
Forte only |
| Public Sector | Emerging VMAP (ISG Paragon Award) |
Not a listed vertical | CT only |
DNA: Pharma + CPG + Manufacturing. Global brands in regulated, product-driven industries.
DNA: Fintech + SaaS + Healthcare. Mix of Fortune 500 and high-growth tech companies.
■ Customertimes ■ Forte Group
Dimensions where CT leads
Dimensions where Forte leads
Not better/worse — fundamentally different models
| Risk Factor | CT Exposure | FG Exposure | More Exposed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Platform dependency | High ~59% Salesforce | Low Platform-agnostic | CT higher risk |
| AI compresses project sizes | Medium Products buffer | High 100% services | Forte higher risk |
| Ukraine geopolitical | Medium Kyiv + many EE offices | Medium Kyiv + Ternopil | Both exposed |
| Analyst invisibility | Low ISG Leader 3 yrs | High Zero coverage | Forte higher risk |
| Review platform credibility | High 4 Clutch reviews | Low 20 Clutch reviews | CT higher risk |
| Leadership transition | Low Founder still CEO | Medium CEO 3.5 yrs in | Forte higher risk |
| Revenue concentration (clients) | Unknown | Unknown | Insufficient data |
| Consolidation pressure | High Peers being acquired | Medium Devbridge acquired | CT higher (SF ecosystem) |
4 Clutch reviews is a credibility liability. Target 30+ verified reviews across Clutch, G2, and Gartner Peer Insights within 12 months.
The "Agentic Transformation Partner" label is meaningless without documented case studies. Publish 5+ Agentforce implementations before GSIs capture the narrative.
CT REx is a beachhead. Reducing Salesforce dependency from 59% to 45% diversifies risk and opens Dynamics 365 accounts.
Forte's WBENC certification is a structural procurement advantage CT cannot currently match. Evaluate eligibility.
Shift from license-based to recurring SaaS revenue. This changes the valuation calculus from 1–2x (services) to 5–10x (software).
CT has 3 years of ISG Leader status. Forte has zero analyst coverage. This is the single biggest competitive gap to close.
CT has 10+ products; Forte has none. Develop reusable AI/healthcare frameworks to create IP-enhanced services and defensibility.
No direct competitor (including CT) has this. Ensure every enterprise RFP process highlights WBENC certification from the first touchpoint.
This is Forte's structural advantage over CT. The nearshoring boom is peaking — 5 LatAm offices vs. CT's 1. Press the advantage.
The "AI-first" rebrand needs proof. The $3M claims savings story is strong — replicate across verticals to match CT's product-backed narrative.
Best for: Enterprises seeking a Salesforce-centric partner with deep CPG/Pharma/Manufacturing vertical expertise, proprietary product accelerators, and ISG-validated enterprise credibility. CT's hybrid ISV+SI model commands a premium and creates long-term platform lock-in that pure consultancies cannot match.
Watch out for: Salesforce platform dependency, thin review footprint, and the risk that Agentforce positioning doesn't convert to documented wins fast enough.
Best for: Enterprises seeking a platform-agnostic, custom software and AI development partner with exceptional client retention, WBENC procurement access, outcome-based pricing, and strong nearshore delivery. Forte's quality engineering heritage and 25-year track record inspire confidence for long-term engagements.
Watch out for: Zero analyst coverage limits discoverability. No proprietary products means 100% services revenue exposure to AI-driven compression.
These firms share surface similarities (mid-market, Eastern European roots, bootstrapped, AI-forward) but operate entirely different business models targeting different buyer profiles.
Customertimes is a platform-first, product-rich Salesforce ecosystem company that monetizes vertical IP. Forte Group is a platform-agnostic, relationship-first engineering firm that monetizes delivery excellence.
In a world where Salesforce Agentforce is growing 330% and enterprise AI spending is tripling, CT is better positioned for the platform wave. In a world where clients demand custom AI solutions outside any single platform, Forte is better positioned for the bespoke build. Both face the same existential question: scale, partner with PE, or exit — before the consolidation window closes.