When researching your IT company options, one thing to keep in mind is that your infrastructure is only going to be as good as the service you receive. And your service is only guaranteed within the bounds of the service level agreement (SLA) that your IT provider offers. This is one of the sticking points you should definitely go over in detail with your managed services provider in order to hammer down those things that will pertain to your agreement.

But first, let’s go over a little about what this actually looks like.

What is included in an SLA?

Your SLA will include an agreement from the company stating the terms of your guaranteed uptime; that is, how much of the time you can expect your network and systems to be up and running. Your agreement will include service terms as well: what types of service you can expect from the company, what items are not covered under your contract, and response times.

Read More >

By Rachel Noe

Searching for a managed services provider and determining exactly the services your business needs is an easily overwhelming process. There are many options available to you. We have been asked many times what different managed services there are and how an organization might employ them. As an entry in our Q&A series, we take a look at a few of the different managed services options available to you through a provider like Claris.

Managed Computer Support

Let’s say you have the IT hardware but lack the time or technical staff to maintain it. This is a common experience among growing businesses, and is the point where managed computer support comes into the picture. This service ensures that each issue that affects your company’s devices is handled by a competent technician with experience resolving issue. This can also include remote monitoring of computers (and other hardware), which enables your provider to resolve many issues remotely, minimizing the effect on your workday and productivity. 

Read More >

Here at Claris, our core values are more than some phrases on a plaque in the hallway. We hire by them, work by them and live by them. While we believe everyone at Claris embodies these traits, we want to take the chance to point out a few individuals that really exemplify our core values. Today we introduce Travis Evans and how he embodies one of our favorite core values:

Work Smart, Play Hard 

Meet Travis Evans, Backup Specialist, ukulele aficionado and Claris fun-maker. Travis embodies our core value of “Work Smart, Play Hard” in his passion for excellence and endless creativity in making Claris a better place.

Read More >

No, we’re not talking about cirrus, stratus, and cumulus clouds. However, just as there are different clouds in the sky, there are different aspects of cloud computing that make up what we say when we refer to the Cloud.

First, the public cloud.

In this model, the infrastructure is owned by an organization selling cloud space as-a-service, and is widely available on a pay-per-use basis. RackSpace and Amazon Web Services are two of the most commonly used public cloud services. Pursuing this model typically requires considerable front-end technical knowledge. Additionally, it is dependent on a consistent, robust internet connection. If the connection goes down, you will be unable to access your cloud-hosted data or applications.

Read More >

By Rachel Noe

In light of the recent bombings in Boston, it has become evident that one thing is incredibly important to us during an emergency situation: communication. While we pray that events like these never happen, it is imperative to familiarize ourselves with the best forms of communication during disasters like these. So that whether we are in the middle of the chaos or we are watching it transpire from the TV at work, we will be prepared.

Dan Thompson recently discussed this topic with local news networks in Knoxville and in Chattanooga, and what he said may surprise you. Some of the controversy in Boston bombings surrounded whether the police shut off the cellular signals after the initial blasts to prevent another explosion. This kept many people from communicating with loved ones during a critical time in the event. However, Dan shared that regardless of what was done in Boston, it’s likely the cell providers did not have enough towers to handle the volume of calls going out.

Read More >