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. 

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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.

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“Guten Tag! Sprechen Sie Deutsch?” When Aaron Sachs started working with Claris, he didn’t know his skills in German would make him valuable to one of the clients here. We sat down with Aaron to learn a bit more about his background and what makes the German-speaking systems admin technician tick.

What started your "fix-it" mentality? 

 “I’ve always had a ‘fix-it’ mentality. It really drove me throughout college, and landed me firmly in the IT world. On top of that, I’ve always been ‘The Computer Guy’ for family and friends. I started disassembling my parents’ computer when I was about 9. My parents got so mad, they made me fix it instead of paying someone else to do it. That’s just part of who I am. When I see a problem, I really want to solve it. IT meshes well with my personality.”

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One of the hot technology topics these days is the coming of “wearable technology.” We have all been wearing technology of some form or another for years: watches, cell phones, etc. Google, Apple and other tech innovators, however, are ramping this up to a whole new level. This year, Google released it’s Google Glass product to developers, and Apple’s iWatch is rumored to be released later this year. Each of these products represent a potential paradigm shift in the way consumers will both interface with technology and share their lives with others. Dan Thompson visited with Cindy Sexton on WRCB-TV’s “3 Plus You” in Chattanooga, Tennessee recently to discuss this exciting technology.

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By Katie Smith

We’re constantly on the lookout for simple ways to make your life easier using technology. One way that few people utilize is right there within Microsoft Outlook: the “To-Do Bar.” The To-Do Bar is the panel on the right side of Outlook that shows you upcoming appointments, your calendar, and your unified task list.  The task list contains:
 

• Flagged messages that require a response
• Contacts you need to call (flagged)
• Tasks that come up spontaneously

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