Every March local news website ed hat runs a competition known as March Edness. During March Edness, ed hat shows a picture of a different Santa Barbara locale and invites readers to guess where it is. The pictures are small and they feel obscure, yet every day the site features multiple winners. I think this competition and its' many winners is a testament to the tight knit local community that is Santa Barbara. We know our neighbors, we know our landmarks, and we even know the nooks and crannies of our town. Santa Barbara is an amazing mixture of cosmopolitan and small town life. The unique, close-knit feeling of Santa Barbara is a huge part of what helps CIO thrive. We love the relationships that we're able to cultivate with our clients, and we love knowing that we serve this community. Who knows, we may see you around town this weekend!

CEO, CIO Solutions  

CIO Solution's next Client Appreciation Event is happening this Spring on Friday, April 17th from 6:00pm-8:30pm. Come join us as some of your favorite CIO staff battle it out for the title of Chili Cook-off Champion. 

You and a guest are invited to join us at our 3rd Annual Chili Cook-Off!

Come judge delicious chili & cornbread entries and enjoy refreshing beverages while mingling with the CIO crew!

We try and get all of our clients on our contact list but sometimes we miss a few, feel free to forward this out to your co-workers! Everyone is invited!!

Please let us know before Friday, April 10th if you will be able to make it: 

Register Now!

Need to split a lunch check? Or split a cab fare? There is now an app for that called, Venmo.

This app allows users to exchange exact payments within their social circles via their smartphone. After downloading the app, users simply need to link their bank account or debit card to the app. This app will then link users' Facebook friends and email contacts so that users can transfer or receive payments to or from specific friends. Transactions can process as quickly as over night on business days.

The great thing about the Venmo app is that it does not charge transaction fees for transferring through bank accounts or debit cards, like many of its competitors. Though it does charge a 3 percent transaction fee if users are using a credit card as a form of payment.

Of course, questions about how secure this app is will emerge. The Venmo app makes sure that transaction processes are as secure as possible. All data is sent over the same encryption method that is used to protect classified government information and the transactions are protected by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

The Venmo app is trustworthy, convenient, and very easy to use. For most people who do not tend to carry around change, an extact payment for $3.49 to a friend for buying coffee can now be so simple. Make life easier by downloading the Venmo app.

The Venmo app is available for FREE for both Android and iOS users!

Send your favorite free app to checkwiththetech@ciosolutions.com and it may find its way into next month's newsletter!