February 2016 - Issue 59
In This Issue
Quick Links

View our CIO Exchange archives
CIO Calendar
CIO Birthdays
Paul Brooks - 2/6
Mark Shramek - 2/9
Mike Donovan - 2/10
David Beltran - 2/18
Hugh Hollis - 2/18
Craig McClellan - 2/26
CIO Anniversaries
CIO Solutions:
2/1/1986 - 30 years
Michael Biancone:
2/26/2007 - 9 years
Craig McClellan:
2/10/2010 - 6 years
Nicholas Marshall:
2/15/2012 - 4 years
Kenny Emerson:
2/20/2015 - 1 year
Matt Walker:
2/23/2015 - 1 year
balloons_congrats.jpg
February is Black History Month!

Holidays
Valentine's Day
Sunday, February 14th 
President's Day
Monday, February 15th


Leap Day
Monday, February 29th

Greetings!

February marks CIO's 30th birthday, and we're excited to be able share this special time with all of you. After all, you are the reason we have made it this far and why we look forward to each milestone anniversary. At this time, I look back on 30 years of great clients and loyal and committed employees. It is a team that I am proud to be a part of. Happy Birthday CIO, here's to many more.

 

Press Release: CIO Solutions Wins Coveted IT Contract with Newly Merged American Riviera Bank
January 27, 2016, Santa Barbara, Calif. - When American Riviera Bank (OTC Markets: ARBV) and The Bank of Santa Barbara recently merged under one name - American Riviera Bank - each had its own IT management provider. As with most mergers, service providers often lose contracts when the business pie shrinks. In the case of this merger, both IT providers were given an opportunity to vie for the bank's new, exclusive IT management company position. After extensive review, Goleta-based CIO Solutions, The Bank of Santa Barbara's original IT vendor and one of the Central Coast's fastest growing technology companies, was selected to advance, improve and manage the bank's technology tools and capabilities.

"American Riviera Bank already provides cutting edge technology to its business and individual customers including a robust online banking platform, mobile deposit, and access to every ATM in the country," according to the bank's new Chief Operating Officer Joanne Funari. "Now we want to take that technology to the next level and explore additional ways to enhance each customer's experience. CIO Solutions' mission is to customize and provide IT options that did not exist before, delivering them with creativity, imagination, excellence, and integrity. That makes them a perfect fit for our future expansion."

CIO Solutions designed much of The Bank of Santa Barbara's original infrastructure. Now the IT company is helping American Riviera Bank merge systems and data, augment its data backup, disaster recovery, virtualization, and network operations, while also overseeing and managing its day-to-day IT needs.

"We are very pleased to be helping such a forward-thinking financial institution to achieve their mission, which is to offer innovative technology and a level of customer service that blows the competition out of the water," Eric Egolf, the company's president said. With an expanding base of its own staff of more than 50 employees and a new Central Coast office in San Luis Obispo, CIO Solutions currently has approximately 150 managed clients under contract from Paso Robles to Los Angeles, as well as nationally and globally. Their services include traditional and virtual network management and support, data storage design and protection, private and hybrid cloud computing, unified communications systems, and other technical solutions "that meet our clients' ever-evolving business and growth challenges."

When American Riviera Bank and The Bank of Santa Barbara consummated the merger on January 1, 2016, the combined bank had assets in excess of $400 million. Current branches are located in downtown Santa Barbara, Goleta and Montecito.

For more information, contact American Riviera Bank at www.americanrivierabank.com or 805.965.5942 or CIO Solutions at www.ciosolutions.com or 805.692.6700.
What's Happening at CIO: CIO Solutions Inducted into Goleta Chamber
It has been a great honor for CIO Solutions to be one of four new members to be inducted into the Goleta Chamber of Commerce this past month.

We thank Michael Biancone for being CIO's representative for the Goleta Chamber (fourth from left). 

App of the Month: Ookla Speed Test

 

Ookla Speedtest allows users to find out how connected they are by allowing them to use broadband testing and analysis tools. This app can be used worldwide and opens up hundreds of testing locations for anyone who is interested in finding out the performance of their internet connection.

 

Ookla views users' service's performance history and compares it with others nearby, or around the globe, in order to get accurate statistical data.

 

The ease of the app, as well as its efficiency, has made it one of the most popular web sites on the internet with over 200 million unique visitors in 2015.

 

The Ookla Speedtest app is available for free for both iOS and Android phones.  


Employee Spotlight
Mark Perez - Project Engineer

Full name:
Mark Perez

Family info:
Married to my wife for over 27 years. I have 3 wonderful kids and an even better granddaughter.

Where did you grow up?
In beautiful Santa Barbara.

When did you move to Santa Barbara?
I am fortunate to have been born and raised in Santa Barbara.

What do you like best about the Santa Barbara area:
I'd have to say the people you get to meet either through business or social gatherings.

When did you start working at CIO:
November 2015

What do you like best about working at CIO:
Every day I'm either learning about someone new or learning something new about the technology we use here at CIO.

Dreams/aspirations:
To once again be able to camp by a lake that has an ample supply of water.

What would you do if you won the lottery:
Change my phone number, purchase a simple home, travel as much as I could, help a valuable non-profit organization or two,  invest, and retire.

Favorite color:
Blue

Favorite food:
My own BBQ Tri Tip, Mexican food, and Sushi.

Favorite book/movie:
I enjoy action/adventure or comedy movies very much.  I enjoy reading Michael Connolly books.

Motto/quote:
I have two that I try to live by:  "Even when you fall on your face...you are still moving forward" and "God doesn't care who you were...he only cares about who you are."

Anything else that is interesting about yourself:
I love good company, good food, and good music.

CIO Solutions | 805-692-6700 | [email protected] | http://www.ciosolutions.com
150 Castilian Drive
Suite 100
Santa Barbara, CA 93117

CIO Solutions | 150 Castilian Drive | Suite 100 | Santa Barbara | CA | 93117