Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | November 4, 2019 | Worcester Business Journal 25 C E O P R O F I L E S M ost college seniors spend a significant amount of time planning for life beyond the classroom. In many cases, this means seeking employment at a company where newly acquired skills and education can be utilized. But Rob Cleary was not like most college students. Rather than engage in a potentially long and frustrating job search, he decided to steer the course and found his own company. When you decided to start your own company, what services did you plan to offer and what were your goals? Even though I had never had a full-time job, I took the leap and created ClearCom IT. In 2001, the term MSP (managed ser- vice provider) was not very popular so we primarily were doing residential computer repairs and a few small businesses would call when they had a computer problem. It wasn't until 2006 that we starting offering Managed IT services. This model aligns the interest of the company with those of its clients. We become your technology partner, not just technology support. Combining my interest in technology and business savvy, I wanted to offer a solution where the company takes the time to gain a deep under- standing of our clients' business and goals. This strategy helps us deliver a technology plan that offers elite service, a highly person- alized approach with no geek speak. How does your team contribute to your success? A company can have the latest, state-of-the-art tools and plen- ty of solid vendor partnerships, but it's the team you have that makes all the difference. At ClearCom we all work together to make us a better company. We try hard to create a company cul- ture where people look forward to coming to work. At the same time, we strive to meet our core values. We do this by working collaboratively to provide our clients with the best service and the best technology guidance possible. What differentiates your company from your competitors? The team at ClearCom strives not to be just another managed services provider (MSP), but we strive to be an Elite MSP, and aim to form a partnership with our clients. Our goal is to strate- gize with our clients to provide the best technology solutions while keeping within their budget. We are also constantly train- ing our staff and introducing new tools to better serve our clients. All our support specialists, account managers and leaders have completed Level 4 Criminal Justice Information System Security & Awareness Training and certification. They have also under- gone federal background checks and fingerprinting to ensure our clients' security. We don't take a cookie cutter approach where the traditional MSP fits everything into the standard MSP box; rather, we cus- tomize services for our clients. We feel as though every business is unique, so we honor their uniqueness by providing specializa- tion in a handful of applications. What is your service area? ClearCom serves clients across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and also has a footprint that extends up and down the East Coast. Our clients hail from Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Maine, New Hampshire, North Carolina, and Vermont. Our original client base comprised of residential customers; we have now transitioned to working with only business clients engaged in our managed services solution. To accommodate the growth in our business portfolio and staff, ClearCom moved its headquarters to a larger office build- ing in Sturbridge. What new ideas/products/services do you plan to introduce in the coming years? The increase in ransomware and hacking attacks in the small business sector has become a major concern for all businesses. ClearCom is well aware of the potentially devastating effects such computer disruptions can cause and aims to provide peace of mind to our clients. To address this issue, we are doing more and more with security and dark web monitoring along with increas- ing end-user awareness. We help clients create multi-factor authentication and are working with financial institutions to develop secure logins. Additionally, our technology helps clients to maintain business continuity and we collaborate and imple- ment disaster recovery planning. What are the secrets to your success? At ClearCom, we always maintain an optimistic viewpoint and find the positive in every situation. We hire the best team mem- bers and listen to their thoughts and ideas, which we believe is critical to our success. This philosophy not only shows respect, but also acknowledges that the team members are the ones in the trenches doing the work. And finally, from the beginning we have identified a clear vision and continue working hard to translate that vision into reality, adapting our strategy when necessary. ClearCom IT Solutions, Inc.: Providing Support and Partnership Address: 49 Main St. Sturbridge, MA 01566 Phone: 508-892-5555 Website: www.clearcomit.com Product or Service Description: Managed IT Services Number of Employees: 18 CEO/President: Rob Cleary, CEO Year Founded: 2001 ClearCom IT Solutions, Inc. FB Rob Cleary

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