CIO Solutions Acquires Compass Consulting
 
Santa Maria Chamber member CIO Solutions, one of the Central Coast’s leading Computer Consulting and Network Management companies, has acquired Compass Consulting, further expanding its local presence.  Compass Consulting is a Ventura County-based Information Technology consulting and managed services firm, providing cloud solutions, managed IT services, software development, and IT consulting to small and medium size businesses.
 
“We want to assure everyone that Compass Consulting and its employees are not going away, nor is their location changing,” explained CIO Solutions’ CEO, Eric Egolf.  “This acquisition will simply enhance and expand the company’s services. The alignment of our two companies, which share similar values, will provide current and future clients with more security solutions, cloud solutions, more co-managed IT options for customers with internal IT departments, and more growth opportunities for existing Compass employees. This acquisition will also lead to more local job opportunities down the road.”
 
Headquartered in Goleta, California just outside of Santa Barbara, CIO Solutions has additional offices in San Luis Obispo and Fresno. The company plans to bring Compass Consulting clients an upgrade to Security Operations managed by CIO Solutions Network Operations Center; an advanced network monitoring system and additional manufacturer options for equipment replacements including Datto, Palo Alto Networks, Watchguard, Juniper and more.
 
Compass Consulting’s name will initially transition to Compass Consulting Powered by CIO Solutions. Eventually, everything will converge under the CIO Solutions name, according to Mr. Egolf.
 
Darin Selfridge, Compass Consulting’s current CEO, will transition into the position of virtual Chief Information Officer (vCIO) after the acquisition. He said, “We are looking forward to becoming part of CIO Solutions -- an industry leader with local roots that has a wider breadth and depth of capabilities to meet our customers’ needs. It’s a win-win for everyone – our company, their company, all our clients, and Ventura County as a whole. Our clients will continue to be serviced by the same world-class Compass technical staff; our service processes will operate the way they always have; and our response times will remain the same. In my new position, I will also still be our clients’ relationship manager.
 
“There are no current plans to increase monthly pricing or rates. Any changes in pricing will be communicated months in advance. When you’re seeking computer and networking help, there’s nothing that beats having a trusted partner when the capabilities align, because these are the folks who will best understand and be able to respond quickly to your needs.”
 
In the coming months, CIO Solutions will also add these capabilities and solutions to the Compass team: the availability of a large team of Citrix Experts; additional Security Capabilities around the CrowdStrike Ecosystem; a First Call Resolution Support Department that will address clients’ needs on the first call; a dedicated Network Operations Center; and options for “co-managed tools” which will allow clients’ IT departments to use some of the same tools CIO Solutions uses.
 
CIO Solutions has been providing IT management and consulting services to Central Coast companies and organizations – large and small -- since 1986.  Many of their clients are medium-sized businesses with 10 to 400 employees. Some of their larger clients have included the cities of Santa Maria, San Luis Obispo, Arroyo Grande, Atascadero, Paso Robles, the Santa Maria School District, OK Produce, Teter and EyeQ.
 
“From day one our goal has been to tailor our services for both small and large businesses and to provide IT options that did not exist before,” explained Mr. Egolf, who has been with the company since 2004. “As we have evolved, so has our ability to meet our clients right where they are in their growth curve, not just where we are. It’s become a win/win solution that works for everyone, one that frankly makes our jobs more interesting, challenging, and fun. Our local locations in Ventura, Santa Barbara/Goleta, San Luis Obispo, and Fresno enable us to provide faster response/resolution times to our clients in these areas and provide each customer with the right mix of remote and onsite support.”
 
Prior to this acquisition, CIO Solutions employed a total of 92 employees, who service more than 250 clients from Fresno to Paso Robles down the coast to Los Angeles, as well as national and global clients.  The acquisition of Compass Consulting brings the company to 100 employees.
 
To learn more, visit ciosolutions.com or compassconsult.com online or phone  805.692.6700 or 888.662.9084.