Local Franchise Provides Cyber Solutions For Home, Business

By John Voket

From a frustrated business owner whose outdated computer was running “too slowly,” to a local mom whose new computer was sitting in an unopened box, to a “humble secretary looking to go from zero to 100 with some spreadsheet software training,” CMIT Solutions answered the call. Whether it was Microsoft Excel training supplied by the company’s “Computer MOMs,” (Mentors On the Move) or the residential computer setup and commercial consultation with CMIT that led to a supplemental computer purchase, all three clients say they were impressed with the responsiveness, service, and follow-up provided by the CMIT Solutions staff, and especially its local franchise owner John Sarra.

Based in Monroe, the company recently added Newtown resident Debi Benson to its team as a regional business development manager. The staff expansion, in part, will permit Mr Sarra to continue his lightning-fast response to client needs while Ms Benson is introducing new prospects to the wide variety of system and training services CMIT Solutions is aiming to provide throughout Newtown and the region.

According to information on his website, Mr Sarra’s ultimate goal is to take the pain out of operating and understanding one’s computer. Having worked in and around the computer field for nearly 25 years, he has seen firsthand the frustration people experience when confronted with computing problems, and much of his career has been devoted to helping people use technology to assist them with their goals and job objectives.

Mr Sarra got his IT start as a systems analyst for Pitney Bowes and eventually advanced to the position of training manager for the entire information technology division. After ten years with the company, he moved on to consulting, where Mr Sarra experienced the full spectrum of computer training as instructional designer, course developer, and instructor for organizations such as Warner-Lambert, Corning, Met Life, and Digital.

He also gained proficiency as a technical writer, authoring several software publications and computer guides for two software companies. But according to his Newtown clients, the wealth of background has apparently helped Mr Sarra and his CMIT Solutions team members deal with less experienced, casual computer operators with empathy and genuine kindness.

“The trainer never made me feel like an idiot,” said Denise, a self-described “humble secretary,” who had a basic working knowledge of Microsoft Excel, but was suddenly faced with a project where the demands on her expertise were “expanded to gigantic proportions.”

Denise decided to check out CMIT Solutions’ website, and opted to receive several hours of one-on-one in-home training from a Computer MOMs team member.

“I had specific goals,” she said. “I wanted someone to assess what I was doing, help me get through the work faster, and show me all the aspects of the software I either wasn’t fully utilizing or that I didn’t even know existed.”

Providing Denise with specific solutions based on the existing project she had already begun creating, the CMIT Solutions mentor helped maximize the time investment by just addressing specific needs and questions.

“Sifting through books or online tutorials can take an excruciating amount of time,” Denise said. “And if I took a class, I might never have a chance to work specifically on my own project needs. My mentor had a lot of experience, having worked in Excel since Microsoft first introduced the program, so she was able to work with me from the ground up.

“She understood exactly what I had to do and showed me how to do it, and she saved me a lot of time and money in the process,” Denise said.

For CMIT Solutions commercial client Lisa Whitmore at Newtown’s UK Gourmet, it was more a case of having the knowledge to do what needed to be done, but having a computer that was slowing her down to the point of inefficiency.

“About a year-and-a-half ago, I noticed my existing desktop PC was running slower and slower,” Ms Whitmore explained. “It was an older model and I had basically used all the memory. I think it was also being affected by spyware or a virus.”

But one call to Mr Sarra, and the fix was in.

“He showed me how to delete unused items to free up memory, and ran security software on the system to eliminate the bugs,” she said. And while she might have squeezed another few months out of the PC as her primary business machine, Mr Sarra suggested that UK Gourmet would benefit from a new computer.

Today, Ms Whitmore still uses her old “work horse” PC, but much of her day-to-day ordering, inventory, marketing, correspondence, even building and maintaining the store’s website, is done from a lightweight laptop with “the most memory I could get.” She also uses portable flash drives to transfer information between computers because she determined a network was not an appropriate investment at this time, and uses a computer-mounted webcam to chat with her relatives in the UK via videophone.

“It was a great experience working with John and CMIT,” she said. “Any questions I have I just email and he usually responds within an hour or two, or sometimes within a few minutes if he can.”

Newtown resident Lynn Buttner received a new desktop PC as a gift from her husband, but did not want him to take time away from work setting it up and showing her its new software capabilities.

“I heard from a friend that CMIT Solutions was local and very reliable,” she said. “They were great about getting right over, answering all my questions, getting me set up and no matter what I asked them, they never made me feel stupid, or made me feel like I couldn’t work with the programs myself.”

Calling herself a “social computer user,” Ms Buttner was pleased to learn about zipping through the software systems utilizing multiple windows and how to attach documents to emails, a valuable function since she serves as recording secretary for the Newtown Woman’s Club, GFWC.

Besides setting up the new system and providing some training, CMIT Solutions also helped Ms Buttner transfer many of her old files from a PC that was recently struck by lightning, putting her back in the driver’s seat with a whole new outlook on computing. And once the job was through she was impressed by a follow-up call from Mr Sarra a few days later to be sure everything was still operating up to speed.

“I never heard of them before, but I’ll certainly call them any time I need them,” Ms Buttner said. “They are at the top of my Rolodex.”

Ms Benson recently joined the company after working in several capacities from bookkeeping to medical office support.

“I wanted a job in a technology field, but I wanted to be able to help people get the most out of their computer,” Ms Benson said. “Whether it’s a home, small business, or large office system, everybody can save time and make more money with their computers if they are in peak condition and the operators are well-trained.”

Although she is on the fast-track, learning about all the aspects of computer technology and support her employer offers, she can relate to many of her clients because she came from an environment where she only had the specific computer skills she needed.

“So I can relate to people like Lisa, Denise, and Lynn,” Ms Benson said. “And it helps me help them. I’m personally interested in each individual’s needs and I’m not afraid to ask a lot of questions to be sure every client gets exactly what they need.

“In fact, based on what I’ve seen from CMIT Solutions so far, I believe it’s their policy to go above and beyond the call,” she said. “I think always working to give the client that little extra service and follow-up helps give them the edge.”