And that’s what led to Christina’s second reaction: a feeling of confirmation and validation that ClearTech’s focus on service goes right to the heart of what our clients need from us – and what our industry needs to provide if we’re to remain relevant in a fast-changing technology landscape.

“We founded ClearTech on the guiding principle of establishing life-long relationships with our clients” says Christina. “When we first opened our doors ten years ago, there was no shortage of AV integrators and service providers, but most were focused on selling solutions and moving on. Service was almost an afterthought.

“Well, that’s not the way our clients’ businesses work,” Christina adds. “They don’t just need the gear – they need the ongoing benefits those solutions provide, day in and day out, moment to moment. Lots of companies were available to design and install systems. Very few were willing or able to make the commitment to ensure the ROI on that investment.”

That’s what makes ClearTech special: our dedication ­to total lifecycle services support.

And when we talk about the “lifecycle” of our clients’ AV systems, we mean it – starting from the very beginning, with a service experience that begins even before our clients sign on with us, and lasts far beyond when their solution is installed.

It all starts with listening. We dive right into the deep end with our clients, getting to know their businesses and their objectives, understanding what they need – and what they don’t. This enables us to design solutions that not only solve a problem, but open up a world of new possibilities, broadening their bandwidth to achieve more than they once thought possible.

But no solution, no matter how well-tailored to a client’s specific needs, will amount to a hill of beans unless it performs reliably. And we believe that’s what the SCN Hall of Fame Induction testifies to: ClearTech’s pioneering commitment to providing the service our clients need to take full advantage of communication technology in a world where change is the only constant.

Think for a moment about the role of AV technology in higher education. This is the era of the digital learner. Today’s classrooms (and not just classrooms, but libraries, common areas, food halls and conference rooms) depend on technology to impart critical information, and when it’s not working, those institutions suffer tremendous losses, both financial and reputational. It’s the same in corporate environments, where communication technology failure – something as simple as a videoconferencing glitch – can exact a tremendous cost in lost productivity.

To give our clients the performance and peace of mind they need, we offer a range of support plans that go way beyond manufacturer warranties. They’re a boots-on-the-ground assurance that we’ll be there not just to resolve problems, but to prevent them from occurring in the first place.

That caliber of commitment isn’t just relevant to clients. “I think also about our industry partners. Architects and designers take a tremendous risk in their choice of communication technology providers, because if the solution goes south, the clients won’t just blame the integrator, they’ll blame the ones chose who chose that integrator. Same with our vendor partners,” adds Christina. “They need alliances that build their business, not threaten it.”

There are much larger industry players than ClearTech, but none of them does more to support their clients’ ongoing needs.

“I’m humbled to be a 2020 SCN Hall of Fame inductee,” says Christina, “but I’m also energized by it, because it’s one more piece of evidence that ClearTech is the AV technology partner our clients need to compete – more than that: to lead – in a new era.”

Read the Service Contractor News’ profile of Christina De Bono. It’s a great opportunity to learn more about our founder, and the principles that propelled her to the Hall of Fame within ten years of founding our company.

What can you achieve when you truly listen to your clients? Take a look at ClearTech’s AV project Cal Poly Pomona’s Collins College of Hospitality Management. Nearly three years after completion, it continues to win raves for its flexibility and ease of use. In an industry like ours, technology evolves quickly, but great design endures – and the measure of excellence is how well it meets the needs of those it serves.

This project features state-of-the-art AV technology at the Marriott Learning Center, a facility that includes undergraduate lecture rooms and graduate instructional support rooms, as well as group study rooms, a conference room and a student commons. Learn more about it in Sound & Communications.

When Sound & Communications saw our newly completed Dental Simulation Lab integration at Western University, they gave it front-page treatment. Discover the expert engineering and advanced thinking that went into this innovative project.

The headline for this article – “Shifting to Service in 365 Days” – says a lot about what we achieved in a short amount of time. Yet the real story wasn’t just how quickly we developed managed services for our clients, but how completely.

Want to see the future of integrated learning environments? Visit the Payson Library, located at Pepperdine University’s Malibu campus. To outfit this 71,000-square-foot facility with the technology to take university education forward, we took into account the vision of the school’s administration, the needs and desires of faculty and students, and where the technology is heading. You can get a sense of thinking that went into this project by downloading this article from Sound & Communications.

Unless you’re an AV integrator like ClearTech, you may not be familiar with the NSCA Excellence in Business Award. But if you’re considering doing business with us, we invite you to take a moment to learn more about this huge industry honor – because it’s all about ClearTech’s efforts to better serve our customers.