IT support · Cleveland, OH
IT support for Cleveland's shops, practices and offices
Cleve Solutions looks after the computers, networks and security of small and midsize Northeast Ohio businesses, from a CNC shop in Solon to a law office on East Ninth.
Walk through enough Cleveland businesses and you start to see the same thing. The front office runs Microsoft 365 on recent laptops. Out back, a machine controller or a lab instrument is still tied to a Windows PC nobody dares to update, because the vendor stopped supporting it years ago. Both sit on the same flat network, sharing the same Wi-Fi password.
We are comfortable in both worlds. We manage the modern side properly, with patching, MFA and monitoring, and we deal with the older equipment realistically: walling it off, limiting who can reach it, and backing it up, instead of pretending it can simply be replaced. Getting old and new to coexist safely is a lot of what IT means around here.
What we handle
Managed IT and help desk
Your people contact us directly when something breaks or needs setting up, from a forgotten password to a new estimator's workstation.
Read more →Cybersecurity for small and midsize firms
Manufacturers and professional firms in this region are regular targets for invoice fraud and ransomware, mostly because attackers expect them to be under-protected.
Read more →Microsoft 365, Google Workspace and cloud
We set up and manage Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace with the security settings turned on, not left at defaults.
Read more →Plant and office networks, Wi-Fi and firewalls
Industrial buildings full of steel racking and machinery are tough on Wi-Fi, and older offices in converted warehouses in the Flats or Ohio City are not much easier.
Read more →Backups, restores and recovery planning
We back up servers, important workstations, machine programs and cloud data in Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace.
Read more →Compliance readiness: CMMC, HIPAA and more
The most common requests we get in Northeast Ohio are CMMC readiness for manufacturers in the defense supply chain and HIPAA safeguards for healthcare providers and…
Read more →How Cleveland's economy shapes the IT problems we see
Manufacturing never left Northeast Ohio, it just changed shape. Sherwin-Williams, Parker Hannifin, Lincoln Electric and Lubrizol all have deep roots in the region, and around them are hundreds of smaller job shops, fabricators, coaters and distributors. Many of those firms make parts that end up in aircraft or military vehicles, which is why CMMC has become a regular topic at shops that never thought of themselves as defense contractors.
Healthcare is the other anchor. Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals are among the largest employers in the state, and MetroHealth serves the county. The Health Tech Corridor running along Euclid Avenue between downtown and University Circle has drawn medical device makers, research startups and the specialist practices that orbit the big systems. All of them handle protected health information.
Downtown adds a heavy professional-services layer. Jones Day was founded here, and the city still supports a large community of law firms, accounting practices and insurance operations, with Progressive headquartered out in Mayfield Village. And across the region there is the weather: lake-effect snow on the east side can shut down a commute without warning, so businesses that cannot work remotely lose days they did not plan for.
How it works
Fix the foundation first
Before adding new tools, we make sure the basics are sound: working backups, MFA, patched machines and a firewall that is actually configured.
Respect the old equipment
If a machine has to stay on an unsupported operating system, we isolate it and protect it rather than ignoring it or insisting you rip it out.
Ready for a snow day
We set people up so a closed highway or a bad lake-effect band does not mean a lost workday.
No jargon, no surprises
You hear what we are doing and why, in plain terms, before we do it.
Before you get in touch
We have a CNC machine running on Windows 7. Do we have to replace it?
Not necessarily. Plenty of shops run equipment whose controller software only works on an old operating system. We isolate that computer on its own network segment, block it from the internet, limit who can reach it and back up its programs. That reduces the risk a great deal while you plan for an eventual replacement.
Our customer says we need to be CMMC compliant. Where do we start?
Usually by figuring out where controlled unclassified information enters your business and where it ends up, since that defines the scope. From there we help put the required technical controls in place and organize the documentation. We support readiness. A formal assessment, where your level requires one, is done by an authorized third party.
Can you help a small practice near University Circle with HIPAA?
Yes. We handle the technical safeguards: encrypted devices, secure email, managed user accounts, logging, backups and a documented process for adding and removing staff access. We can also support your risk assessment by explaining what is in place and where the gaps are.
How do you keep us working when the snowbelt shuts the roads?
By setting things up ahead of time. Staff get managed laptops, files live in Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace, phones or softphones forward properly, and secure remote access is tested before winter rather than discovered during a storm.
Do you work on both the east and west sides?
We do. Our support is mostly remote, so whether your office is in Westlake, Strongsville, Beachwood or Mentor makes little difference to the help you get. We also work with businesses out toward Akron and Lake County.
Who we work with
Manufacturing and metalworking
Shops in Solon, Euclid, Twinsburg and along the I-480 corridor run ERP systems, CAD workstations and machine controllers side by side. We segment the plant floor from the office, protect drawings and customer data, and help defense suppliers work toward CMMC readiness.
Medical practices and life sciences
Specialist practices, therapy groups and research startups around University Circle and Beachwood need HIPAA safeguards that do not slow clinicians down. We handle encryption, access control, secure messaging and audit-ready records.
Law and accounting firms
Small and midsize firms downtown and in Independence carry the same confidentiality obligations as the big names. We focus on email security, document access, encrypted laptops and keeping the practice running through tax season or a trial.
Nonprofits and foundations
Cleveland has a long philanthropic tradition and a large nonprofit sector. We help organizations protect donor and client data, use the nonprofit programs Microsoft and Google offer, and get dependable IT without a dedicated staff member.
Tell us what your setup looks like
Office, shop floor, clinic or all three, send us a quick description and we will give you a candid read on what to tackle first.