If you still haven’t upgraded to Windows 10, now is the time! A decade after its release, Windows 7 is still popular. In October, 36% of all active PCs were still running it, which was not far behind the 43.6% running Windows 10. However, as the end of life date quickly approaches, everyone needs to […]
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As 2019 comes to an end, we are not only starting a new year, but a new decade! Technology has advanced so much over the last 10 years and we have no reason to believe it will slow down now. In fact, many believe the pace of advancements will continue to speed up. With 2020 […]
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There is some debate whether industry 4.0 is just a clever marketing term or an actual industrial revolution, but regardless, technology is advancing, and it is impacting industries like manufacturing now more than ever. However, when surveyed, only 48% of manufactures consider themselves ready for industry 4.0. Let’s go over the things you need to […]
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Everyone wants to be on the top of the Google Search Results when someone is looking for businesses similar to theirs. Yet, there are still a lot of misconceptions and mystery when it comes to SEO and PPC. Back in the early years of the internet there were SEO tricks you could use to enhance […]
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Your business is unique, and your software might need to be too! We rely on technology so much to carry out our daily operations. It seems like there must already be a program for what you need. Canned software can be an easier choice but it’s not always a perfect fit and can end up […]
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October is known for being a month filled with ghosts and goblins, but did you know October is also dedicated to something that can be as equally scary? This month we recognize National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and to do our part we wanted to remind everyone about the importance of being safe and secure online. […]
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ADA compliance and accessibility have long been a confusing issue for businesses when it comes to the thier website and the digital world.
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We’re letting you know how you can join Pittsburgh’s Microsoft Office 365 User Group!
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We’re busting 3 common myths surrounding digital marketing, and preaching the importance of investing in DM for your business!
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We interviewed Scott Rogerson, CEO of UpContent, to get his take on the importance of collaborative working between Marketing and IT teams.
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Holidays are the busiest time of year for cybercriminals. Stay safe this Fourth of July with these cybersecurity tips.
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Your marketing person should be more than just a sales-minded, creative, they should be data-driven, analytical, and interested in the details.
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Cybersecurity should be on your list of concerns when traveling and vacationing this summer. After all, cybercriminals don’t take vacations.
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Find out about how leading influencers and field experts have been focusing on UX (User Experience) and UI (User Interface) BEFORE the sales process instead of after.
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5G is an upgraded, newer generation of wireless technology that boasts better speeds, reliability, and connectivity than its predecessor, 4G.
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On January 14th, 2020 Microsoft’s Windows 7 OS will stop receiving support. Learn about what you can expect when the time comes.
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April is National Internship Awareness Month, and here at Sierra we’re always supporting the next generation of the working force by hiring on interns.
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The term “Easter egg” has a different meaning in the tech world. When browsing the internet, an Easter egg is a message, image, or joke hidden inside of a website.
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In 2019, pen and paper just can’t provide the insight and analytics that technology can. That’s why software development has sky-rocketed in recent years.
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Simply having a business website isn’t enough these days. It’s important that your site is easy to navigate, interesting and eye-catching, and consistently usable no matter what device or browser it’s being viewed on.
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Do you know what network your home or business utilizes? If not, find out by checking out 7 different types of commonly utilized networks in the list below.
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With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, keep your eyes peeled for any suspicious internet content related to love, dating, and romance.
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Simply put, XaaS is when a provider offers cloud computing services over the internet, as opposed to businesses purchasing, installing, and hosting these tools and products on-site.
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We’ve compiled a top ten list of our best performing social media posts over the course of 2018. Check them out and then follow us on social media.
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With less than 2 weeks left in 2018, it’s time to reflect on the year… From company buyouts to losses of some of technology’s greats, 2018 was a big year for some major headlines in tech…
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Here at Sierra Experts, we’re constantly surrounded by and involved in all things tech. It’s what we’re built on! So, with that in mind, we decided to ask our team: If you could have any tech gift this Christmas, what would it be? And here’s what they said… Trent DevOps Lead Logitech K800 Illuminated […]
Read More »![2018 Holiday Tech Deals [So Far]](https://www.sierraexperts.com/documents/2018/11/tech-deals-blog-graphic.png)
This week is Thanksgiving, and in a flash it will be the biggest shopping weekend of the year… That’s why we put together a list of some pretty cool tech deals from our partners, as well as other larger retailers, that you can take advantage of this week.
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Microsoft offers various Office 365 plans for businesses and enterprises of all sizes… to enlighten you, we’ve gathered a short list of 5 useful Office 365 applications you might not have been aware of but could really be a game-changer for your business operations.
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…With the constant evolution of today’s technology-driven world, having a solid IT strategy in place is the only way to keep your manufacturing business competitive in today’s market…
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Whether you’re checking your work email or scrolling through your Twitter timeline, chances are you use the internet for large quantities of your day… you are probably so used to these everyday online tendencies that you may not even realize you could be putting you and/or your company at risk…
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We can’t stress enough how important it is to keep up with updating, enhancing, and monitoring your business’ technologies… As a Managed Service Provider, Sierra Experts is here to make sure that your company doesn’t fall behind…
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Not sure what all the acronyms and complicated lingo that you see in the IT industry means? You’re not alone! We put together a list of 25 tech terms and phrases with simple definitions, use-case scenarios, and examples to get you acclimated. So, the next time your boss or tech-savvy friend throws out a term like “colocation” or “the […]
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Windows 10, the latest version of Windows, was released in July of 2015, but there are constant updates to make improvements, provide patches, and unveil new features. The newest version of Windows was meant to help integrate those loyal to older versions (7 and XP), while adding relevant and exciting features that align with what’s […]
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The city of Pittsburgh has undergone many transformations throughout its history. From being a steel industry titan to becoming a cultural center for food and the arts, Pittsburgh has always managed to successfully reinvent itself by remaining relevant in modern culture. Now, it seems another transformation has already begun. Over the last few years, Pittsburgh […]
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It’s Friday the 13th and most people think of today as a day full of silly superstitions, but for computer users in the 1980’s and 90’s, Friday the 13th was a day to truly be afraid. The Beast Itself In 1987, a virus called “Friday the 13th” (aka Jerusalem) was created to activate and reactivate […]
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July has arrived and you know what that means… so has the heat. While you’re pulling out the fans and air conditioners, it’s important to note that you’re not alone in needing to stay cool this summer. Your data is also prone to feeling the adverse effects of extreme heat. Now you may be asking, […]
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The role of Project Manager is vital to the ongoing success of any business or organization, and at Sierra Experts this is no exception. From handling customer inquiries to making sure new projects are being completed in an accurate and timely manner, the person in this role helps to keep the business running smoothly. Our […]
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Incident Management is the process of thoroughly recording an event to quicken the problem-solving time in future instances of that event, ensure customer satisfaction, and to overall increase productivity. In most cases, such as ours, Incident Management is used in Information Technology environment to get, and keep, a handle on IT service management problems. However, […]
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Our design and development team here at Sierra are developing more and more WordPress websites for our clients. WordPress websites account for more than a quarter of all sites today. This CMS is free to install, deploy, and upgrade and has tons of flexibility for customization. However, quite possibly one of WordPress’ most popular features […]
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In our last blog, we talked about “the cloud” and jobs you can get with its growing popularity, but now we’re focusing on “virtualization.” Okay, so what’s the difference? Many people confuse virtualization with cloud computing. Although these technologies overlap and have some similar benefits, the main difference is that virtualization is software that manipulates […]
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Forbes posted an article detailing that cloud computing is projected to increase from $67B in 2015 to $162B in 2020. With an increase in sales and revenue comes an increasing need for qualified professionals to take on the task of designing, managing, developing, testing, and selling these new virtualization platforms. Below are 5 examples of […]
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When it comes to data backup and disaster recovery (BDR), being prepared for potential disasters is key to keeping your business running. It’s not only important to have a disaster recovery solution you trust, but to make sure you test it beforehand to stay one step ahead. Prior to the disaster occurring (and unfortunately, […]
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A sales team is the eyes, ears, and voice of any company. You can have an amazing product or service, but without a team to successfully pitch it, it will likely fail. Here at Sierra, our sales team is an integral part of our company. IT-related products and services can be confusing, and that’s why […]
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You’ve heard the cliché New Year’s resolutions: hit the gym, cut out sugar, stop smoking, save money, and so on. They’re all great resolutions – if you can stick to them. In 2018, you may want to consider straying from the resolution norm and instead vowing to focus more on your personal and business technology. […]
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As defined by WhatIs.com, “In personal or business computing, a user group is a set of people who have similar interests, goals, or concerns. The members have regular meetings where they can share their ideas.” Most user groups are based around discussing certain technologies such as a specific software, application, or corporation. Typically, these user groups […]
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Today, more than 30% of American adults have a bachelor’s degree. With the number of people finishing college on the rise, the amount of debt from paying college tuition is rising as well. But did you know you can get a IT job without a degree? What if I told you the spending 4+ years […]
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The term “Veteran” means a person who served in the active military, naval, or air service, and who was discharged or released therefrom under conditions other than dishonorable. That doesn’t come anywhere close to explaining it does it? A veteran is a person that one point in their life chose to write a blank check payable […]
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Server infrastructure, virtualization, and colocation can all seem like pretty intimidating words if you’ve never heard them before. These are just a few types of IT services that we offer here at Sierra. We provide various managed services across the board, and we hire people like Stephen Kaechele to ensure that all our customer’s needs […]
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Recently, a researcher at the University of Leuven, Mathy Vanhoef, discovered vulnerabilities with WPA2 (Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 – the most widely used Wi-Fi protocol). These vulnerabilities, according to Vanhoef, give attackers access to sensitive information (passwords, messages, photos, etc.), as well as the capability to inject malicious data into your devices. These attackers start […]
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In a world where media can be seen on every street corner, in every city, worldwide, it poses the question: Am I utilizing the best option to store and manage my video assets? Whether you manage video content for a large array of security cameras or your law firm is acquiring large amounts of evidential […]
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Sierra Experts is proud of our software development team. We hire talented and driven developers, like this month’s featured employee, David Thiry. David is one of our best software developers, and has been with the team at Sierra for more than three years. Before David joined the Sierra team, he attended Pittsburgh Technical College (formerly […]
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In a recent case, Facebook researchers had to shut down an Artificial Intelligence (AI) system as the AI “agents” began speaking another language that they created. To humans, this language could be interpreted as gibberish, but to the agents it’s a more efficient mode of communication. The AI agents, that have limitless cognitive abilities, created […]
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At Sierra Experts, we’re proud that our sales team works hard to find the best possible solutions to solve our customers’ problems and optimize their IT performance. This month in our employee spotlight, we’re featuring Kelsey Lucas, an Account Executive who always puts the customer first. To explain how Kelsey started in sales, we need […]
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In a company with complicated systems in place, sometimes a fresh perspective makes all the difference. At Sierra, we’re excited for the opportunity to help teach young professionals, and we learn a lot from their new perspective. In this month’s employee spotlight, we’re featuring one of our younger team members, Miles McLaughlin, Server and Network […]
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Traditionally, Thanksgiving is a day to relax, eat too much turkey, and spend time with family. Technology might be the furthest thing from your mind on Thanksgiving, but chances are that you’re relying on it anyway. Before you gather around the table to give thanks, let’s take a minute to appreciate the technology that helped […]
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Two-factor isn’t new, and it definitely isn’t going away anytime soon. Two-factor authentication (2FA), also called multi-factor authentication, has seen a rise in adoption as cybercrime also increases. Social media platforms have even joined the party, like LinkedIn and Twitter. Anyone who’s used 2FA knows that it’s supposed to keep your data secure, but how […]
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Happy Halloween from the Sierra Experts team! For anyone working in IT, there are things that are scarier than ghosts and ghouls, like malware. 2016 has been a busy year for cybercrime, so picking the worst threats is not an easy task. Below, we’ve rounded up the spookiest malware this year. Mirai The Internet of […]
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In the age of the cloud, it’s become easy to find software to solve any problem. Further, it’s generally really easy to setup and begin using cloud applications without any help. Making this type of decision without discussing it with your company’s IT department can be a grave mistake, though. In the industry, this is […]
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Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is changing the way businesses handle communication everywhere. Along with saving tons on your phone bill, VoIP gives you access to features unheard of with traditional phone lines. Businesses already using VoIP for communications are probably well-aware of the numerous practical benefits, but what about some of the more creative […]
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Sierra has been proud to be named one of the Best Places to Work in PA every year since inception. One of the biggest reasons that Sierra is a great place to work, is our outstanding team. We’ve been very lucky to have multi-talented team members like this month’s featured employee, Michael Chernay, Server and […]
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There is a lot of advice floating around the internet about picking passwords. A quick search will yield thousands of articles about the dangerous prominence of weak passwords. Most websites have password requirements before setting up an account. Generally, it’s become well known that it’s important to pick a strong password. There seems to be […]
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In information technology, everything revolves around uptime. Uptime is the percentage of time that systems run without interruption. High availability (HA, meaning all services are available), is essential for the majority of businesses’ core functions. This study by Emerson Network Power and Ponemon Institute suggests that the average cost of a single minute of data […]
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By now, everyone knows not to click suspect emails, and use passwords like ‘12345’ right? Actually, ‘12345’ is still the most commonly used password, followed directly by ‘password’. Malware prevention efforts seem to be lacking despite the risks, on a large scale. Training is only one, albeit important, part of malware prevention. Prevent Instead of […]
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For those systems administrators who love the familiarity of the Windows Graphical User Interface (GUI), we’re sorry. Folks have been predicting the end of the Windows GUI since 2011, but now it seems that Microsoft has taken the steps to make it happen, slowly. The Windows GUI has been around since 1985, which was at […]
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How does a company get brand recognition, produce sales materials that convert, and craft marketing assets that engage an audience? It definitely helps to have a great graphic designer on your team. At Sierra Experts, we’re lucky to have some of the best. This month in our employee spotlight, we’re featuring Noelle Snebold, Creative Designer […]
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It’s incredible to imagine how many security exploits are avoidable just by patching systems. According to Verizon’s 2016 Data Breach Investigations Report, 85% of successful exploits stem from the top 10 Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE’s) only. Those are known vulnerabilities with a patch readily available. Patch management is extremely important to avoid security breaches, […]
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There’s a special mix of skills that make up a successful inside sales representative. They must be driven, personable, and possess the logic and intellect to find the right solution to any problem quickly. In this month’s employee spotlight, one of Sierra’s most successful inside sales representatives, Louis Kuntz, is being featured. Louis notes that […]
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What are you doing to make sure that your network is secure? How do you know that it’s enough? New strains of malware are popping up constantly. The headlines are only getting worse, and organizations that exploit networks are cashing in. Ransomware, malvertising, malware as a service – with all of the threats that are […]
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Pokémon Go Security Risks Everyone is talking about Pokémon Go, the game that caused Nintendo’s value to increase by $23 billion in less than a month. Players are spending more time per day playing the game than some of the most popular apps, like Twitter and Google Maps. Companies stand to benefit from the massive marketing […]
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If you ask a business owner what the most important aspect of their business is, you might get a plethora of answers. At the root of any answer you get will be the most obvious and important part of business: customers. How you keep customers happy defines your business. In this month’s employee spotlight, we […]
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We see it all the time – companies procrastinating when it comes to buying new technology. Who can blame them? It’s always a tough choice when new options are springing up constantly and pricing changes just as frequently. On top of that, the shelf life for new tech is not staggeringly long. On average, it’s […]
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Business Development at Sierra w/o Wires combines a passion for new technology and a strong desire to help customers solve the tough problems. This month in our employee spotlight, we would like to feature someone who exemplifies those qualities, Chad Koehler, Sierra’s Business Development Manager. Chad grew up in sunny Florida, where he acquired his […]
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At Sierra, custom software development is one of our core services. Our software engineering team loves a challenge, so they’re usually handling complex projects. We’re proud of the team, and this month in our Employee Spotlight, we’d like to honor Chris Chappel, Senior Application Engineer at Sierra w/o Wires. Before he joined the Sierra team, […]
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Let’s face the facts – while technology provides a measurable benefit to business of all sizes, it can be difficult for small business to know how much to budget, and where to invest in technology. With great benefit comes great responsibility, as well. Technology related security has become as important as a business’ physical security. […]
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Pittsburgh’s history is as rich and diverse as the landscape surrounding it. Pittsburgh has been aptly nicknamed the City of Bridges and Three Rivers as a tribute to the terrain the city grew around. It’s also been called Iron City, and later Steel City, for the industry that made it a powerhouse. This year, as […]
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Introducing xBert! One of our engineers was cleaning out old IT equipment to be recycled when he came across an old 128k memory chip from our CEO’s Tandy 1000. After some soldering, some twinax cables, a little bit of CPU grease to include our logo and some hot gluing capacitors together the end result was […]
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Cyber Security is always a treat waiting around the corner, and Sierra wants you to be aware of the risks your business could face. Educating the public about the threats that could be imposed should a cyber incident occur is a must. With the world being as connected as it is today, we need to […]
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Bet you don’t know who declared Thanksgiving to be celebrated on the fourth Thursday of every November. Hint: It’s the same person to serve as the first President of the United States… and no, it is not George Washington as many believe! The United States declared its independence in 1776, yet Washington did not take […]
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This week, November 2nd- 7th, is recognized for the second year as National Veterans Small Business Week. It is conducted by the U.S. Small Business Administration, where they host events across the country, to celebrate and support current and future veteran owned businesses. Small businesses are crucial to our nation’s economy. In the US, there […]
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Are you a true nerd at heart, where technology just seems to always be surrounding you? Halloween is the perfect chance to go all out and blow those boring costumes out of the water with your super cool tech costume. Here is our top five list of tech costume ideas for 2015: 1. Mario and Luigi: […]
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With Adobe releasing their monthly security patches including Flash Player, they confirmed a major security vulnerability that impacts all versions of Flash for Windows/Mac/Linux. Yes…ALL versions. The security vulnerability has been used by a limited amount of hackers that are crashing computers or taking full control of them. “A critical vulnerability (CVE-2015-7645) has been identified […]
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Today is October 21, 2015. This is the same date on which a time traveling Marty McFly arrived in the future within the 1985 film Back to the Future. In case you are too young to remember the 80’s, here’s an IMDB link: http://imdb.to/1HwWIs4 In the film, Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) travels back in […]
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Chances are your work environment will have scheduled maintenance done within. No need to panic, you can easily be prepared and keep your businesses valuable data safe and save yourself a lot of headaches. It is key to not only let everyone in the office know of the scheduled down time, but also you’re MSP […]
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Become an expert at identifying spam in your inbox. We all know to delete the standard **Free 60’ TV!!** in the subject line, however there are times when SPAM isn’t written in black and white. Spam emails have become very challenging to read, because it seems like it is coming from a legitimate source. There are […]
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In today’s technology driven world, every successful business has a website, but is their website successful? When it comes to a website there are three questions to ask yourself: Is my website appealing to my customers? Is my website’s data safe and secure? Is my website device agnostic? You can’t just slap your logo into […]
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Whether it be a website or logo, a t shirt or a pen, a table top sign or a banner, our Creative Services Lead, Megan McGregor, is the girl for the job. Megan has been Sierra’s in-house graphic designer for over 3 years now. She received her BFA in Graphic Design and a Minor in […]
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We all know it has been and stormy and wet summer here in Pittsburgh. We never know if we will have to shut down our plans to be outside for the day due to severe weather, should your business fear the same? Let’s take a look at the forecast: we see mass amounts of rain […]
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This month we put the spotlight on a member of our sales team, Andy Boggess. Andy has been working at Sierra for a little over 2 months and is our business Development Manager. He attended Gannon University and earned a Bachelor’s Degree of Science in Marketing. Andy’s interests inside of work consist of working closely […]
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Do you know what industries the Sierra companies serve? We can guarantee there are about 25 you never would image that are taking place in businesses all around you. Have you ever stayed at a hotel and connected to their Wi-Fi, or get an awesome new hairstyle? We were probably behind the scenes. Ever known […]
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This month we are putting the spotlight on our Director of Sales, Ryan Flynn. Ryan has been with Sierra for 2 years, but has been working in the IT industry for over 15 years. Before coming to Sierra, Ryan worked in programming and system management. He also ran a staff of 15 employees that oversaw 450+ servers. To […]
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Here at Sierra w/o Wires, we take pride in getting to know our employees, we’re like a family here! This month we wanted to put the spotlight on one team member, Justin Marks. Justin has been with the SWOW family for 2 months working as a Server Operations Engineer. Justin has an associate’s degree in […]
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Why do we drop a ball on New Year’s Eve at midnight? The tradition began because American’s wanted a way to light up the city of New York without the threat of fireworks endangering the city goers below. The Ball Countdown and Dropping at midnight is most famously known to take place at Times Square […]
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Email marketing is sending an email to a group of potential or current customers that advertises service offerings, requests business, solicits sales or donations, or just offers a news update. Sending email campaigns can help to build loyalty, trust, and brand awareness. Some of the benefits of email marketing are: 1. It’s marketing with a […]
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Remote IT support allows a technician to diagnose a problem, troubleshoot possible solutions, and verify an implemented solution has resolved the issue, all via the internet through desktop sharing. Below we’ve outlined the three key benefits that having a remote IT support team will provide for your business. Three key benefits of remote IT support […]
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I’m sure you all have heard now about & the ‘Heartbleed’ security bug, however, many of you might not know what it means or what it is. The Heartbleed security bug makes individuals all across the web cheap nfl jerseys vulnerable to having Full their passwords, credit t?t card information, and other sensitive wholesale jerseys […]
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Since Microsoft wants to ensure that customers benefit from the best support and servicing experience and to coordinate and simplify servicing across both Windows Server 2012 wholesale mlb jerseys R2, Windows 8.1 RT and Windows 8.1, cheap nfl jerseys this cheap nba jerseys update will be considered a cheap nba jerseys new servicing/support baseline. What […]
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A great way to keep our Earth clean is to recycle or even donate your technology. This can include CDs, cell phones, computers, inkjet cartridges, batteries, and more. By recycling or donating your electronics you can prevent lead, mercury, cadmium, and other toxic materials that are present in electronics to leak from landfills and then […]
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With Easter just passing can you think of a symbol that kids recognize during Easter? How about Easter Eggs? Easter Eggs aren’t just something children recognize or have fun with but programmers and developers have fun with them as well. Easter eggs however, have a different meaning to developers and programmers, they are unexpected hidden […]
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Incident Management: What Is…
May 23, 2018
Prevent Malware: Proactive vs.…
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The Death of Windows…
January 7, 2020
The Death of Windows 7
January 7, 2020
New Year, New IT – 5 Tech Trends We Are Watching This Year
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How Industry 4.0 Will Change the Manufacturing Industry
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November 18, 2019
Custom Software vs Off-The-Shelf – What is right for you?
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