If you have been on the internet recently you have probably heard about NFTs and how they are selling for crazy amounts of money. These NFTs offer a blockchain-created certificate of authenticity for
If you have been on the internet recently you have probably heard about NFTs and how they are selling for crazy amounts of money. These NFTs offer a blockchain-created certificate of authenticity for
Something is happening in Australia that might seem hard to believe. They are fighting with Big Tech and it has interesting consequences. Let’s look at what has been going on and what it
It has been almost a year of virtual meetings. While some have been enjoying the casual attire and comfort of their living room, others have encountered some new challenges while working from home.
MeWe is currently the No.1 downloaded social app and the No. 3 overall downloaded app in the Google Play Store. This new social media site added 2.5 million new users in just the
It’s a new year. The new calendar creates a fresh start for a lot of people both personally and in their businesses. In 2020 we spent more time online than any year before!
An advisory was published by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency on Sunday that stated hackers had penetrated a US Federal Agency. The method of hacking used was a new and unique form
Taking over may be an exaggeration, but there will be more robots around the Burgh. Autonomous delivery robots have been legalized and classified as pedestrians in PA. These little guys can weigh up
We have all been using video chat this year more than ever before. Here are some of the updates Microsoft Teams has made to improve your virtual meetings. Large Gallery View You will
Regardless of your industry, social media is no longer an optional part of your marketing strategy. In the U.S., people spend an average of 2 hours on social media every day. That number
Don’t get us wrong, we love technology. We use it every day! The amazing advancements that have been made over the last decade have changed the way we live. However, over the last
94% of cyber-threats start with an email. It is important that everyone in your company is aware of the signs of phishing. Here are 10 warning signs that the email you received may
Cyberattacks are increasing every year. Your organization’s cyber safety requires a proactive approach. You would not wait until someone walks into your house and steals something to decide to put a lock on
Microsoft has extended its support of Windows 10, version 1803 for 6 more months. To help ease the pressure on IT staff impacted by COVID-19, Microsoft has pushed back the end of service
What is the “Apple Tax”? In case you weren’t aware, Apple automatically takes a 30% cut of app revenue for all purchases. This "Apple Tax" has added up to nearly $275 billion in
Your business needs help! Maybe you are growing and can no longer handle your IT needs internally. You currently use a Managed Service Provider (MSP) but don’t feel like it is the right
What is TikTok? TikTok is a social media platform that started off as a “lip-syncing” app. It has grown to be one of the most popular social media platforms (especially with teenagers) with
These last few months have been crazy for all of us. We are fortunate to be able to continue to grow and serve our customers through this difficult time. Sierra Experts is proud
Disasters come in a variety of shapes and sizes. What’s important is that you have a plan in place prior to them occurring. 46% of users experience data loss every year! This is
As more of our life becomes digital it is no surprise that the need for digital forensics increases exponentially every year. However, IT forensics can still be a confusing topic for some. If
You can’t avoid it any longer, you realized that a portion of your advertising dollars need to go to digital ads. Google is so ingrained in our daily routines that it has become
It can be hard to sort through all of the headlines these days about COVID-19. As the full impact of it continues to unfold, we want to focus on some ways that the
Over 4.7 million people in the U.S. work remote full time. Whether you are permanently working remote or just temporarily working from home, we have compiled some tech tips to help make your
Amongst the spread of COVID-19 many companies are preparing for their employees to work from home. However, if you do not have the proper remote set up, it could cause a serious disruption
Your email is probably open all day at work. You might even be using it during the hours you aren’t at the office. Email is where much of our business takes place now.
We are excited to have so many announcements in February we decided they need their own blog. First off, we have expanded the sales team! Michael and Mark will be working with customers
It seems like every week we hear of another data breach or leak. Some notable past occurrences have been; Marriot exposed information of 383 million guests. 540 million records were exposed from Facebook
There are a lot of benefits to outsourcing your IT support. Increase quality and expertise, reduced financial costs, improve efficiency and more. Here are some indicators that you should explore an outsourced IT
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,
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
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
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
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
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
What is happening with Domino’s? The Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal from Domino’s Pizza after a federal court ruled a blind person can sue under the ADA after he couldn’t fully
Join the Pittsburgh Office 365 User Group The Microsoft Office 365’s suite of technologies is constantly expanding and evolving. That is why we believe it is important to devote time to continue our
We, as marketers, get all sorts of responses when we begin discussing the absolute need for the investment (time and money) in digital marketing. Of course, we understand the confusion around topics like:
As one of our trusted partners in the content marketing business, we asked Scott Rogerson, CEO of UpContent, to answer a couple of questions regarding his interaction with IT employees and Marketing. As
If you're involved in the day-to-day operations of running a business, you’ve heard the buzzword, “ransomware.” You may be fully educated on the subject or maybe you’ve just heard the term thrown around,
If you're a business owner - or in charge of tracking the effectiveness of a substantial marketing budget - I invite you to read on... Are you always lost in a mess of
According to a recent article from Tripwire, 93% of U.S. adults expressed concerns related to summer traveling and vacations. However, only FOUR PERCENT, claimed they had worries about their cybersecurity and/or devices being
In charge of prospecting and generating leads? Well, this is an attempt to get your wheels spinning in a new direction. Hopefully, you’ll come out a little more open-minded with a new go-to
After generations of technological advancements, 5G wireless technology is here. Its predecessor, 4G was introduced between 2009 and 2010, but a lot has changed since then. To give you an idea, a study
If you’ve been paying attention over the past month, you’re probably already aware that Microsoft announced the official end date of extended support for the Windows 7 operating system:January 14th, 2020If not, this
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. In the past, we’ve hired interns to assist our
Easter is right around the corner, so that means lots of chocolate, bunnies, and Easter eggs! However, the term “Easter egg” has a different meaning in the tech world. When browsing the internet,
In 2019, it’s no longer the time of putting pen to paper to solve problems. Sure, sketching and note taking can be effective, but the end result is almost always digital. Plus, your
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.
Technology made a huge breakthrough in 1936 when the first computer was invented. However, it wasn’t until years later in 1969 that the first-ever computer-to-computer link was established. This development was what ultimately
Whether you’re in a relationship or 100% single, you’re at risk of being targeted by a scammer this upcoming holiday. In fact, according to ScamWatch.gov, nearly $25 million was lost from “dating and romance”
With less than 2 weeks left in 2018, it’s time to reflect on the year. What was good? What was bad? And what was downright ugly? From company buyouts to losses of some
This week is Thanksgiving, and in a flash it will be the biggest shopping weekend of the year. With technology becoming more and more prominent in our society, family and friends will likely
Microsoft offers various Office 365 plans for businesses and enterprises of all sizes, so you can increase productivity and collaboration within your organization. Whether you’re a small 20-person startup or a large corporation with thousands
Why You Need an IT Strategy According to an article from The Balance, “Manufacturing is an essential component of gross domestic product. In 2016, it was $2.25 trillion. That drove 11.7% of U.S. economic output. Manufactured goods
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. Most of us spend our entire work day on
We can’t stress enough how important it is to keep up with updating, enhancing, and monitoring your business’ technologies. We also know that implementing an IT strategy and new tech can sometimes be
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
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
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.
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?
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
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,
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
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
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
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.
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,
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
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’
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
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
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
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
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
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,
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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,
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
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
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.
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
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
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.
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
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
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 R2, Windows 8.1 RT and Windows 8.1,
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