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May Employee Spotlight: Gregory Crout

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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 are featuring Sierra’s Service Delivery Manager of over 5 years, Gregory Crout, the heart of Sierra’s customer satisfaction assurance.

Outside of work, Greg’s biggest passion is his family, and he enjoys spending time with his wife and two children. He also spends time reading about a variety of topics, like psychology, and technical nonfiction. Greg is a member of ISACA, an independent, nonprofit, global association engaging in the development, adoption, and use of globally accepted, industry-leading knowledge and practices for information systems.

Greg started his journey at Ohio University, where he attained his Bachelors of Science in Communication Systems Management.   Initially, he notes, he was interested in entering a career in the production of radio and television. When he started his course work, however, he found a deep interest in more technical work, and changed his major.

Before joining the team at Sierra, Greg worked at companies such as Progressive Insurance, Deloitte, The Kraft Heinz Company, BNY Mellon, and JPMorgan Chase, performing the roles of Telecommunications Operations Specialist, Systems Analyst, and Senior Auditor.

Greg brings a wide range of technical and business experience to his role at Sierra. He mentions that every day is different, and he spends a large portion of his time identifying possible customer concerns and quickly finding resolution. Essentially, he ensures that potential issues never come to fruition, to give our customers the best possible experience.

Speaking of Sierra’s company culture, Greg notes:


At Sierra, it’s not about what you love, but how you love it. Our team doesn’t just enjoy their work; they have a real passion and drive surrounding it. I enjoy working with a company like Sierra, because from my perspective, in the corporate world you just don’t see this kind of individual ownership.


We would say of Greg, that he fits the description of our culture extremely well. Greg believes in getting it right the first time, and his passion for the company mission is admirable.

If you’re a customer of Sierra, there’s a good chance that you’ll get to know Greg. We’re confident in his abilities to keep everything running smoothly, and we hope you’ll be happy you spoke to him.


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Sierra w/o Wires, Inc. is an IT Managed Service and Support provider, specializing in remote monitoring and remote management of computing systems, cloud/virtual systems hosting, VoIP/SIP PBX trunks and solutions, physical server hosting, software development and hardware and software reselling. For more, check out www.SierraExperts.com.

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March Employee Spotlight: Chad Koehler

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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 Bachelors in Criminology and Business. Growing up near a beach, he notes that he has always been a fan of the outdoors. In Pennsylvania, he says that he still enjoys the outdoors, but now his hobbies have shifted toward golf, softball, and cycling. He spends a lot of time on the Montour Trail when the weather is agreeable.

Family comes first for Chad, and he traded the beach for the mountains of Pennsylvania in 2009 after getting married. He speaks affectionately about his wife and son, noting that spending time with his son is his favorite pastime, and he enjoys coaching his T-Ball team.

At Sierra, Chad saw an opportunity to continue learning while engaging with professionals from varied backgrounds. Speaking of work, he says:

I’ve been in sales positions for about 10 years. I think what really drew me to the field is a love of meeting new people and solving problems. My experience with sales related positions have been centric to the customer experience. At Sierra, I retain that value while constantly building on my technical knowledge by being immersed in new technology first-hand.
Technology is a passion of mine. It’s always changing, and it never gets boring. It’s a great field to be involved in because there’s always something new to learn.

At Sierra, we’re glad to have passionate and driven team members like Chad. Technology is at the core of our services, but we never forget the value of the person.
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Sierra w/o Wires, Inc. is an IT Managed Service and Support provider, specializing in remote monitoring and remote management of computing systems, cloud/virtual systems hosting, VoIP/SIP PBX trunks and solutions, physical server hosting, software development and hardware and software reselling. For more, check out www.SierraExperts.com.

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Spring Cleaning: Time to Clear Out Old Technology

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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 recommended that companies use servers for 3-5 years before replacing them. That’s not a long time for such a large financial commitment!

So if that’s true, why not use your technology longer? 



Well, you might actually be losing money if you take that stance. This is why:
  • Vulnerability: Your old tech could be putting your data at risk. Over a long enough period of time, hackers will always find flaws and exploits to take advantage of. Once tech reaches its end of life, it’s even more at risk, since security updates are no longer provided. According to a study by IBM and Ponemon Institute, “2015 Cost of Data Breach Study: Global Analysis,” the average cost of a data breach in a company is $3.79 million. 
  • Performance: This doesn’t sound like a big deal, because it doesn’t directly cost anything, right? What about your staff’s time – is that free? Old technology runs slow and is expensive to fix. Studies suggest that it costs $780 per year to support one installation of Windows XP, compared to $168 per year for Windows 8. Supporting Windows Server 2003 could cost upwards of $200,000 per year. That’s a much bigger price tag than buying new tech.
  • Capabilities: Growth capacity is always important when running a successful business. When using old technologies, companies lack the ability to keep up with competitor efforts and scale appropriately. Plus, old technology can be incompatible with any new technology you choose to adopt. The last thing any business wants is to say no to a job because they aren’t able to handle it.  


Now that we’ve looked at how much money old technology costs, maybe this year for spring cleaning, it’s time to get rid of the waste.


Where should I start when buying new hardware or software?



  • Assess: Consider how old your current technology is. What operating system are you using? When did you buy your hardware? A full audit of your current situation will help you decide whether it’s time to buy, and what you’ll need. 
    • PCs and laptops should be used for 3-4 years, and definitely no more than 6 years.
    • Servers should be used for 3-5 years, and no longer than 7 years. 
    • Routers and switches should be used for 4-5 years, and no more than 10 years. 
    • Software is on a case-by-case basis. Check to make sure that you’re still getting security updates. Also, if there have been several newer versions, it’s probably time to switch. 

  • Shop: With technology, it’s always best to buy direct, or from a certified reseller. This is because they will generally be able to provide better buying advice, higher quality support, along with assistance integrating the solution with your current technology.


  • Dispose: This might sound like a given, but once you’ve decided on new hardware, you will need to think about what to do with the equipment you’re replacing. In many states, it’s illegal to just throw hardware away. It has to be properly disposed or recycled through approved vendors. Even looking past the legality of the matter, your important data is stored on that equipment, posing a security threat. 


If you’re looking for an IT asset disposition (ITAD) company, we recommend eLoop to help with the devices you’re retiring. They process working and non-working devices, and sanitize or destroy hard drives and electronic media. They provide value in refurbishing and reselling devices, and they are environmentally compliant.

Spring is right around the corner. Don’t forget to clear out your old technology with the rest of your spring cleaning.


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Sierra w/o Wires, Inc. is an IT Managed Service and Support provider, specializing in remote monitoring and remote management of computing systems, cloud/virtual systems hosting, VoIP/SIP PBX trunks and solutions, physical server hosting, software development and hardware and software reselling. For more, check out www.SierraExperts.com.

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February Employee Spotlight: Chris Chappel

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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, Chris studied computer programming at the Pittsburgh Technical Institute (PTI), and interned with the U.S. Department of the Interior, Office of Surface Mining. In his spare time, Chris travels often. He notes that this year he’s considering going to Orlando, Florida, to play a game called Ingress. It’s a GPS based mobile game that centers around travelling and capturing portals across the world.

Chris has been with Sierra for over 5 years, and he specializes in ASP.NET, VB.NET, C#.NET, SQL, and Javascript. He enjoys learning new things, and says that one of the most rewarding experiences an application engineer can have is to learn a new programming language. He recounts an experience he’s had: 

If there’s one really good way to learn a new language in practice, it’s by debugging. I can recall a project involving debugging an application that was written in Ruby. I didn’t have any experience with Ruby, but I love learning something new, so I offered to work on the project. It was a challenge, but worthwhile. By the time the project was complete, I felt really comfortable working with the language.

In his day-to-day work, Chris spends a lot of his time improving Sierra’s application based offerings, like Sierra Billing Manager and Sierra Incident Manager, along with meeting onsite with customers to discuss their needs. He says it’s fulfilling work, because what he does will directly affect the efficiency and convenience of customers. He mentions that because of the work he’s done with Sierra Billing Manager alone, he knows of companies that have saved enough money to hire new employees to grow their business.

If you’re considering custom software, or any of Sierra’s software, Chris is the guy to talk to, and we can’t think of anyone who’s more qualified.


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Sierra w/o Wires, Inc. is an IT Managed Service and Support provider, specializing in remote monitoring and remote management of computing systems, cloud/virtual systems hosting, VoIP/SIP PBX trunks and solutions, physical server hosting, software development and hardware and software reselling. For more, check out www.SierraExperts.com.
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5 Common Technology Issues for Small Business

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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. If hackers can find out your financial data and that of your customers, that’s almost as bad or worse than having your storefront robbed. 

So where do a lot of small businesses go wrong? 

1. No Firewall / Non-Enterprise Firewall: You wouldn’t leave your business’ door unlocked, so why leave your computers unprotected? Having a Non-Enterprise Firewall or worse - not having a firewall in place is like leaving the lights on and doors unlocked while your business is unmanned, for anyone to come in and take or destroy whatever they want to. A firewall controls incoming and outgoing traffic to keep malicious activity out of your network, and it’s absolutely essential for any business. 

2. No Offsite Backup and Recovery Plan: Your business’ technology may seem secure if you’ve done everything right, but data disasters can happen to anyone. Does your business have a plan to handle a server crashing, or the accidental deletion of needed data? It’s always a good idea to backup all vital data in case of an emergency, because it’s easier to prepare than to rebuild. It’s even better to have your data backed up offsite, in case of a fire, earthquake, or other local disaster. 

3. Integration Issues: So you’ve just implemented new software or hardware that will solve all of your business needs. Do you know if it works with your existing infrastructure? Problems with integration can lead to inefficiencies and waste. This can be avoided by planning ahead. Take a close look at what you’re already using, and ask the right questions before making a large purchase. 

4. Outdated Equipment: If your business’ operations don’t directly relate to technology, it’s easy to think you can get away with using old technology. Unfortunately, if you do, you’re probably not getting the best performance or reliability. Even worse, you’re leaving your company’s data at risk, once equipment reaches end of life. Once software updates cease, heightened security risks generally arise. 

5. Reactive Instead of Proactive Solving: It seems like a common theme, for small businesses to wait until something breaks to address a problem. I know I’ve mentioned this before, but it’s always easier to plan ahead than to rebuild. Think about the hours of waste that could happen if your entire operations have to halt for a technology breakdown. Wouldn’t it be easier to monitor predictively? 

Is your business making any of these common mistakes? It might be time to reconsider your plan, and research the best solutions. 


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January Employee Spotlight: Erica Raymond

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Often production is the focal point of a company’s operations. This is fair, because if a company were a person, production would be the heart, providing what is needed constantly to keep it alive. However, sales and marketing should be heavily considered also, as these roles serve as a company’s eyes, ears, and voice.  Those in sales play the important role of being a company’s ambassador, developing relationships, identifying needs and proposing solutions, along with generally representing the culture.

This month, the spotlight is on Erica Raymond, Inside Sales Representative at Sierra w/o Wires. Erica has been with the company for just under a year, and in that time has become an invaluable part of the team.

 Erica studied at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP), where she attained her Bachelor of Science in Marketing. During her time there, she became a member of one of the largest co-ed professional business fraternities, Phi Gamma Nu. She served as the chapter’s Historian, helping with everything from recruiting, to event planning and photography. She took part in several outreach programs, including Hoops for Haiti.

While at IUP, Erica was also a member of the Student Marketing Association. Erica ventured to New York City with the group, and gained valuable insight into event planning and management.
Erica has been in sales for 6 years, much of which has been in a position of leadership. Working at Sierra, Erica states that she has faced new and exciting challenges in the field. She actively seeks opportunities to learn about the diverse range of industries that the company interfaces with, through communications, research, and attending networking events.

At work or in her spare time, Erica enjoys meeting people of different backgrounds and hearing their story. She says that her favorite event to date was a networking event centered around women in IT, stating:

“There’s nothing more inspirational than to see women striving in a field where they are a minority. Women should be empowered to succeed in the STEM fields, and it’s great to see that become more and more prevalent.”

At first meeting, it’s notable how warm and genuinely nice Erica is. If you’re seeking a solution for managed services, telephony, development, hosting and more, without the pressure of a hard sale, Erica is the person to talk to.


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Sierra w/o Wires, Inc. is an IT Managed Service and Support provider, specializing in remote monitoring and remote management of computing systems, cloud/virtual systems hosting, VoIP/SIP PBX trunks and solutions, physical server hosting, software development and hardware and software reselling. For more, check out www.SierraExperts.com.

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Pittsburgh – A City of Many Names Turns 200

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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 Pittsburgh celebrates it bicentennial as a city, what future names will we call the ‘Burgh?

Originally, Pittsburgh was known as the Gateway to the West, as it served a vital role in early trade and travel along waterways. Pittsburgh connected the eastern cities to the Ohio and Mississippi Valleys, along with the Great Lakes region.

Later on, Pittsburgh dominated the steel industry, due to innovations by Andrew Carnegie. As the industry grew, Pittsburgh became the most efficient producer in the world. Steel remained centric to the region until around the 1980s. 

In more recent days, Pittsburgh transitioned from manufacturing to an economy driven by health services, finance, education, and innovative technologies. Work in computer-related fields alone has grown at twice the national average in Pittsburgh over the past several years. In fact, in 2015, Money Magazine ranked Pittsburgh the number one Best Place to Live in the Northeast, crediting the town for its explosive growth in the field of technology. At Sierra w/o Wires, we like to think being headquartered in Pittsburgh is the right choice.

This March, Pittsburgh will have officially been a city for 200 years. As the city comes together for a yearlong celebration, perhaps it’s time to rename it Cyburgh.

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Sierra w/o Wires, Inc. is an IT Managed Service and Support provider, specializing in remote monitoring and remote management of computing systems, cloud/virtual systems hosting, VoIP/SIP PBX trunks and solutions, physical server hosting, software development and hardware and software reselling. For more, check out www.SierraExperts.com.
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