June Employee Spotlight: Andy Boggess

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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 with industries like manufacturing and technology. His hobbies consist of golf, ice hockey, playing with his pit-bull boxer Marley and training his 3 year old son to be a future champion.

Outside of work, Andy works with a local based non-profit organization called Pitcairn Camp B. Pitcairn has been around since 1948 and takes 150+ kids to the Laurel Mountains each summer. They take kids ages 7 to 16 to experience the fun of camping, developing teamwork skills, and keeping physically active.

Everyone has a dream job when they are a little kid, Andy’s wasn’t quite in the technology industry. He wanted to be a chef. When we asked Andy why he wanted to be that he responded: “I wanted to be a chef. As a young child, I was quite chubby and liked to eat. What better job to have as a chubby kid?” We feel you Andy, food is awesome and getting to be around it every day would be even better!

Think technology isn’t found in the food industry? Think again! According to Forbes “Food and beverage industry executives see technology as the greatest driver of future growth”. Here at Sierra, we couldn’t agree more.

With social platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, marketing is becoming a very cheap way to reach a lot of people. How many times a day do we see friends on social media posting pictures of their plates? If you didn’t tweet it, you didn’t eat it! Mobile and online ordering is also becoming a huge success factor for the fast food industry. No longer do we have to make a phone call to get a pizza delivered. Just pull up an app, put in your order and location and you have your food. Digital signage is seen everywhere, but have you ever noticed how often fast food restaurants and beverage companies take advantage of this display technique. It’s everywhere! Take a look at times square, we bet you can stand there for 10 seconds and see at least 3.

Sierra w/o Wires and our sister company Sierra Media Services, have the ability and skills to help your food business grow with the rapid changes in technology. At Sierra, we offer managed services, website and custom application development. Your website might work on a desktop, but is it device agnostic and work on a smart phone or tablet? We can make it happen, all while monitor and manage it at the same time! Also, out sister company Sierra Media Services can provide you with all of your digital signage needs.

Think Sierra can work for your food business? Contact us today at 412.722.0707 or visit our websites at www.SierraExperts.com www.SierraMedia.com

 


http://www.forbes.com/sites/daniellegould/2013/08/16/technology-will-drive-food-industry-growth-finds-kpmg-survey/
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Do you know what industries Sierra Serves?

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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 someone under a biometric house arrest or have seen police lights in your review view mirror (smile and slow down)... Yes, we will almost guarantee we were there too! Medicaid billing solutions… Have you ever known someone who has had a bone scan at the hospital, ever had eye exam or know of anyone that has had brain surgery? You guessed it, Sierra was there. Ever gone to school, or needed a lawyer …need we say more? … Instead of replacing industrial oil, hey we are behind the scenes filtering and reusing it! Ever wondered how tractor trailers are always so coordinated in destination management, or have you ever seen a cool robot cruising down a hall or carrying a pallet? Ever do something as daily as completing an electronic bank deposit or tried to figure out what happens to your old tires…football fields anyone? Have you visited a Halloween spook house or if you are from PA, you know where you buy wine…right? And ooohh the pretty flowers, it’s so great to see millions in one location! My back hurts – fixed with our help! Honey – did you remember to get the propane tank filled? Encourage your local blood drives – save lives! Ever buy a house? Like a good neighbor… Young Man keep your feet on the ground... and on top of all that Sierra has the most bandwidth in Pittsburgh going through our data center!

Think you have not worked with Sierra? We will bet you a free month of server management that you see us in your everyday life behind the scenes.

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.
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May Employee Spotlight: Ryan Flynn

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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 get to this point in his career, Ryan earned a degree in Finance from Indian University of Pennsylvania, and also a degree in Programming from the Pittsburgh Technical Institute.

Ryan is a very out-doors kind of person. His interests outside of work consist of boating, skiing, and snowboarding. He is a frequent skier at Pittsburgh’s closest mountain resort, 7 Springs. Ryan has a cousin that lives in Tahoe, so he tries to make it there once year to hit the slopes. His hobbies consist of the National Ski patrol, craft beer, and Pittsburgh sports… Now if you ask us, craft beer and sports definitely go hand in hand!

Like most people in the Pittsburgh area, Ryan has his favorite spot to grab a bite. He told us his favorite was Meat and Potatoes, located in the heart of the city. We asked Ryan why he liked it, his response made us laugh:  “Who doesn't love bone marrow? It’s basically meat butter.” Meat and Potatoes has an interesting menu that we think any ‘foodie’ from Pittsburgh would enjoy.

Helping businesses operate at ease is a trait we like to uphold here at Sierra. When we asked Ryan if he had any facts or tips about the industry he told us:

“We have seen a lot of growth in the hosting of infrastructure market. We look to continue to help company’s become device agnostic and help them focus on their business, not the business of IT.”

According to TechTarget, to become device agnostic means “…can apply to either hardware or software. In an IT context, agnosticism refers to anything that is designed to be compatible across most common systems.”

Ryan is right, most companies now look for this feature to apply to their business. Imagine designing a brand new, swanky website that took hours to create. You are satisfied with the outcome, but you forgot one major component…is it compatible with other devices? This is commonly overlooked and can cause a company to lose out on a lot of sales. When being device agnostic, a website needs to operate correctly whether it be on a smart phone, laptop or tablet. Since most research done now is on the go from a smart phone, having a mobile site is key for companies. If a potential customer visits your site from their phone, and they receive an error or can’t find what they are looking for in the first initial seconds, they may take their business elsewhere.


So now we challenge you to find out: is your company’s website device agnostic? What are you going to do to change it? We can give one suggestion, contact us today for a website evaluation!
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April Employee Spotlight: Justin Marks

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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 Information Technology and Network Administration from the Pittsburgh Technology Institute. On top of that, he also has a bachelor’s degree in Computer Information Systems from California University of Pennsylvania.

Justin has a wide range of interests and hobbies that tell a lot about his personality. When not working at Sierra, Justin likes to keep up on new technologies, progressive metal, political reform and PC gaming. If you don’t find him playing his bass guitar or kayaking, he’s’ probably is riding his motorcycle or volunteering!

We asked Justin what his favorite place he ever traveled to and he said:

“I went to Australia the summer before my high school senior year. It’s the furthest I’ve been away from home, and had a pretty awesome time. I got to bring home a didgeridoo that I learned to play, tried all kinds of good food, and slept in a heavy sleeping bag in the desert under the stars.”

Sounds like a great trip to us! Australia is an amazing place that not many people get to visit in their life time so we think Justin is a lucky guy!

Most business professionals have their own tips and tricks that they like to abide by. Here’s one from Justin that we think everyone can benefit from:

“Go to networking events, meet people, shake hands, and make connections. Make a LinkedIn profile, keep it up to date, and keep in touch. Knowing people ends up being more valuable than a degree.”

Networking can be a really powerful tool when used properly. “Networking is considered the most effective way of finding a job – particularly in challenging economic times. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 70% of all jobs are found through networking.” (Networking) Networking is a great opportunity to find jobs that haven’t even been posted yet. Employers are more comfortable hiring someone they have met prior to any interview processes because they know the persons personality, which is usually reflected in their work.  Like Justin said, keep in touch! Keeping in touch is a key success factor when it comes to networking. While you might not be looking for a job you will find many references that may come in hand in the future. If you’re going to a company sponsored event, a trade show, or even just the mall, have your business card… you never know who you are going to run in to! Who knew something so simple could be so effective? The Sierra team now challenges you to go out and network to see what untapped opportunities are in store!


"Networking." Networking. Yale University, Web. 27 Apr. 2015. `               <http://ocs.yale.edu/content/networking>.
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A little History for the Holiday: New Year's!

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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 in New York City.

The Ball Dropping was adapted from early times when Captains used time balls to adjust their chronometers/timepieces while out at sea so they could keep track of time more accurately. They would spot the harbors with their telescopes and watch for a time ball to drop, specifically one o’clock every afternoon. England’s Royal Observatory was the first harbor to install a time ball in 1829 followed by The US Naval Observatory in Washington, DC in 1845, along with many other towns and cities that adopted the origination.


It wasn’t until 1907 when fireworks were formally banned for New Year’s celebrations in New York City. The New York Times owner and chief electrician, Adolph Ochs and Walter Palmer, teamed up to find a new and safe way to light up the New York skyline and the first New Year’s Eve ball was officially born.

The ball weighed 700 pounds and was 5 feet in diameter, made of wood and iron with 100 25-watt light bulbs decorated around it. At Midnight on December 31st 1907 the first ball made its decent down a pole with pulleys, signaling the New Year. The original pole was actually the main mast from the battleship USS New Mexico, making the adaptation even more significant to the origins of the time balls.


The Ball has descended every year since 1907, with exception to the years of 1942 and 1943 when it was suspended during wartime. Even though the Ball Drop did not occur those two years, people still gathered in Times Square to celebrate. Instead of the ball dropping, the New Year was signaled by a minute of silence and chimes ringing from sound trucks parked at the New York Times Building, hence “Ringing in the New Year”.


Technological advances have changed the ball immensely since its origin in 1907. In 1920 the ball was redesigned and completely made of wrought iron to make it lighter in weight. In 1955 the iron ball was replaced by an aluminum one allowing an extremely lighter weight of 150 pounds. In the 1980s a lit green stem was added to the ball, made to look like an apple, to signify the “I Love New York” promotion and that lasted seven years. In the 1990s the ball was made over with rhinestones, strobes, and controlled with computer technology, making its last decent in 1998. In 2000 the ball was entirely redesigned by Waterford Crystal and Philips Lighting to create a special celebration for the new Millennium.






Since then, the latest technologies in lights and materials have been updated consistently so the ball continues to signal the New Year and dazzle people all over the world.


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A little History for the Holiday: Thanksgiving!

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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 office until 1789. There were actually eight Presidents before George Washington, but the very first was John Hanson. The new country was formed under The Articles of Confederation and Congress elected John Hanson as President in 1781.

Back then, the Presidents prior to George Washington only served one year terms, but in that short amount of time John Hanson accomplished many items of importance. Hanson ordered foreign troops off American soil, he also established the Great Seal of the United States, the first Treasury Department, the first Secretary of War, and the first Foreign Affairs Department. And lastly and most important to this holiday, he established the celebration of Thanksgiving to be held on the fourth Thursday of every November.

The first eight Presidents often go unheard of because they served under The Articles of Confederation, which was later replaced by the Constitution. George Washington was the first President to serve after the Constitution was written, which is why he is known to many as the first President of the United States.
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Celebrate Halloween With These Templates for Techies!

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Show your Sierra pride with a Sierra Swoosh pumpkin.
Click here to download the template.


All programmers know that a missing semicolon can wreak havoc in a program, and that the devil really is in the details.
Click here to download the template.


Why do computer programmers confuse Halloween with Christmas? Because Oct 31 = Dec 25.
Click here to download the template.


Celebrate Halloween like it’s 1998 with a vintage Microsoft Windows pumpkin.
Click here to download the template.


Now you can be the envy of all your IRL neighbors with this Minecraft pumpkin template, no hunting for an abandoned mine shaft chest required.
Click here to download the template.


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