For many of us, the rise of the remote workforce comes as no surprise. For years now, office workers have been abandoning their desks in favor of settings that are farther afield and allow them to work in a more comfortable, and often more productive, environment. And...
Portland IT Support Articles & Business Tech News
Cybersecurity, M365, Managed IT Services, AI, & Technology Trends for Portland Businesses
Cyber Security Best Practices for Employees
Employees are on the front lines of information security. The more that can be done to regularly educate yourself of the small things you can do can go a long way towards protecting your organization. Since it is the beginning of the year, many people are returning to...
Office365 streamlines management of software licenses
Manage People, not software licenses and keys You’ve probably had one or more of the following things happen in your business: You need to reinstall some software on a new computer, but you can’t find the media or serial numbers.An employee needs some software...
We are (mostly) exiting residential DSL business
Editor's note: This post is from 2016 and describes a service SpireTech no longer offers. Changes in the market and technology We have decided to (mostly) stop providing residential DSL services in the Centurylink service area. DSL internet has been a shrinking...
How to take notes on your Surface device
The Surface family of devices is known for its versatility, and nowhere is that more evident than in the many ways you can interact with your Surface. Whether it's through the keyboard, Surface Pen, or by voice, you can always connect with loved ones, friends, and...
10 low-cost ways to market your business
Too many small-business owners think marketing is like a trip to the dentist—something you just have to do every six months or so. When marketing is continuous and targeted, business gets easier. If prospects have a positive view of your products and reputation,...
Innovations you’ll be using next year
As 2015 draws to a close, it's time to take a look at some of the innovative tech primed to make a splash in the New Year. While some of these tech trends have already begun to garner attention, what will really launch them into the public consciousness is the way...
Thanks for a great year!
Editor's note: This post is from 2016 and describes a service SpireTech no longer offers. Wrapping up 2015 and our plans moving into 2016 2015 was a year of growth at SpireTech! I’d like to thank our employees and clients for making it all possible. As always,...
Business after the EMV liability shift
What is EMV chip card technology? Is it really more secure than magnetic stripe technology? Is compliance worth the cost of upgrading? It’s been over a month since the "EMV liability shift" went into effect in the U.S. on October 1, 2015, but many businesses still...
A new kind of smart car
With things like Bluetooth, sensors, cameras and even satellite radio becoming commonplace in today’s modern car, our vehicles are already ultra connected. But what if cars themselves were connected to each other? That’s the idea behind technology referred to as...
Encourage your kids to participate in the Hour of Code™
Computer science is a foundation for every student. Join us in encouraging your kids to try the Hour of Code. It's easy, free, and fun. My 12-yr old daughter tried an hour of Minecraft coding this weekend and enjoyed it. Sign up at hourofcode.com where...
SpireTech achieves Microsoft Cloud Service Provider 1-Tier status
SpireTech is excited to announce that we have been accepted into Microsoft's CSP (Cloud Service Provider) program at the direct, 1-Tier level. SpireTech clients can now enjoy unified billing, support, and management services for Office 365 and Azure products....
Safe Online Shopping For The Holiday Season
The holidays are just around the corner, and that means many of us will be making purchases online to avoid large crowds and busy mall traffic, especially during Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Sometimes it even saves to shop online. While online shopping has made our...
The state of the cloud: Adoption is rising
Survey: Cloud adoption climbs but strategy lags—even as forward-thinking companies recognize both will help them capitalize on upcoming market transitions. Cloud adoption is on the rise and bringing significant benefits, and IT architects are becoming more...
Ransomware: 5 Do’s And Don’ts
used with permission from Norton by Symantec By Kevin Haley, Director, Symantec Security Response I despise all forms of bullying. Perhaps the one I hate most of all is where the bully takes a personal item, snatching it from you, and refuses to give it back. It's...
What Is Spear Phishing?
Spear phishing isn’t what you do when you’re on vacation in Hawaii. It’s a targeted attack on your personal information. An updated version of the old trick “phishing,” where scam artists simply ask you for your password or other private information, spear phishing...
