The contest is a collaboration among New Horizons Learning Centers, Silverado Technologies, and Go Web Solutions, three technology services firms based in Tucson, Arizona. The purpose of the contest is to promote the latest technologies for business in a fun, exciting way that will get business owners to think of how technology can attract new business and help their existing business be more efficient. The winner of the contest will be drawn by Jack Camper, President of the Metropolitan Tucson Chamber of Commerce at noon on Wednesday, September 25th. There is a full schedule of activities planned that day, including several seminars by local experts that showcase the latest technologies by local experts. All seminars are open to the public. RSVP’s are being taken at www.tucsontechmakeover.com.

Silverado Technologies and New Horizons Computer Learning Center are bringing the Microsoft Across America Truck to Tucson at the Doubletree Hotel on Alvernon. This 40 foot truck will have all of Microsoft’s newest technologies on board. Come see these products and learn what they can do for you and your business. Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 features expanded communications services, advanced security, and simplified deployment. Exchange 2007 provides the foundation for unified communications, enhanced Outlook web access, high availability through standby continuous replication and more. Microsoft Windows Server 2008 delivers new value to organizations by ensuring all users, regardless of location, are able to get the full complement of services from the network. Windows Server 2008 also provides deep insight into the operating system and diagnostic capabilities to allow administrators to spend less time managing the network.

2007
Silverado Technologies was named as a finalist for the 2007 SASIE Awards

The SASIE Awards aims to raise the profile of the companies that create a better business environment and build a stronger economy in Southern Arizona. These companies are inspiring examples of what can be achieved while rising to the exciting challenges of running a business in this region.

11/06/06
Silverado Technologies Inc. Attains Gold Certified Partner Status in Microsoft Partner Program

Tucson, Arizona. Silverado Technologies today announced it has attained Gold Certified Partner status in the Microsoft Partner Program recognizing Silverado’s expertise and impact in the technology marketplace. As a Gold Certified Partner, Silverado has demonstrated expertise with Microsoft technologies and proven ability to meet customers’ needs.

“Customers are looking for partner companies that can bridge the gap between their business demands and technology capabilities,” said Allison Watson, vice president of the Worldwide Partner Sales and Marketing Group at Microsoft Corp. “They need to trust in a company that can act as an expert adviser for their long-term strategic technology plans. Microsoft Gold Certified Partners, which have certified expertise and direct training and support from Microsoft, can build a positive customer experience with our technologies. Today, Microsoft recognizes Silverado Technologies as a new Gold Certified Partner for demonstrating its expertise providing customer satisfaction using Microsoft products and technology.”

10/05/06
Join Us For Microsoft-Across-America

Tucson professionals can now benefit from a technology showcase previously offered only in larger metropolitan areas. Microsoft partners supporting the Tucson area are teaming up to coordinate a Microsoft-Across-America event, which includes a 42 foot truck filled with the latest technology for Small and Mid-size businesses, as well as smaller divisions of large enterprises. At this event, you can meet with local experts and experience practical, integrated software and hardware solutions in a hands-on, interactive environment.

5/19/06 Silverado awarded the "Information Worker Competency” by Microsoft

3/31/06
Silverado Technologies Announces New Remote Management Services to over 300 customers in the Tucson Area

Date – TUCSON, Ariz. – Silverado Technologies, a network integration and support firm based in Tucson, Ariz., today announced the availability of their Flexible Support Plan. More…

12/9/05
Silverado Technologies today was awarded full authorized dealer status for COVAD’s line of VOIP products and services.

This technology allows customers to reap additional benefits from their existing data networks. We think COVAD is the best in class solution’ for this segment” stated Gene Hechler, President of Silverado.

10/14/05 For Immediate Release: Silverado joins exclusive Microsoft group

(Tucson , AZ): Silverado Technologies, formerly Genger & Associates, has become one of only 400 companies nationwide to receive the "Small Business Specialist" certification from Microsoft. It’s a new program and part of Microsoft’s overall strategy to place more emphasis on the small and medium business segment.

You should’ve backed up

It’s critical, especially with storms coming
By Tiana Velez

ARIZONA DAILY STAR ARIZONA DAILY STAR
Published: 07.11.2005Imagine losing all your business’s customer information, product orders, sales receipts and accounting data in an instant.

Can you put a price on how much that data is worth to your business? How long could your company survive without it?

Data storage is but one component of a company’s computer network maintenance. Whether you choose to copy your files onto a removable hard drive, burn them onto CDs or save them to a separate server, information technology consultants agree that having a backup is critical for any business.

The monsoon is coming, bringing lightning strikes and power outages – both capable of causing permanent damage to your company’s computer system.

"This time of year, we get calls after every storm, and the unfortunate ones are those that were preventable," said Gene Hechler, president and owner of Genger & Associates in Tucson, which specializes in computer network technology.

When lightning struck Arizona Honda’s former building on South Alvernon Way a couple of years ago, the dealership was able to recover quickly since its most important data had recently been saved during a routine backup. Hechler and his team used the backup copy to restore the computer system.

"They (Genger) took me from panicking to calm in minimal time," said Debi Matte, the information technology administrator at Arizona Honda. Matte found the damaged equipment after the lightning storm.

Matte is responsible for maintaining the business’ 30-plus computer workstations, but contracts with Genger to build the network and handle repairs.

Hechler recommends for all his clients a battery backup device, known as an uninterruptible power source, or UPS, to protect against lightning and blackouts.

Resembling a large surge protector, the UPS is designed to absorb the impact of a lightning strike or, in case of a sudden outage, provide enough residual power to the computer so the user can safely shut it down.

Prices range from $39.99 for a basic home model up to $830 for a Smart-UPS design, which will send signals to the computer to save open documents before powering down. Most can be purchased at stores such as CompUSA, Target, Sam’s Club or through a firm such as Genger & Associates.

But Mother Nature isn’t the only culprit that can bring down a computer network. Equipment theft, viruses and user error all contribute to data loss.

When the primary server at the Tucson law firm Slosser, Hudgins, Struse & Freund PLC shut down two years ago, it almost caused a nightmare.

Computers aren’t immortal, and the failure of the firm’s primary server "was pretty much inevitable," said attorney Craig Wisnom. "It wasn’t that it (the data) was exposed. It was just that we couldn’t access it."

Slosser Hudgins, however, was able to use a backup copy of the firm’s data, which it later transferred to the new server.

Depending on the size and importance of the data you work with, your business’s data storage needs will likely differ.

Kim Pinaire, owner of Texas-based Engraft Inc., would like to see a shift away from using CDs as the primary method of data storage.

With CDs, "You never know what’s on them. They’re usually so poorly marked and they end up in a drawer. If the CD gets scratched, which they do, you’ve lost your data," she said, speaking from her home in Tucson, one of Engraft’s satellite offices.

Smaller businesses or home-based enterprises can likely get by using an external hard drive, such as a Zip drive, Pinaire said.

One thing IT experts agree on is, regardless of your backup schedule or method, is that it’s important to make a habit of storing data somewhere off-site, away from the place of business.

Theft of equipment or a catastrophic fire to your company’s building would make your daily backup routine useless if the saved information is lost as well. If a copy is kept off-site, there’s still a chance your data is retrievable.

A number of companies can automatically store your data on a secure server, making the process more convenient for small-business owners, Pinaire said.

That means no more trips to the off-site location to drop off discs. And because the process is automated, you needn’t worry that you’ll miss an important backup.

Business owners know it’s good to back up their data, Pinaire added. "But if it’s time- consuming or complicated, they don’t do it. It’s like exercise and eating healthy. You know it’s good for you, but if it’s not convenient, you’ll find yourself eating fast food and you’ve skipped your workout."

Small firms also need to maintain security

Recent attention on computer technology has focused on the security threats consumers potentially face while surfing the Internet and on security problems at large firms.

Hackers and data thieves, however, don’t limit themselves to individuals and large companies.

Small and midsize businesses are also prime targets, and the threats don’t always reside outside the business. When a breach occurs, the consequences can mean more than financial loss.

Three weeks ago, the local office of the Atlanta firm CardSystems Solutions Inc. made national headlines when its software was hacked into, compromising the account information of 40 million credit-card holders.

Later, CardSystems announced it would update its security software.

Generally in the United States, security breaches such as those suffered by CardSystems are on the decline, according to a 2004 survey by the San Francisco FBI office and the Computer Security Institute of San Jose, Calif.

But the authors of the survey add this caveat: While the numbers appear low, it’s probably because businesses aren’t reporting security breaches for fear of negative publicity or concern that competitors will use such news to harm their businesses.

Topping the list of intrusions were viruses, which cost those surveyed more than $55 million in lost time and data. Also making the list of security violations were theft of proprietary information, abuse of wireless networks, insider Internet abuse, laptop theft and Web site defacement.

IT experts staunchly support anti-virus software and firewalls as basic protection.

If your information is stolen, "chances are your business is going to have a difficult time recovering from that," said Sean Mackey, owner of ITS Networks LLC in Tucson.

To help prevent virus attacks or security breaches, Mackey suggested training employees on how to deal with potential security violations. Some topics to consider: what to do in case you receive a suspicious e-mail, how to handle computer files coming from outside the business, and the status of the firewall you employ.

Kim Pinaire of Engraft Inc., which has a satellite office in Tucson, also recommends using combination passwords instead of actual words and numbers – A45u2h3, for example, instead of computer11.

The rule is, "If it’s in the dictionary, don’t use it," she said.

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