Spokane tech firm SafeDesk Solutions moves into Sirti center

Spokane-based technology firm SafeDesk Solutions has moved into the downtown Sirti Technology Center. The five-person company, formerly at the Liberty Lake Internet Exchange building, develops business and education computer products based on Linux technology.

The move will help SafeDesk Solutions grow its product offerings and accelerate sales to a variety of customers, said Phil Autry, SafeDesk’s president. The company’s key customers are school districts, but that group is being expanded to government, health care and medium to small businesses, said Autry.

SafeDesk has relocated to the technology center, at 120 N. Pine, since it’s already developed a strong relationship with Sirti, said Autry. “We’ve been involved with them working on financing questions and nailing down business planning, as well as providing support for marketing and product development,” said Autry.

Sirti, a state-funded nonprofit agency, provides commercialization and product development assistance for start-up area firms. It also has several area tech companies that are tenants in its own building on the Riverpoint higher education campus.

SafeDesk Solutions develops and sells computer systems that use Linux-based thin-client services. Thin-client computers are less expensive than typical networked systems because they can use a low-end simple PC to connect to servers that provides a full array of desktop programs.

Autry said SafeDesk is leasing about 1,200 square feet inside the technology center, which Sirti built last year with a grant from the federal Economic Development Administration.

The move makes SafeDesk the fifth client in the Sirti Technology Center. The other four are Connect Northwest, the Institute for Systems Medicine, Pondera Engineers and Lumify.