Computer Service Now Blog

Alabama Computer Service

2009-06-30T13:11:00.006-04:00

Over 32 miles of white sandy beaches, beautiful parks and mountains, and some of the world's biggest golf resorts are just a few reasons the state of Alabama is quickly becoming an ideal spot for business, travel, and relocation. Americans are flocking to the "Heart of Dixie" to start businesses and take advantage of the state's overwhelming Southern hospitality. Whether you are setting up a new business in Alabama or maintaining one that has been around for decades, only one company can provide the best in quality when it comes to computer service: Computer Service Now.

With a large network of technicians, engineers, and installers, Computer Service Now can build, design, install, repair, and maintain computer hardware; fix problems with hardware and software; fix viruses, worms, and spam; interconnect computers and other network devices; install plasma TVs, elaborate sound systems, video walls, and camera security devices; provide extra manpower, and so much more. Because of our vast number of resources, there is no job too big or too small. Our services are available in all major cities in Alabama, including Birmingham, Mobile, Montgomery, Huntsville, and Tuscaloosa, as well as in smaller cities all over the state and anywhere in North America or Europe. No matter your location, all of your computer service needs can be taken care of through one point of contact.

If you are in Alabama, call 877-422-1907 or visit www.ComputerServiceNow.com to schedule your computer service. Or visit our website to get a fast quote on your Alabama computer service needs!

Computer Service Now - Nationwide Medical Computer Services

2009-06-26T10:22:00.004-04:00

For over 20 years, the staff at Computer Service Now have helped numerous healthcare and medical providers from all over the United States with all sorts of computer service needs. Computer Service Now can do everything from simple PC hardware problems with technicians being dispatched on an as needed basis to more cost efficient options such as the companies Block of Time program.

Computer Service Now is one of the oldest computer service providers that assists the medical community. Computer Service Now has an impressive track record of good service at affordable prices. The common sense approach to corporate technology solutions coupled with the low prices Computer Service Now offers through Microsoft Partner Programs and Dell Reseller have made for a good formula.

Every day certified Citrix and Microsoft Engineers work with medical customers on local client and network issues. Computer Service Now is dedicated to helping you. They will work together with your software provider to complete any project or solve any problem you may have. Computer Service Now can help you with anything like migration or a software upgrade. Computer Service Now also has technical support for software packages like Misys, Centricity PM, Logician, Centricity EMR and many others. With Microsoft Volume Licensing and software support to an authorized Dell reseller program, Computer Service Now is more than qualified to be your IT provider or all of your Medical Needs.

Computer Service Now has services set up all across the country. If you have a need for IT support and you want to get started with certified computer technician or just need a quote on one off the many services Computer Service Now offers, then visit www.computerservicenow.com today.

Chicago Computer Service

2009-06-25T16:04:00.003-04:00

Chicago, Illinois is one of the busiest cities in the US. With over 2.8 million people located in Chicago computerservicenow sees a lot of calls for on site computer service. With a 142 technicians located in and around Chicago, ComputerServiceNow.com will be able to have a technician diagnose and work on your problem in little to no time.

There are numerous resources available to our technicians that are not available to a lot of other companies. Computer Service Now does not rely on one sole technician to handle its need. We have the ability to assign you a technician that is trained to handle your jobs specific needs.

Chicago is full of businesses of all sizes and ComputerServiceNow.com is equipped to handle all of their needs. If you are in the Chicago area and need computer service, visit ComputerServiceNow.com or call 877-422-1907 or click here for a Chicago Computer Service Quote.

Technology in the Classroom

2009-06-23T09:58:00.006-04:00

Remember the days when our school lessons were taught to us using a piece of chalk and a chalk board? Well those days are long gone in today's classrooms as everybody is using the latest advancements in technology in our classrooms. One of the biggest changes in the classroom is the advancement from the traditional chalk and chalkboard to the dry erase markers and white boards. In my old high school we still had the good 'ol chalkboards in every room except for one, which was lucky enough to upgrade to the white board. But even in today's classroom the traditional white board is becoming obsolete, in large part due to recent technologies like the eBeam Edge.

eBeam Edge is an interactive technology that is used with a projector. With the use of the eBeam pen, you can write and do all sorts of different interactive things on your white board, essentially bringing the white board to life. All you need to use the eBeam Edge is a white board, computer, projector and the eBeam package. But, what makes the eBeam Edge better than the other interactive white boards on the market is that it is not restricted to just a white board. The eBeam Edge can be attached to nearly any flat surface, like a world map or a large picture, and can be used in the same way. The eBeam can be projected onto a surface size of 5ft by 9ft and only requires a single pen to operate. Practically all the software needed for the eBeam is included or is downloadable for free, minimizing the cost of using the product. The eBeam costs around $900 which is very cheap in the market of interactive white boards.

But interactive white boards are not the only things being used to make learning easier. Projectors are becoming a growing part of classroom learning as well. Many teachers today are using projectors in their classrooms to teach. Teachers are beginning to create PowerPoint lesson plans that include notes and everything they need to teach that day in which they then display on a screen by means of an overhead projector. Teachers also connect these projectors to the internet allowing them to quickly find information or helpful websites relevant to they lesson.

The internet has become one of the leading technologies in the classroom as well. More and more teachers are foregoing the traditional hand written homework for online homework through the use of different websites. Now all students have to do is log on to the website, find their homework and do it. The teachers have special access to the sites so they can grade it and some of the sites grade the work as you do it. But probably one of the biggest innovations in classroom learning is the use of computers themselves. Many schools these days have laptops that are used by students in the classrooms. This allows teachers and students to quickly share information, assignments, and notes with each other. Computers in the classroom are becoming easier with companies like Citrix and computerservicenow.com. Companies like these are able to help in the networking of all the computers to make it easier for students and teachers to interact via the internet and computers. Computer Service Now supplies onsite network engineers to help implement these technologies. Networking businesses like these help you maintain and run your computer systems so your teachers and students can easily access the internet and computers to make learning in the classroom easier.

Technology is the fastest growing industry in today's market, and one of the fastest growing trends in our classrooms. Technology in the classrooms makes it easier for students and teachers to work together and it also makes the classroom environment more fun for both students and teachers. It is hard to keep kids interested in school, and by adding technology like computers and interactive white boards, it will make learning a lot more fun.

Windows 7 to Launch October 22

2009-06-03T15:22:00.003-04:00

Microsoft is set to release Windows 7 on October 22, 2009. They will also be offering discounted or free upgrades to those who bought PCs in the months leading up to the big launch through a program called "Windows Upgrade Option." Many official details on the upgrade option have not been released including start and end dates, what versions of Vista are eligible for upgrade, or even what sort of deal PC users can expect. Company spokesman, Brandon LeBlanc, says more information will be disclosed closer to the time of the program's kick-off.

The upgrade offer comes as no surprise, information about the program was leaked as early as January 2009 by TechARP.com. According to TechARP, any PC licensed with Vista Home Premium, Vista Business, and Vista Ultimate that is purchased between June 26, 2009 and January 31, 2010 will be eligible for a free upgrade. Vista Home Basic - the cheapest edition of Vista - will not be available because the similar version of Windows 7 will be sold in only a few select markets. Reasoning behind this idea could stem from a law-suit that accuses Microsoft of misleading consumers by marketing PCs as Vista-friendly when they were only able to use the Home Basic edition. The case is currently being appealed to a federal judge.

As for Windows 7, development is set to finish in July and will then be released to manufacturers for the October release date. It will be loaded on new PCs and available on store shelves. Microsoft originally planned to release the operating system in January 2010 but last month, they confirmed it would be ready in time for the holiday shopping season. If you do not want to wait on the real thing, a copy of the Windows 7 Release Candidate is available for download through many tech websites and is thought to be just like the final version of the real thing.

Visit the Tech Army Blog Forum to learn more and discuss Windows 7.

Computer Service Now - Disaster Recovery

2009-05-27T14:06:00.004-04:00

A quick web search for "Disaster Recovery" could leave you feeling defeated. Such websites usually seem to be aimed at big corporations who can afford to spend the money or the super tech-savvy who understand the acronyms, big words, and hard to understand language. Guess what? It does not have to be that way. Disaster recovery is an option for every business, no matter the size or type of company and as a business owner, you should have a plan in place. The following suggestions will help you develop that plan and know how to implement it without spending a lot of time or money.

Part One - Your Data:

Know what date is key to survival. This might include the data in your accounting program, contact management software, your inventory software, email, or critical Word and Excel documents. Know where that data is located and what needs to be backed up. This is critical as is knowing how often that data is changed and updated. You must also understand the size of this data so that you can better understand your data archive options, saving you time and money on various products and services that do not fit your back-up needs.

Part Two - Your Plan:

You should always have a back-up location planned. Temporary offices or warehouse space can house your employees, computers, and inventory in case of a disaster. Keeping vendor contact information in a secure off-site location is a must. This will allow you to pass along special information or new delivery locations to your vendors. Communication is key for your customers, as well. Be sure you are able to maintain contact even in the case of an emergency, be it through email, U.S. mail, or even through a temporary homepage on your website that allows you to let your customers know what is going on. Make your employees know the procedure for the disaster plan and stay in contact with them to help keep things running smoothly.

On the technically side, advance contact with a Computer Rental Firm is key for helping your operations resume once disaster strikes as they can provide your company with office equipment from computers to photo copiers. You should also organize an off-site collection of all of your software media including key-codes, passwords, and user names. Investigate where your critical software came from. If it was custom installed by a professional, a simple trip to the store will not be the same as replacing it with the original. And of course, consulting with a trusted Computer Service Organization will help implement a data backup procedure and a plan for software installation and data re-Installation.

Part Three - Your Survival:

Remember disasters do happen and your survival depends on whether or not you are able to recover effectively with minimum loss. Keep in mind that a solid Disaster Recovery Plan must never be complex or expensive. And don't forget to act now...you never know when a disaster may strike!

Sun Being Bought Out By Oracle

2009-04-22T10:40:00.009-04:00

The Oracle Corporation and Sun Microsystems announced yesterday, April 20,2009, that the two groups have arranged a confirmed agreement in which Oracle will purchase the common stock of Sun Microsystems for $9.50 in cash per share. This transaction between the two companies has an estimated value of $7.4 billion which $5.6 billion net of the debt and cash of Sun.

Safra Catz, President of Sun Microsystems, stated, "We expect this acquisition to be accreative to Oracle's earnings by at least 15 cents on a non-GAAP basis in the first full year of after closing. We estimate that the acquired business will contribute over $1.5 billion to Oracle's non-GAAP operating profit in the first year, increasing to $2 billion in the second year. This would make the Sun acquisition more profitable per share contribution in the first year than we had planned for the acquisitions of BEA, PeopleSoft, and Sieble combined.

"The acquisition of Sun transforms the IT industry, combining best-in-class enterprise software and mission-critical computing systems. Oracle will be the only company that can engineer an integrated system - applications to disk - where all the pieces fit and work together so customers do not have to do it themselves. Our customers benefit as their systems integration costs go down while system performance, reliability, and security go up." said CEO of Oracle Larry Ellison.

By Oracle owning two key software assets from Sun - Java and Solaris - substantial and strategic customer advantages arise for the long term. The Sun Solaris Operating System is Oracle Database leading platform. By Oracle's acquisition of Sun the company can optimize the Oracle Database some of Solaris' unique and high-end features.

Java is most well-known brands in the computer industry and one of the most widely deployed technologies. Java is, perhaps, the most important piece of software they have ever bought. The fastest growing business of Oracle, Oracle Fusion Middleware, is built entirely on the software and language of Sun's Java. With it under Oracle control, the company can now ensure innovation and investment in Java technology will continue for the benefit of customers and the Java community as a whole.

Sun Chairman Scott McNealy states that, "Oracle and Sun have long been industry pioneers and close partners for more than 20 years. This combination is a natural evolution of our relationship and will be an industry-defining event."

"This is a fantastic day for Sun's customers, developers, partners, and employees across the globe, joining forces with the global leader in enterprise software to drive innovation and value across every aspect of the technology marketplace." stated CEO of Sun Jonathan Schwartz. "From the java platform touching nearly every business system on earth, powering billions of consumers on mobile handsets and consumer electronics, to the convergence of storage, networking, and computing driven by the Solaris operating system and Sun's SPARC and x64 systems. Together with Oracle, we'll drive the innovation pipeline to create compelling value to our customer base and the marketplace."

Oracle President Charles Phillips stated, "Sun is a pioneer in enterprise computing, and this combination recognizes the innovation and customer success the company has achieved. Our largest customers have have been asking us to step up to a broader role to reduce complexity, risk, and cost by delivering a highly optimized stack based on standards. This transaction will preserve and enhance investments made by our customers, while we continue to work with our partners to provide customers with choice."

Sun Microsystems' Board of Directors unanimously approved the transaction between themselves and Oracle. The deal is said to be closed this summer but is subject to approval from stock holders, certain regulatory approvals, customary closing conditions.

Zero-Day Attacks from PowerPoint

2009-04-06T11:58:00.008-04:00

Microsoft is warning of attacks on their presentation software application, PowerPoint. Just by opening PowerPoint, a user can infect his computers and possibly other connected computers.

Microsoft issued Security Advisory 969136

An attacker could gain the same user rights as the local user. Users who operate with full administrative user rights are especially vunerable.

In a Web attack scenario, all an attacker would have to do is host a Web site that contains an a vunerable Office file. Web sites and Web sites that accept or host user-provided content could could be more vunerable . Note: an attacker would have to coax users to visit the Web site and click on a an affected PowerPoint link.

Email Note: The attack can not be automated through e-mail. A user must open an infected PowerPoint attachment that is sent in an e-mail message.

PowerPoint users in the U.S. and Canada who believe they are affected can receive technical support from Security Support or 1-866-PCSAFETY. There is no charge for support calls that are associated with security updates. For more information about available support options, see Microsoft Help and Support.

Affected Software:
Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2000 Service Pack 3
Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2002 Service Pack 3
Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2003 Service Pack 3
Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac

Non-affected Software
Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2007
Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2007 Service Pack 1
Microsoft Office PowerPoint Viewer 2003
Microsoft Office PowerPoint Viewer 2007
Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats
Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats Service Pack 1
Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac
Open XML File Format Converter for Mac

GhostNet Hacker Spies On Governments

2009-03-30T12:24:00.008-04:00

Heard about GhostNet yet? Its very disconcerting because it targets government computers and attempts to forward emails, documents and passwords.

By most accounts (ZDNet, PC World, Forbes, InfoWorld), 103 countries have been infected with GhostNet spy virus.

It all started with the Dalai Lama. The Tibetan leader with offices in India, Brussels, London and New York, asked the researchers to examine its computers for malware.

What researchers find according to John Markoff reports for the New York Times was a government infiltrating, super-strength, spyware-virus controlled by computer based in CHINA!

GhostNet has stolen hundreds if not thousands of sensitive government documents for whom? Some say the Chinese Government.

According to Jeremy Kirk of IDG News, GhostNet primarily uses a malicious software program called gh0st RAT (Remote Access Tool) to steal sensitive documents, control Web cams and completely control infected computers.

"GhostNet represents a network of compromised computers resident in high-value political, economic and media locations spread across numerous countries worldwide," said the report, written by analysts with the Information Warfare Monitor, a research project of the SecDev Group, a think tank, and the Munk Center for International Studies at the University of Toronto. "At the time of writing, these organizations are almost certainly oblivious to the compromised situation in which they find themselves."

China is not alone in Hacker Spying
Intelligence analysts, according to John Markoff of the New York Times, say many governments, including those of China, Russia and the United States, and other parties use sophisticated computer programs to covertly gather information.

Layoff's leave companies with Unused Hardware and Software

2009-03-20T17:12:00.004-04:00

With more than 4.4 million jobs lost since December 2007 it has become a common ordeal for companies to cut jobs in order to save costs in today’s economic recession. With so many people being left out of work a new problem has arose concerning unused software and hardware.

The question of what to do with unused IT equipment such as, desktops, software programs, and work phones has become a rapidly growing issue. With more than 1 in 5 companies claiming to have unused software it is becoming a growing concern of what to do with the extra software and software licenses.

A possible solution to the enormity of unused software is volume licensing. To learn more about volume licensing see our Volume Licensing Overview.

Another growing problem is the amount of unused Hardware that is just sitting at unused cubicles and desks. Computer recycling firms are working overtime trying to keep up with the incoming hardware from major companies. Computer recycling companies are also reporting that 8 out of 10 computers that they receive still contain their hard drive. Many times, sensitive data is still on those drives because corporate budgets have been slashed, reducing or eliminating the trained employees needed to recycle computers properly.

Los Angeles Computer Service

2009-03-09T11:02:00.010-04:00

Computer service and repair is a growing business in Los Angeles, and ComputerServiceNow.com is your source for onsite computer service, in Los Angeles and nationwide, with onsite professionals ready to assist you and your business with all your computer service needs.

When and if a problem should occur with your computer, remember ComputerServiceNow.com can have a highly skilled technician on site just about anywhere in Los Angeles the same day enabling you to keep your business up and running. Sometimes we can even fix your computer problems by sending suggestions via Email. Other times a telephone call is all it takes.

Los Angeles is full of businesses of all sizes and ComputerServiceNow.com is equipped to handle all of their needs. If you are in the Los Angeles area and need help with your computer service, visit ComputerServiceNow.com or call 877-422-1907 or click here for a quick quote.

Dell IP Phone System - Review

2009-03-04T09:29:00.006-05:00

Dell has partnered with Fonality to manufacture and sell an IP phone system for small and medium business (SMB). The Fonality phone system is built on Asterisk, which is an open source PBX and telephony platform. (http://www.asterisk.org/). Fonality is an enterprise class; professional grade IP based phone system. The hardware is standard Dell systems, you can choose from the affordable Dell Optiplex 330 or the Dell PowerEdge 1950 1U rack mount server, and either Aastra or Polycom IP phones.

Fonality Business Phone Systems have built in mobility features such as HUD and Softphones to enable your employees to work productively from anywhere. With a Dell Fonality phone system you can give your employees an IP phone for their home or branch office and they can communicate as if they are in the main office directly connected to the Fonality phone system, via a high speed internet connection. The system also has a feature called FindMe which allow callers to find you wherever you are: on your cell phone, at home, or at a branch office based on rules you create. Make FindMe work for you with various features such as: a scheduler, simultaneous ringing, and privileged lists.

Fonality’s most powerful feature is its Auto-Attendant. This is the feature that lets callers "Press 1 for Support" or "Press 2 for Sales". Fonality’s Auto-Attendant is as easy as it is powerful. With simple clicks of the mouse you can manage call flow, build scheduled responses, forward calls off-site, and more. Also Fonality supports several numbers for different departments. With Fonality’s multiple Auto-Attendants, you can direct calls to a different call menu based on the inbound number.

Of course, Fonality supports all the standard features of the average PBX phone system, there are too many bells and whistles to mention here, for more information visit http://dell.fonality.com/.

Decline In Computer Sales - Increase In Computer Service

2009-03-03T10:49:00.010-05:00

Following the dot com bust of 2001 PC shipments fell 3.2% that was the worst decline of the times. But a report released this week shows that shipments will drop to 11.9% a staggering number from just 8 years ago.

This drop is being blamed on the fact that users are holding on to their PC’s longer, doing this has lead to more business for computer service companies With that fact and a weakening economy this has lead to manufacturers cutting production.

The mini-note book will slow the decline, but the popularity of these Note-books will not be enough to top the steady fall in sales. Mini-notebooks are forecast to represent just 8 percent of PC shipments in 2009.

The manufacturing of desk tops has slowed while companies wait for the economy to bounce back. Prices have dropped almost 4% from where they were last year as computer makers try to entice consumers to upgrade.

P2P Software leaks blueprints to presidential helicopter

2009-03-02T14:20:00.004-05:00

Security firm Tiversa has discovered blueprints of Barack Obama's presidential helicopter, Marine One, being hosted by an Iranian IP address.

"We found a file containing entire blueprints and avionics package for Marine One,which is the president's helicopter. What appears to be a defense contractor in Bethesda, MD had a file sharing program on one of their systems that also contained highly sensitive blueprints for Marine One."

"We found where this information came from. We know exactly what computer it came from. I'm sure that person is embarrassed and may even lose their job, but we know where it came from and we know where it went."

Several countries to the east comb p2p networks as a way of gathering intelligence.

Many of the p2p applications will share the entire contents of a hard drive by default. This should be an eye opener for any companies that have sensitive information on their computers, and do not monitor their employees' computers for confidentiality breaches such as spyware and p2p programs.

Windows 7 to be Released

2009-02-26T12:21:00.003-05:00

Microsoft is expecting to have Windows 7 on shipping PC’s by September of 2009. If it is not in September it will be available in early October. This allows Microsoft to finish, manufacture and deliver Windows 7 well ahead of the holidays. It also corroborates work of an April release candidate.

Compaq builds systems on behalf of Acer, HP and other major PC Makers. A spokeswoman for Microsoft maintains the official company position that Windows 7 will be available within three years of when Vista shipped. But with the programs upgrade program plans and other leaks have increasingly suggested that the public goal, which would put the release date in early 2010. That is deliberately conservative and meant to avoid embarrassment in the event of an unexpected delay. Microsoft acknowledged that there was a shortened development track that includes just one public beta and one readily available release candidate before the ship date.

Even though Windows 7 has been proven to be stable in testing the company is under a lot of pressure to release it this year. One of the more significant declines in Windows revenue surfaced in Microsoft’s most recent financial quarter as there still was hesitation over Vista as well as a preference for Windows XP in netbooks have both hurt the company’s core business. With Windows 7 it improves both performance and user interface elements, it is explicitly designed to run more smoothly on netbook-level hardware.

Gmail not impervious to down time

2009-02-24T09:14:00.004-05:00

Users of Google's popular Gmail email accounts experienced some down time today starting around 9:30 GMT. Gmailers may be disappointed, since one of the great features of Gmail was the nearly 100% uptime.

"If you’ve tried to access your Gmail account today, you are probably aware by now that we’re having some problems. Shortly after 10 9:30am GMT our monitoring systems alerted us that Gmail consumer and businesses accounts worldwide could not get access to their email.

We’re working very hard to solve the problem and we’re really sorry for the inconvenience."

Many businesses that have made the switch to Gmail's webmail may have gotten a wake up call that even applications available on the cloud are susceptible to downtime.

Stimulus Package Promises Nationwide Broadband

2009-02-18T15:29:00.002-05:00

On Tuesday president Obama signed a 787 billion stimulus package, which included $7.2 billion for broadband grant and loan programs aimed at moving our country towards complete broadband access in every home.

The bill is split into two parts with $4.7 billion be distributed through a program run by the Commerce Department. The other $2.5 billion will be distributed thought the jurisdiction of the Agriculture Department.

The bill calls for the funs to be completely distributed before the deadline of September 30, 2010, to projects that can be completed in two years. The main goal of the program get broadband internet to rural areas that currently have little to no internet access.

Here is the exact definition the bill states:
The NTIA's "Broadband Technology Opportunities Program" is intended to "award competitive grants to accelerate broadband deployment in unserved and underserved areas and to strategic institutions that are likely to create jobs or provide significant public benefits,”

Also the legislation requires the FCC create a national broadband plan to ensure that everyone in the U.S. has broadband access within one year.

Looks like this will be great news to anyone who currently does not have broadband internet and any company that works on installing broadband lines.

Equus Visits Computer Service Now

2009-01-27T11:23:00.006-05:00

Equus is one of the largest white box distributors of PC equipment in the nation. Equus is privately held and based out of Minneapolis and has been going for seventeen years. They are a national system builder. Equus Computer Systems is a 100% employee owned company (ESOP). They work with desktops, notebooks, servers, storage, peripherals, components and closeouts.

They have twelve distribution centers throughout the United States and a large one in California. Everything with Equus is their own. They have a national warranty structure. Reimbursements for warranty work performed by Tech-Army.org members.

The average build time for a notebook is 48 to 72 hours and a 4-hour server response. They also have ready to ship computers that are stocked. Right now a typical specification is a Pentium D 93 box half-gb Ram, 80 gb hard drive. Equus has one of the largest partnerships with Microsoft and Intel.

The market focus of Equus is 100% dedicated to the VAR, ISV and OEM Channel partners. The hardware and services designed to maximize customer competitiveness. They also have consultative sales representatives and state-of-the-art web services.

Here is a video of the Computer Service Now visit from two Equus managers.

Heartland Payment Systems massive data breach

2009-01-21T15:49:00.007-05:00

Heartland Payment Systems delivers credit/debit/prepaid card processing, payroll, check management and payments solutions to more than 250,000 business locations nationwide.

Heartland reported on Tuesday that they had suffered a security breach in 2008. "We found evidence of an intrusion last week and immediately notified federal law enforcement officials as well as the card brands", said Heartland president Robert Baldwin.

The bulk of the exposed data was credit card names, numbers, and expiration dates. The malware infection was a keylogger and packet sniffer that recorded transactions on Heartland's network.

Heartland did not disclose when the infection occurred, or how many transactions had been compromised.

For a piece of malware to be installed on their network from sometime in 2008 until this week is a sign that the PC may not have been running any kind of virus protection. It is important that all computers on your network be running some sort of Anti-Malware software that provides your PCs with real-time protection against malware insallation, and detection and removal of existing malware.

Dell Loses Legal Battle Over Customer Support

2009-01-16T10:59:00.005-05:00

The Dell Lawsuite began last year with several state attorneys accusing Dell of poor customer services, misleading information, and poor customer financing. The originally lawsuit kicked off stating that Dell and Dell Financial Services (DFS) treated its customers poorly by never providing proper refunds, failing to provide repair services as advertised, and worst of all misleading them about Dells Financing Terms.

One example of the poor financing services provided by Dell was their "Pay no Interest for twelve(12) months" when financing a notebook. A number of customers would purchase the notebooks expecting not to pay any interest for the first 12 months as advertised. Instead an alarmingly large number of customers received large financing fees and outstanding interest fees much sooner than the 12 months as advertised. In order to pay for proper restitution, thirty-four state attorneys have reached a $3.35 million dollar multi-state settlement with Dell and Dell Financial Services. Dell has also agreed to change many of its business guidelines to better suit its customers.

For many customers this brings a sigh of relief that their poor experiences with Dell services did not go unanswered. It is unknown exactly how many customers have been affected by these poor business practices by Dell but hopefully the restitution settlement will find its way back to the rightful recipients.

Computer Service Now is an authorized Dell reseller and have been in business for over 20 years due in part to our excellent customer service and honest company guidelines. If you are interested at all in any kind of Dell equipment then please consider our leasing options. We offer Desktop Computer Leasing as well as Laptop Leasing in order to allow our customers to get great computer service and great hardware all from one trusted source.

AVG FREE Anit-Virus Software

2009-01-07T15:58:00.005-05:00

One of the most important things that you need to have on your computer to keep it safe is an anti-virus software. A single virus can render a computer useless and can require hours of work to try and get the virus off.

Many people know that they need an anti-virus software, but cannot see themselves spending $80 a year for an anti-virus software. Well if you are a cheap person like me then you will love the anti-virus software AVG FREE.

As you can see right in the title this software is free. It has already been downloaded 153,687,583 times on cnet.com and it has received 5 stars. Some great features on AVG FREE is it’s not full of bloatware and you will hardly see a performance decrease when the program is running. AVG FREE also comes with a virus scanner and it has a software utility that will let you set the time that you want AVG FREE to scan your computer. This is a great utility because you do not want your anti-virus scanner running in the middle of you working. It also comes with an automatic update feature so you can rest assure that you have the best version. There is also download scanner that is able to catch viruses and quarantine them before they infect your computer.

Of course when things are really rough you can always call for professional help with a nationwide onsite virus removal servce such as offered by wwww.computerservicenow.com.

But for general use I highly recommend you try out AVG FREE yourself if you do not have a virus scanner. Our office uses AVG FREE and it works great. To download checkout cnet’s download.com

Forums and Blogs for Technical Support

2008-12-30T15:48:00.005-05:00

Forums and blogs are becoming an ever more popular resource for technicians looking to research tough hardware or software problems. Their rise in popularity is both a result of the growth of online technical communities, such as the www.Tech-Army.org, that discuss IT problems and the traffic that is driven to these sites though search engine results that list forums and blogs as highly relevant matches for the search query.

If you have Goggled a tech problem in the last several years you will have undoubtedly seen results from some tech forum on the first page of Google. Often times this happens because of the closeness of match, as the forum thread linked in the Google result is most likely very vertical with a strong correlation to your search. Another factor is that forums are often updated, more often at least than static web pages, so they may get a boost in the Google algorithm for freshness.

Of course Computer Service Now is a member of the Tech-Army.org so we use the Tech-Army Technical Discussion Forum to both list solutions to common tech problems that we encounter as well as answering questions from other forum members.

If you are looking to start a blog or a forum for your business you may want to look at Blogger or Wordpress for blogging, or the WebWiz forum software for a simple easy to manage forum solution. Once up and running of course be sure to prominently link your blog or forum from your website and take every opportunity to market and promote its use.

Vista DOA and XP Holds Out for Windows 7 Transplant

2008-12-23T05:03:00.006-05:00

An operating system can be compared to the heart of a body. It is the center point of the flow of information to keep everything running smoothly. When it gets sick it can mean that your computer will not function at all. Your operating also houses antivirus software to keep your computer safe from hackers, viruses and Trojans.

Microsoft introduced us to the operating system of point and click and for well over a decade it has been the industry leader in operating systems. Now that Macs have made their operating systems more versatile with windows software and Linux users are on the climb coupled with the huge disappointment of Vista and all the bugs and security issues that it encompassed Microsoft is reviving XP and extending its life a little by four months while the birth of Windows 7 is out the door. Taking a step out of the limelight and letting the criticisms ride themselves out you can pretty much bet that Microsoft is planning a big come back campaign with Windows 7.

Microsoft is letting the smaller distributors and OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) and not the major PC vendors like HP and Dell make their final orders for Windows XP OEM licenses by Jan. 31, 2009, and take delivery of those orders through May 30. That means you the consumer will be able to keep buying XP Pro on your PCs well into the fall of 2009 even though you may have to ask for it or pay a extra fee..
I myself wouldn’t be surprised if they extend the deadline again because another DOA transplant could be fatal to the image of Microsoft.

Cutting Your IT Budget With Volume Licensing

2008-11-24T14:57:00.007-05:00

As business and organizations all across the country look for ways to reduce their IT budgets one strategy appears to be catching on nationwide. That cost saving strategy is simply Volume Licensing.

Volume Licensing is a term used to describe a general concept, in which software vendors, such as Microsoft, offer several specific products that allow companies or organizations to stay current and legal with the latest software without paying full retail price for the valuable tools they need to operate. As the name implies you simply purchase a license for the software.

For example let’s take your average sized charter school in need of 30 copies of Microsoft Office. Through a Microsoft Authorized Education Reseller such as www.computerservicenow.com a charter school could obtain 30 volume licenses, purchase only one copy of the media, and save a substantial amount of money over a traditional boxed retail purchase.

Microsoft Volume Licensing can also be purchased with an option called Software Assurance. This plan entitles the customer to free upgrades when new versions of the software area available anytime within two years. Which of course helps prolong the useable life of the product makes budgeting your software needs easy.

With volume licensing solutions your firm can quickly implement, easily scale, and electronically manage your software needs while knowing you have done everything possible to save money.

For more information contact Computer Service Now today!

Voice: 877-422-1907

sales@computerservicenow.com

Will Windows 7 Fix Vistas Mistakes?

2008-11-04T17:06:00.005-05:00

After the flop that is Windows Vista, Microsoft Corporation has vowed that they will fix the mistakes that were made with Vista. Windows 7 is still targeted for release three years after the launch of vista, which puts Windows 7 scheduled to be available in late 2009 and wide availability to the public at the end of January 2010.

Microsoft has acknowledged its failure to adequately prepare its hardware, software and compatibility for Vista's release, even though it was more than five years in the making. Microsoft has stated time and again that they will not repeat the same mistakes.

Have any thought or opinions on Microsofts new OS? Discuss Windows 7 at our tech-army forums and give us some of your thoughts.