Windows Vista Edition

In News: iYogi Re-Defines Technical Support – BizTech2.com

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Morrison) — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 11:38:00 +0000

Remote managed services are gaining a lot of attraction these days. Companies are looking to outsource the maintenance and monitoring of their IT infrastructure to a third party to improve efficiency and save costs. BizTech2.com caught up with Uday Challu, founding partner and CEO, iYogi, to see what the company has to offer in this space.

As far as Enterprise and SME customers are concerned, which verticals are you focusing on?

Our focus will mostly be on small companies with around five to 100 users and also firms that have multiple small branch offices like travel agencies, retail stores etc.

What kind of support services do you provide to your customers? What is the Green PC service?

iYogi provides the next generation of remote computer support services for consumers and businesses. For consumers, our live 24/7 support extends to technologies we use everyday, including hardware, software applications, devices, peripherals and networking equipment. iYogi also offers a full range of business IT solutions including managed monitoring, managed services, set-up and installation services, and incident-based services.

Green PC Service

With the current state of the global climate and increasing dependency on the computer, iYogi helps PC users reduce their carbon footprint and save money at the same time. iYogi’s Green PC service is the first in the independent computer support industry to offer customers a way to save money, conserve energy and protect the environment by optimising their PC’s efficiency. Consumers and businesses can save up to $200 per year, per desktop, in energy costs with iYogi’s Green PC application. This green application makes the computer environmentally friendly by reducing power consumption by almost 50 percent.

Our Green PC dashboard helps customise power settings and calculate power savings in kWh (kilowatt hour). The Green PC dashboard also gives a status on the reduction of CO2 and how responsible usage will benefit the environment by saving trees. A customised service that increases the energy efficiency of computers, undertakes the below-mentioned three primary initiatives:

- Computer assessment, analysing settings and PC energy use
- Customised efficiency planning geared specifically to the individual’s usage patterns
- Implementing setting changes to maximise the computer’s energy use

What are the technologies that allow you to offer 24/7 support and ensure there is no downtime at the client site?

We have invested significantly in developing a comprehensive monitoring and management tools stack. This enables us to manage and monitor all devices in the office network as well as for branch offices and mobile users. Our tools continuously monitor the customer’s network and notify our NOC (Network Operations Centre) in case of problems. Based on the set of events, tickets are automatically generated and escalated to corresponding teams. Over and above our proactive approach, the customer always has an option to call our 24X7 support line for issues that are not identified via the monitoring tools.

Please throw some light on your proprietary iMantra technology.

iMantra is a CRM system, which is tailor-made to suit the emerging business needs at iYogi. It allows for the formation of individualised customer relationships with the aim of providing personalised services to each subscriber. This tool is built on the latest java technology with a layered architecture that makes it scalable and secure. This architecture provides a seamless workflow and independent channels for various business needs: sales, support, quality and customer service. The entire system can be exposed in the form of secure APIs and Web services, which makes it a re-usable entity.

Your business model is similar to BPOs in India providing technical support to offshore customers. What unique values do you bring to this ecosystem that would help a potential client choose you over a competitor?

iYogi’s business model is different from traditional BPOs. Some key factors that differentiate iYogi include:

- Direct-to-consumer and -small business: iYogi delivers technical support services directly to consumers and small businesses and is a global technical support brand based out of India. Unlike traditional BPOs in India, iYogi does not provide any private label support and/ or work on behalf of large OEMs or software publishers.

- Optimised Processes: iYogi has developed proprietary processes for consistently delivering on a resolution rate of 87 percent, which is among the highest published benchmarks in the support industry, where averages hover in the range of 50 percent.

- Comprehensive technology platform: iYogi’s global delivery platform, iMantra, gets smarter with every customer interaction. It documents every problem, the solution and relevant hardware and software aspects, while capturing each customer’s demographic information and creating a behavioural profile. All of this information is at the fingertips of iYogi’s Global Tech Experts. This set-up combines a knowledge base with a comprehensive set of tools and technology expertise. iYogi offers a range of tools that complement its remote support services for helping customers maintain technology at peak performance levels. iYogi’s products include iYogi Smart PC Scan, iYogi Support Dock, iYogi Green PC and iYogi PC Optimisation.

How do you plan to move up the value chain in the times to come?

The growing use and penetration of the Internet and new Web-based applications has consequently opened the door to threats and vulnerabilities, which affect the system performance and ultimately lead to degrading performance. If the threats are diagnosed early on, the impact on efficiency can be minimised considerably. Currently, a user only realizes that he needs technical support once the damage has occurred and reactive methods of support are used to recover from the loss.

At iYogi, we are developing our capabilities to not only provide support when demanded, but to also monitor, pre-empt and fix threats before they can cause any damage to the computer. This will be possible only by combining technology with processes that are capable of re-defining the way technical support is delivered today.

What is your India strategy?

Technically, we are capable of servicing any geography including India. At this stage, we are looking for the right kind of partners to find access to potential customers and provide them a consolidated, 360-degree solution and services for issues relating to hardware, software, network etc. We aim to launch our India services in the coming six to eight months. Our services will offer clients a one-stop solution for all their business needs.

Microsoft update removes rogue antivirus program

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Morrison) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 06:42:00 +0000

Microsoft has taken aim at a rogue antivirus program called Internet Antivirus Pro.

The company's latest update to its Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool, (MSRT) released Tuesday, adds detection for this dubious program, which masquerades as security software.

Like all of these rogue antivirus products, Internet Antivirus Pro tries to trick victims into installing the software. It pops up a fake warning message and then pretends to scan the victim's computer. But instead of scanning for malicious software, Internet Antivirus downloads password-stealing software that looks for FTP user names and passwords, presumably so that its creators can install their software on Web servers.

Internet Antivirus installs a browser component that displays fake messages, and it also pops up a fake Windows Security Center, Microsoft said in a blog posting Tuesday.

The software has also used the names General Antivirus and Personal Antivirus.

Rogue antivirus software has been on the rise over the past year and was among the most-detected unwanted software on Windows PCs during the second half of last year, Microsoft said in its recent Security Intelligence Report.

Two rogue Trojans, Renos and Zlob, were found on more than 8 million infected machines, Microsoft said. They use similar techniques to get installed on victims PCs.

Internet Antivirus has been around since the middle of 2008, but it became much more of a problem, starting in mid-April, according to Ben Greenbaum, a senior research manager with Symantec. "It looks like there was a big push," he said. "Either they've started selling it to other groups, or the original authors are making a much larger attempt to get this on people's machines."

This isn't the first time Microsoft has gone after a rogue antivirus program. Last month it issued detection for a program called Winwebsec. In November, it added FakeSecSen.

Microsoft updated the MSRT as part of its monthly set of security updates. This month's set of patches was a whopper, with critical updates for Windows, Internet Explorer and Office. In all, the updates fix 31 vulnerabilities.

Microsoft to offer 'special' Windows 7 upgrade deals

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Morrison) — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 09:08:00 +0000

Microsoft on Tuesday confirmed that it will offer consumers "special deals" on an upgrade to Windows 7 if they buy a Vista-equipped PC before the launch of the new operating system.

Earlier in the day, Microsoft announced that it would start selling Windows 7 on Oct. 22, and acknowledged that it would have some kind of free or discounted upgrade offer in place before that.

But other than the name of the program -- "Windows 7 Upgrade Option" -- the company remained mum on the deal's details, including start and end dates, how much computer makers and retailers will charge for the upgrade, or even what versions of Windows Vista will be eligible.

"This program enables participating retailers and OEMs to offer a special deal to upgrade to Windows 7 for customers purchasing a qualifying PC," said company spokesman Brandon LeBlanc in a post to the Windows 7 blog Tuesday afternoon. More information, said LeBlanc, would be disclosed as the program's kick-off nears.

But Microsoft isn't the only source of information regarding the upgrade offer, which will probably resemble Vista Express Upgrade, a program that gave people who purchased Windows XP PCs free or inexpensive upgrades to Vista.

TechARP.com, a Web site that has a solid track record in pegging Microsoft plans, said as early as January that Microsoft would unveil an upgrade program for Windows 7. In April, TechARP reported that Microsoft had changed the name of the program to Windows 7 Upgrade Option, the same moniker the company used today.

In a long account last updated two weeks ago, TechARP spelled out what its OEM sources have revealed about the upgrade offer.

Only "like-to-like upgrades" will be supported by the program, said TechARP, meaning that people who buy a PC with Vista Home Premium during the eligible period will be offered an upgrade to Windows 7 Home Premium. In the same fashion, Vista Business will be upgraded only to Windows 7 Professional, and Vista Ultimate to Windows 7 Ultimate.

TechARP had no information on what computer makers and retailers may charge for the Windows 7 upgrade. That's no surprise, since it's probable that OEMs and retailers will be given considerable flexibility by Microsoft. In 2006's Vista Express Upgrade, for example, some PC makers, such as Hewlett-Packard, offered free upgrades, while others, including Dell, charged users up to $49.

The most important piece of information still missing is the start date for the deal. Microsoft's reticence to divulge that is understandable, said Michael Cherry, an analyst with Directions on Microsoft. "Once you've told people the date, that starts the clock," said Cherry. "Now people, if they're inclined to wait [until the program begins] will wait to buy."

And that's the last thing Microsoft wants to do, since its revenues for Windows are tied to the number of PCs sold. "The effort is not so much to get people to upgrade, but so that the announcement of a new release doesn't totally stop PC sales dead until it comes out," Cherry said.

TechARP's June 26 start -- three weeks from this Friday -- is reasonable when compared to the timeframe Microsoft applied for the similar Vista program. In 2006, Microsoft started Vista Express Upgrade 96 days before the Jan. 30, 2007 official retail release of the OS. If Microsoft used the exact same time span between the start of Windows 7's deal and the operating system's on-sale date of Oct. 22, it would launch the program on July 18.

What does the new Windows Vista SP2 and Server 2008 SP2 have to offer?

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Morrison) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 06:08:00 +0000

Microsoft's Windows Vista officially entered into its Service Pack 2 (SP2) phase on 26th May after releasing its second service pack for the operating system.

The software giant also rolled out a Service Pack 2 for Windows Server 2008 that supports new kinds of hardware and emerging hardware standards, and it also has all the updates offered since SP1.

The last Vista Service Pack was released in March last year and according to Microsoft; Vista SP1 is required in order to install SP2.

Here is a list of the updates included in the new Service Pack:

- SP2 adds support for the 64-bit central processing unit (CPU) from VIA Technologies, which adds the ID and vendor strings for the new VIA 64-bit CPU.

- SP2 integrates the Windows Vista Feature Pack for Wireless, which contains support for Bluetooth v2.1 and Windows Connect Now (WCN) Wi-Fi Configuration. Bluetooth v2.1 is the most recent specification for Bluetooth wireless technology.

- SP2 improves performance for Wi-Fi connections after resuming from sleep mode.

- SP2 includes updates to the RSS feeds sidebar for improved performance and responsiveness.

- SP2 includes ability to record data to Blu-Ray Disc media.

Another important thing to note is that the beta version of the Service Pack is time limited and will expire on 1st June 2010. Microsoft strongly recommended users that are currently using the beta version, to install the upgraded version before the deadline.

Windows Vista Service Pack 2

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Morrison) — Tue, 26 May 2009 12:33:00 +0000

Microsoft has now rolled out Service Pack 2 for Windows Vista and made it available for download via its website. Service Pack 2 comes includes all post-SP1 patches/fixes, support for new hardware. We are focused on addressing specific reliability, performance, and compatibility issues. We expect Windows Vista SP2 will retain compatibility with applications that run on Windows Vista and Windows Vista SP1 and are written using public APIs.

Because we've adopted a single serviceability model, these improvements are integrated into a single service pack covering both Windows Vista (client) and Windows Server 2008 (server) versions. This should also minimize deployment and testing complexity for our customers.

In addition to previously released updates since the launch of Windows Vista SP1, Windows Vista SP2 contains changes focused on supporting new types of hardware and adding support for several emerging standards:

Windows Vista SP2 adds Windows Search 4.0 for faster and improved relevancy in searches.
Windows Vista SP2 contains the Bluetooth 2.1 Feature Pack supporting the most recent specification for Bluetooth Technology.
Ability to record data on to Blu-Ray media natively in Windows Vista.
Adds Windows Connect Now (WCN) to simplify Wi-Fi Configuration.
Windows Vista SP2 enables the exFAT file system to support UTC timestamps, which allows correct file synchronization across time zones.
One question I know that you will ask is "should I wait for SP2?" The reality is that Windows Vista SP1 is a great platform that is both available on new Windows PCs and available as a free download for systems that are running the "gold" release of Windows Vista. While we will recommend SP2 when it ships, your best bet today is Windows Vista SP1.

I look forward to sharing more about Windows Vista SP2 in the future - stay tuned!

iYogi Acquires Clean Machine Inc.

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Morrison) — Thu, 14 May 2009 07:54:00 +0000

Larry Gordon, Founder of Clean Machine appointed as President Global Channel Sales at iYogi

New York, NY, May 11th, 2009 : iYogi, a global direct to consumer and small business remote technical support provider, today announced it’s acquisition of Clean Machine Inc, a provider of remotely administered PC security and performance management services. Clean Machine will operate as a separate brand under the iYogi services umbrella along with the recently lunched Support Dock (www.supportdock.com) and its comprehensive range of 24/7 technical support services for computers, printers, MP3 players, digital camera, routers, servers and more than 100 software applications. Larry Gordon, Founder of Clean Machine is appointed as the President of Global Channel Sales for iYogi.

iYogi will integrate technology and innovation that Clean Machine Inc. has developed for delivering an enhanced service experience by proactively managing the health and security for PC's and Apple Computers. This acquisition also broadens iYogi's access to key markets through Clean Machine's existing partnerships. Larry Gordon's past experience and successful track record will accelerate iYogi's expansion through his focus on global alliances.
Commenting on the acquisition of Clean Machine Inc., Uday Challu, CEO & Co-founder of iYogi, said,

"This acquisition will help iYogi to enhance our customer experience and extend our market reach to the millions of consumers that are challenged by the increasingly complex technology environment. Clean Machine's proactive maintenance and management of PCs in home and small business environment will be our launch platform for building the next generation of managed services for consumers."

"We are delighted to have Larry spearheading partnerships and global alliances for iYogi. His incredible experience in marketing, sales and building global alliances will help forge partnerships with retailers, multiple service operators, software publishers, original equipment manufacturers (OEM) and other such companies that are at the frontlines for managing tech support issues for consumers and small businesses",

added Challu.

With more than 20 years of experience, Larry Gordon has played a variety of strategic roles in marketing, sales and building alliances. Larry was the Executive Vice President at Capgemini and Kanbay. He was also VP of Global Marketing for Cognizant (Nasdaq: CTSH), a leader in global IT services and Director of Marketing for New York based Information Builders.

"I am excited to join a company that shares a common mission to Clean Machine in creating a global brand for delivering the best technical support to consumers and small businesses. We also share a common approach of utilizing highly skilled talent with leading edge tools, thereby delivering services at incredible price-points, with high margins for our partners",

said Larry Gordon, the newly appointed President of Global Channel Sales at iYogi.

ABOUT IYOGI

Headquartered in Gurgaon, India with offices in New York, USA, iYogi provides personalized computer support for consumers and small businesses in United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia. IYogi's 24/7 phone and remote technical assistance, spans across a comprehensive range of technologies we use every day from a wide range of vendors. Utilizing its proprietary technology iMantra , and highly qualified technicians, iYogi delivers amongst the highest benchmarks for resolution and customer satisfaction. iYogi is privately held and funded by SAP Ventures, Canaan Partners, and SVB India Capital Partners. iYogi was recently awarded the Red Herring Global 100 Award, recognizing it as one of the 100 most innovative private companies driving the future of technology. For more information on iYogi and a detailed list of technologies supported, visit: www.iyogi.net.

ABOUT CLEAN MACHINE

Clean Machine Inc. is a NJ-based and incorporated company that helps consumers and small business owners easily manage and protect their computing environments safely and cost effectively. The company is has a unique, powerful and inexpensive PC concierge service. Specifically, each customer is assigned a highly-trained tech concierge who remotely examines their computer system on a scheduled and very secure basis. The PC concierge will immediately fix software-based problems and prevent new threats to the customer's computing environment including offensive pop-ups, browser redirects and slow performance, and then provides a detailed report. Clean Machine's proprietary Radar(TM) technology (Remote Access Detection Audit and Repair) allows its expert technicians to remotely resolve any problems, eliminating the need for customers to go through the frustrating process of speaking with a tech support expert, and still having to do the work themselves. In other words, the Clean Machine PC concierges do it all. For more information on Clean Machine please visit www.pccleanmachine.com.

iYogi Awarded Red Herring Top 100 Global Company

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Morrison) — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 13:41:00 +0000

Recognizing the first, global, direct to consumers and small business technical support service from India

New York, January 21st, 2009 - iYogi (www.iyogi.net), today announced that it has been awarded as one of the Red Herring Top 100 Companies. Red Herring Top 100 Global Companies are chosen from winners and finalists of the previous Red Herring Top 100 Companies from North America, Europe and Asia Red Herring Top 100 Companies. Winning and finalist companies from the previous three years are were eligible for this outstanding award. Out of 1,800 successful and highly eligible companies, the Red Herring editorial team deployed a detailed process to drill-down the best companies first to 200 finalists, then to the top 100 winners of this global award. Evaluations were made on both quantitative and qualitative criteria, such as financial performance, innovation, management, global strategy, and ecosystem integration. The announcement of the winners was made at the Red Herring 100 Global, which took place in San Diego from January 14-16, 2009. Present among the finalists were elite executives and venture capital leaders from around the world.

"We were so pleased to announce iYogi as a Red Herring Top 100 Global Company," commented Red Herring publisher Alex Vieux."

"iYogi has proven to be a company excelling in their industry and its ripples have turned into waves. It was difficult for us to narrow down, but we are pleased to have included iYogi in our list of promising companies. We look forward to the changes it makes to its industry in the future".

"iYogi set out to introduce a new kind of service that would change the way technical support is delivered to consumers and small businesses. We are proud to be recognized by Red Herring's editorial team for our innovation and dedication to solve everyday problems faced by millions of consumers who are challenged by the increasingly complex computing environment," commented Uday Challu, CEO, iyogi.

iYogi delivers technical support services directly to consumers and small businesses and is the first, global, technical support brand based out of India. The company offers its customers an unlimited, annual service subscription for $139.99 per desktop that includes support for a wide range of technologies, including PC hardware Microsoft Windows Operating System, software applications, peripherals and multifunctional devices. iYogi recently launched Support Dock, a comprehensive desktop application suite with PC recovery, data back-up, anti-virus and spyware removal , PC optimization, and home networking tools. Small businesses are serviced by iYogi's dedicated services group offering managed IT services enabling owners to increase productivity and maximize their return on investment.

About Red Herring

Red Herring is a global media company, which unites the world's best high technology innovators, venture investors and business decision makers in a variety of forums: a leading innovation magazine, an online daily technology news service, technology newsletters and major events for technology leaders around the globe. Red Herring provides an insider's access to the global innovation economy, featuring unparalleled insights on the emerging technologies driving the economy. More information about Red Herring is available on the Internet at www.redherring.com.

About iYogi

iYogi delivers live, comprehensive, 24/7 computer repair services directly to consumers and small businesses and is the first, global, technical support brand based out of India. Providing an annual unlimited subscription to technical support, iYogi now boasts of more than 50,000 customers. The company employs 600 professionals servicing customers in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia and fast expanding to 12 new geographies across the globe. iYogi's resolution rate of 86 percent and customer satisfaction rate of 95 percent are amongst the highest published benchmarks in the industry. For further information, please visit - www.iyogi.net.

iYogi Contact:

Vishal Dhar
iYogi, Inc.
Phone: 212-229-0901
Email: vishal@iyogi.net

Red Herring Contact:

Anam Alpenia
Red Herring, Inc.
Phone: 650-428-2900
Email: aalpenia@redherring.com Yvonne Caprini
Logistics Manager
Red Herring, Inc.
Phone: 1 650 428 2900 x 410
Email: ycaprini@redherring.com

Tuning System Performance in Vista

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Morrison) — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 13:25:00 +0000

If you are facing slow performance by Vista then there are many tasks you can perform on it. These include:

o Quickly remove programs you never use
o Should be in limit how many programs load at startup.
o At same time Running fewer programs
o Turning off visual effects
o Restarting regularly
o Regularly checking for viruses and spyware
o Checking your computer’s speed
o Disable all that services you don’t need

To know about more this please read that article: " http://www.ehow.com/how_4716654_clean-up-disk-errors-xp.html"

An Encounter with Windows 7

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Morrison) — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 13:53:00 +0000

Last night finally i get along with my windows 7 experience, but don’t know why was it only me who has got discouraged or there are some of more there in my followers list, surely there would be..

On a first impression it only seems as if windows 7 is just a vista make over nothing more than that and has just grown somewhat more complex then vista rather then summing up.

Once again Microsoft has moved stuff around in the User Interface. After baffling its loyal users by completely changing the XP User Interface, So it started moving stuff, with the Control Panel taking the brunt of the abuse. Need to add a printer? Welcome to the new “Devices and Printers” applet! Looking for the “System and Maintenance” subgroup? It now has a new name: “System and Security.” And can you guess where the Security subgroup went? No? Then it’s time for some retraining! and ask for some Windows problems

System performance: With the same hardware requirements as vista it seemed as if Microsoft may have something to be patted for as with each of their releases a common history is the hardware requirement needs rises the bar of hardware cost. But sorry to comment something as 7 us as slow as vista, In fact, Windows 7’s performance is virtually identical to that of Vista SP1 on the same hardware. If you were unhappy with Vista’s CPU-hogging, memory-sucking ways, Windows 7 will provide little relief.

So, overall it was not happening but let keep our figures crossed as the shit is just in its Beta.

RED HERRING AWARDS IYOGI FOR THE 2008 RED HERRING ASIA AMERICA 100

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Morrison) — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 11:56:00 +0000

Award Recognizes the 100 “Most Promising” Asian Companies Driving the Future of Technology

Silicon Valley, CA, Dec 9th, 2008— Red Herring today announced that iYogi is a winner of the Red Herring 100 Award, a selection of the 100 most innovative private technology companies based in Asia.

iYogi delivers technical support services directly to consumers and small businesses and is the first, global, technical support brand based out of India with more than 50,000 customers. The company offers consumers an unlimited, annual subscription service for $119.99 per desktop that includes support for a wide range of technologies, including PC hardware, Microsoft Products Support, Windows Operating systems,Computer Support ,Software applications, MP3 players, Networking devices, Digital camera, Printers and scanners etc.

The Red Herring editorial board diligently surveyed the entrepreneurial scene throughout Asia and identified the top 100 out of more than 1,000 closely evaluated companies that are leading the next wave of innovation.

“Our winners and Finalists demonstrate that Asia is increasingly becoming a leader in innovation, contrary to common stereotypes", said Joel Dreyfuss, editor-in-chief of Red Herring. " It was tough to choose just the top 100 finalists from such a large list of excellent contenders, and we are very happy with the quality of the companies we selected as finalists."

“We believe consumers and small business owners should have low-cost access to the highest quality support available on the planet", said Uday Challu, CEO of iYogi. “We are thrilled that our innovative approach to solving everyday technology problems for consumers and our managed services for small businesses has been recognized by Red Herring’s keen-eyed leadership. We are continuously innovating in adding new services that includes PC recovery, anti-virus, anti-spyware, data back-up and PC optimization in providing the best tech support experience for our customers”, adds Uday.

The 100 winning companies have been announced at the Red Herring Asia event in Hong Kong. The CEOs of the winning start ups presented their innovative ideas and technologies to an audience of leading entrepreneurs, financiers, and corporate strategists at the event at the Hong Kong, JW Marriott Hotel earlier this week.

About iYogi

iYogi is the first direct-to-consumer and small business technical support service from India. Providing an annual unlimited subscription to technical support, iYogi now boasts of more than 50,000 customers. The company employs 600 professionals servicing customers in the US, UK, Canada, Australia and fast expanding to 12 new geographies across the globe. iYogi’s resolution rate of 87 percent and customer satisfaction rate of 93 percent are amongst the highest published benchmarks in the industry. For further information, please visit www.iyogi.net.

iYogi Contact

Vishal Dhar
President Marketing, iYogi Inc.
Phone: 212 229 0901
Email: vishal@iyogi.net

Bolster Small Business Services by Delivering Server Support

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Morrison) — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 12:46:00 +0000

NEW YORK, Sept 17, 2008 -- iYogi, a next generation remote technical support company, announced today the expansion of their small business services to include support for Microsoft Windows 2003 Server, enabling business owners to efficiently maintain their network without maintaining an IT department.

With more than 50,000 customers worldwide, iYogi offers support for more than 72 software applications and peripheral devices and offers specific service packages uniquely geared for small businesses, starting at $119.99 per computer/per year.

"There are currently 2.4 million small businesses in the United States that have server-based LANs," said Merle Sandler, research manager in the SMB program at IDC. "Solving networking -- related problems can be an area of concern for small businesses, which often lack adequate IT resources."

Windows Server 2003 is a multipurpose operating system capable of handling a diverse set of server roles. iYogi provides the following features and support options:

Active Directory

Group Policies

Rights Management

Network set-up

File and print server

Internet based services

Virtual Private Network

Rights Management Services

Terminal server

Remote Access Services

Customers can select from the following pricing plans, paying a flat rate per incident or purchasing an annual subscription.

Single Incident $ 180
One Year, Unlimited Access To Technical Support $ 1999.99

"iYogi leverages India's 20 years of experience in providing excellent technical support to customers across the globe," said President of iYogi, Vishal Dhar.

"We have expanded our personal off shoring model to deliver an incredible experience at a revolutionary price. Our support services for Microsoft Windows 2003 Server are provided by Microsoft Certified professionals with years of experience supporting Microsoft's products. They have a passion for helping small business and enterprise customers develop the potential of their technology investments."

iYogi's Remote Service for Windows 2003 Server along with all of iYogi's services is available to customers in the United States, Canada and United Kingdom. With a resolution rate of 86% and customer satisfaction rating of 93%, iYogi provides customers with an inexpensive and consistent option for their technical support needs.

ABOUT iYOGI

Headquartered in Gurgaon, India with offices in New York, NY, iYogi provides personalized computer support for small business and home office users. iYogi offers 24/7 phone and online assistance for technologies we use every day and supports products from a wide range of vendors. Utilizing proprietary technology, iMantra, and a superior Microsoft certified team, iYogi delivers higher resolution benchmarks and service levels than competing services. For more information and a detailed list of supported technologies.
Visit us at : www.iyogibusiness.com

Contact Details:
Company Name : iYogi Technical Services Pvt Ltd
Address : iYogi Inc.
12, Desbrosses Street, 3rd Floor
New York, NY 10013
Toll Free No. : 1-800-237-3901
Work Number : 1-212-229-0901
Fax Number : 1-888-867-2715
E-Mail : awadhesh.singh@iyogi.net

iYogi Announces Launch of Monitoring and Performance Tool For SMBs.

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Morrison) — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 13:36:00 +0000

iYogi – a leading provider of technical support services with horizons in the US, UK, Canada and Australia – today announced the launch of its exclusive server monitoring tools for small businesses. The new product offers integrated technology solutions to surmount the users’ unique IT support requirements thereby enabling them to derive and share information, data, enable network performance analysis, and security trends critical to plan and mana ge their set of servers – 24x7.

Uday Challu, iYogi’s CEO commented, “Holding a significant niche for itself in the computer support industry, iYogi has always known to be on the forefront of adapting breakthrough technology to exceed customer service expectations. This time we have developed a tool offering value-add functionality which will help small business customers maximize the business outcomes of IT.”

iYogi’s monitoring tool provides real time observation and monitoring solutions to ensure more robust and reliable IT support and infrastructure for small buinesses. Small Business owners also get a comprehensive assesment of their IT environment to meet technology needs with the scalability for future growth and create preventative measures based on quick analysis of network device alerts, pre-failure indicators, performance benchmark and security issues.

The new Monitoring and performance tool will provide small business with the opportunity to test all technical and non-technical aspects of their servers and help them to strengthen overall IT infrastructure. The array of services will include: Patch Management, Security Auditing, Site Inventory, Real Time Alerting Script Based Management, and Rights Management Services for all critical server issues.

“Irrespective of the business being small or large, when the consumer chooses iYogi, he leverages the potential of an elite taskforce of Microsoft Certified System Engineers and Cisco Certified Network Associates, ready to service their critical assets, using the most advanced network asset tracking and Performance monitoring”, adds Challu.

Another factor where the Company aims to distinguish itself from its competitors is product pricing. Embracing the concept of service quality, iYogi offers competitively priced technical support services at no-haggle, low prices.

As for its small business support, the Company has integrated its exclusive Monitoring and Alerting Services under one price umbrella of just $480 annually. per server i.e. $49.99 per month. The price is certainly hard to find anywhere else.

For more information on iYogi Small Business Support, visit http://www.iyogibusiness.com/

Contact Details:
Company Name: iYogi Technical Services Pvt Ltd
Address: iYogi Inc.
12 Desbrosses Street
3rd Floor
New York, NY 10013
Toll Free no:1-800-237-3901
Work Number: 1-212-229-0901
Fax Number: 1-888-867-2715

iYogi Secures $9.5M in Series B Funding Led by SAP Ventures, With Follow-on Investment from Canaan Partners and SVB India Capital Partners

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Morrison) — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 21:55:00 +0000

iYogi Secures $9.5M in Series B Funding Led by SAP Ventures, With Follow-on Investment from Canaan Partners and SVB India Capital Partners
iYogi, a Direct-to-Consumer and Small Business Technical Support Provider, Paves the Way for Personal Offshoring to Become India’s Next Success Story

New York, 24 July, 2008: Personal Offshoring, which is driving the next wave of India’s outsourcing success story, got a huge boost today when iYogi - a remote technical support

provider from India - raised $ 9.5 million in Series B financing from SAP Ventures, a division of SAP AG, Canaan Partners and SVB India Capital Partners, a venture fund affiliate of Silicon Valley Bank.

iYogi (www.iyogi.net) delivers technical support services directly to consumers and small businesses and is the first, global, technical support brand based out of India. The company offers its customers an unlimited, annual service subscription for $119.99 per desktop that includes support for a wide range of technologies, including PC hardware Microsoft Windows operating system, software applications, peripherals and multifunctional devices.

“Personal Offshoring has created new investment opportunities in India with incredible growth potential,” said Doug Higgins, partner at SAP Ventures. “It is very exciting to see companies like iYogi challenging the traditional enterprise-focused offshore-service delivery model by creating a consumer-focused, direct-to-customer personal offshore model. iYogi is one of the fastest-growing companies in this market segment, and we look forward to working with them to create India’s next success story.”

“Our focus on the customer experience has helped us achieve a 93 percent satisfaction rate across more than 50,000 customers,” said Uday Challu, CEO of iYogi. “We are delighted to have the support of three terrific investors as we increase our market share and continue to provide the best technical support experience possible for our customers.”

iYogi will use the funds to fuel its expansion into 12 new regions, including the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada, and to increase its delivery of new services including PC recovery, anti-virus/spyware, data back-up and PC optimization.

“As consumer technologies grow in sophistication, consumers will be seeking the kind of home IT support services – including remote services offered by companies such as iYogi – to help them solve their most complex problems,” said Kurt Scherf, vice president and principal analyst, Parks Associates. “In primary research, we found more than one-third of consumers are willing to pay for competent and professional remote support services, and 60% express a strong interest in software solutions – what we refer to as ‘PC Dashboards’ – that automate many basic PC performance enhancement and troubleshooting features, solving many PC-related problems before they even are noticed by end-users.”

iYogi had previously raised $3.1 million in Series A financing from Canaan Partners and SVB in April of last year. “iYogi is one of the most promising investments for Canaan Partners,” said Alok Mittal, managing director of India at Canaan Partners. “Third-party, vendor-independent technical support is an exciting new service category, witnessing explosive growth. Customers are looking beyond the traditional vendor-provided support to remote channels for better problem resolution, faster service, and greater overall satisfaction. iYogi has created an incredible value proposition and price offering for its customers that is hard to beat.”

”Several next generation outsourcing companies from India are delivering a range of personal offshoring services for individuals and small businesses in the U.S. including online tutoring, tax preparation, remote executive assistance and research services,” said Suresh Shanmugham, managing director of SVB India Capital Partners, a venture fund affiliate of Silicon Valley Bank. “iYogi has leveraged the technical skills available in India along with process expertise to scale as a global technical support provider for millions faced with increasingly complex technology”.

About SAP Ventures
SAP Ventures invests in innovative and disruptive software and services companies globally. We pursue opportunities across all stages for outstanding financial return. Our goal is to bring substantial benefit to all parties by facilitating interaction between portfolio companies and SAP and its ecosystem of customers and partners. SAP Ventures has a successful track record of building industry-leading companies by partnering with outstanding entrepreneurs and top-tier venture capital firms since 1996. For more information, visit www.sapventures.com.

About Canaan Partners

Canaan Partners is a global venture capital firm specializing in early-stage information technology and life sciences companies. Founded in 1987, Canaan Partners has $2.4 billion capital under management and has invested in more than 240 companies, completed 63 mergers and acquisitions, and brought over 50 companies public. The firm catalyzes the development of innovative mobile, Internet, CleanTech, networking, semiconductor, enterprise software and services, biotechnology and medical technologies to build next-generation market leaders. Canaan was an early investor in Acme Packet (APKT), Aperto Networks, BharatMatrimony.com, Blurb, DoubleClick (DCLK), ID Analytics, Match.com and SuccessFactors, along with dozens of other market-leading companies. Canaan is headquartered in Menlo Park, California and also has offices in Connecticut, India and Israel. For more information visit: www.canaan.com.

SVB India Capital Partners Fund and Silicon Valley Bank

SVB India Capital Partners Fund is a $54 million equity fund that is focused on Indian companies and co-invests across industries and stages with top-tier venture capital firms. Silicon Valley Bank is the premier commercial bank for emerging, growth and mature companies in the technology, life science, private equity and premium wine industries. Founded in 1983 and headquartered in Santa Clara, Calif., the company serves clients around the world through 27 U.S. offices and five international operations. Silicon Valley Bank is a member of global financial services firm SVB Financial Group, with SVB Analytics, SVB Capital, SVB Global and SVB Private Client Services. More information on the company can be found at www.svb.com.

About iYogi

iYogi is the first direct-to-consumer and small business technical support service from India. Providing an annual unlimited subscription to technical support for $119.99 per year, iYogi now boasts more than 50,000 customers. The company employs 450 professionals servicing customers in the U.S., U.K., Canada fast expanding to 12 new geographies across the globe. iYogi’s resolution rate of 87 percent and customer satisfaction rate of 93 percent are amongst the highest published benchmarks in the industry. For further information, please visit www.iyogi.net.

SAP and all SAP logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP AG in Germany and in several other countries. All other product and service names mentioned are the trademarks of their respective companies.

Any statements contained in this document that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “project,” “predict,” “should” and “will” and similar expressions as they relate to SAP are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. SAP undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations The factors that could affect SAP's future financial results are discussed more fully in SAP's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including SAP's most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the SEC. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of their dates.

The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. iYogi shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein.

SAP and all SAP logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP AG in Germany and in several other countries.
All other product and service names mentioned are the trademarks of their respective companies.

Any statements contained in this document that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “project,” “predict,” “should” and “will” and similar expressions as they relate to SAP are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. SAP undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations The factors that could affect SAP's future financial results are discussed more fully in SAP's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including SAP's most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the SEC. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of their dates.

Contact:

Company Name:
iYogi Technical Services Pvt Ltd

Address:
iYogi Inc.
12 Desbrosses Street
3rd Floor
New York, NY 10013
Toll Free no: 1-800-237-3901
Work Number: 1-212-229-0901
F ax Number: 1-888-867-2715

Windows Vista Ultimate Usb Edition

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Morrison) — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 10:32:00 +0000

Windows Vista Ultimate combines the best of work and play, into a single easy-to-use operating system. It’s easier than ever to find, manage, and share information — and it’s safer than ever to connect, enjoy personal media and sync up personal devices.

Fully designed for life on the go, you’ll have all the features of Windows Vista Business and Windows Vista Home Premium in one package. Download cutting edge software and services exclusively through Windows Ultimate Extras, and enjoy entertainment on TVs throughout your home with Xbox 360 and other devices.

It’s the best way to enjoy work and play, with its easy connection to home and school networks. Accomplishing more each day has never been easier. Use your Windows Media Center to enjoy your favorite photos, music, TV, and movies on your PC and share them throughout the home of compatible device — including your Xbox 360.

Enhanced backup and restore — Special safeguards help protect against hardware failure, user error and other causes of lost data Get a better tablet PC experience with enhanced handwriting recognition and precise pen navigation Connect to a company network or access your PC remotely from home Get up and running with existing data and applications — fast and easy PC migration, even without dedicated IT support Supports Windows ReadyDrive technology for improved battery performance

for more on Windows Hack vist UK Support

List of Vista Media Center bugs

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Morrison) — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 07:23:00 +0000

Here are my list of complaints. Feel free to add to them or comment :)

1. ATSC Subchannels. Considering we are capable of recieving many more channels than Media center will show you this is a huge problem. FYI with High Definition over the air channels, they are subdivided so that each channels can play up to 5 streams on the same channel. For example Channel 8 actually is sent digitally as Channel 8.1 , Channel 8.2 and so on. Vista Media Center not only is hard coded to use channel 8.1. In addition to missing channels, it messes up the guide listing on some channels because it uses the wrong listing source from some channels most notably PBS. There is a workaround (hack), but to me this is an embarrassing one for media center.

2. DVD Resolution. Whenever you play a DVD, my media center changes resolution down while watching the video. This seems OK (well not really I wish it would be scaling it up using the ridiculously powerful hardware I have) but when the DVD is over and it returns to the menu it is still at the low resolution. It doesn't return to high resolution until I select a high resolution video. This makes the Video Preview Icons unreadable and look sloppy.

3. DVD Library. For whatever reason I have still not been able to get my ripped DVD collection to show up. I have tried numerous suggestions but to no avail. I suspect the part of media center that scans for new media hangs on my system for whatever reason or the part of vista that tracks the library is corrupted (It also shows things That are not in My Library configured directories). It is almost annoying enough to reinstall Vista at the cost of losing everything.

4. Netflix streaming media Plugin (HD DRM issue). According to what i have read this is because the (Microsoft) DRM that netflix uses to stream the movies does not allow some HD hardware? This seems crazy but alas I cannot get the videos to work (even without the plugin straight off the website) due to DRM issues. This pluging would be such an awesome selling point to Vista Media center PCs but instead it is a thorn.

5. Sound / TV / On Off Integration. This is something Tivo got right but most PC Media Centers didn't including Vista. With Tivo, you got one remote and you programmed that remote to learn your TV on/off and volume buttons. Then your Tivo remote would turn off and on the TV and control the volume. The media center green button remote that I have just simulates the TV going dim and turning off. I am not stupid, the TV is still on. I have to manually turn the TV off with another remote. Theres a thousand workarounds including having a universal remote, using a IR Blaster, etc, etc but none of those options are out of the box. I'm OK with configuring winlirc or girder but my Mom couldn't. Maybe I just bought the "wrong" Vista media center Green button remote.

6. Video Icons for Network Shares. I watch TV shows often from a network share. The strange thing is how slow it seems to be to generate the preview Icons "first frame picture" from the share. I thought these icons were saved as hidden files in the directory so it didn't have to generate them again every time so its strange how slow it is.

7. Magical Integration of multiple vista media centers is unclear. I am hoping to eventually have a media center in every room in my house, and perhaps more than one room will be running VMC on a computer instead of an extender. The problem is I don't really know much about how to integrate two VMC computers together and I am having trouble finding it on the web. Does one computer become the server and the other is a client? Can I have distributed tuners? How does VMC choose the tuner if they are distributed? Do shows save only locally, or do they save to the main VMC share? Perhaps I am just using the wrong keywords to search.

Windows Vista - Which Version to go with?

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Morrison) — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 10:42:00 +0000

After deciding to shift to a Windows Vista OS, you need to decide on which Windows Vista version you should pick. Before you consider shelling out for a Windows Vista Ultimate license, you really should ask yourself exactly what features you need and want so you can decide whether the price is right.

Windows Vista Home Basic

This is the most rudimentary version of Vista available. It has the more secure IE 7, the firewall, the quick search functionality, and easier connectivity. When it comes to the features that distinguish Vista from previous versions of the Windows OS, though, Home Basic is somewhat lacking, though it does offer parental control.

Windows Vista Home Basic is a good choice only if you use your computer solely for web surfing and basic document processing, or if your computer is just barely powerful enough to run Windows Vista.

Windows Vista Home Premium

For an extra, you can get much more out of Windows Vista. Aside from including all the features of the Home Basic version, Home Premium offers all of the window-dressing that makes Vista look like Vista. You will have pre-packaged games and Aero interface capability. Aero gives your windows and icons a 3D appearance and smoother transitions, as well as allowing you to add transparency effects to window borders. Home Premium offers tablet PC functionality, document collaboration, and scheduled backups. Home Premium also offers the fully integrated Windows Media Center for all your home entertainment needs, plus a moviemaker which is HD format-capable.

Windows Vista Home Premium is designed for the user who uses the computer for PC and network gaming, since Premium supports DirectX 10, with its advanced graphics technologies incredible graphics rendering. Premium is also designed for watching High Definition movie, editing/making video clips, burning DVD copies, and interfacing with the Xbox 360, which Home Premium edition automatically detects to allow for Video, Audio, and Picture sharing.

Windows Vista Business

Windows Vista Business drops Parental controls, Media Center features, and pre-installed games for obvious reasons. Vista Business does have the rest of the Home Premium features plus support for business applications and business data security (fax, remote desktop connectivity, file encryption, and complete shadow incremental backup). This version of Windows Vista is, as the name implies, strictly for business purposes.

Windows Vista Enterprise

Windows Vista Enterprise adds Microsoft’s BitLocker encryption technology to the feature set found in Windows Vista Business, but this version of Windows is only offered to businesses participating in Microsoft’s Software Assurance program.

Windows Vista Ultimate

This edition has everything that is included in the Home Premium and Business editions. Vista Ultimate also adds Enterprise’s BitLocker encryption technology for the computer’s hard drives, protecting the drives so that only authorized users can boot up the OS or view the files contained in the drives.

Because of its full complement of features, Vista Ultimate is perfect for people who use the PC for fun and business in equal parts, as well as users who want to be protected from data loss and PC theft.

Is it that all Ultimate - Vista Ultimate

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Morrison) — Thu, 15 May 2008 07:52:00 +0000

Windows Vista Ultimate was marketed by Microsoft as the operating system of "choice for those who want to have it all". But Microsoft has left out something very important from their "most complete edition of Windows Vista": Extended Lifecycle Support.

While browsing Microsoft's Support Lifecycle pages I observed some interesting oddities. According to the Windows Vista Ultimate Support Lifecycle page support ends on April 10, 2012, putting it in the same boat as Windows Vista Home Basic and Home Premium. On the contrary both Windows Vista Business and Enterprise receive Extended Support, which means five more years of support until April 11, 2017.

Support for consumer products ends after five years and have no Extended Support option, according to Microsoft's Support Lifecycle Web page. It was always assumed that Windows Vista Ultimate, marketed by Microsoft as having the most consumer and corporate features, would be supported for more than five years. Microsoft currently offers Vista Ultimate to businesses for volume-licensing purchases.

The problem of limited support potentially creates numerous problems for small businesses looking for improved security. BitLocker Drive Encryption, which is extremely helpful in protecting sensitive data from theft, is available only in Vista Enterprise and Vista Ultimate. However, Vista Enterprise is available only through volume licensing purchases, which is very rarely utilised by small businesses.

The designated five years of Mainstream Support for Windows XP Home Edition and Media Centre Edition ended one month before the release of Windows Vista. However, Microsoft responded by extending its support for Windows XP for another five years up until April 8, 2014.

It is highly likely that Microsoft will bow to the increased pressure from customers to extend its support for Windows Vista Ultimate, much like they did with Windows XP.

An even more baffling contradiction is that the Microsoft Office product range is treated in a different way. The Office 2007 Support Lifecycle page, states that the Student and Home Editions will receive extended support right up until April 4, 2017. Even though these two editions are lower-end versions for consumers, they receive extended support just like their more expensive counterparts.

It seems Microsoft has decided that its ultimate version of Windows Vista, the “choice for those who want to have it all", is not worthy of Extended Support, while the lower cost consumer editions of Microsoft Office are. Only time will tell if Microsoft bows into the pressure from consumers of Windows Vista.

Just Figure Out Which Vista Edition Are You Useing

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Morrison) — Fri, 09 May 2008 10:35:00 +0000

To find out which edition of Windows Vista is running on your computer, do the following:

•	Open Welcome Center by clicking the Start button , clicking Control Panel, clicking System and Maintenance, and then clicking Welcome Center.

The edition of Windows Vista you are running is displayed with your computer details near the top of the window.

Vista SP1 Released to Automatic Update

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Morrison) — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 10:54:00 +0000

Windows Vista customers can now receive the first service pack for the operating system via the Microsoft Automatic Update service, Microsoft said Wednesday.

Windows Vista Service Pack 1 will download automatically to PCs that have the automatic update feature of the OS turned on, the company said. Previously, Vista was available to customers via Windows Update, but people had to specifically download it.

Not all customers will receive SP1 immediately via Automatic Update, however. The company is distributing it in phases to "ensure a seamless download experience," Microsoft said. A timeline for when all customers would receive Vista SP1 via Automatic Update was not immediately available.

SP1 is a rollout of software updates that fix bugs and glitches in Vista and is seen as a milestone that will inspire many customers -- especially those in the business market -- to adopt the OS. In fact, in a recent report, "Building the Business Case for Windows Vista," Forrester Research said more business customers plan to upgrade to Vista now that SP1 is available. This comes as no surprise, considering companies often wait for the first service pack after a major Windows release to update corporate desktops.

However, even SP1 will not guarantee that enterprises and business customers currently running XP or an earlier version of Windows will upgrade, as some have said they would skip the OS altogether. The same Forrester report said as much, although the research firm is recommending that companies don't skip Vista because they would not be well-positioned for future versions of Windows if they do.

Microsoft has acknowledged problems with application compatibility and lack of driver support, among others, that customers have had with Vista. It says SP1 and other updates that the company continues to make should remedy these problems. What the company hasn't said is why there were so many problems with the OS when the company had more than five years between the releases of Windows XP and Vista to ensure a smooth transition.

In fact, Microsoft seems to be looking past Vista to the future rather than addressing continued concerns about the product. In a meeting with reporters on Microsoft's Redmond, Washington, campus on Tuesday, a presentation on Windows Vista turned out to be anything but that.

Instead, Shannen Boettcher, general manager of Windows product management at Microsoft, discussed future plans for tools to virtualize corporate desktops and applications. He implied this would be an important aspect of the Windows client OS going forward, but was vague about timing.

Apart from that, Boettcher's main discussion specifically about Vista was a mention of its green-computing merits. He asserted that upgrading 10 corporate desktops to Vista is comparable to taking one automobile off the road in terms of reducing carbon footprint.

When asked about criticism of Vista in the marketplace and why there were so many problems after five years of development, Boettcher had little to say other than to acknowledge that Microsoft did not do "a very good job in preparing people for when we shipped" Vista.

He added, however, that the upgrade cycle for an OS doesn't begin to pick up until 12 months to 18 months after the OS is released, and since Vista was released to business customers in November 2007, it's right on schedule as a part of vista support

source :- http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/145030/vista_sp1_released_to_automatic_update.html

Windows Vista Ultimate

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Morrison) — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 05:21:00 +0000

Windows Vista Ultimate is one of those editions for windows lover who want to shift smoothly between the world of productivity and play. Providing complete advance capabilities one should look for in. This edition of Windows Vista offers an advanced, business-focused infrastructure, mobile productivity, and a premium home digital entertainment experience, all in a single offering.

Specifically, Windows Vista Ultimate offers all of the features found in Windows Vista Home Premium, including Windows Media Center, Windows Movie Maker with high-definition support, and Windows DVD Maker. It also offers all of the features found in Windows Vista Business, including business networking, centralized management tools, and advanced system backup features. And Windows Vista Ultimate has all of the new security and data protection features that help take Windows Vista to a whole new level of dependability.

In addition, Windows Vista Ultimate includes support for all of the new mobility features in Windows Vista, including Windows Tablet and Touch Technology, Windows SideShow, Windows Mobility Center, and other new, advanced mobility features.

Exclusive to Windows Vista Ultimate are Windows Ultimate Extras. Windows Ultimate Extras are add-ons that extend certain capabilities of your operating system or just make using your PC more fun. Windows Ultimate Extras currently available include:

Windows DreamScene, an Extra that enables you to use looped, full-motion video as your desktop wallpaper instead of a static image

Language packs for Windows multi-language interface, where users can install and use multiple languages on a single PC. Great for multi-lingual households or if you are learning a new language.

Secure Online Key Backup, where Ultimate users can store their BitLocker recovery password and Encrypting File System certificate on Windows Marketplace’s Digital Locker website for access to the key anytime, anyplace, and from any computer that has an Internet connection

BitLocker Drive Preparation Tool, an automated tool which removes the complexity of setting up your PC to use this exclusive data security feature.

Whenever a new Windows Ultimate Extra is ready for distribution by Microsoft, you will see the Ultimate Extra control panel inform you that there are new extras to download. Simply download and install the Extras and begin enjoying these exclusive software and services that give your Windows Vista experience an extra lift!

If you want a single PC that fulfills all of your work, travel, and entertainment needs, or if you simply want to be confident that you have the very best, Windows Vista Ultimate is the no-compromise edition for you.

Windows Vista SP1 now in 36 Languages

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Morrison) — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 10:49:00 +0000

It has been almost a month since we released Windows Vista SP1 to Windows Update in 5 languages. To date: millions of people have successfully installed Windows Vista SP1 on their PCs. So we're happy to announce the next step for Windows Vista SP1 availability.We are excited to report that today we are making Windows Vista SP1 available to folks running Windows Vista in any of the supported languages. Starting today, users will be able to choose to manually install Windows Vista SP1 via Windows Update or download the standalone installer from the Microsoft Download Center (x86 and x64) for any of the 36 supported languages, not just English, Spanish, German, French, and Japanese. For now, it is available for users who visit Windows Update or the Microsoft Download Center. We encourage most users to get Windows Vista SP1 via Windows Update-which will provide the best update experience.

Now, Windows Vista PCs of any supported language can update to SP1. You may be aware we also make DVD images of Windows Vista with SP1 available to certain groups like TechNet Plus subscribers, MSDN subscribers, and Volume License (VL) customers. TechNet Plus and MSDN subscribers can download these DVD images in some languages today. The remaining languages will be made available in 2 additional groups over the next few weeks.

Windows Vista Home Basic

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Morrison) — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 09:37:00 +0000

Windows Vista Home Basic is the edition of Windows for basic home computing needs. If you only want to use your PC for tasks like browsing the Internet, using e-mail, or viewing photos, then Windows Vista Home Basic may be the right edition for you. While it won't provide as many benefits as Windows Vista Home Premium, it will help you use your PC more easily and more safely than you could with Windows XP.

The first thing you'll notice about Windows Vista Home Basic is how easy it is to find the programs and files you're looking for. The instant desktop search feature looks across all of your documents, e-mails, photos, and other files, organizing the results in the way that you want to view them. When coupled with the built-in web search of Windows Internet Explorer 7 in Windows Vista, you'll spend less time looking for the things that you need and more time on the activities that you care about.

With automatic defenses against malicious software and fraudulent websites, Windows Vista Home Basic enables you and your family to use your computer with greater confidence. Plus, parents can use built-in controls to help ensure their children's computer use is protected and appropriate.

Windows Vista Home Basic makes it easier than ever to set up your new PC, with features that easily transfer all of your data and settings from your old PC to your new one. What's more, you can have peace of mind for years to come with technology that keeps your system running quickly and reliably over time.

Simply put, Windows Vista Home Basic provides you with just the essentials you need for home computing.

Note: If your system features a 64-bit processor, you can take advantage of its advanced design in this edition of Windows Vista

If you have any other questions about Windows Vista Home Basic, please be sure to visit support @ Computer Support

Microsoft offers free Vista SP1 support for all users

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Morrison) — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 10:51:00 +0000

According to IT Pro Microsoft has done a u-turn when it comes to charging users for Vista Installation or compatibility support with regard to Vista SP1. It says that Microsoft is now "offering free support to any Windows Vista SP1 user experiencing problems."

Quoting Microsoft MVP Brandon LeBlanc, it reports "you have a variety of options you can choose for support, all of which will not cost you any support fee."

Indeed, it would appear that the Microsoft Vista support site is now offering totally free support for SP1 installation and compatibility issues be it via email, IM or telephone to anyone enquiring during US Pacific time business hours, and the offer will run for a full twelve months.

If you have a machine with Vista pre-installed, then you no longer have to go via OEM support or pay Microsoft $59 for every support request, which has to be good news all round

Microsoft has a Knowledge Base article that goes into the issue. Here are the potential reasons :

You are already running Vista SP1.
Vista SP1 is not yet available for the language pack for your version of Windows.
The Windows Service Pack Blocker tool is running.
"You tried to install Windows Vista SP1, and the installation failed with a known inconsistency in the file or registry structure." Oops, this one sounds like you have a problem.
A problematic device driver was installed on the system when you tried to update to Vista SP1. Windows Update can detect some of these and block SP1.
You are running a pre-release of SP1. You must uninstall it first.
You used vLite to configure your system and removed system components required for the installation of SP1.
You have not yet installed other prerequisite updates before SP1.

You can visit the link for advice and solutions for these problems at microsoft technical support.

Windows Vista product editions revealed

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Morrison) — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 03:14:00 +0000

Hi........ Join me now as I romp through the various editions, many of which you'll see are just barely differentiated.

First up, there's Starter Edition, which like XP Starter Edition, is a crippled and lame product aimed at the two-thirds world. It will limit users to three concurrent applications, and provide only basic TCP/IP networking, and won't be suitable for most games. The next step up is Home Basic Edition, which is really the sibling to today's Windows XP Home. However, as the name suggests, there's also Home Premium Edition, and this is where we start to split features like hairs and create a gaggle of products. HPE will build on the the Basic Edition by adding, most notably, the next-generation of Media Center capabilities, including support for HDTV, DVD authoring, and even DVD ripping backed up (of course) by Windows DRM. For non-corporate types, this is probably going to be the OS that most people use. It's similar to XP Pro in power, but with all of the added bells and whistles for entertainment. Well, most of them.

Windows Vista Professional Edition won't occupy the same spot that XP Pro occupies today, because this time it's truly aimed at businesses. It won't feature the MCE functionality that Home Premium Edition has, but it begins to provide the kind of functionality you'd expect in a business environment, such as support for non-Microsoft networking protocols and Domain support. But don't expect too many businesses to necessarily turn to PE. Microsoft is also planning both a Small Business Edition and an Enterprise Edition, which build upon pro by adding (seemingly minor) features aimed at appealing to each market. SBE, for instance, includes a networked backup solution, while EE will include things like Virtual PC integration, and the ability to encrypt an entire volume of information.

Last but not least, there's Ultimate Edition. Hey, I'm just glad that they didn't call it Extreme Edition.

The best operating system ever offered for a personal PC, optimized for the individual. Windows Vista Ultimate Edition is a superset of both Vista Home Premium and Vista Pro Edition, so it includes all of the features of both of those product versions, plus adds Game Performance Tweaker with integrated gaming experiences, a Podcast creation utility (under consideration, may be cut from product), and online "Club" services (exclusive access to music, movies, services and preferred customer care) and other offerings (also under consideration, may be cut from product). Microsoft is still investigating how to position its most impressive Windows release yet, and is looking into offering Ultimate Edition owners such services as extended A1 subscriptions, free music downloads, free movie downloads, Online Spotlight and entertainment software, preferred product support, and custom themes. There is nothing like Vista Ultimate Edition today. This version is aimed at high-end PC users and technology influencers, gamers, digital media enthusiasts, and students.

OK, everyone got that?

If you have any other questions about Windows Vista, please be sure to visit support @ Computer Support

Which Vista Operating System is Right for You?

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Morrison) — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 06:29:00 +0000

When purchasing a new computer, you have several Vista operating systems to choose from including the Home, Professional and Enterprise Editions. You may also be wondering how the Vista versions compare to the XP version you have become accustomed to.

Luckily, choosing a Windows Operating System (OS) isn't rocket science, but you do have to think about what you plan to do with your new computer. Vista is available in five versions and runs best on high–end systems. Vista also has laptop and tablet PC features and is ready for flash drives. Here is a brief outline of the Vista operating systems.

Home Use

Windows Vista Home Basic – This is for basic computing; it has enough security for home use and can be installed on a simple network. This OS will run on PCs with at least 512 MB of RAM.
Replaces: Windows XP Home
Windows Vista Home Premium – Has the computing elements of the Home version with the Media Center. A capable PC with this OS can be connected to a home entertainment system and will play movies, music, organize photos and access online content. This OS requires a high–end PC and a fast Internet connection.
Replaces: Windows XP Media Center

Office Use

Windows Vista Business – This is for basic computing and has administration and networking tools and security devices for business use. It can run on basic PCs.
Windows Vista Enterprise – For large–scale, global companies. This version can handle multiple languages, a mobile workforce and Unicode.
Windows Vista Ultimate – Contains all business and home computing elements as well as the Media Center. Basically, this version does everything and requires a good system to run.
Replaces: Windows XP Professonal and Professional x64