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

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.

Tying: Brussels wants to know if Microsoft is putting pressure on manufacturers

Microsoft is currently the subject of an investigation by the European Commission concerning the integration of Internet Explorer in Windows to get the most out of your internet. Following the complaint of Opera, publisher of the eponymous browser, Brussels is trying to determine whether the practices of Microsoft harm competition.

To offer more freedom to users in their choice of browser, the European Commission intends in particular to ask the manufacturers to offer multiple applications.

Microsoft might try to influence manufacturers and Microsoft Intenet Explorer 8 : Flooded with complaints

According to Bloomberg, the manufacturers have received a questionnaire of nine questions on, inter alia, the Mariners to take into account and how to offer users the freedom of choice.

This choice could be made from a screen with several browsers in the market. The software would be preloaded on the PC or downloaded from a link on the selection screen.

But the question of the method is not the only interest the European Commission. In its questionnaire, it also contains three other questions intended to highlight potential pressure on Microsoft to PC manufacturers.

The European executive wants to find out if the publisher has contacted vendors to influence their position on how to propose several browsers on their computers. Questionnaires should be returned by Friday 12 June.

For Internet Browser support and fix you can visit Microsoft Support Available with Microsoft Certified Professionals.

Related News and Articles

• Internet Explorer 8 Launched

• Is Your Internet Speed Slow? Then Increase It

• Internet Optimization Services: Increase your Internet Speed Fast

Forrester: Microsoft Office in no danger from competitors

Microsoft Office is still the most prevalent productivity suite among enterprise customers, but 2010 could see more adoption of competitive suites as companies ponder their next investments in this area, according to a report by Forrester Research.

Eighty percent of enterprise customers are still using some version of Microsoft Office for worker productivity and collaboration, with only 8% using alternatives, which include Sun StarOffice, Google Premier Apps, Lotus Symphony and Zoho, according to the report by Forrester analyst Sheri McLeish. The report polled 152 IT decision makers.

"Basically, the bottom line is Microsoft Office is really quite entrenched in the global large business organization today," she said in an interview today.

Microsoft's technical support is winding down for both Office 2000 and Office 2003, and the roughly 20% of companies that support some version of Office but still have not moved to the current version, Office 2007, will have a decision to make in the coming year, McLeish said.

When the recession hit, companies considered their choices of productivity applications as an area where they could cut corners, she said. In 2010, depending on the economy, companies will likely start to make plans for either upgrading to Office 2010 or choosing an alternative.

Microsoft isn't planning to release Office 2010 until sometime in the first half of next year, giving competitors a chance to gain headway with enterprise customers, she said. "Given they were dragging their feet, coupled with the soured economy, it's time for them to make some choices about the future," McLeish said.

If the economy improves, Office 2010 will be a likely choice for many, she said. However, since companies don't need all of the complex functionality that Office provides, some may choose to transition from Office 2000 or 2003 to a less expensive alternative.

Still, interoperability with Office remains a key factor -- because of its long history, enterprises "won't be able to completely remove Microsoft Office from the business," McLeish said.

Google's recently introduced Wave application, which combines e-mail, IM, blogging, photo management, wikis and document sharing, could possibly become a compelling option, particularly if Google were to tie that functionality into its Google Apps suite, she added.

Vista's gains are down since Microsoft released Windows 7 beta and RC

Windows Vista's market share growth has slowed since Microsoft released public versions of Vista's successor, Windows 7, according to data published 1st June by Web metrics company Net Applications.

For the fourth month in a row, Vista's gains in May were lower than its 12-month average. That stretch coincides with the availability of Windows 7 beta in mid-January, and with the one-and-only "release candidate" issued early last month.

Although Vista has consistently posted increases since it was released -- almost exclusively at the expense of the aging Windows XP -- the size of those gains has fluctuated. During 2008, for example, Vista grew, on average, by 0.9 of a percentage point each month.

In the four full months since Windows 7 was issued to the public, however, Vista's gains have averaged just 0.5 of a point, a little over half as much.

By Net Applications' data, Windows Vista was the operating system used by 24.4% of the machines that connected to one of the 40,000-plus sites it monitors for clients, an increase of 0.45 of a percentage point over the previous month. The months before that, Vista increased 0.48 of a point (April), 0.63 (March) and 0.31 (February).

Windows 7, meanwhile, grabbed 0.42% of the market in May, an increase of 0.18 of a percentage point that translated into a month-to-month growth rate of 75%. The jump was likely caused by the May 4 delivery of the Windows 7 Release Candidate (RC).

Vista's smaller-than-usual gains in 2009 were at times dramatically down from the increases during the same months last year, illustrating the slowing uptake of the two-year-old operating system. February 2009's increase was off by 67% from February 2008, while May 2009's gain was down 36% from the same month last year.

The numbers shouldn't be a surprise. Reviews of Windows 7 have generally been positive, and an April poll claimed that corporate beta testers were four times more likely to be "very satisfied" with the beta than were early users of Windows Vista.

At the same time Vista's growth has slowed, so has the pace of Windows XP's decline, hinting that users are tightening their grip on the old-but-still-loved OS. Last month, for example, Windows XP's share dropped by 0.67 of a percentage point, to 61.5%, a significantly smaller fall-off than either the 12-month average of 0.88 of a percentage point or XP's loss of 0.95 of a percentage point in May 2008.

But not everything associated with Windows 7 was good news last month. While Net Applications noted the near-doubling of the preview's market share during May, analysis of the month's data showed that uptake progressively slowed as the weeks went by.

System Restore Helps

System Restore helps you restore your computer's system files to an earlier point in time. It's a way to undo system changes to your computer without affecting your personal files, such as e‑mail, documents, or photos.

Sometimes, the installation of a program or a driver can cause an unexpected change to your computer or cause Windows to behave unpredictably. Usually, uninstalling the program or driver corrects the problem. If uninstalling does not fix the problem, you can try restoring your computer's system to an earlier date when everything worked correctly.

System Restore uses a feature called System Protection to regularly create and save restore points on your computer. These restore points contain information about registry settings and other system information that Windows uses. You can also create restore points manually.

System Restore is not intended for backing up personal files, so it cannot help you recover a personal file that has been deleted or damaged. You should regularly back up your personal files and important data using a backup program.

System Restore tool may not necessarily help you determine the issue. The System Restore tool uses restore points to return system files and settings to an earlier point in time. You can use it to restore the operating system to a point in time in which you did not experience the issue. When you use System Restore to restore the computer to a previous state, programs and updates that you installed are removed.

To restore the operating system to an earlier point in time, follow these steps:

1. Click Start , type system restore in the Start Search box, and then click System Restore in the Programs list.

If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type your password or click Continue.

2. In the System Restore dialog box, click Choose a different restore point, and then click Next.

3. In the list of restore points, click a restore point that was created before you began to experience the issue, and then click Next.

4. Click Finish.

The computer restarts, and the system files and settings are returned to the state that they were in at the time that the restore point was created.

iYogi Awarded Red Herring Top 100 Global Company

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

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"