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.

Windows supporter, "Opera" started a boycott campaign

Supporters of the Windows JCXP.Net "Boycott Opera" campaign began. Opera Software that Microsoft is asking users to participate in the complaints have started a lawsuit against the Antimonopoly Act.

The European Union (EU) that Microsoft was the opportunity to begin a survey of antitrust for European Union, Opera's complaint submitted to the year 2007.

JCXP there is June 12, started a boycott campaign. JCXP managing editor, David Taraso said in a blog, Microsoft of violating anti-trust lawsuit in the Opera and the boycott that led to the decision, he wrote the following.

Today, Opera Software bundled to completely boycott.

Opera action is legitimate in a way that companies can not share, the less popular Windows browsers just trying to push the system. Opera is simply, and not just their share of the browser market, Google's "Chrome" and the Apple "Safari" They are angry about being taken to share.

Then Taraso said June 14 that is described in more detail why the boycott movement to push this blog.

One may want to clarify. I do not have Opera and Opera browsers are not hated (actually, my 2008 year MEINBURAUZA "Opera 9" was). Opera is a long time, and browser vendors in the market brought about a great innovation, I have admired it. However, in the EU's antitrust that Opera is trying to do it, do not agree. I, Opera is that I should take a bigger market share. However, Microsoft decided to push for Windows to advertise their products can not agree with.

Last week, the European Commission (EC), as PC makers remedies "screen voting" has come to consider the introduction. This is the Windows PC users to choose the browser that allows you to start, Microsoft is trying to circumvent the measures that the voting screen, "Internet Explorer 8" Not bundled "Windows 7" to provide the European market announced the plan. Representatives of the Opera, Microsoft's Windows 7 "E" plan to address the concerns they have expressed the view that is not enough.

What do you all think? Opera boycott, Windows bundled with IE in violation of the people to think that a gesture of their own, I think the best way?

Russia launches antitrust case against Microsoft over XP

Russian antitrust regulators are investigating Microsoft's retirement of Windows XP and could file formal charges as early as next month, according to a government statement on Thursday.

The Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) accused Microsoft of abusing its dominant position in the operating system market by pulling Windows XP from retail in June 2008, thus forcing users to buy Vista -- even though demand for the former remained high.

"Analysis of various operating systems show that the transition to the new operating system Windows Vista comes with the continued demand for the previous operating system, Windows XP," said FAS in a Thursday statement (as translated by Google Translate). "Demand of Windows XP is also confirmed by retailers and the number of orders in the field of public procurement."

FAS also charged Microsoft with violating Russian antitrust laws by setting different prices for the same product, a possible reference to the practice where Microsoft lets computer makers factory-downgrade PCs to XP Professional from either Vista Business or Vista Ultimate, the two highest-priced retail editions of that 2007 operating system.

"The case against Microsoft Corp. will be considered July 24, 2009," said FAS.

Microsoft did put an end to retail sales of Windows XP Home and Professional last June, although the former remains available to netbook makers and the latter can be installed as a downgrade from Vista. Microsoft has said it will stop shipping downgrade XP media to OEMs at the end of July, but there have been signs the aging operating system will live on; reports have claimed that a free or discounted upgrade to Windows 7 will be offered to customers who purchase a downgraded-to-XP PC between June 26, 2009, and Jan. 31, 2010.

Microsoft said it has not seen the formal complaint. "Microsoft has not yet received notice of any new investigation," said company spokesman Jack Evans in an e-mail Friday. "However, we will cooperate with any inquiry and remain committed to full compliance with Russian law."

Parts of the FAS explanation for its investigation resemble a lawsuit filed in U.S. federal court by a California woman last February. At the time, Emma Alvarado accused Microsoft of breaking consumer protection laws by barring computer makers from continuing to offer XP on new PCs after Vista's early-2007 launch. Alvarado's case, which is seeking class-action status, is on hold while the courts consider Microsoft's request that it be rolled into other antitrust issues that go as far back as 1998.

Microsoft is also facing antirust action in the European Union, which filed charges against the company in January over its bundling of Internet Explorer (IE) with Windows. The EU's antitrust agency is expected to order Microsoft to change Windows so that it offers users a "ballot screen" where they can choose from a number of browsers, including IE and rivals such as Mozilla's Firefox and Opera Software's Opera.

Late last month, Microsoft canceled a hearing on the charges, saying that senior regulators wouldn't attend because of a scheduling conflict with a major antitrust and competition conference. The hearing was slated to take place this week, starting Wednesday and ending today.

Windows Vista SP2 now available

Although most of us are waiting for Microsoft to release Windows 7, the software giant is still hard at work maintaining the current versions of Windows; namely Vista and Server 2008.

Today it has made Service Pack 2 available for download after a fairly lengthy beta period – we first looked SP2 performance back in December last year and we found very little difference between SP1 and the SP2 beta.

Microsoft posted some important ‘things to know’ about the Service Pack last month, where it says to uninstall any beta versions of the Service Pack before installing the RTM version and also noted that if you’ve used ‘vLite’ to customise your Vista install, you may have removed components that prevent SP2 from installing.

There is a workaround, though, which Microsoft has detailed in this entry on its knowledge base.

Another important thing to note is that the beta version of the Service Pack is time limited and will expire on 1st June 2010 – if you have a beta version installed, Microsoft strongly recommends upgrading before that deadline.

Additional Vista SP2 Updates

Besides Blu-ray and Bluetooth support, Vista SP2 also:

* Fixes Wi-Fi issues when Vista awakes from sleep mode.

* Improves performance of Vista desktop sidebar gadget, allowing for RSS feeds to perform better.

* Address overall Vista system performance issues. Microsoft says SP2 repairs nearly 700 nagging Vista bugs and security updates.

* Boosts power management efficiency by 10 percent.

* Gives your computer support for VIA Technologies' new 64-bit CPU

* Lets your system support exFAT, which can handle larger files and can also use UTC timestamps so you can synchronize files across different time zones.

Unified installers for both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Vista and Server 2008 are available – grab them from the links below if you’re still running Vista.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/935791

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 technical support 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"

An Encounter with Windows 7

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.