Online tech support is one of the best ways of reducing the downtime caused by troubleshooting computers. This is especially important in a small enterprise that does not require a full department committed to solving information technology issues. Outsourcing all this work to different experts on the Internet, each of which is knowledgeable in a particular niche, minimizes cost in many areas.
One way how online tech support helps in reducing the expenses is that it presents a conglomeration of IT professionals who deal in different electronic hitches. For example there are those versed in fixing operational systems that can provide efficient advice depending on the details communicated to them by the client. These can be subdivided into specialists who deal in particular versions of the major operating systems. The fact that many technicians of different capabilities work under one firm means that one does not have to look for multiple technicians to fix each specific problem at a time.
Another way in which this web based help can be instrumental to sound electronic systems is in enhancing personal skills. Certain problems like those of blurred images on the screen, localized slow Internet connections, and incompatibility of software in a particular machine can be fixed through a do-it-yourself guide. One can look for an answer on anything related to computers and use professional guidelines and also user reviews to do the work themselves.
For online tech support to work out between the two sides in the virtual world of the web, it is important for the owner to diagnose the problem beforehand. This is because some hitches can be affecting all computers in a network and therefore one would be advised to wait until the problem is resolved universally. They can also connect their servers to a remote data center, especially if they are large businesses, where they can be served firsthand at minimal cost.
Source : ezinearticles
How Online Tech Support Minimizes Cost
Tech Support Survival Tips
Hardly anybody enjoys talking to tech support. And whenever the topic even comes up, it seems to really hit a nerve with people. That is why you need tech support survival tips, tips that can streamline the tech support process and, therefore, get you the help you are seeking. Tech support survival tips are practical for you to use when resolving any issue -- a computer issue, a phone issue, a television issue.
1.Patience
Patience is a virtue, and it is a tech support survival tip you should learn. Be polite with tech support staff when you are on the line, even if you are frustrated by your tech problem. To help yourself remain calm, you may want to try a few suggestions. You can help yourself to a glass of water, take several deep breaths or even do some muscular stretches.
2. Serial Number
Before you call the tech support line, have the product's serial number available. You can find the serial number on the back of most manuals or the back of the devices themselves. Having the serial number ready lets the tech support worker target the proper piece of equipment you are calling about. If your call concerns a software issue, then immediately tell the tech support worker if you have a PC or a Mac.
3. Proper Number
People sometimes call the wrong tech support department when they have a tech problem. To avoid this, double-check the phone number and company name to make sure you are calling the proper manufacturer or company. It may sound obvious, but following this tip saves everyone time and resources.
4. Accurate Information
Always provide accurate, detailed and comprehensive information -- the more the merrier, in this case -- to tech support staff so they don't waste their time on misdirected suggestions. Informing the support worker what you were doing when the computer or other device encountered a problem is vital. With that information, the worker may already be able to diagnose the origin of your problem before you have to explain further.
Source : eHow.com
Tech Support and Museum Participation
NEW YORK— Mark your Google calendars! The VIP Art Fair, an ambitious experiment in creating an online-only art fair, is gearing up to return in 2012, having absorbed some hard-won lessons from last year's rocky launch. The organizers of the digital fair have just announced that VIP2.0, as they are calling the second iteration, will be "live" between February 3-8.
Sparking loads of hype and speculation, the first edition promised to cut the costs associated with art fairs — which for galleries include shipping art and providing lavish entertainments for clients — while providing its own air of exclusivity by featuring some of the world's best galleries and having a log-in-only "VIP Lounge" with exclusive content. But the fair was bedeviled with technical issues that at one point completely crashed the site. Some dealers also complained of being unable to move big-ticket items online.
Yet despite the bugs, not everyone was unhappy. "Not only did we sell work to new clients (your ultimate goal in any fair), but we connected the dots on long-standing clients who didn't know about certain works by other artists we work with," dealer Ed Winkleman enthused on his popular blog, predicting that online fairs would become an increasingly important part of the gallery routine in the future.
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The exhibitor list for the 2012 edition is still in formation, but already includes such big names as Luhring Augustine, Marianne Boesky, Marian Goodman, Pace, Salon 94, Victoria Miro, White Cube, Yvon Lambert, and David Zwirner, as well as a host of hip emerging galleries. Close to 100 have already signed on for the second VIP.
Notably absent from the current list are some of the high-profile spaces touted for the first edition, among them Gagosian Gallery, Hauser & Wirth, and Sadie Coles HQ, who were listed as "VIP Founding Galleries" during the fair's launch, as well as big names like L&M Arts, Marlborough Gallery, and Michael Werner. (Following last year's VIP experience, Werner director Gordon Veneklasen had told Bloomberg that he was demanding his money back).
After the problems of the first VIP, organizers offered 50 percent refunds to participants and allowed dealers to continue maintaining their virtual online "booths" for months after the official close of the event. There was also talk of changing the fair's model, making available its "private room" service — which allows the display of high-resolution, interactive images of artworks — for year-round use to galleries, even ones who hadn't participated in the original fair.
However, this latter initiative seems to have gone by the wayside as VIP prepared for its 2012 return. "We made a decision to focus all of our energies on solving the problems that the fair experienced last year in order to deliver a flawless experience for our visitors and exhibitors at this year's fair," organizer Jane Cohan told ARTINFO in an email. "To this end, we regrouped, brought our tech team in-house, and have now built a robust site from which we can move forward."
One intriguing feature of VIP2.0 looks to be a virtual "Museum and Edition Hall," where an assortment of top international museums will sell editions. Cohan said that the Serpentine Gallery, Whitechapel Gallery, and Parkett magazine were already on board.
In any case, attempts to bring art commerce into the digital age proceed apace. In a recent report, Clare McAndrew emphasized that the fundamental economics of the art world were likely to motivate a trend towards a hybrid "bricks and clicks" model of art commerce, combining online initiatives with more traditional avenues. The VIP Art Fair, despite its rocky start, still seems best placed to take advantage of this emerging trend. Expect art-world observers to be eagerly clicking back come February.
Source : artinfo.com
Versatile Software Support
The relevant software's are updated and installed on your computer to benefit you significantly, since everyday, breakthroughs are achieved in the world of science and technology and the area of computer software is only a part of it.
Computers being an important part of our life are borne with few problems occasionally. At that hard time online technical support helps you and everybody look for resources providing computer technical support. The support works efficiently for all issues either software or hardware.
The software supports services ensure not only the protection of equipments but also create a back up for your data, and protect your network from cyber crimes such as hacking, e-mail bombing, unauthorized access and virus attacks.
Online Microsoft Windows Vista Support will diagnose and troubleshoot issues with your Windows Vista operating system. Online computer support technicians resolve all the issues of operating systems at their level best and help to satisfy the customer's needs and enhance their goodwill too.
Microsoft support intends to learn you vital and significant changes in Microsoft products and users must learn and get accustomed to, and your learning experience is going to take much less time if you are new to Word, Excel, PowerPoint or Outlook.
A line of OS produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, notebook computers, and media centers is Windows XP having universal hardware support and better graphics which makes it a better OS. Windows XP is enhanced by its important features as security and wireless support.
Online Microsoft support is a type of remote computer repair assisting in great help to things like computer optimization support. Excellent customer care is provided as online technicians are oriented as such. Each issue however big or small, is equally important and expected to receive the same amount of attention and expertise.
Microsoft Windows XP Support is provided for its versatile version, where Windows XP Home Edition is targeted at home users and Windows XP Professional is targeted at power users, business and enterprise clients offering additional features such as support for Windows Server domains and two physical processors.
You must go for online support services for setup and installation of Antispyware, if you are looking for successful defense tools and procedures. Highly trained tech support experts offer flexibility, low maintenance and centralized consoles to remove spyware and other wrong things.
Setup and installation of Antispyware software by technical experts is most required for protection against online malware threat by continually scanning for viruses, including Trojans and worms.
Setup and installation of Windows 7 is very simple, likely to other Windows operating system with online technical support. The different options are Internet, Windows 7 installation disc, or USB flash drive. In each you get the option of setup.exe. You have to double click that file to run the installation wizard. After that, the setup runs automatically and you need to just follow the on-screen prompts. Make sure that you have entered the valid product activation key.
Source: EzineArticles
Computer Tech Support
Whether you make a living as a computer support technician or just help your friends and family members when they get into trouble, helping other people solve their computer problems can be very rewarding. There are many ways to get started in the world of computer support, but it does pay to have a passion for computers.
1. Learn as much as you can about computers on your own. While classroom instruction and traditional learning are important, much of the computer tech support world is hands-on. The more real-world experience you can bring to the table, the better off you will be.
2.Check with companies in your area to determine what type of schooling and experience they are looking for in their computer tech support personnel. One way to do that is by reading the want ads, but a better way is to actually talk to people who are in computer tech support. You will find that computer technicians run the gamut in terms of background and experience, but it is important to know the requirements of any local companies you would like to work for.
3.Seek out courses at your local community college or vo-tech school. If you are still in high school, switching to a vo-tech program with an emphasis on technology can give you a leg up and introduce you to local businesspeople who may be willing to hire you as an intern or a part-time worker. If you have already graduated from high school, check out the programs offered by your local community college. Many community colleges offer not only basic computer courses but also courses that prepare students for industry certifications from Microsoft, Cisco and other major players in the tech industry.
4.Consider seeking out one of these certification tracks, especially if you are new to the tech world and lack paid experience. If you can point to a respected certification like the Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE), you may be able to get the attention of hiring managers and increase your likelihood of getting hired.
5.Be willing to start in a low-level position while you prove yourself to your employer. Many new computer tech support workers will start out in the company's help desk--fielding phone calls from frustrated computer users and assisting callers with common problems. Doing a great job in that relatively low-level role will give you the experience you need to move up to a more responsible--and better-paying--position.
Source: eHow.com
Tech wrap: Google+ now open to the masses
Google has opened up its Google+ social network to anyone who’d like to give it a whirl, after a successful three-month run as an invite-only service. The company also rolled out a slew of new features for Google+, including integration of its flagship search engine into the platform, and expanded its Hangouts video-chatting feature to enable mobile use on its own Android-based smartphones. Support for Hangouts on Apple’s iOS mobile software is “coming soon”, Google promised in a blog post. Users will soon have the option to broadcast their Hangouts sessions beyond the nine allowed participants as well by opening them up to live viewing by anyone. Want to record a chat for posterity? Well, that’s coming soon too.
Google+ rival Facebook also unveiled new tweaks to its service on Tuesday, introducing a new “ticker” on its users’ home pages and providing real-time notifications of what friends are doing on the service. Facebook also revamped the service’s main news feed to flag important items — such as a new baby announcement — for Facebook users who have not logged on for a few days. Facebook also changed the way photos are displayed on the site, increasing the size of pictures that appear in a users’ news feed.
U.S. prosecutors accused poker website Full Tilt Poker on Tuesday of running a Ponzi scheme in which the company’s owners and board members paid themselves nearly half a billion dollars while defrauding players. That indictment accused three Internet poker companies — Full Tilt Poker, Absolute Poker and PokerStars — and 11 people, including Full Tilt director Raymond Bitar, of bank fraud, illegal gambling and money laundering offenses. Read the complaint in full here.
Oracle posted quarterly revenue slightly above Wall Street expectations, defying a weak outlook for global technology spending. New software sales, a gauge of future profit because they generate high-margin long-term service contracts, rose 17 percent compared with analysts’ expectations for 15 percent.
Whither the AT&T/T-Mobile merger? In a new analysis, Reuters correspondents Sinead Carew and Nicola Leske argue that “If AT&T fails to convince U.S. regulators that its proposed purchase of Deutsche Telekom AG’s T-Mobile USA should go ahead, the pair may end up having to settle for a lesser relationship.”
Texh Support Opportunity
Much has recently been made of the increasing need SMBs have for mobile systems and services. However, some statistics from a new study by business communications provider Fonality make it clear that SMB’s need for mobility is even more pressing than the pundits are saying. We don’t want to put too much weight in a vendor-produced survey, but it still presents a powerful argument for MSPs to focus even more on mobility, branch office and home office support.
This article’s headline is not a typo. The study finds that a full 50% of workers at SMBs employing 10-250 people work outside the primary office, with a quarter of SMB staff out and about at any given time. So if an SMB has 250 employees, about 125 of them will need reliable mobile access to corporate systems part or all of the time.
Save Your SMB Clients $10K per Mobile Employee&l
And lack of this access is hurting SMBs. The study finds that productivity loss is up to six hours per week of wasted time per mobile SMB employee. By providing the same business communications experience inside and outside the office, Fonality says an average firm consisting of 137 employees with 67 mobile workers can recoup up to $700,000 annually in measurable staff productivity gains, or more than $10,000 per mobile employee. Those figures make for a pretty persuasive sales pitch.
Four in 10 SMBs Plan Mobile/Cloud Deployments
In many cases, the study finds your sales pitch has already been done for you. More than four in 10 (43%) SMBs plan to deploy cloud-based or hosted mobile solutions to improve delivery to employees. Almost every one of them will need help from an MSP in implementing, integrating and managing these systems.
SMBs Look to Tablet, UC Capabilities
It is also worth noting the study predicts that tablet computers will become the standard SMB mobile device in 18 month, so don’t focus all your mobile services efforts on smartphones. Additional details from the report revealed that real-time presence as well as corporate directory and calendar access are favored Unified Communications (UC) capabilities; contact center functionality, including customer escalation, skills-based routing and queue management are an increasingly high priority; and Wi-Fi connectivity is a preferred method to preserve mobile plan minutes.
This is pretty powerful data, though it’s important to note that Fonality promotes a mobile unified communications solution for small business customers. Four in 10 SMBs are planning their mobile transition, and the rest will surely be interested to hear about possible savings of $10,000 per mobile employee. Are you convinced that getting seriously involved in managed mobile services is a good idea yet?
Source : mspmentor.net
Solyndra failure threatens DOE’s clean-tech support
The collapse of solar panel manufacturer Solyndra has raised serious doubts about the legitimacy of the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) process for evaluating loan guarantees and its ability to successfully spend the remaining $10 billion earmarked to support clean technologies, observers said.
Fremont, California-based Solyndra, which designs and manufactures solar photovoltaic systems, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on 6 September after failing to secure additional funds from the private sector to continue operations. Two days later, the Federal Bureau of Investigation raided the company’s headquarters and the homes of several Solyndra executives, for reasons as yet undisclosed.
In 2009, the DOE offered Solyndra the first loan guarantee for a renewable energy project, valued at $535 million, to cover debt financing for about 73% of the cost of building a solar panel fabrication facility in California.
In late 2010, Solyndra asked the department to increase its loan commitment because it was unsuccessful in its efforts to raise additional equity. The DOE refused and Solyndra sought a new $75 million emergency loan from its current equity investors. In order to avoid an imminent default by Solyndra, the department agreed in February to restructure its loan guarantee to give the investors repayment priority over the DOE.
Republicans slam Solyndra loan guarantee
In a contentious Congressional hearing on Wednesday, Republicans in the House of Representatives argued that the department erred in giving up the government’s primary recovery position, contrary to the plain language of the statute authorising the programme, which requires the DOE’s financial commitment not to be subordinate to any other funding sources.
Jonathan Silver, executive director of the Loan Programs Office, testified that DOE’s legal counsel signed off on the decision to restructure the loan guarantee.
“You didn’t have a very good lawyer and I think you got bad advice,” replied Stephen Scalise (R-Louisiana).
Several Republican members said the review process for the Solyndra loan was rushed due to White House pressure to promote its economic stimulus package. They also implied that the loan itself was made for political reasons, namely a financial contribution to President Barack Obama by George Kaiser, one of the company’s primary backers, which Silver denied.
US solar market flooded with Chinese imports, say Democrats
House Democrats and Silver blamed market conditions for Solyndra’s collapse, specifically the influx of Chinese-made solar products that has depressed cell prices by about 42% in the first eight months of 2011, Silver stated.
China has been the most aggressive country in supporting its clean-tech sector, providing more than $30 billion in credit to the country’s largest solar manufacturers through the government controlled China Development Bank, 20 times larger than the US investment, Silver said.
But several legislators also expressed concern that they were misled in July by Solyndra officials, who claimed the company was in a good financial position and would double its revenues this year. Solyndra’s chief executive officer and chief financial officer are scheduled to testify before Congress next week.
“I have no reason sitting here today to believe we were misled,” Silver said.
The DOE’s Section 1705 loan guarantee programme is set to expire on 30 September and staffers are working to complete all conditional commitments prior to the deadline. As of 12 September, 18 loan guarantees with a total value of about $8 billion have closed and another 18 projects have received conditional commitments totalling more than $10 billion.
“If the administration was so wrong about Solyndra after nine months of due diligence, how can it possibly exercise the proper controls when doling out $10 billion dollars in a matter of weeks?” asked Fred Upton (R-Michigan), chairman of the House energy and commerce committee.
Resource : environmental-finance
How to Use Add ons for Firefox?
Have you just started using Mozilla Firefox? Have you explored the special tools available for Firefox users? Mozilla Firefox has a large set of versatile tools called Add-ons, or Extensions. They allow you to personalize Firefox to suit your tastes and browsing habits.You can block many ad images and banners with Adblock Plus. Cool Iris lets you temporarily open a small browser window to explore another link while staying on the same page. eQuake Alert will keep you informed of earthquake details from all over the world. There is a Yahoo Toolbar designed specifically to help you get the best use out of Firefox and Yahoo.There are weather add-ons, dictionary add-ons, graphics add-ons, all kinds toys and games and tools to customize your browsing experience.
* 1 Open Firefox. Click on Tools, then click on Add-ons. This will open a small window in the corner of your browser. The bottom right corner has a blue link, "Get Extensions." Click on it. This will open up a new web page with links to lots of extensions. Look around at what's available and what sounds interesting to you.
* 2 Click on one of the extensions and you will get a button that says "Add to Firefox." Go ahead and click on it. This will open up a box to verify that you want to install this add-on. Click on "Install Now." Most add-ons will then ask you if you want to complete the installation by restarting Firefox now. Either do that, or close the window and your extensions will be finished installing the next time you close and reopen Firefox.
* 3 Find Cool Iris in the list of extensions. Cool Iris is a great add-on for checking out links without opening them in new tabs or windows before you're sure you want to. Follow the instructions above to install it, including closing and restarting Firefox. Now, when you roll over a link, you will see a small blue magnifying glass. If you click on or stay on that blue icon, a separate small window will open to show you where that link would take you. Keep your cursor on the window and you can see the information. As soon as you move the cursor away from the window, it will close.
* 4 Decide if you want to keep using the add-ons. You can keep them, delete them or disable them. Click on the Add-ons menu entry and it will give you a list of all your installed Add-ons and their status. In that window, check the green symbol that says "Extensions." From there, you can enable, disable or uninstall any of them.
Read more: http://www.ehow.com/how_4432265_use-add-ons-firefox.html#ixzz1XG2Hz42J