Windows Vista Installation Guide

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

2009-07-29T04:39:00.000-07:00

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 7" to affect the PC market is insignificant - say Microsoft executives

2009-06-11T03:25:00.000-07:00

Microsoft's Windows division's top executive in the U.S. on June 8, "Windows 7" and am very excited about, but the release of the OS that will lead to a surge in PC sales has not said .

"In general, Windows has the market when released, it is a minor effect, witnessed by the history that" a Microsoft senior vice president Bill Veghte said, "UBS Global Technology and Services Conference "in the" fireside chat ". "Although you see some impact, it is negligible" (Veghte's)

Veghte said last week, Microsoft is on October 22 announced that Windows 7 will ship. The company is in a few weeks, "Windows Vista" with a new buyer for the PC, Windows 7 also launched a program to provide free or cheap upgrade. Leaked memo from Best Buy, said the program would be scheduled to start late.

Veghte said the market for many companies is "Windows 7 zealot" but that, in order to determine when to upgrade your computer company to become the biggest decisions of their enthusiasm.

"Enthusiasm, it might have been masked by the macro economic environment," said Veghte, Microsoft said in a speech webcast on the Investor Relations website. "The macro environment is restored, people will be forced to買WAZARU a new PC. In the current environment, people often use the PC is not decreased at all" (Veghte's)

Mr. Veghte, Windows 7 by, Microsoft Windows is the average selling price (ASP) will increase if the questions were tough. Windows in ASP, low-cost notebook PC with an expansion of the popular online book is a big hit.

"The answer to that question is very difficult," Veghte said. "In the current economic environment, (for Windows XP, Windows Vista and around the time that has just been released) will be a similar situation I think it is very difficult. If the economy, it is very interesting questions will "(Veghte's)

In addition, Veghte said Microsoft also asked about recent efforts to cut costs, this approach has enrolled his 19-year period in which Microsoft has ever experienced even once, he said. Veghte said that if what you really need all the spending that is under consideration.

"Everything has been examined in detail," Veghte said. "I am, you change the corporate culture, are forced to pay the price really hard. I am, which Microsoft believes that it is wonderful for its corporate culture" (Veghte's)

Microsoft Windows Vista for the user on whether to prepare an inexpensive upgrade, Veghte said there was no clear answer. However, Veghte said, Microsoft is, at prices from a "very smooth" and hopes to provide an upgrade path.

Microsoft denies it profits from Vista-to-XP downgrades

2009-06-05T04:23:00.000-07:00

Microsoft Corp. has denied that it makes money when users "downgrade" Windows Vista to the older XP, as a lawsuit filed last week alleges.

The lawsuit, submitted to a Seattle federal court last Wednesday, stems from the $59.25 fee that a California woman was charged in mid-2008 when she bought a Lenovo laptop and downgraded from Vista to XP.

"Microsoft does not charge or receive any additional royalty if a customer exercises those [downgrade] rights," said Microsoft spokesman David Bowermaster in an e-mail late last week. "Some customers may choose or need to obtain media or installation services from third parties to install the downgrade version."

In fact, it's computer makers, not Microsoft per se, that charge users the additional fees for downgrading a new PC from Vista to XP at the factory. For example, Dell Inc. adds an extra $20 to the price to downgrade a PC.

However, Microsoft may profit from the way it structures downgrade rights. Only buyers of PCs with preinstalled editions of Vista Business and Vista Ultimate can downgrade, and then only to Windows XP Professional. All three editions are higher-priced versions of their respective lines, a fact that the lawsuit mentioned in passing.

"Customers have been forced to purchase the most expensive version of [Windows XP] in order to 'downgrade' from the Windows Vista operating system," the complaint read.

That was the cause of some confusion last year, when Dell was accused of gouging customers by charging $150 to downgrade a new computer to XP. Dell countered that although it did charge $20 to install XP on the machine, as well as to cover the cost of the additional media, the bulk -- $120 of the $150 -- was the price of upgrading the PC from the standard Home Premium to the more expensive Business edition.

Microsoft does not offer downgrade rights with its Vista Home Premium, the most popular of Vista's editions.

"Microsoft mandates that customers who want to downgrade to XP must purchase the license to Vista Business or Vista Ultimate," said Dell spokesman David Frink last December. "[That's] typically about a $130 premium, though some retail outlets charge more."

"Downgrade" describes the Windows licensing rights that Microsoft gives users, who are allowed under some circumstances to replace newer versions of Windows with an older edition without having to pay for another license. The practice became popular last year when users, unhappy with Vista's performance on the new PCs they bought, instead sought ways to run the leaner XP.

The lawsuit, filed by Los Angeles resident Emma Alvarado, charged Microsoft with multiple violations of Washington state's unfair-business practices and consumer protection laws through its policy of barring computer makers from continuing to offer XP on new PCs after Vista's early-2007 launch. She claimed Microsoft's practice resulted in customers paying more for XP than they otherwise would. "They have been forced to pay substantially more to acquire the Windows XP operating system than they would have to pay in a competitive marketplace," the suit said.

Alvarado also named 100 "John Doe" co-defendants. "[They] are the persons, firms and corporations who have participated with Microsoft in the wrongdoings complained of and performed acts and made statements in furtherance thereof," the lawsuit read. "The Doe defendants acts as co-conspirators and aided and abetted, or participated with, Microsoft in the commission of wrongful acts."

Bowermaster claimed that Microsoft had no downgrade program as such. "Microsoft does not have a downgrade program. It does offer downgrade rights as part of some Windows Vista licenses, including Windows Vista Business purchased through the OEM channel." That, however, belies the fact that Microsoft has regularly offered downgrade rights to users. When it released Windows XP in 2001, it allowed people who had XP licenses to downgrade to Windows 2000, Windows NT 4.0 or Windows 98, according to Gartner Inc. analyst Michael Silver.

FIX: "Access to the Registry Key Denied" Error Message When You Register .NET Assembly for COM Interop

2009-06-02T02:11:00.000-07:00

When you try to register a .NET assembly for COM Interop, you receive the following error message:

"COM Interop registration failed. Access to the registry key denied"

This error can occur under the following circumstances:

- You build an assembly that registers itself for COM Interop. -or-

- You use the Assembly Registration utility (Regasm.exe) to register the assembly for COM Interop.

The error may occur even if the person who performs the operation is an Administrator on the system.

This problem occurs because the current user does not have the correct permissions for the following key in the Windows registry:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Component Categories\{62C8FE65-4EBB-45e7-B440-6E39B2CDBF29}

To resolve this problem, follow these steps:

Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For added protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs.

1. Log on to the computer with an account that is a member of the Administrators group on the local computer.
2. Click Start, click Run, and then type regedt32 to start Registry Editor.
3. Locate and then click the following subkey:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Component Categories\{62C8FE65-4EBB-45e7-B440-6E39B2CDBF29}
4. If your computer is running Windows NT 4.0 or Windows 2000, click Permissions on the Security menu.

If your computer is running Windows XP, right-click the key, and then click Permissions.
5. Click Advanced.
6. Click to select the Inherit Permission from Parent Object check box, and then click Apply.
7. Verify that all of the users or the groups who will be registering or using .NET assemblies through COM Interop have the following advanced permissions:

- Query Value
- Enumerate Subkeys
- Notify
- Read Control

To verify the permissions, double-click the user or the group. If any of the users or the groups do not have any of these permissions, click to select the Allow check box for the missing permissions.

To add additional users or groups to the list, click Add in the Advanced Settings dialog box. Typically, as long as the Users, the Power Users, and the Administrators in the group are present with the correct permissions, everything works correctly.
8. Close Registry Editor.
9. Register the .NET assembly for COM Interop by using Microsoft Visual Studio .NET or the Regasm.exe utility.

Clean installation of Windows Vista

2009-05-27T05:24:00.001-07:00

Windows Vista from an earlier version of Microsoft Windows or you can perform a "clean installation" of Windows Vista. When you perform a clean installation, files that were part of the previous installation are deleted before you install Windows Vista.
Before you get started
Before you begin to install Windows Vista, make sure that you have everything that you need for the installation. Make sure that your computer meets the minimum system requirements to install and run Windows Vista. Also, determine whether you must perform an upgrade or a clean installation of Windows Vista. Use the information in this section to help you make these
Internet Connection
Make sure that you can connect to the Internet.
System requirements
The following list describes the recommended minimum hardware requirements for basic functionality of the different editions of Windows Vista. Actual hardware requirements vary, depending on system configuration and on the programs and the features that you install. If you install Windows Vista over a network, additional hard disk space may be required.

Windows Vista Home Premium, Windows Vista Business, Windows Vista Enterprise, and Windows Vista Ultimate
1-gigahertz (GHz) 32-bit (x86) processor or 1-GHz 64-bit (x64) processor
1 GB of system memory
Windows Aero-capable graphics card
128 MB of graphics memory (minimum)
40-GB hard disk that has 15 GB of free hard disk space (the 15GB of free space provides room for temporary file storage during the install or upgrade.)
Internal or external DVD drive
Internet access capability
Audio output capability
Perform a clean installation of Windows Vista by starting the computer from the Windows Vista DVD
Note The computer must be configured to start from the DVD drive. For information about how to configure the computer to start from the DVD drive, see the documentation that is included with the computer. Or, contact the computer manufacturer.

To perform a clean installation of Windows Vista by starting the computer from the Windows Vista DVD, follow these steps:
1. Start the computer.
2. Insert the Windows Vista DVD into the DVD drive and then close the drive tray.
3. Restart the computer.
4. When you receive the "Press any key to boot from CD" message, press a key.
5. Follow the instructions to install Windows Vista.
If Windows Vista is now running on your computer, you have completed the installation successfully.

iYogi Acquires Clean Machine Inc.

2009-05-14T00:55:00.001-07:00

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

2009-01-29T05:41:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-20T05:25:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-14T05:53:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-12T03:56:00.000-08:00

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

2008-09-23T05:49:00.001-07:00

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.

2008-08-27T06:36:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-25T14:54:00.000-07:00

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

Installing Upgrade XP Home Premium to Vista Home Premium

2008-04-01T20:29:00.000-07:00

For most users who have Windows XP Home, the most logical upgrade path to Windows Vista is via the Home Premium version. And, the simplest way to get upgraded is to install the upgraded version of Vista Home Premium over your existing version of Win-XP Home.

Upgrade Preparations

Upgrading your computer’s operating system requires some preparation and some computer support tweaks, so take these simple steps, and your upgrade path should be smooth. We’ll assume your computer will run Vista Home Premium with no problems.

Before you install Vista, make sure all your drivers are up-to-date with the latest Vista-compatible versions, and remember to back up all of your important files. Most OS upgrades go without a hitch, but every now and then a botched installation results in data loss.

At the beginning of the installation, you have the option to have Windows check for compatibility.

In fact, if you are sweating the transfer of commonly used data—such as user accounts, email messages, Windows and Internet settings, etc.—from one computer to another, the Windows Easy Transfer wizard can help. This is a free wizard-based tool that lets you seamlessly transfer files and settings, but not programs, from one computer to another using an easy transfer cable, a home or business network, a removable hard drive, or removable media

Starting The Installation

To begin the upgrade process, insert your Vista installation DVD into your computer’s DVD drive. The Install Windows setup screen will appear automatically once your disc is read by your DVD drive.

The first step in the installation routine presents two choices: Check For Compatibility Online or Install Now. Click Install Now to begin the installation, unless you wish to check your system for Vista compatibility one more time.

Next, Windows takes a few minutes to prepare for the installation. The next screen offers you the opportunity to download the latest updates before beginning the installation by clicking the Go Online To Get The Latest Updates For Installation link.

Keep in mind, however, that once you start using Vista, if you have set it up to automatically download updates, all the latest updates will automatically install. So if you want to install Vista without further ado, click the Do Not Get The Latest Updates For Installation link to proceed.

When you enter your product key, you can also tell Vista to automatically activate Windows when you go online.

At the next screen, enter the product key found inside your Windows package into the Product Key text-box. You also have the choice not to enter the product key at this time. But unless you have some compelling reason not to, it’s best to enter the product key when requested by the installation program.

Next, the installation routine presents you with the license agreement for Vista; click the I Accept The License Terms checkbox and then click Next to continue.

In the next screen, the Vista installation program asks you to choose between an Upgrade installation or a Custom (Advanced) installation. An Upgrade install keeps all your files, settings, and programs and simply upgrades Windows.

The Custom installation allows you to install a clean copy of Windows by giving you the option to erase the existing partition of data and install Windows to it. You can also select the partition where you want to install Windows or make changes to your disks and/or partitions. To upgrade from WinXP Home to Vista without the clean install, click the Upgrade link.

The next step generates a Compatibility Report, the final check for potential problems before installation begins. If issues are found, the installation program displays a warning advising you of the fact, along with a link for more information. If you want to find more information about the compatibility report, simply click the Click Here For More Information link, and Windows displays a list of hardware devices or applications that may not work properly once Vista starts.

If you see a lot of items on this list, you may want to consider aborting the installation, resolving the issues, and restarting the installation once updates to your system are complete. If you wish to proceed, click Next to continue with the installation.

Let The Upgrade Begin

Now the Vista installation begins in earnest. This is the slowest step of the process as the installation program performs five steps: Copying Windows Files, Gathering Files, Expanding Files, Installing Features And Updates, and Completing Upgrade.

A progress bar keeps you apprised of the installation’s progress as Windows is upgraded.

Once the install routine finishes the Installing Updates step, the system will reboot. You see a screen that tells you to, “Please wait a moment while Windows prepares to start for the first time.” Once the system restarts, you are returned to the installation program where Vista tells you it is Completing Upgrade. This step may take a while to complete, so be patient and let it run its course. When this step is finished, Windows reboots.

The next step in the installation process requests that you create an administrator account for Vista, complete with your choice of available icons to identify your account. Click Next to continue; in the next screen, you’ll enter a name for your computer and choose a background for your Desktop. Provide a name and then click Next to move on to the Help Protect Windows Automatically screen where you are given three choices: Use Recommended Settings, Install Important Updates Only, and Ask Me Later. To fully automate your computer’s security and automatic updates protections, choose the Use Recommended Settings option.

In the next few screens, you'll choose your time and date settings and select your computer's location. (The choices are Home, Work, or Public Location.) Eventually, you will come to a Thank You screen, where you click the Start button to launch Vista for the first time. At this time, the install program performs one final system check and launches the login screen. Once you log in to your account, a welcome screen appears followed by another screen informing you that Windows is preparing your Desktop. After a few minutes, your Desktop appears. (Get ready to wait just a bit longer as Windows prepares some personalized settings.)

Once your Desktop appears, Windows will briefly download updates and launch the Welcome Center, where you can view details about your computer, add new user accounts, learn more about Vista, and more. You’re now ready to go.

Upgrading from Windows XP to Windows Vista with an “Upgrade” Install

2008-03-26T22:17:00.000-07:00

The principle is a sound one at first – users would simply use the upgrade functionality built into the “Setup” process of Windows Vista so that there is no need to reinstall the programs one uses, as well as all of the user's personalized settings are “transferred” to the new operating system using this process.

Unfortunately, Windows XP and Windows Vista are entirely different computer operating systems; each OS is built on entirely different code and the fundamental workings of the separate operating systems are like chalk and cheese. In practice therefore, any computer support personnel cannot recommend that the “Upgrade” installation method be used as it has been shown that users doing so experience many problems with drivers and program compatibility even after using the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor

Users would be better off with a clean Vista installation using any of the previous installation methods discussed above, and ending up with a Vista operating system which is “unaffected” by the shortcomings of the previous versions of Windows, including its programs and hardware drivers.

With the above issues being raised and discussed regarding the XP to Vista upgrade path, PROnetworks believes it necessary to not only provide users with an in-depth XP to Vista upgrade guide, but to also to inform users seriously considering the upgrade path on what they are likely to expect during this upgrade installation method; the link below will take you to a highly detailed XP to Vista upgrade installation guide:

How to perform a clean installation of Windows Vista

2008-02-28T01:04:00.000-08:00

Here are the steps summarized for the clean window vista installation from the windows vista DVD

Step 1: Boot the System with windows vista DVD

Start your computer and insert the windows vista DVD into the DVD drive, and close the DVD tray. Now Reboot the system.

Note The PC must be configured to start from the DVD drive. For information about how to configure the computer to start from the DVD drive, see the documentation provided along the computer. Or, contact the computer manufacturer.

Step 2: Press any key to continue

When the "Press any key to boot from CD" message appears, press a key.

Step 3: Complete the installation process

Installation process on your system started from the DVD drive will guide you through the complete process Follow the instructions step by step to install Windows Vista.

For any short of trouble shoot and installation help you can go through the link Vista Installation

Warning: Backup your personal data such as financial documents, images and other necessary stuff. With a clean installation, existing data is deleted. This data includes personal data and settings. After you install the operating system, you must also reinstall all programs.

About the Blog

2008-02-14T22:48:00.000-08:00

Hi.. Everybody..

So, here we are to discuss all the aspects of installing Windows Vista. We will try to cover and explore all the aspects of installation of vista and what ever update and service packs available upto date .

Then the Question is why a Blog for such a task which is as simple as breaking a cookies ?

Well what i have to state, with different OS in the market and going with a latest one and dropping the existing sometimes brings a lot of mess and confusion the way to approach.

When a non technical person try to take the things handy the overall task is just like concurring a new aspect for him and his computer support skill. It's my small step forward to share my knowledge and insight..

So, Just get along with the post's and HAPPY INSTALLATION :)

Last but not the least to state your appreciation and query's are most welcome..