TechWatch: LiveRepair, SecuritySpace, PCPitstop
Fix That PC Remotely
One of my colleagues bought a subscription to LiveRepair.com and found it extremely useful. Rather than listen to technicians insist he reformat his PC to fix what turned out to be a routine configuration problem, the folks at LiveRepair.com were able to connect to his computer using software it calls TekCheck and diagnose and fix the problem using screen-sharing technology called TekRemote. The service seems reasonable, particularly for VARs who don't want to worry about far-flung customers who always seem to install the wrong piece of software or delete critical drivers from their computers. The company has both individual pay-as-you-go plans and corporate outsourcing plans, so its call-center team can become your own support department. The company boasts 33 partners on its Web site, including AIPCS Systems Technologies, Computer Medic Center, Infosys and MicroAge. Its support people have at least A++ncertification or are in the process of obtaining it, while many have MCP and some MCSE, according to Larry Sheremetyev, the company's director of business development. Cases are routed to technicians best-suited to handle a problem. A new version of its customized help-desk software, called TekDesk, was released in April.
LiveRepair.com Price: Various plans, such as $99 per year, per managed PC
Scan Those Ports
Keeping your customers' networks secure is a full-time job, but what if you don't have all the necessary expertise? SecuritySpace.com comes to your rescue, and there are numerous tests that are available to scan your networks. What makes this service valuable is the recurring scans that can examine any vulnerabilities and open network ports. Depending on the number of individual IP addresses (which depends on how many routers and firewalls are attached to the Internet and how large an address space a client's network is), these reports can be very cost-effective and take just a few minutes to complete. If you are in doubt and want to try it out, check the "no risk" tab and run SecuritySpace.com's standard test battery for free. The reports are clear and easy to read, even for security novices. There is also a desktop-security audit for Windows-based PCs that costs less than $10 for a single PC and is well worth it.
SecuritySpace.com Price: Various plans, starting at $49
Tune-Up Time
Ever have trouble getting rid of Gator, that ad-supported annoyance that has clogged up more PCs than I know of? I have been using the PCPitStop.com site for its numerous tune-up tests for several years, and it continues to improve and augment its site with new ones, such as suggestions on how to rid yourself of Gator and how to ensure that your equipment is XP-ready. A number of vendors, including Dell, make use of these tools. Those of you who build your own systems can incorporate links to the various services provided, such as disk fragmentation, Active-X support and antivirus scans from Panda Software.
PCPitStop.com Price: Free