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Technology Stocks : Systemsoft Inc. (SYSF) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: j.Michael O'Hara who wrote (3167)	3/10/1998 11:33:00 PM
From: Jimbo Cobb	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 3529

1 more article on new Intel "answercenter"... is it possible this is one of the new contracts SYSF was referencing in the conference call?...I doubt it... Intel Launching Help Service AP Online, Tuesday, March 10, 1998 at 21:35 By WILLIAM McCALL AP Business Writer HILLSBORO, Ore. (AP) - Intel is launching a one-stop pay service to help computer users solve problems with any hardware or software, no matter who makes it. The world's top computer chip maker decided to move into the help business because its research showed most people don't have the time or the patience to wade through thick ''how-to'' manuals for answers to even the most basic questions. ''The No. 1 question was, 'I lost my tool bar and I don't know how to get it back ... This is not rocket science,'' said James Johnson, the Intel vice president who is heading the startup division in this Portland suburb. With the ''AnswerExpress'' service, which begins Monday, people can dial a toll-free number and Intel says they'll get their questions answered by a technician within minutes. The service will be sold in a $49.95 package combining software and three months of service. After the initial three-months, customers can suscribe for a minimum $5.95 a month for the basic online service and pay $19.95 for separate calls to technicians, or pay $14.95 a month for combined online and phone service. Major computer manufacturers offer free technical support to customers, usually for a limited period of time after purchase. However support lines have been criticized for being slow. Intel will encourage people to use its special software that dials up the help center Internet site, where customers can pose their problems directly or browse a library of frequently asked questions. The software also will automatically diagnose the customer's computer, provide data backup and virus protection. Santa Clara, Calif.-based Intel found that 70 percent of the calls to help lines at other companies were questions about how to use hardware or software, with only a fraction asking how to fix true bugs in the equipment or programs. A leading analyst says the move likely will further solidify consumer reliance on the Intel brand name while helping generate more demand for computers and software. ''Ease of use has always been issue with them,'' said Kevin House of International Data Corp. in Mountain View, Calif. Johnson said the most popular editions of several leading computer magazines are the so-called ''tip editions'' that offer ways to solve common problems. People will spend hours browsing through hundreds or even thousands of tips just to find one or two that may solve a nagging question, experts say. Michelle Lebends of Estero, Fla., who took part in early tests of the service, said she had used computers at work for years, but learned only what she needed to know to do her job as an insurance claims manager. The first time she used her machine from home, she dialed into the service center's Internet site, and a technician called her back within a few minutes with an answer. ''It was so nice that you could ask a question and have them respond in so short a time,'' she said. Johnson said the service is aimed at people like Lebends, who have some basic computer skills but are baffled when problems arise. --- Intel's help center web site is www.answerexpress.com