One thing that our computers are still comically bad at is sharing large files between each other. You want to send a birthday movie to your mother? Good luck. E-mail is hopeless for large files and sharing services are too complicated. Your best (and fastest) bet is to burn the files to a DVD and mail it.

ITwin is an attempt to fix this, although it comes with its own problems. The double-ended USB dongle breaks in two and plugs into two different computers, allowing you to transfer files between them over the Internet. These computers can be Macs or PCs, and the only other requirement is that they be switched on and online.

The dongle auto-installs its software the first time you plug it in, and the two halves generate and share an encryption key between themselves whilst still joined together. Then, when split, the second part can be plugged into any machine and files are transferred back and forth. ITwin is billed as a connecting cable, without the cable. We might add “without the speed” to that list, as you’re limited by the upstream connection of the sending computer.

The iTwin is really little more than software disguised as hardware: you could punch a hole in your firewall and encrypt the transfers for free if you wanted to. The difference is that your Uncle Pete can use this as easily as using a USB stick.

The price is $100, which is cheap or way overpriced, depending on your needs. The iTwin is available now.

Source:http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2011/09/itwin-dongle-splits-in-two-connects-remote-computers/

How do I know if I can trust when someone wants to do remote service on my computer?

The Internet has brought massive change to just about every aspect of our lives and dealing with your computer problems is no exception.

Virtually every computer of any importance is connected to the Internet these days, which means getting help via a remote technician is now a very common offering.
The process is fairly simple in most cases: you must go to a specific web page, click on an authorization button (or a series of acknowledgements) which allows the remote support person to access your computer via your web browser session.

Once you close that session, the remote service person can no longer access your computer, so the common myth that ‘once they are in, they can get in whenever they want’ is simply not possible (for legitimate service providers).

No legitimate company would ever allow their technology to give them secret access to your computer as the fallout from this practice would likely put them out of business.

The key to knowing whether you can trust the process starts with how the remote service is being offered.

If YOU call a service provider or company that you already do business with (Microsoft, Linksys, Data Doctors, etc.) and they offer remote service as an option to fix your problem, you can generally be assured that it’s trustworthy.

If someone calls you out of the blue to tell you that you have a problem and they can fix it by remoting in, then you should be very suspicious.

There is a recurring scam that’s been going around where you will receive a phone call from someone claiming to be from Microsoft (or some other large tech company) and that they have detected that your computer is infected.

They try to convince you that they are being good Samaritans or scare you and offer to remote in to fix it for you.

Since you did not initiate the call, you have no way to validate this person, so you should always decline the offer. Microsoft has no remote method to know if you are infected and they certainly don’t have a group of benevolent technicians that spends their days roaming the Internet remotely cleaning up virus infections.

Trust is the key element when allowing anyone to work on your computer whether they are doing it remotely, in a repair shop or even if they are right in front of you in your home or business.

If a technical support person with malicious intent works on your computer, they could just as easily plant malicious code on your computer even if you are standing over their shoulder and you would never know it.

If you take your computer to a repair shop, they generally have it for days and could do anything they wanted with your data without you ever knowing. No matter how you get your computers serviced, it comes down to trusting your service provider.

Some would say that remote service is more transparent, because you can literally sit and watch everything that the technician is doing while he/she is doing it.
Remote service certainly isn’t the answer to all your computer problems especially if it’s a hardware issue, but it sure is nice when you’re in a hurry to get something fixed, especially for small businesses or busy moms.

For general computer service needs, finding a company that gives you the option of taking it to a repair facility, having a technician dispatched to your home or business or remotely fixing your problem allows you to decide which method you are most comfortable with on a case-by-case basis.

Once you have established a relationship with a company you trust, allowing them to remotely access your computer to assist you can really be quite efficient for both you and them.

Source:http://www.abc15.com/dpp/money/consumer/data_doctor/is-it-safe-to-allow-remote-service-on-my-computer

Microsoft announced the new features users can expect in Silverlight 5, the cross-platform runtime and development platform. These will be made despite a shift to focus on HTML5, with executives at the software giant saying a public beta will arrive in the second quarter of 2011, and a final release-to-Web arriving before the end of 2011.

Chief among the more than 40 new features in Silverlight 5 is hardware video decoding that allows H.264 HD video demonstrations in lower-power devices thanks to GPU support. Support for remote controls is also due, along with DRM advancements that will bring easier switching between sources. A TrickPlay feature will let users play back video at different speeds and supports both fast-forward and rewind commands.

Also at the event, Microsoft together with partner Telerik is showing a final version of the Silverlight for Facebook app. Telerik will take over development and maintenance of the free app, which will now be called Telerik Silverbook. The web component is currently powered by Silverlight 4.

Enterprise app developers will find newfound support for Postscript vector printing, a fluid user interface for smoother animations and reduced network latency thanks to background threading.

Also due is support for 64-bit operating systems, a GPU-accelerated 3D API and an immediate mode graphics API that grants direct rendering to the GPU. Improvements were also made to the XAML parser to speed up startup and runtime performance. Hardware acceleration will also be possible in a windowless mode with Internet Explorer 9.

Source:-http://www.electronista.com/articles/10/12/02/silverlight.5.due.in.beta.second.half.of.2011/

Regular Rate and Rhythm Software today is pleased to announce Rowmote Pro 3.2 for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad, a major update to their complete remote control solution for Mac OS X and Apple TV.
Rowmote Pro emulates the Apple hardware remote control, providing application-specific controls through a consistent interface, while featuring a multitouch trackpad and keyboard.

New in the version 3.2 release, its trackpad sports true multitouch, with one, two, three, and four finger gestures – positioning it as a competitor to Apple’s own Magic Trackpad for Mac users who own an iOS device, at just one-fourtheenth the cost.

The Rowmote Pro keyboard continues to handle anything the device itself can – including accented characters and international layouts.

Rowmote Pro controls thirty popular applications, from music applications like iTunes and PandoraBoy to video players such as DVD Player, Hulu Desktop, Plex, and Front Row, to presentation tools such as Microsoft Powerpoint and Apple Keynote, precisely as the Apple hardware remote would.

Its consistent, attractive interface makes it easy to manage a media center computer or a presentation. On the iPad, the central Gesture Pad provides intuitive no-look control via taps and swipes as well as access to the trackpad.

Rowmote Pro evolved from Rowmote for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad, which offers the same features except without keyboard and mouse support.

An in-app upgrade path is available for Rowmote users who wish to add the Pro version’s capabilities.

Device Requirements:

* iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad with iOS version 3.0 or later

* Three and four finger gestures require iOS 3.2 or later

* The free Rowmote Helper software must be running on the Mac or Apple TV

Pricing and Availability:

Rowmote Pro 3.2 is $4.99 (USD) and available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Utilities category.

Source:http://www.iphonenewstracker.com/2010/09/17/rowmote-pro-mac-remote-control-adds-3-and-4-finger-gesture-support/

Sometimes we are in mid of an important task and suddenly a computer problem occurs then there’s only a one solution and that is Remote Computer Repair Service.

It can be accessed directly from technician’s office and connect it from anywhere.

We just thanks to such type of services and technology, which has give us that type of momentum. We just need to contact to the repair service company and in a few clicks they can repair our computer.

Such type of companies has a very good reputation in the market and they don’t even charge a single penny before repairing it completely.

They have a high level of experience to solve any type of problem because that is what they have to do in daily work.

Businessman’s always in a need of such type of services as they don’t have enough time to wait and then resume their work; they always want quick action and solution.

One more benefit of remote service is that you can also watch out the activities what they are doing because all of the occurrences will be happen upon you and you can keep an eye on that easily and if you have some time for that you can also learn some minor problem solutions also.

Personal repairs by technicians can cause some serious problems also like exchange of costly parts of computers or irresponsibility shown by them but in Remote Computer Repair Service we can make a proper look on each activity.

Remote computer set up can also make easily, you just need to connect it through internet and share your system details to set it up.

Then they will start working through installing of software for viruses like Trojan horse or checking system performance, accurate previous software installation etc.

Sometimes they even solve minor hardware problems also.

Remote computer service is really a great service which can help people instantly and make solutions of that in less time.

The cost of such services is also very cheap as compare to other one.

We just need to find the right person according to our problem occurs in the computers.

Source:http://www.booshnews.com/2010/09/11/remote-computer-repair-service-is-a-right-decision/

Defence is to procure some 370 PCs and wireless carriage to provide internet access to help boost the morale of personnel serving overseas, patrolling Australia’s border or on extended exercises.

The initiative will allow approximately 3300 Australian troops currently serving in 13 overseas operations and some 500 domestic personnel to email or call home using VoIP telephony and update their iPods or other similar devices.

Under the initiative one wireless-internet capable fixed PC will be deployed for every ten deployed personnel in each overseas location.

Each console will include instant messaging and VoIP software as well as VoIP hardware and Apple’s iTunes. Security will be provided by commercially available anti-virus and anti-malware software.

The consoles will also feature software supporting Microsoft Word format documents, Microsoft Excel spreadsheets, PDF files, MP3 format music and MPEG and Flash videos.

Downlink bandwidth of at least 56kbps of internet access per user when fully loaded with both fixed PC consoles and with wireless users.

“Current-generation Australians utilise the internet for many reasons including personal business, banking, social networking and communicating with friends and family via email, instant messaging or voice over internet protocol (VoIP),” Defence documents on the initiative read.

“[Australian Defence Force] personnel are no different and the provision of these services to deployed forces is seen as a major contributor to morale and an extension of its existing amenities support.”

Australia has troops serving in locations including East Timor, the Solomon Islands, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Sudan, Egypt, and Iraq.

Source:http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/358038/remote_defence_personnel_get_recreational_pcs/

With the launch of Windows Home Server Vail’s first Preview Refresh, Microsoft revealed one of the major improvements in the new platform – support for Mac OS. Whilst HP has supported Mac OS on the MediaSmart Server for some time, those with hardware from other manufacturers as well as self-builders with Macs were left out in the cold.

Vail creates a level playing field, with the base operating system supporting the backup of Mac OS computers as well as the inclusion of a bespoke Windows Home Server Connector and Launchpad for Mac.

Whilst Mac support is still incomplete and a little rough around the edges, it’s clear to see the inclusive direction being taken by Microsoft. Let’s take a look at what’s in store for Mac owners.

Windows Home Server Connector for Mac

Install the Windows Home Server Connector on a PC (by accessing http://yourservername/Connect) and you’ll see the first hints of Mac support, with the option to download software for Mac offered in tiny writing underneath the PC download. Click the option and you can download a .dmg with the Windows Home Server Connector application for Mac.

3 thumb6 Windows Home Server Vail Preview: Mac Support Deep Dive

Testing access to the connector on the Mac was more problematic (for me anyway).Trying http://yourservername/Connect in Safari did not open the splash page with the home server refusing to be found.

It may well be that using the server’s IP address rather than device name would do the trick – however, I had the dmg file already downloaded and ready on a USB stick. So for now, let’s assume the link will be fixed and the file is downloaded to the desktop.

Opening the Mac Connector application runs a connection wizard which is broadly similar to that which runs on the PC to connect the computer to Windows Home Server.

Note however that you’ll need the server’s IP address for the initial connection and there’s no option for waking the Mac for backup (as Time Machine will ultimately take care of the backup schedule).

Before closing the wizard, you have the option to automatically run the Windows Home Server Launchpad at startup.

Windows Home Server Launchpad

The connector installs a Mac-specific version of the Windows Home Server Launchpad, which differs slightly from the PC version in a couple of ways. Firstly, you’ll see that there is currently no option for accessing the Dashboard from the Mac – at this point, we do not know if this option will be enabled in a future release candidate, but we certainly hope so.

Given HP managed to implement Windows Home Server Console access in v1 via Microsoft’s own Remote Desktop Client for Mac, you’d think this was achievable, but we’ll see. Here’s the Mac Launchpad, followed by the PC version for reference.

11 thumb4 Windows Home Server Vail Preview: Mac Support Deep Dive13 thumb4 Windows Home Server Vail Preview: Mac Support Deep Dive

As you can see, the Mac version still needs the correct fonts dropping in, but with the exception of the Dashboard link, appears very similar and even has the green icon in the dock (the PC Launchpad icon is still blue in RC0).

Time Machine Backup

Whilst the links through to Time Machine are operational, it looks as if the full integration with Windows Home Server is yet to happen, as Time Machine was unable to locate Windows Home Server as a selection for the Backup Disk.

Only the USB key and my Boot Camp partition were discovered. We’re looking forward to testing out backup and restore in the next refresh.

Remote Access Website

The home server’s remote website is also mostly usable in Safari. Much like the PC experience, the layout can be customised via drag and drop, and the media playing experience is also very similar.

You’ll be asked to install the Mac Silverlight client if it is not already installed. As remote desktop access to PCs and the server is only available in Internet Explorer, you’ll receive the same error message in Safari as non-IE users will see on the PC.

Once the Mac Connector is installed, you can check out the Dashboard (on the PC only at the moment!) and see the Mac included as one of your connected computers, although obviously the Backup status is reported as Not Set Up.

So, that’s Mac support in Windows Home Server Vail RC0 – hopefully there’s more to come, especially access to the Dashboard from the Mac. If you’re a Mac user, tell us what you think about the new features.

Source:http://www.wegotserved.com/2010/08/16/windows-home-server-vail-preview-mac-support-deep-dive/

If your computer isn’t working, you could pack it up and take it down to the shop. Or a computer technician could make a home visit. Or the technician may be able to fix the problem without ever having to actually touch the computer.

Remote support is the newest service offered by Super Tech Computer Service on Creswell Lane.

The computer repair service, which has been in business about three years, is owned by Robert Barnes and Nadia W. Duplechain. They cover all of St. Landry Parish and branch out into surrounding parishes, Duplechain said.

Barnes has been working in the computer repair field for about eight years.

He received his training from Louisiana Technical College. Duplechain, with six years’ experience, got her education in computers from Remington College.

The shop offers business services, as well as service to home computers.
Most businesses request on-site

service, Barnes said, while most residential customers take their computers in to the shop.

If the problem is with the hardware, the technician has to be physically present, but if the problem is with software or applications, often the problem can be fixed by a technician who can access the computer online.

If the problem is a virus, however, remote access may not be an option, Barnes said.

“If it’s a severely infected system, the virus will prevent connections sometimes.”

Otherwise, a computer can be repaired remotely from anywhere in the world, he said.

But fixing problems isn’t all there is to the business, Duplechain said.

Maintenance is also important.

“Right now, a lot of people are going back to school. They’re getting their systems cleaned up before they start.”

Source:http://www.dailyworld.com/article/20100808/BUSINESS/8080317

One of my favourite and most-used iPhone apps is Apple’s Remote app. It lets me remotely control iTunes, which is streaming to my living room stereo via an Airport Express. But why hasn’t it been updated in over eight months?

When the iPad came out, I was excited for what I assumed would be the inevitable update that would bring the app a similar interface as the iPad’s iPod app. It would be perfectly suited for the device, with the big screen able to show more artwork and make flipping through a large music collection easier. It never happened.

And now that I’ve got an iPhone 4, I keep waiting for the iOS 4/retina display update to, at the very least, update the resolution of the icon. No dice.

Hell, one would even expect some updated functionality in the app. How about being able to stream the music on either my iPhone or iPad directly to the Airport Express rather than having to go through my computer?

Are these big deals? No, obviously. The app still works and it works at half-resolution on the iPad. But it seems strange that one of Apple’s few first-party apps in the app store would be left to rot as hardware is updated even as Apple pushes third-party developers to update their apps for the latest releases. It’s last update was November 20, 2009! What gives, Apple?

Source:http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2010/07/has-apple-forgotten-about-its-remote-app/

Security software specialist SentryBay today announced the global launch of its Enterprise Secure Access System (SAS) which sets a new standard in secure access to web based servers and applications.

The SAS provides ultra-secure protection against the biggest online threats facing organizations which depend upon reliable, secure remote access to their systems such as banks, insurers, healthcare providers and money transfer companies. SAS provides a two-way authenticated connection using its own secure browser — all within 3 seconds.

For the first time, organizations can ensure the highest standards of remote access security Relevant Products/Services through a simple, low-cost software solution which gives full protection against Phishing, Key logging, Pharming and Spyware attacks that threaten remote computer systems.

SentryBay’s SAS provides simple, low-cost and highly secure remote access to central computer systems. It is simple to install, easy to use, and requires minimal change in user habits.

Dave Waterson, chief executive officer, SentryBay said: “SAS was designed from the ground up to deliver both security and usability. Usability is based on simplicity and ease of operation. From the moment the user clicks on the desktop icon, in 3 seconds they are connected with the correct server Relevant Products/Services, fully authenticated, and an ultra-secure channel established.”

SAS can be applied to a wide range of everyday remote access scenarios, whether it is through applying the highest level of security to the access of patients’ medical records, protecting transactions, such as online banking or money transfers, or enabling an employee to use company servers securely from home or remote locations.

The system works by opening up a brand new, single-use-only ‘virtual desktop’ on a remote user’s PC. This includes a locked down browser that authenticates the connection, creating an ultra-secure channel between the remote PC and a corporate server.

SAS can also be configured to only run on the original PC or USB device preventing copying. The system can use information from the hardware itself to create a unique Hardware ID to provide the first factor of user authentication. This is then complimented by standard login details – guarded by SentryBay’s EntryProtect anti-key logging technology — to deliver a secure second factor.

System authentication of the corporate website is then established to overcome pharming or “man-in-the-browser” threats while end-to-end encryption of the data Relevant Products/Services protects against all forms of “man-in-the-middle” and replay attacks.

All necessary certificates for authentication and verification are managed by SentryBay, making the system as simple to use as it is secure. And, because the authentication database requires no ongoing manual intervention or updating, SAS is much less resource-intensive than other two-factor authentication systems.

“Our early users include banks and money transfer organisations,” Waterson added. “These are businesses that need the tangible productivity benefits of an easy-to-use solution without compromising the security and peace of mind they can deliver to customers.

“The business also avoids the disruption of moving to a hardware-based platform — saving both time and cost. A software based solution to the issue of fast, secure access is now within the reach of all businesses.”

Source:http://business.newsfactor.com/news/Enterprise-Secure-Access-Debuts/story.xhtml?story_id=112001YIVI8G

A computer repair and services company provides situations under which remote access would be a suitable option for computer repair.

Remote access is a fast, economical, and safe way to solve certain computer problems – but it’s not a universal cure-all, according to Faraj Skelil, owner of West LA Computer Services.

“Remote access saves time and money because clients don’t need to bring their systems to our shop or pay for a technician to come to their site,” says Skelil. “Also, once the problem has been solved, our clients can get back to work immediately, as if nothing has happened. Remote offers the same convenience as an onsite service call but takes much less time and so is much less expensive.”

Remote access technology allows West LA Computer Services and other companies that offer this service to connect remotely to the user’s computer system via the Internet and in effect “take over” to diagnose and often solve problems on the spot.

Remote access services are typically less expensive than on-site services and in-shop rates. Another benefit is that users don’t have to deal with dismantling their system, bringing it in to the shop, and having to set it up again after it’s repaired.

Skelil says remote access is most useful for software problems, which make up 70 to 75% of his business. “It’s ideal for problems like deleting and reinstalling problem software and so forth,” he says. Remote access is available for both PC and for Apple/Mac systems.

Other problems that can often be handled by remote access include printer and other driver issues as well as configuring or reconfiguring scanners, cameras, and other external devices. Remote access can also be used to transfer data between internal and external hard drives if needed.

Although remote access is often helpful in pinpointing and diagnosing hardware problems, actual repairs usually require a visit to the repair shop or a service call. The same is true if the operating system has been corrupted.

“And if you’re seeing symptoms that suggest that your system may be on the verge of crashing, you’re looking at an emergency, so it’s best to bring it in as soon as possible,” advises Skelil, a specialist in data recovery. “If it looks as if there’s a hard-drive problem, for example, it’s best to shut the system down and bring it in for testing, and so your data can be protected against possible loss or damage.”

When is remote access the first go-to solution for computer problem?

- If the operating system is running, the computer can be booted, and the hard drive is in good physical shape.
- If the computer can connect to the Internet access so the technician can connect to the system.

Skelil adds that sometimes clients may hesitate to request remote access because they’re afraid of an “outsider” taking over their computer.

“It can be jarring to be sitting in your office or at home and seeing someone moving the cursor around on your screen,” he says.

“But you have to trust whoever you use to help you with your computer, whether at your own site, in the shop, or remotely. When we finish the remote access session, we close the connection so the client isn’t exposed to any security threats.”3

Source:http://www.pr.com/press-release/246997

People who are looking for remote computer support and repair have the privilege of finding these services available in the comforts of their own home or in their office. There is no need to take your computer to a local PC repair shop. All these can now be done online.
Some of the services you can get online these days include computer set-up and installation as well as virus/spyware removal, optimizing PC speed, downloads, PC diagnostic and repair among others.

One site that stands out to deliver these services and more is www.ineedtech.com.
The site mentions that they are an online remote computer repair and support company which lets you have your computer diagnosed and repaired without the need to disconnect it just to drive it to the nearest repair shop. However, if its hardware related, the site has skilled technicians that can walk you through hardware installation. They go beyond whatever software may be interfering with the hardware or OS of the company and they focus on “out of warranty” and “under warranty” computers.

It is a known fact that many of us who experience computer related problems would call through various sets of numbers and menus just to talk to an IT or computer specialist only to be put on hold forever. When somebody answers, “language barrier” becomes another problem. For these reasons, many are finding convenience in the site’s services. They have knowledgeable repair technicians that can help you in a matter of minutes.

iNeedTech.Com is definitely the answer to our everyday computer problems. They are a one hundred percent US-based team of computer technical support specialists having a wide range of expertise on every OS and hardware platform around.
For a flat fee of $69.99, you get unlimited assistance on any type of computer-related issue. They also provide free call back support should there still be issues that would persist after the consultation. All you need to do is to dial their toll free hotline 24/7, no waiting on hold forever and no “language barrier” issues to worry about.

Even Fortune 500 business is finding iNeedTech.Com the site to trust. Aside from very friendly technical support specialists, they also provide detailed and cost effective solutions. They can field printer-, browser- and email-related problems to massively complicated issues like networking, software applications as well as virus/spyware problems.

For a low rate, they are known for providing the best services 24/7. They offer a free diagnostic and provide secure data as well as your online identity. They can provide the necessary tools to speed up your PC and they feature comprehensive support for printers, PCs, digital cameras, MP3 players and more than 100 software applications.

Source:-http://www.apakistannews.com/online-remote-computer-support-and-repair-provide-convenience-to-numerous-offices-and-households-190958

SonicWALL, Inc. , a leading provider of intelligent network security and data protection solutions, in conjunction with its business partner Grupo Antea (www.grupoantea.com.mx), is providing secure remote access solutions to a major Mexican television network filming on location at the 2010 World Cup games in South Africa, enabling reporters to send their news, and other sensitive information, securely back to their home offices in Mexico.

The SonicWALL Secure Remote Access solution allows the news network to connect more than 100 users simultaneously and creates a secure “tunnel,” specifically designed to protect sensitive data, through which proprietary information can be sent. In addition, the SonicWALL / Grupo Antea solution allows managers and system administrators to have full control over the resources within their network infrastructure, such as switches, routers, firewalls, and other devices, enabling remote management of the network.

Using SonicWALL technology, reporters at the 2010 World Cup games in South Africa can send their news anywhere in the world with the assurance that sensitive data is protected. TV correspondents will be able to connect securely from any browser-based computer — whether in the press room, an Internet cafe, on a hotel network or personal laptop.

Through the SonicWALL / Grupo Antea solution, correspondents can send and access the resources of their corporate network with the same level of security as if they were within their corporate firewall.

The Mexican television network chose SonicWALL’s Secure Remote Access solution because it offers flexible deployment options and does not require a VPN software client to be installed on each computer. Secure access is as easy as being assigned a user name and password. In addition, the TV station adopted the SonicWALL SSL VPN due to its scalability, since they intend to extend this service beyond the initial 100 users today.

“Using SSL VPN technology, companies can lower costs since they don’t need to buy additional software or hardware for each mobile user to assure secure connections. This creates financial and competitive benefits for our customers,” said Heldanel Uribe, Antea Group Commercial Director.

“The on-location news staff in South Africa can connect to their home office headquarters securely, remotely and efficiently using our VPN technology,” said Francisco Pinto, SonicWALL’s vice president in Latin America. “Our technology secures the access to corporate data, while giving companies the option to define policies and access permissions. SSL VPN basically creates a protected ‘tunnel’ that completely secures access from any type of device.”

Source:http://pr-canada.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=212196&Itemid=59

Recognising the opportunities in service business and the high competitiveness of the hardware market is driving leading local PC manufacturer SVOA to expand into remote monitoring and games to tap into the potential of 30,000 iCafe branches cafes nationwide.

The company has already invested more than five million baht in setting up its own data centers to provide services targeted at the iCafe network, said SVOA CEO Vira Intanate.

The new services, called SV iCafe Administrator, or SVIA, provide remote install and update features for online game at iCafe outlets, charging 5,000-10,000 baht per year depending on number of PCs in their shops.

The company license and customises Chinese software that provide this engine for iCafes in China. This software and service provides a gain of 60-70 percent market share from over 300,000 iCafe outlets in China.

Vira sees that this new service could leverage existing service infrastructures from over 200 service staff, SVOA service centres and service partners to provide maintenance and after-sales service to users.

Online games routinely require patches and updates. When iCafe uses this new service, its branches will gain automatic updates as well as virus protection and an alert system for computer parts. A central SVOA server will download new items and then push them to iCafe servers, which in turn will push updates to the PCs in the shops.

If SVOA can gain new customers, there is a chance it will upgrade hardware components and PCs so that it can complement its core business in hardware. Moreover, SVOA also provides affordable PC service to iCafe at around 30,000 baht, using the Intel base platform.

iCafe is a new target area that fits with Intel’s business and which is attempting to address professional game players. This year, the company expects to gain 1,000 iCafes as new customers.

“We have to admit that the hardware business is going to decline due to fierce competition, especially from local-brand notebooks, and it is hard to compete with this,” said Vira.

“Local-brand desktops are still doing well but this is quite a slow growth segment compared with notebooks,” Vira explained.

The CEO continued that in the near future, the company will expand into other installed solutions and other third-party solutions that install certain features or modules at office branches, such as electronic document scanning, and so on.

Currently, service business only accounts for 5-6 percent of overall revenue, but this is expected to rise to 12-15 percent within a year.

This is why global big brand companies acquire service companies. SVOA will expand by itself and synergise with the DataOne subsidy and then look for service companies in the market as well.

Source:http://www.bangkokpost.com/tech/technews/38438/svoa-reaches-deal-with-icafe-to-supply-remote-services

Melissa Block talks to All Tech Considered regular Omar Gallaga about the death of the remote control. Gallaga, the technology-culture reporter for the Austin American-Statesman, says the proliferation of wireless devices is making the remote control as we know it obsolete.

Source:http://www.wbur.org/npr/126114979

While Logitech has received rave reviews for its pricey Harmony remote controls, some complete with color touchscreens (the $399.99 Harmony 1100), its latest model aims at a lower-price point—much lower. With the $49.99 Harmony 300, the company are gunning for those that might spend a little to simplify controlling their home theater setup, but who would never spend hundreds of dollars on a remote. (In other words, most of us).

Of course, you give up a lot of features for the cut-price Harmony, including any kind of built-in display and rechargeable batteries. And you can only control four devices through it, which could be limiting for some potential buyers. But you still get the Web-based setup (using the included USB cable) that makes it less painful to associate your remote with your other hardware, as well as a handful of programmable buttons to make your favorite settings just a single click away.

Is it worth letting your cable remote stay lost in the sofa forever? You can vote with your dollars sometime next month, when the Harmony 300 become available at stores.

Source:http://blogs.zdnet.com/home-theater/?p=2989

Remote desktop client LogMeIn Ignition, which allows users to remotely control a computer using iPhone OS devices, is due to receive an update that adds support for the iPad in conjunction with the device’s launch on April 3.

The new release of the product provides three significant enhancements; first of all, it fully supports the iPad, meaning that you will be able to take advantage of the latter’s increased screen real estate for a more immersive remote control experience. Additionally, the app has been optimized to be compatible with both on-screen and hardware keyboards, thus making full-screen access to a remote computer possible even when you’re typing.

According to LogMeIn’s VP of remote access products Andrew Burton, whom Macworld reached by telephone at the company’s development labs in Hungary, a lot of work has also gone into optimizing the point-to-point technology that the app uses to render the captured screen of the computer it’s controlling, likely in recognition of the higher networking demands that the iPad’s larger screen will require.

In broad terms, LogMeIn Ignition could be an early example of the kind of revolutionary opportunities that the iPad brings to developers and users alike. While remote desktop sharing may be a convenience on a phone–something you use on-the-go when you absolutely need to perform a task on your computer–the iPad’s larger real estate could finally make thin-client network computing an everyday reality. Thanks to apps like LogMeIn, leaving your computer at home altogether and then accessing it through the much more portable iPad while you’re traveling is no longer a far-fetched idea.

Granted, the iPad doesn’t support a mouse, which the majority of laptop and desktop applications need to function well–but the remote control apps will overcome this obstacle as well. For example, LogMeIn Ignition supports the use of multi-touch gestures to simulate mouse activity on the host computer.

The updated LogMeIn Ignition will be available through the App Store at launch on April 3 for $30 in a Universal binary that supports all three iPhone OS device classes (iPad, iPhone and iPod touch). Existing customers will be able to upgrade to the new version free of charge (and use it on their iPad as well).

Source:http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/040110-logmein-ignition-to-receive-ipad.html

In the last three to four years, one key trend that has clearly had the most impact on the infrastructure management outsourcing business is Remote Infrastructure Management (RIM). The idea is simple, ‘manage all of IT remotely’ through advanced telecommunications technologies and the Internet. It is perhaps this simplicity that works in favor of RIM more than anything. Today, RIM is one of fastest growing services segments, not just here in India but globally.

NASSCOM estimates suggest that the global addressable market for RIM services currently stands somewhere between $96-104 billion. Its recent findings show that up to $26-28 billion’s worth of IT infrastructure management services could be offshored, out of which up to 50% or $13-15 billion is likely to be contributed by India by 2013. In terms of domestic opportunities, recent industry numbers indicate that the Indian RIM services market stood at roughly Rs 550 crores in 2008 and is likely to grow at a CAGR of 30% over the next five years.

As a market segment, RIM is said to have grown at a higher rate than the managed services market for the last couple of years. In terms of vendors and service providers, the market up until recently was dominated largely by bigger players like Wipro and HCL. However, a host of relatively smaller, niche players have recently entered the space, making it a much more open and competitive segment. Some of these smaller players include, MindTree, Netmagic, Omnitech, CSS, and Glodyne Technoserve.

According to Ram C Mohan, Senior VP and Head – Infrastructure Management and Technical Support at MindTree, during the last few years, the barriers to RIM have gone down considerably and there have been substantial improvements in third party and proprietary tools for managing infrastructure remotely. Improved performance and stability of international data telecom services have ensured continuous access to the customer’s IT infrastructure and consequently many smaller players have entered the market of late.

Elaborating, Nitin Mishra, Head of Product Management at Netmagic, informed, “The RIM market in India is currently split between traditional IT outsourcing MNCs and offshore providers. The two major delivery models include dedicated teams that deliver direct cost arbitrage while utilizing customer-specific processes, and shared teams that leverage standardized best practice processes. At Netmagic we provide customers the flexibility to choose either dedicated or shared teams depending on their business requirements and we are fully capable of undertaking complete management of the customer’s data center, whether they are hosted with us, with a third party or have their own captive facilities.”

Although the RIM business has not yet fully matured in India, customers are fast realizing its benefits, opined Kiran Desai, Vice President Managed IT, Wipro Infotech. “There’s a gradual increase in their willingness to adopt RIM and we are growing our remote business consistently and have a base of 100 plus Indian customers across banking, telecom and manufacturing wherein they are getting services delivered from our remote delivery centers.”

Market scenario in 2009

In 2009, as economies around the world shrank and companies looked for ways to trim IT spending, CIOs became increasingly concerned about minimizing the direct overheads of IT management. They looked for ways that would simplify and lower the cost of managing IT operations while increasing the availability of the same. RIM services, due to their inherent cost effective nature, found greater resonance with most CIOs and businesses during this time.

Nick Sharma, CEO, CSS explained that while historically the RIM market in India has lagged behind North America and Europe, there has been an interesting shift more recently in terms of how Indian companies are evaluating, deploying and even managing their IT infrastructure.

“The economic turmoil has caused CIOs to evaluate cost savings and efficiency focused initiatives with tremendous vigor. As such, RIM services have jumped to the top of the list of strategies for CIOs to achieve both cost savings and to drive efficiency. We have seen a dramatic increase in interest in RIM over the last 12-18 months and have succeeded in winning deals. The sales cycles have lengthened as companies rigorously evaluate all spend, but the bottom line is that there were far more takers for RIM last year than before,” said Sharma.

Informing about how NetMagic fared in terms of its RIM business in the last 12-18 months, Nitin Mishra said, “The recent economic turmoil and resultant cost pressures have definitely helped grow our RIM business beyond expectations. In fact, over the past 18 months we have witnessed a healthy, double-digit growth in the area of pure play remote infrastructure management services. If we take into account the management component within dedicated hosting offerings, this growth figure could go up even further.”

Expressing similar sentiments, A N Rao, Vice President, ITIS Practice, Cognizant informed that in 2009 his company grew its RIM revenues well above the company’s overall growth rate of 16.4% and that the RIM practice continued to be one of the fastest growing practices within Cognizant.

According to Avinash Pitale, co-founder and Executive Director of Omnitech InfoSolutions the sluggish economy saw Indian customers open up to the idea of RIM, especially in the last few quarters.

“The economic slowdown has definitely forced the customer to look for cost and service optimization without degrading service levels. RIM was the right model for offering these objectives to Indian customers. The tanking economy has, in fact, enabled a wider and quicker acceptance of RIM services by Indian customers and we believe that it will grow even more as the economy gets back on track,” commented Pitale.

Pitale also stated that customers were increasingly moving towards umbrella contracts wherein they outsourced all their activities to a single service provider who not only supported their hardware infrastructure but also the software/application infrastructure.

Other factors at play

However, while infrastructure management outsourcing occurred primarily due to the lure of lower costs over the past 12-18 months, experts suggested that there would be a completely different set of business drivers fueling the demand for RIM services going forward.

Earlier, the remote model was mostly meant for network management while other services like end user support, data center support, application support, etc, were not so much focused on the remote model. Remote delivery for the end user and data center management are becoming more common now. One of the newer trends currently being witnessed is application management which is gaining importance. Here customers are looking at the proactive management of applications including their response time. There is also an increasing focus on business availability as opposed to IT availability.

According to Kiran Desai, Vice President Managed IT, Wipro Infotech, “We also see a good growth in managing handheld devices (PDAs and smartphones etc.) and other mobile solutions through remote delivery. With 3G coming in fast, we can expect more applications on mobile platforms and hence a huge opportunity in managing mobile devices. Moreover, we see a great opportunity in non-IT devices management through remote; which broadly includes Building Management Systems or BMS (HVAC, fire control systems, UPS, access control). We also see opportunities in energy saving initiatives–i.e. monitoring and management of small and medium server rooms.”

Offering further insights into the matter, MindTree’s Ram C Mohan added, “In the current economic environment, focusing on core competencies is the key to survival. Managing ever-increasing IT infrastructure and shrinking budgets have forced corporates to devise a cost-effective and proactive approach, thus distracting them from focusing on their core business. In addition to this cloud computing, SaaS, smart data centers, peripheral apps, software development and testing moving to cloud environments have all helped create a perceptible need for remote infrastructure services.”

Mohan also said that as enterprises look to consolidate their infrastructure and bandwidth, they are looking to invest in Infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS). With this, enterprises not only save on space costs but they also do not have to worry about maintaining their infrastructure or other issues like workforce, business continuity etc. This allows them to focus on their existing infrastructure.

The promise of 2010

For all of these reasons, service providers are expecting great things from 2010.

Cognizant’s Rao for instance appears bullish and believes that the company is well positioned to support clients in this space.

“There is significant growth in convergent telecom and network management, database management, server, dynamic IT infrastructure and data center services,” opined Rao. “Consulting and system integration services around IT Service Management as well as virtualization solutions and cloud computing are the other growth areas. Business KPI-aligned integrated services form an aggressively emerging opportunity where Cognizant is taking a leadership position. As multi-vendor deals take a larger share from single-vendor mega deals, multi-vendor service integration is a rapidly emerging opportunity.”

Netmagic’s Nitin Mishra has forecasted a 30% YoY growth in its IMS and RIM business. “Over the past couple of months we have seen RFPs coming in for increasing deal sizes. Customers are requesting solutions and services that go beyond the management of standalone systems to entire platform level management. Complete IT transformation using new technologies such as virtualization to increase efficiencies are also gaining ground fast,” he said.

MindTree’s Ram C Mohan said that though IT infrastructure is becoming cheaper on the whole, the manpower to manage this infrastructure isn’t and Nasscom expects revenue from remote infrastructure management services to more than double over the next five years, reaching $15 billion by 2013

“MindTree is confident about RIM and the growing demand both in India and across the world. The capabilities and process automation are RIM’s biggest advantages. More verticals are looking at RIM services, be it banking, finance, travel, transport or manufacturing,” he commented.

Harboring similar hopes, Nick Sharma, CEO of CSS remained cautiously optimistic about the opportunities in 2010. He said, “We have seen three quarters of increased activities and we expect the trend to continue throughout 2010. We do think that enterprises are becoming more discerning in selecting partners and that the winners will be those who bring sustainable value and constant innovation into the mix, beyond simply size and girth.”

In conclusion, Sharma said, “For our traditional RIM services like server management, database management etc. we expect the financial services sector will be resuscitated in 2010. For our leading edge services like RIM for cloud computing, automation etc we are expecting telecommunications, technology and media verticals to be buoyant in 2010.”

Source:http://www.expresscomputeronline.com/20100329/20thanniversary21.shtml