Industry leaders AT&T Inc. and Intel Corporation today announced plans to bring the power and cost savings of enhanced remote PC tech support to small and midsize businesses, offering them helpdesk capabilities more typically found in much larger enterprises.
AT&T Tech Support 360SM, an affordable IT virtual helpdesk that provides live, permission-based remote technical service for businesses, is expected to support Intel vPro technology starting in the first half of 2010.
More than 100,000 small businesses have purchased Tech Support 360 service since its launch last fall in the United States. AT&T will be the first U.S. service provider in the telecom industry to offer remote access support services built on Intel vPro technology.
Tech Support 360 provides remote 24/7 support by U.S.-based technicians and includes setup, configuration, troubleshooting and performance optimization for PCs, laptops, Wi-Fi networks and peripheral network devices, as well as smartphone setup and configuration. Technicians troubleshoot computer hardware and software problems by remotely connecting to and accessing customer computers, diagnosing the problem and taking corrective action. Customers can get service by simply booking appointments by phone or online.
When compared to smaller businesses paying for outside IT experts to come on-site or dropping off a PC for off-site service, remote online tech support services, such as AT&T’s, offer a more economical and convenient way for them to troubleshoot their desktop and laptop PCs.
Under this collaboration, Intel Remote PC Assist Technology (Intel RPAT), a feature of Intel vPro technology announced last year, would enable small businesses experiencing PC problems to enter a keystroke sequence on a failed computer – even if its operating system is down – to directly connect the failed PC with technicians over the Internet via an encrypted connection. The Tech Support 360 technicians can then address the PC remotely, even when it has become inoperable due to problems such as hardware or operating system failure, or corruption by a virus or malware.
"We expect that our new preferred relationship with Intel will enable better, real-time technical support for small businesses," said Ebrahim Keshavarz, vice president of Business Development for AT&T. "We look forward to working with Intel and its Intel vPro technology to provide our Tech Support 360 technicians with new capabilities to conveniently solve problems via an Internet connection, even if the customer’s computer, operating system or network have problems that don’t allow for normal servicing. And it is less expensive than on-site technical support services."
"As a result of the current economic conditions, small businesses are even more focused on controlling costs," said David Tuhy, a general manager in the Intel Business Client Group. "AT&T’s Tech Support 360 in conjunction with Intel vPro technology opens the door for new managed services to address these concerns. By adding support for Intel Remote PC Assist Technology, AT&T will be able to deliver a higher level of service to customers by improving PC troubleshooting and reducing support costs using an encrypted connection over the Internet."
Interested small and midsize businesses can order Tech Support 360 services by visiting tech360.att.com or by calling 866-644-8031. Midsize businesses can also contact their designated AT&T account manager with any questions or to order the service.
