Intel Press Release

Intel Creates Support Service Offering PC Help for Home and Small Business Users

HILLSBORO, Ore., March 11, 1998 — Intel Corporation today offered PC users a new service providing friendly, easy and quick solutions to PC questions as well as a way to help protect their PCs against data loss and virus problems. Called Intel AnswerExpressSM Support Suite, this Internet-based service delivers comprehensive PC help, support and protection to home and small business users.

"With Intel AnswerExpress Support Suite, PC users get one-stop access to live help and automated, on-line support from a company known for quality," said James B. Johnson, vice president, Intel Small Business and Networking Group, and general manager, Internet Services Operation. "The service's user-friendly support and data protection technologies will help PC users resolve many of the technical challenges that can slow them down."

Intel's support suite adds a new dimension to the PC industry's efforts to enhance and improve the PC experience in the home and small business. Subscribers receive:

  • Ask Intel: Users submit PC-related questions via the Internet to a live specialist who calls back in minutes – no more waiting on hold.
  • Virus Protection: The suite detects and removes viruses from the PC and automatic online virus-pattern updates help guard against the latest known threats.
  • Answer Library: Users can find time-saving tips, tutorials, answers and articles at their fingertips from leading PC industry sources like Ziff-Davis, PC World Online and KnowledgeBroker, Inc.
  • Online Data Backup: Users can help prevent the loss of important data files by keeping confidential backup copies off site at Intel's data centers. Files are retrieved quickly and easily.

"Intel AnswerExpress Support Suite is a real win for consumers who need help diagnosing and repairing multi-vendor PC problems," said Denise Rundle, group manager, Microsoft Technical Support Online. "Tools such as these lead to less PC down time and increased productivity."

Support and Protection for Real Life
Intel AnswerExpress Support Suite offers a new approach to PC application support that saves time and reduces user frustration. In addition to getting a wide-variety of application support (more than 100 applications) from one convenient source, subscribers can dramatically decrease their time spent on the phone waiting for help. When a user submits a question over the Internet through Ask Intel, the system automatically sends important PC configuration and inventory information to support technicians, eliminating the user's need to provide the answers to these difficult questions. Then, in a matter of minutes, the user receives a call from a knowledgeable specialist prepared to help.

"The way Ask Intel is set up, I not only don't have to wait for someone to answer, they already have the answer when they call me," said trial user Dorothy Flanagan, Colorado Springs, Colo. "Instead of being annoyed that I have bothered them, the Ask Intel experts were refreshing because they talked with me and made me feel that my questions had value and deserved to be answered."

Brenda Anderson, a small business owner in San Clemente, Calif., found that the backup and virus protection capabilities were especially useful and gave her "peace of mind." Robin Davis, a self-employed bookkeeper in Napa, Calif., added, "It's crucial as a small-business owner to safely backup my clients' files – you don't want to take chances. And with the many files I download from the Internet, virus protection is a great precautionary step."

The Answer Library contains an extensive database of solutions to common PC problems. Using their own words, customers can type in a natural language question to find probable answers and avoid spending seemingly endless hours on the Internet searching for PC information.

Helping To Make a Successful PC Experience
Intel AnswerExpress Support Suite complements hardware maintenance programs currently available for new PC purchases like the CompUSA Technology Assurance Program (TAP) available at CompUSA Computer Superstores™ nationwide. CompUSA's new "TAP Plus" plan will combine hardware maintenance with Intel AnswerExpress Support Suite.

"At CompUSA we recognize that the purchase of a high-performance PC is only the first step to satisfaction for our customers," stated Jim Halpin, CompUSA president and chief executive officer. "Now with TAP Plus, we can provide our customers with a cost-effective and comprehensive post-sale support package."

Intel AnswerExpress Support Suite is available in North America through retail outlets that include CompUSA, Computer City and Computer Discount Warehouse (CDW). Customers can also sign up on the World Wide Web at www.answerexpress.com. The initial three-month subscription for $49.95 MSRP includes call support, virus detection and removal, online data backup and PC-related tips and tutorials. Customers can continue the comprehensive service through a monthly subscription for $14.95 MSRP or $5.95 MSRP (with co-pay call support available as needed).

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