New Internet Services Center Offers Hosted Support Services

AMERICAN FORK, Utah, Oct. 18, 1999 -- Intel Corporation today announced a new version of the Intel® InBusiness™ Remote Services Center, which enables value-added resellers (VARs) to provide comprehensive and cost-effective remote support for the PCs and servers of small business customers. This new version extends the management services VARs can offer their customers and improves the performance of remote access. In addition, this version introduces the Internet Services Center, which provides hosted services designed to support VARs in tracking and maintaining customer activity.

"With margin pressures on hardware increasing, many VARs want to extend higher-margin services to their customers in order to clearly distinguish themselves as professional service providers," said Steve Quane, product line manager for Intel InBusiness Remote Services Center. "The tools and services Intel provides to VARs enable them to become a virtual IT department for their customers, delivering reliable computing solutions at a more affordable and predictable cost. At the same time, the VARs' profitability increases as they become more efficient and support more customers with their current resources."

New Management Services in Version 2
This upgrade to Intel® InBusiness™ Remote Services Center includes new management service capabilities which VARs can offer customers. These updates include:

Applications maintenance - VARs can now remotely monitor, reset and tune the performance of the Microsoft* BackOffice* suite of business applications without having to physically visit the customer's site. By extending remote service capabilities beyond the computing infrastructure and into small business applications, VARs are able to offer service level agreements and help ensure the availability of some of the mission critical applications of small businesses.

New file transfer and chat capabilities - File transfer capabilities enable VARs to quickly update and replace missing, corrupt or over-written files. Chat functionality improves communication between the VAR and the end-user, thus providing a convenient way to interact while performing remote service activities.

Improved remote control - Internal performance tests** indicate as much as a 40 percent speed enhancement when remotely controlling PCs and servers over standard telephone connections.

Introducing Internet Services Center The Intel InBusiness Remote Services Center Version 2 also includes the new Internet Services Center, a hosted Internet service providing VARs with continuous service upgrades and tracking reports by customer or across accounts. Features of the Internet Services Center include:

• Event tracking application - New applications improve the way VARs document the services they provide through detailed event tracking. Each time the VAR remotely services a client or server, an entry is added to that customer's billing and activity record allowing VARs to easily justify account activity. At the end of each month, VARs can automatically generate a report that includes a description of all the services rendered and the total amount due, which simplifies internal billing processes.
• Incident report database - This database service records technician notes to provide a maintenance history for troubleshooting and asset management purposes.

"I believe in partnering with my customers to build and maintain efficient systems and solutions for their businesses. This version provides me with new tools, such as faster remote access and improved controls, which allow me to both offer new services and enhance current ones," said Homer Jamison, owner of Jamison Consulting. "Improvements in the Intel InBusiness Remote Services Center console program allow me to safely and effectively install it for some of my more advanced customers, so they can benefit directly from the productivity and convenience features of the product. At the same time, the hosted services, such as event tracking and automated billing, make it easy to document the services I provide and keep accurate billing information, thus allowing me to spend more time with my customers."

Availability
This new version of Intel® InBusiness™ Remote Service Center will be available to eligible VARs beginning Oct. 29, 1999. Additional information is available at www.buyremote.com.

The Internet Services Center is available exclusively through a secure e-commerce Web site that enables VARs to immediately purchase and access additional services as their customers' needs grow. VARs can also use the site to administer their accounts.

The Intel® InBusiness™ family of products also includes network hubs, switches and network appliances, such as Internet Station and eMail Station, to help small businesses easily and affordably share files, printers, applications and Internet access. For information on Intel's InBusiness products, visit www.intel.com/network/products/inbusiness.htm.

* Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.