The Business of Broadband

Microsoft has long since been the front runner in providing efficient computing and productivity applications. We’ve seen their once commanding market share of Internet Explorer topple to the likes of Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome, but they steadfastly rose when Windows 7 exploded onto the scene and quickly surpassed the number of users for all Mac OS X operating systems combined. I’m sure those statistics sent Apple’s PR associates into a frenzied overkill.

Microsoft’s latest beta offering is an automated computer repair utility aptly named ‘Microsoft Fix-it Center.’ The download proposes to ‘fix’ the most common ailments with computers running Windows operating systems. Because of the ease and feasibility of an auto-repair feature, your customers may become beta testers and have questions that your technical support team can answer. Of course Microsoft has a solution center and support representatives anticipating problems that may surface, but your customers may feel more comfortable speaking with familiar voices and support that has a proven track record.

Fix-it Center Download

Beta testers for the product will need to have an active Internet connection and at least one of the following operating systems:

• Windows XP SP3

• Windows XP Pro (64-bit) SP2

• Windows Vista

• Windows 7

• Windows Server 2003 SP2

• Windows Server 2008

• Windows Server 2008 R2

Microsoft also suggests signing into the Fix-it Center for a more personalized and ease of management experience, but this is not a requirement. I opted to not do this as I was only testing on one computer. I downloaded the software onto a Windows Vista platform and did not encounter any relevant issues. The prompts to install the software were user-friendly and characteristic of many other Microsoft wizard installs. Most of your customers should have some familiarity with the screen displays as well as the ‘click Next’ approach to installing the client. They may need to be provided with browser specifics as to the location or directory that the download will be saved.

Available Features

The Fix-it Center is pretty comprehensive for an automated utility, but many of the repair features were expected as Microsoft has an extensive ‘repair’ library. There are customizable settings available that allow a user to maintain control of the computer thus specifying whether the Fix-it Center will automatically repair detected problems or allow the user to be notified of detected problems and then opt to fix them. Common problems that are detected are loss of Internet connectivity, the repair function for a network adapter, anti-virus software conflicts, and firewalls being disabled. A novice user may opt to allow the software to fix any problems that it detects, but I was somewhat skeptical of this feature because not all issues detected in my opinion, are in fact ‘problems.’ Just as a measure of testing, I disabled my network card and was immediately notified by the software that a problem had surfaced. I think this method of notification is ideal; however, others may benefit from seeing the software immediately spring into action.

Problems Resolved

Although the Fix-it Center utility may not resolve every issue available on a computer, it’s an ample start to at least detecting some of the most common problems. Beta testing is not without difficulties, and not all beta testers will have a trouble-free experience as I did. I will be periodically checking the support forum as other beta testers are documenting their experiences and problems that are encountered with the software. You may also have your technical support team reference the forum to be informed of redundant issues and understand the avenue in which the problems need to be approached. There will be issues that are simply not resolvable, and customers may need to be referred to Microsoft for further explanations and resolutions.

Although this is a beta product, if there is a noticeable increase in customer interest and usage, this can only lead to a potential product offering that may greatly benefit your diverse customer base. Microsoft is constantly churning out software, and I can’t wait to see what’s next. My anticipation has peaked on the launch of Windows Mobile 7. Will this application be an extension of the Windows 7 success with competition from iOS and Android?