CLOSING UPDATE

ServcomUSA will be closed on Friday November 20th for technicians training.

It's Here!

Windows 7 launched yesterday. And by now you've probably seen it on store shelves, or at least heard about it in the news.

We have been using Windows 7 for a while now and we love it. All of our adopters have raved about the time savings, impressive new features, and ease-of-use.

Even people who have never liked Vista are getting on board. A good friend of mine, and long-time Linux user, installed Windows 7 on his system this week. I showed him a few features and he swears he's never going back.

So, in honor of the new Windows 7, we're going to be bringing you a series of videos showing you the new features that will make you want to upgrade.

Today's feature is actually my favorite: fast boot times. If you use a laptop, you'll notice a tremendous difference in start-up time over Vista and XP. This is true if you close the lid and put the system to sleep, or if you shut it down completely. My boot times are less than 30 seconds, and it takes between 2-6 seconds to wake my laptop up from sleep.



Look for more videos, coming soon!

Another Big Patch Release

This week, Microsoft release another series of critical patches. We will again be rolling out the following patches to all monitored servers as soon as possible. However, we strongly recommend that all users run Windows update immediately and install ANY and ALL patches marked "Important."* Or schedule a Servcom USA technician to deploy the patches on your network today.

Should I be worried?
If your computer is running any of the following Operating Systems, you need an update immediately:

1. Windows 2000, SP4


2. Windows XP, SP2 (x86/x64) and SP3 (x86 only)


3. Windows Vista, all versions


4. Windows 7

What dangers do these updates fix?
For anyone who goes online, the most important updates are 974455 and 957488 (see the list below), which address a problem with the way Windows displays graphics from web pages. These security vulnerabilities could allow hackers to install code on your computer after you click on virtually any image on any website. The code could be used to hijack a computer, steal passwords, or capture other personal data directly off the system without any user interaction.

What about my company's servers?
The following servers require updating:

1. Windows Server 2003, SP2 (all chipsets)


2. Windows Server 2008 (all chipsets)


3. Windows Server 2008, SP2 (all chipsets)


4. Windows Server 2008 R2 (x64 and Itanium)

For more information, check out theMicrosoft Bulletin.

Critical Updates - these updates must be installed immediately

• Vulnerabilities in SMBv2 Could Allow Remote Code Execution (975517)


• Vulnerabilities in Windows Media Runtime Could Allow Remote Code Execution (975682)


• Vulnerability in Windows Media Player Could Allow Remote Code Execution (974112)


• Cumulative Security Update for Internet Explorer (974455)


• Cumulative Security Update of ActiveX Kill Bits (973525)


• Vulnerabilities in Microsoft Active Template Library (ATL) ActiveX Controls for Microsoft Office Could Allow Remote Code Execution (973965)


• Vulnerabilities in the Microsoft .NET Common Language Runtime Could Allow Remote Code Execution (974378)


• Vulnerabilities in GDI+ Could Allow Remote Code Execution (957488)

Important Updates - these updates are strongly recommended, but not required

• Vulnerabilities in FTP Service for Internet Information Services Could Allow Remote Code Execution (975254)


• Vulnerabilities in Windows CryptoAPI Could Allow Spoofing (974571)


• Vulnerability in Indexing Service Could Allow Remote Code Execution (969059)


• Vulnerabilities in Windows Kernel Could Allow Elevation of Privilege (971486)


• Vulnerability in Local Security Authority Subsystem Service Could Allow Denial of Service (975467)

As always, you can request service via phone or through our
website.

Don't Wait - Try Windows 7 Today!

It’s October, and that means Microsoft is about to release a major upgrade to Windows Desktops. And I want to make sure that all of our clients know about this.

Windows 7 is big. It’s huge. And it’s a great product.

In fact, Windows 7 is so great that I’ll be arranging preview demonstrations for interested clients. We will bring live systems to your office so you can see exactly what Windows 7 can do for your business.

Already know everything you need to know about Windows 7? Arrange for a trial installation on your network. Let us install Windows 7 on a computer in your network to test it out!

If you are interested in either a preview or trial installation, send us an email or fill out a request on our new Contact Page.

Windows 7 will improve your relationship with your computer dramatically. I’ve upgraded both of my systems to Windows 7 and I’m thrilled with it! The upgrade has made me both more productive and happier with my computer. Here are a few ways I’m working faster with just an upgrade to Windows 7:

• Windows 7 starts fast. Getting to a login screen takes less than 45 seconds on one of my system, and under 15 seconds on the other. If I open the laptops from sleep mode, I’m up and running in about 5-7 seconds.


• Windows 7 runs fast. Applications load quickly and the entire computer responds to commands much faster than Vista. This is the same computer that chugged along before – no hardware upgrades at all! No more waiting for Office to open a document or IE to load a web page. That’s valuable time I’m now working instead of waiting.


• Shortcuts help me access information and programs quickly. There is a slew of new shortcuts and features that help me run the programs I want quickly. I do less work with my mouse and more work with my keyboard. It may only save me seconds on any task, but all that time adds up to hours in a month.


• Searching is better, faster, and more accurate. I carefully organize and store all my information manually. But accessing documents doesn’t have to be as time consuming. I just type in what I’m looking for and the document is right there, ready to open and edit. No more hunting across folders, looking on servers, or trying to remember where I saved something. Again, less time looking, more time doing.


• Libraries organize information for me. Even better than the improved search, Windows 7 includes a new feature called libraries. Libraries collect documents, pictures, or other types of files from your computer and your file shares and display them in groups. Searching for a specific picture? Open the picture library to see all pictures by date, image type, even by author. I can even search in a specific library (documents, for example) to only retrieve the types of files I am looking for. Again, the time I’m saving pulling up information means more time for doing real work.


• My desktop is organized better. Windows 7 includes a number of enhancements for displaying information on screen. If you need to compare information between two documents, or to copy and paste information between two programs, the new Windows display features make it simple and easy to show the information that I need quickly.

There’s a lot more that I could say here. How about the window preview feature? Or the enhanced driver support? The enhanced software compatibility? The fact that it just looks better?

When it comes down to it, we know you want to see what Windows 7 can do for you. So let us demo it for you today. Click here to submit a demo or installation request.