Servcom USA

Training Day - May 10th

2011-04-29T11:47:00.000-07:00

In order to continue improving our services, Servcom USA will be conducting a training day for our technicians and employees on Tuesday, May 10th.Please be aware that our technicians will be limited in their availability to respond to non-emergency service calls during regular business hours. As always, please call our office to report service disruptions, or go online to our Client Access Portal and submit a ticket.

If you miss us, you can always follow us on Twitter or Facebook.

Closing Date - Easter Monday

2011-04-15T18:12:00.000-07:00

Servcom USA will be closed in observance of Easter Monday on April 25th, 2011. All tickets received via email, phone, or the Client Access Portal will be answered beginning at 10 AM on Tuesday, April 26th.

If you miss us, you can always follow us on Twitter or Like us on Facebook.

Terms of Service URL has Changed

2011-04-15T18:10:00.000-07:00

The webpage hosting our Terms of Service has changed with our site update. Please update your bookmarks as needed.

You can access the Terms of Service at our new site here.

New Website Is Live

2011-04-15T16:33:00.000-07:00

It's been several years since we've done a website overhaul, so we are incredibly excited to present our brand-new, sleek, and modern website.

Go check it out at www.servcomusa.com.

And while you're there, take a second to follow us on Twitter or Like Us on Facebook.

Training Day - March 25th

2011-03-21T06:42:00.000-07:00

In order to continue improving our services, Servcom USA will be conducting a training day for our technicians and employees on Friday, March 25th.Please be aware that our technicians will be limited in their availability to respond to non-emergency service calls during regular business hours. As always, please call our office to report service disruptions, or go online to our Client Access Portal and submit a ticket.

If you miss us, you can always follow us on Twitter @servcomusa or Like us on Facebook.

All Service Back Online

2011-03-01T04:00:00.000-08:00

Servcom USA's power was restored overnight and all services are performing normally.

Power Outage

2011-02-28T16:01:00.000-08:00

Because of today's inclement weather, power has been disrupted at our office.

Although our cloud-based services are working properly, some services (including LifeSaver 24x7 Network Monitoring) will be adversely impacted until power is restored.

We will update the blog when power has been restored. Please check back soon.

Closing Date - President's Day

2011-02-18T08:14:00.000-08:00

Servcom USA will be closed in observance of President's Day on February 21st, 2011. All tickets received via email, phone, or the Client Access Portal will be answered beginning at 10 AM on Tuesday, February 22nd.

Terms of Service Updated

2011-01-31T09:32:00.000-08:00

In order to better explain our commitment to our Clients privacy, we have updated our Terms of Service.

Please note that these Terms of Service are in effect as of Monday, January 21, 2011.

Read and download our Terms of Service here.

New Year's Hours and Closing Dates

2010-12-14T13:41:00.000-08:00

Servcom USA will be holding special holiday hours from Monday, December 27th through Thursday, December 30th. For this week, we will only be working on critical issues and completing our end-of-year tasks. For non-critical tickets, we will be escalating tickets on a case-by-case basis. We ask that all tickets be opened through the Client Access Portal, when possible.

Servcom USA will be closed in observance of New Year's from December 30th, 2010 through January 2nd, 2011. All tickets received via email, phone, or the Client Access Portal will be answered beginning at 10 AM on Monday, January 3rd, 2011.

Have a Happy New Year!

Christmas Closings

2010-12-14T13:38:00.000-08:00

Servcom USA will be closed in observance of Christmas from December 23rd through December 26th, 2010. All tickets received via email, phone, or the Client Access Portal will be answered beginning at 10 AM on Monday, December 27th.

From all of us here at Servcom USA, have a Merry Christmas!

Training Day - December 17th

2010-12-14T13:37:00.000-08:00

In order to continue improving our services, Servcom USA will be conducting a training day for our technicians and employees on Friday, December 17th.

Please be aware that our technicians will be limited in their availability to respond to non-emergency service calls during regular business hours. As always, please call our office to report service disruptions, or go online to our Client Access Portal and submit a ticket.

Closing Date - Thanksgiving Weekend, November 24th - 28th

2010-11-22T08:28:00.000-08:00

Servcom USA will be closed in observance of Thanksgiving from November 24th through November 28th, 2010. All tickets received via email, phone, or the Client Access Portal will be answered beginning at 10 AM on Monday, November 29th.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Closing Date - Veterans Day, November 11th

2010-11-03T14:47:00.000-07:00

Servcom USA will be closed in observance of Veteran's Day on November 11th, 2010. All tickets received via email, phone, or the Client Access Portal will be answered beginning at 10 AM on Friday, November 12th.

Email is back up

2010-10-13T17:00:00.000-07:00

We have completed our initial migration to our new, High-Availability online email service! If you sent anyone at Servcom USA an email anytime on Wednesday, and it bounced back to you, please resend it now.

Temporary Email Outage

2010-10-13T10:40:00.001-07:00

Our email server is down for migration-related maintenance at the moment. If a message you send bounces back, please wait until we get the email flow back up and running.

Closing Date - Columbus Day, October 11

2010-10-08T13:25:00.000-07:00

On Monday, October 11th, Servcom USA will be closed for Columbus Day.

Please note that all tickets and issues opened through email or the Client Access Portal on the 6th will be recieved on October 12th at 10:00am.

Training Day - September 24th

2010-09-15T10:06:00.000-07:00

In order to continue improving our services, Servcom USA will be conducting a training day for our technicians and employees on Friday, September 24th.

Please be aware that our technicians will be limited in their availability to respond to non-emergency service calls during regular business hours. As always, please call our office to report service disruptions, or go online to our Client Access Portal and submit a ticket.

Closing Date - Labor Day, September 6

2010-08-30T11:26:00.000-07:00

On Monday, September 6th, Servcom USA will be closed for Labor Day.

Please note that all tickets and issues opened through email or the Client Access Portal on the 6th will be recieved on September 10th at 10:00am.

Training Day - August 16th

2010-08-11T08:40:00.000-07:00

In order to continue improving our services, Servcom USA will be conducting a training day for our technicians and employees on Monday, August 16th.

Please be aware that our technicians will be limited in their availability to respond to non-emergency service calls during regular business hours. As always, please call our office to report service disruptions, or go online to our Client Access Portal and submit a ticket.

Closing Date - August 6th

2010-07-27T14:02:00.000-07:00

On Friday, August 6th, Servcom USA will be closed.

Please note that all tickets and issues opened through email or the Client Access Portal on the 6th will be received on August 9th at 10:00am.

Training Day - July 30th

2010-07-19T06:36:00.000-07:00

In order to continue improving our services, Servcom USA will be conducting a training day for our technicians and employees on Friday, July 30th.

Please be aware that our technicians will be limited in their availability to respond to non-emergency service calls during regular business hours. As always, please call our office to report service disruptions, or go online to our Client Access Portal and submit a ticket.

July 4th Weekend Closing Date - July 5th

2010-06-28T11:55:00.000-07:00

On Monday, July 5th, Servcom USA will be closed in observance of the July 4th Holiday weekend.

Please note that all tickets and issues opened through email or the Client Access Portal on the 5th will be received on July 6th at 10:00am.

Training Day - June 14th

2010-06-03T12:06:00.001-07:00

In order to continue improving our services, Servcom USA will be conducting a training day for our technicians and employees on Monday, June 14th.

Please be aware that our technicians will be limited in their availability to respond to non-emergency service calls during regular business hours. As always, please call our office to report service disruptions, or go online to our Client Access Portal and submit a ticket.

Memorial Day Closing - May 31st

2010-05-17T15:07:00.001-07:00

On Monday, May 31st, Servcom USA will be closed for Memorial Day.

Please note that all tickets and issues opened through email or the Client Access Portal on the 31st will be received on June 1st at 10:00am.

Training Day

2010-04-26T08:09:00.000-07:00

In order to continue improving our services, Servcom USA will be conducting a training day for our technicians and employees on Monday, May 10th.

Please be aware that our technicians will be limited in their availability to respond to non-emergency service calls during regular business hours. As always, please call our office to report service disruptions, or go online to our Client Access Portal and submit a ticket.

Service Disruption

2010-04-01T06:59:00.001-07:00

Our technicians will be upgrading our network infrastructure on Friday, April 2nd from 12:00 pm until 8:00 pm.

These changes will result in a more efficient network and improved performance for our LifeSaver monitoring platform.

During this window, the LifeSaver Monitoring platform and the remote support link on the website may be unavailable. If you cannot login or contact us for remote support, please try again after 30 minutes.

Thank you and have a Happy Easter!

Training Day

2010-04-01T06:55:00.001-07:00

Servcom USA will be closed on Monday, April 12 for technician training. If you have an emergency, please call our office. For all non-emergency matters, please contact us via email or wait until Tuesday to phone.

Servcom USA Closing Date

2010-03-19T11:52:00.001-07:00

Servcom USA will be closed in observance of the Easter Holiday on Friday, April 2nd, 2010.

Back Online

2010-03-19T11:51:00.001-07:00

All services are now online and confirmed working.

If you notice any problems with a Servcom USA provided service, please contact our office by phone immediately.

Thanks for your patience during this unexpected network outage.

Network Outage

2010-03-19T07:28:00.000-07:00

Due to problems with our ISP, Servcom USA's network is currently down, pending equipment changes and repairs.

Please be aware that this may affect our ability to deliver some services and slow our response times while this problem is being addressed. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause our valued clients.

Check back for updates.

Training Day - Friday, March 12th

2010-03-10T12:57:00.001-08:00

Friday, March 12th is a Servcom USA Employee Training day. Our office will be closed for routine service calls the entire day.

For emergencies only, please call our main phone number and leave a message.

Servcom Closing for President's Day

2010-02-10T12:18:00.001-08:00

Servcom USA will be closed for President's Day on Monday, February 15th.

New Terms of Service Posted

2009-12-10T12:15:00.001-08:00

Check out our updated Terms of Service on our website here. (Javascript is required to view the TOS in-browser, but you can download the PDF from a link on the same page.)

These are the same Terms we've been operating under for the past few years, but we took the time to polish them and post them where it's easy to get to them.

The Big Story of 2010

2009-12-07T14:04:00.001-08:00

We are not quite ready to close the books on 2009, but I wanted to give you a heads up on the big story of 2010: energy.

The EPA today announced that carbon dioxide has been labelled a pollutant and can be regulated. This is a big step forward for energy regulation and is our first real indication of what the energy economy will be experiencing over the next five years.

Simply put: in the near and middle terms, you should expect energy costs to rise under any form of regulation. Here in the Southeast, we get a significant fraction of our energy from coal. And that means the cost of running your computers - especially servers - is probably going to change from an afterthought to a real concern.

Given the slow pace of economic recovery so far, your organization is probably not ready to absorb a larger electricity bill every month. But here is the good news: the technology to improve performance AND save energy is already here in the computer industry! Servcom USA already has a long list of tools and technologies that can save your organization real dollars over the coming years: virtualization, server- and cloud-computing, power management optimization, and newer Operating Systems that use existing resources more efficiently.

Your IT department can - and should - be the model for how the rest of your organization deals with energy as we transition to a more regulated energy market. Let us show you how!

December and New Year's Closing Dates

2009-12-04T13:14:00.001-08:00

Servcom USA will be closed from December 23rd through December 27th.

We will reopen on December 28th.

We will also be closed on December 31st and January 1st, returning on January 4th.

Windows 7 Upgrades from Dell

2009-11-19T08:33:00.001-08:00

Many of our clients bought Dell computers with a Windows 7 upgrade option in the past 90 days. We are now receiving the upgrade discs and are ready to being performing the system ugprades.

Upgrades are priced as follows:

$199 for all clients without an agreement

Just 1.5 Hours under your Block Hours agreement

Free for all Managed Services clients!

All prices are per-computer, include the Windows 7 upgrade, driver upgrades, and a system compatibility assessment.

Not sure whether your system qualifies for an upgrade? Grab your system tag number and call our office. We'll be able to assist you in determining whether your new Dell computer qualifies. (We can also help you find your system tag.)

Shawn's Favorite Windows 7 Feature

2009-11-04T11:18:00.001-08:00

Today's Windows 7 favorite feature comes from Shawn, our Shop technician. Shawn works with all the systems that come into our shop. He's the one who has to whip reformatted systems into shape before they get delivered. He's also the technician who sees the most problems with incompatible hardware.

Windows 7 introduces an exciting new feature that enables complete compatibility for programs and devices that worked in XP, but may have not worked under Vista. Don't worry about replacing that old database or scanner - Windows 7's new compatibility features allow you to install and run the application on your new desktop or laptop, without any hassles or troubleshooting.

Check out this video:

Thanks to ZDNet for putting up this walk-through.

CLOSING UPDATE

2009-10-26T08:40:00.001-07:00

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

It's Here!

2009-10-23T13:12:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-15T14:45:00.001-07:00

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:

Windows 2000, SP4

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

Windows Vista, all versions

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:

Windows Server 2003, SP2 (all chipsets)

Windows Server 2008 (all chipsets)

Windows Server 2008, SP2 (all chipsets)

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!

2009-10-02T12:37:00.001-07:00

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.

RSS Feed Updated

2009-09-17T10:08:00.001-07:00

In order to improve our new main site, we've had to update our RSS feed services on the blog.

If you use Outlook or another RSS Reader to view this blog, please reconnect using the Link at the bottom of the blog's main page. If you have IE8 or Firefox 3, the RSS links in the browsers should let you drop the feed into your favorite feed reader.

Having trouble reconnecting to our feed? Call us - we can walk you through it over the phone!

First Website Update

2009-09-16T07:45:00.001-07:00

We are currently rebuilding our website from scratch. You can see the new temporary site here.

More content will be added until our new website (currently under construction by ATierOne) comes online, early in 2010.

Love it? Hate it? Send us an email or write your review of the site in our new Contact Form.

Critical Microsoft Update

2009-09-11T09:13:00.000-07:00

Microsoft has released a patch that affects the following operating systems:

Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2
Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition Service Pack 2
Windows Server 2003 with SP2 for Itanium-based Systems
Windows Vista, Windows Vista Service Pack 1, and Windows Vista Service Pack 2
Windows Vista x64 Edition, Windows Vista x64 Edition Service Pack 1, and Windows Vista x64 Edition Service Pack 2
Windows Server 2008 for 32-bit Systems and Windows Server 2008 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 2
Windows Server 2008 for x64-based Systems and Windows Server 2008 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 2
Windows Server 2008 for Itanium-based Systems and Windows Server 2008 for Itanium-based Systems Service Pack 2

Of these, the last five systems are most severely affected. If you want more details, check out the information in the MS Security bulletin and the Knowledge Base article for the update.

We are recommending that this update be installed as soon as possible for all of our clients.

For those clients with management agreements or network monitoring in place, we will be contacting you in the next few days to schedule the installation of this patch. Please note that this patch will require a reboot of your server.

If your network is not currently being monitored or maintained by us, please contact us to schedule installation of this update immediately. We can also demonstrate how network monitoring can help you stay ahead of the computer vulernabilities that could cost your company time and money.

Take 5.....

2009-08-19T09:20:00.000-07:00

Life Before the Computer

An application was for employment
A program was a TV show
A cursor used profanity
A keyboard was a piano
Memory was something you lost with age
A CD was a bank account
Compress was something you did to garbage not something you did to a file
If you unzipped anything in public, you would be in jail for a while.
Log on was adding wood to a fire.
A hard drive was a long road trip
A back up is something that happened to your commode
Cut is what you did with a pocket knife
Paste is what you did with glue.
A web was a spiders home
And a virus was the flu

Out of the Office

2009-08-07T09:28:00.001-07:00

A note from Adam:

I will be out of the office from August 7th through August 16th, returning on August 17th. If you need assistance in my absence, please contact our office at (803)329-2867 and ask to speak with Jennifer or William.

Thank you,

Adam Marshall

President

Servcom USA, LLC

Take 5.....

2009-08-06T09:18:00.000-07:00

The Lord's Prayer
A mother had been teaching her three-year daughter, Caitlin, the Lord's prayer. For several evenings at bedtime, she would repeat after her mother the lines from the prayer.

Finally, she decided to go solo. The mother listened with pride as she carefully enunciated each word, right up to the end of the prayer: "Lead us not into temptation," she prayed, "but deliver us some E-mail. Amen."

Take 5.....

2009-07-28T08:34:00.000-07:00

Computers vs. Auto Industry

Bill Gates wanted to look good and impress everyone with his success.
He decided to measure the accomplishments of Microsoft against
General Motors. The comparison went like this:
If automotive technology had kept pace with computer technology over the past few decades, you would now be driving a V-32 instead of a V-8, and it would have a top speed of 10,000 miles per hour. Or you could have an economy car that weighs 30 pounds and gets a thousand miles to a gallon of gas. In either case the sticker price of a new car would be less than $50. In response to all this goading, GM responds: "Yes, but would you really want to drive a car that crashes twice a day?"

CLOSING DATES

2009-06-29T09:06:00.000-07:00

**ServcomUSA closing dates**
July 3rd (Independence Day)
August 21st (Technician Training)
September 7th (Labor Day)
October 12th (Columbus Day)
November 11th (Veteran's Day) 26th-27th (Thanksgiving)
December 23rd-27th (Christmas)

Important Update to Servcom USA Support Icon

2009-04-28T10:25:00.001-07:00

Our Servcom USA Support Icon has been updated. This update has improved the speed of our remote connections quite a bit. However, the old icon is no longer supported and will not work.

If you have the Servcom USA Support Icon on your desktop, please download the new one from this blog page using the links to the right of this post. Please make sure of the following:

Remove the current icon from your desktop by dragging it to the Recycle Bin.
If your computer is running Vista, please download the Servcom USA Support (Vista) file.
If you are using an Apple, please download the Servcom USA Support (MAC) file.
Save the new file to your desktop. (We usually put it in the upper right-hand corner for you.)

If you are the network administrator or you share a computer with other people (but you use different accounts), please call us to have us update the icon for you.

High Returns on Monitoring

2009-04-21T13:10:00.001-07:00

We’ve been expanding our 24x7 Network Monitoring for a few months now, and I thought it was a good time to dig into the statistics of how our clients are doing. This afternoon I ran the numbers on our clients who have adopted a proactive approach to their network maintenance, and I found these statistics (all stats are from 1 January, 2009 to today):

· Clients using our network monitoring program have an average network uptime over 95%.

· Those same clients’ median uptime was greater than 96%.

· 30% have uptimes of 99.5% or higher.

This is the good news. The great news is that we are just getting started. Our goal is to push our median uptime over 97% and have 50% of our monitored clients at 99.5% by the end of the year.

How did these business achieve such outstanding number? By making the most of their IT resources. They have invested in a tool that lets them know how well those resources are being used. We use it to prevent downtime, which stifles productivity. And we help them identify inefficiencies that could hold back their businesses, especially in this economy. So even in a down economy, these clients are seeing substantial returns on their IT investments.

So is your business one of our success stories? Without our monitoring, can your business achieve numbers like these? Are you getting the most out of your IT infrastructure?

Call or email us today to schedule a free demo of our 24x7 Network Monitoring program.

Launch of the New Portal Site!

2009-04-16T12:08:00.000-07:00

The new portal is now up and running If you cannot get in please give us a call. Jennifer can set up an appointment to get your new account activated. And for a limited time, we will be offering free training.

Also don't forget to save the New Portal Link to your desktop or your favorites for easy access.

Our main office number is (803) 329-2867

Easter Closing

2009-04-09T13:40:00.001-07:00

Servcom USA will be closed Friday, April 10th for Easter.

New Portal Site to be launched next Thursday!

2009-04-09T13:23:00.000-07:00

As part of our commitment to provide exceptional and comprehensive technology support for your organization, we will be rolling out our new Client Access Portal in approximately 4 days. There will be a number of enhancements in the new portal, including an improved user interface and service ticket submission form. Additionally, the process of updating tickets with notes and attachments will be much easier.

Your existing user name and password will work in the new portal, and you will have access to online help and a training video as soon as you login. We will provide you with the new login page web address when a launch date is finalized. Please contact us with any questions.

Outage

2009-03-05T16:03:00.000-08:00

Due to some technical maintenance, Servomusa will be experiencing a brief outage of the Internet at Servcom that will affect email, Sharepoint, and the VPN on Friday, March 6th, 2009 from 6:00pm-7:00pm. We are sorry for any inconvenience this might cause and we appreciate your understanding.

Server Outage

2009-01-28T12:32:00.000-08:00

Due to a server change, our website and email may be down briefly (15 - 20 minutes) between 3:35pm and 5:00pm, EST, today only.

We appreciate your patience while we proceed with this upgrade.

Monitoring Platform Enhancements

2009-01-25T10:05:00.001-08:00

During the next two weeks, we will be migrating and upgrading our monitoring platform. We will be providing free upgrades to the newest version for all existing monitoring customers.* During this period, we will experience temporary outages in our monitoring and remote access capabilities. These should be resolved by the end of the month.

-------
*Upgrades will be provided based on the recommended system performance. Clients whose servers do not exceed recommended system requirements will not receive this update until a individual review of their site has been finished.

Closing Notice

2009-01-13T14:24:00.000-08:00

On Monday, 1/19, Servcom USA will be closed for the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday.

We Used our Disaster Recovery Plan Today; Is Yours Ready?

2009-01-07T18:09:00.001-08:00

Due to today's high winds, our Rock Hill and Columbia offices both lost power for approximately five hours today. From 4pm to 8:30pm, our internet connection was also not functioning. As a result, our website was temporarily offline and email delivery to Servcom USA addresses was delayed.

As of 9pm EST, both sites are back up and running without any problems.

Did your site suffer any downtime during the storms? Let us work with you today to prevent problems next time.

But what if your computers didn't survive a power surge? Can your business recover all of your data and be up and running tomorrow morning? If your answer is "No" or "I don't know," call us today. We will make sure your business can survive any disaster.

Critical Windows Vulnerability

2008-12-23T14:47:00.000-08:00

As of December 17th, a new patch for Microsoft windows explorer has been released. This new patch contains very important information for protecting your computer and the data present on your computer. The MS08-078 patch provides crucial security update against remote code execution programs. It is critical that this update is installed onto your computer as fast as possible because this issue has a maximum severity rating.

In order to ensure that you have the patch installed on your system, you should run Windows Updates and install the latest patches on your computer. On your Windows Vista computer, go to the start button and type in the words windows update. If you have Windows XP, start Internet Explorer 7 and choose Windows Update from the Tools pull-down menu.

For more information on the details of the patch, go here.

2009 Pricing Change

2008-12-22T12:14:00.001-08:00

In order to better serve our clients, we will be introducing a pricing adjustment on all hourly services provided by Servcom USA to our clients. This rate adjustment will help us to remain competitive and continue to provide you with the most technologically sophisticated IT and networking service package in York County.

Our base rate will be moving to $100 per hour. Non-profit customers will continue to receive a minimum 5% discount off of our base rate for all labor.

Please note that this pricing will go into effect on January 1^st, 2009.

Finally, for all customers who have an existing Service Agreement with us at that time, your rates will not be affected by this rate adjustment.

Monitoring Site Maintenance

2008-12-16T13:31:00.001-08:00

In order to provide you with an improved Monitoring platform, we will be performing maintenance on our support website this week. There will be occasional outages from Tuesday through Friday after business hours (6pm EST). Please note that if you have trouble accessing our site between 6pm and 10am during this time, you will need to try again during regular business hours. We apologize for any inconvenience.

CLOSING DATES

2008-12-08T08:11:00.001-08:00

Closing Dates for December are as follows:

Wednesday 12/24

Thursday 12/25

Friday 12/26

Wednesday 12/31

Closing dates for January are as follows:

Thursday 01/01

Monday 01/19

Closing dates for February are as follows:

Monday 02/16

CLOSED

2008-11-18T10:11:00.001-08:00

ServcomUSA

Will be closed 11/26-11/28 for Thanksgiving Holiday!

Please submit a ticket if you are having technical difficulties.

Critical Windows Vulnerability

2008-10-24T11:44:00.001-07:00

If you do not have a service agreement with Servcom USA, you will need to contact our office immediately to schedule the installation of the fix for this Windows vulnerability. Please note that a patch has been released, but it must be installed ASAP. Customers under a current service agreement will be handled automatically. (Contract customers do not have to request installation of this patch.)

For more details on this problem, to see a list of affected operating systems, or for more information, you can see the full Microsoft Security Bulletin here.

Again, this is a VERY serious problem. You need to have this addressed on your servers and workstations IMMEDIATELY.

A repost of the Microsoft Security Bulletin released yesterday:

Microsoft Security Bulletin MS08-067 – Critical

Vulnerability in Server Service Could Allow Remote Code Execution (958644)

Published: October 23, 2008

Version: 1.0

General Information

Executive Summary

This security update resolves a privately reported vulnerability in the Server service. The vulnerability could allow remote code execution if an affected system received a specially crafted RPC request. On Microsoft Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003 systems, an attacker could exploit this vulnerability without authentication to run arbitrary code. It is possible that this vulnerability could be used in the crafting of a wormable exploit. Firewall best practices and standard default firewall configurations can help protect network resources from attacks that originate outside the enterprise perimeter.

This security update is rated Critical for all supported editions of Microsoft Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, and rated Important for all supported editions of Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008. For more information, see the subsection, Affected and Non-Affected Software, in this section.

The security update addresses the vulnerability by correcting the way that the Server service handles RPC requests. For more information about the vulnerability, see the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) subsection for the specific vulnerability entry under the next section, Vulnerability Information.

Recommendation. Microsoft recommends that customers apply the update immediately.

Business Trip

2008-09-16T13:29:00.001-07:00

Adam and I will be out of town from September 23^rd through Monday, October 5^th. Servcom USA will remain open during regular business hours.

Save Your Data – Crush a Hard Drive

2008-08-27T19:32:00.001-07:00

Ever wonder what happens to your computer once you throw it away? Chances are it ends up in a landfill, possibly in the third world. Or, if you donate it to a charity, it might get put back on the shelf for resale. Or maybe it goes somewhere else.

Except that the data on your computer might get sold or recycled along with it.

How do you make sure that your data is safe, even after you've donated it to a worthy cause? Let Servcom USA recycle your PC for you. Your computer will be cleaned, refurbished, and either recycled safely or transferred to a non-profit organization in the area.

We will make sure your hard drive is wiped clean and overwritten with random data. We use industry-standard software and procedures to make sure your data is gone, and that it will not be recovered.

And if that isn't enough for you, then let us crush your hard drive.

Crushing a drive ensures that the plates are warped or broken beyond repair. Broken plates can't be read by anybody – they are as dead as can be.

Here are a few images of our smashed drives.

By the way, our hard drive crushing meets the compliance standards of various industries. That means that you can recycle computers, even if they come from a HIPAA- or SOX-compliant environment.

Available Internship

2008-08-27T19:06:00.001-07:00

Servcom USA is has an internship position available beginning immediately. Interested applicants, please call our main phone number: (803) 329-2867.

Available Internship

Position Description: Assistant Network Administrator

Responsibilities:

Maintain and service Windows servers in test and production environments
Maintain, troubleshoot, repair, and design networks and networking equipment
Maintain and repair desktop, laptop, and workstation computers

Prerequisites:

Experience with desktop computers, especially Windows 2000, XP, and Vista
Experience troubleshooting and repairing computer hardware, including network devices
Working knowledge of TCP/IP networking, DNS, DHCP, and Layer-3 routing protocols

Extra skills (suggested, but not required):

Experience with Windows Server operating systems
Experience with any (or all) of the following: IIS, Exchange, SQL, ASP, .Net, Visual Basic/C#, Symantec BackupExec, Hyper-V, Linux
Certification in any IT field, such as A+, CCNA, Network+, MSCE, etc.

Additional Criteria and Information:

Servcom USA is a Technology consulting and services firm located in Rock Hill, SC. We have been servicing non-profit organizations and small businesses in York, Chester, and Lancaster counties since 2000.

This position will require 10 hours per week at Servcom USA's main office, although some work may be conducted off site. Pay will be commensurate with experience. Servcom USA will provide the assistant network administrator with additional training, as needed. The internship will run from August through December of 2008. All work can be completed outside of school hours; currently enrolled students are encouraged to apply. Applicant must be able to provide own reliable transportation. Please provide at least one current letter of recommendation from an employer or educator in a field relevant to the requirements of this position.

Interested applicants, please call our main phone number: (803) 329-2867.

Easy Email Backups

2008-08-18T08:04:00.001-07:00

Most of us can't work without email, and you know that you can't afford to lose any email when your computer crashes.

But most email backup software is expensive, complex, and requires lots of time to set up.

If you are looking for a program to just back up your Outlook email, download the Microsoft Outlook Personal Folders Backup tool. It works for Outlook 2002, 2003, and 2007.* Save the backup to your external hard drive or USB drive for quick backups of your email, contacts, calendars, and journal notes. Best of all, it's free!

Installation instructions for the Microsoft Outlook Personal Folders Backup tool are available here. Call or email us for help installing this tool on your system today!

*Requires validation and Genuine Microsoft Office installed on your system. File download is approximately 160KB. The tool does NOT support Outlook Express or Windows Mail.

2008-08-15T07:57:00.001-07:00

**** Maintenance Notice ****

When: 8/18 - 8/19
What: Security Updates
Impact: 15-30 minute service interruption

Details:

On August 18th and 19th, we will install all of the security updates currently available for the server where your website(s) and/or database(s) reside, as well as any patches the machine requires.

This maintenance will occur between 02:00 a.m. and 06:00 a.m EDT and the estimated downtime is between 15 - 30 minutes. All of the patches that will be deployed have gone through our quality assurance process and are currently running with no incident on our test servers.

The calendar feature in the HostMySite Control Panel allows you to see upcoming server security upgrades and patches for a progressive one month period. You can also check the calendar for maintenance and other important updates.

Worried About Your Security Online?

2008-07-30T19:45:00.000-07:00

Worried about the recent DNS exploit? Servcom can help keep you safe. We have a fully customizable web-browser protection platform.

Using our custom server, you can block specific websites and even filter explicit material. Block all shopping websites on your work network, or just prevent your children from accidentally stumbling on adult content online.

Best of all, it can be enabled on your network remotely. Call us for details.

Comporium's DNS Servers Safe

2008-07-30T19:35:00.000-07:00

If you have heard about the recent DNS exploit, don't worry too much. I just checked Comporium's DNS servers, and they appear to be safe from the most dangerous problems. We will continue to verify patches on our customers' servers. If you are concerned about your server, you can test it here. Please notify us of any server vulnerability you find.

Website Outages

2008-07-22T09:56:00.001-07:00

For our customers who host their websites with us:

Maintenance Notice
------------------
When: 7/30/08
What: Firmware Updates
Impact: 4-6 hour service interruption
Details:

On July 30, 2008, we will be performing firmware updates to our SAN storage solution along with increasing the storage capacity. The update and the additional storage will take place over a 6 hour maintenance window from 12:00 and 6:00 a.m. EDT. Please note, any data you have connected to the SAN will be unavailable during this time.

Maintenance

2008-07-21T07:59:00.001-07:00

When: 7/30/08
What: Firmware Updates
Impact: 4-6 hour service interruption
Details:

Closed 08/01/08

2008-07-14T09:54:00.001-07:00

***Closed Friday August 1^st***

Servcom USA closing dates

2008-07-10T10:12:00.001-07:00

Friday July 25^th (training)

Friday August 29^th (training)

Monday September 1^st (Labor day)

System Maintenance

2008-06-11T13:08:00.001-07:00

Servcom USA's ticketing system will be taken offline for routine maintenance from 9pm Saturday, June 14^th through 6am June 15^th. Please note that the Client Access Portal may be inaccessible during this period. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Closing Dates for July.

2008-06-09T09:50:00.001-07:00

ServcomUSA will be closed Friday July 4^th.

The End Is Near

2008-05-29T09:58:00.001-07:00

If you still want to get your hands on Windows XP, you only have four weeks left! The last day for sales of Windows XP is June 30, 2008. Here's everything you need to know to get ready for July 1^st:

Why is Windows XP no longer available?

The short answer is that Windows XP has now been replaced by Windows Vista. Since Service Pack 1 was released for Vista earlier this month, Microsoft will be focusing most of its efforts on supporting and maintaining Vista

What happens to my computer running Windows XP?

Absolutely nothing. After June 30, new PCs will come with Windows Vista installed. However, your existing computer running Windows XP will continue to function normally. You will continue to receive Windows Updates until April 14, 2009. After that, Microsoft is scheduled to continue issuing minor security updates until April 8, 2014.

What if I buy a new computer?

New computers purchased after June 30 will only come with Vista. (If you still have unused Windows XP licenses, don't worry: after June 30, unused Windows XP licenses can still be installed on new systems.)

What if my computer breaks? Will I still be able to use Windows XP?

Unless you purchase a new computer, you will still be able to run Windows XP on your machine, even after it has been repaired, provided you still have the installation media (CDs) and a valid license.

If I still want a computer running Windows XP, how can I get one?

Servcom USA will stop issuing quotes for systems with Windows XP on June 6^th, 2008. In order for us to fulfill your order for systems with Windows XP preinstalled, payment will need to be received NO LATER than Tuesday, June 24^th. If you still have unused Windows XP licenses, don't worry: after June 30, unused Windows XP licenses can still be installed on new systems.

Is this going to happen again?

Yes. Microsoft will eventually stop supporting Windows Server 2003 and Vista, one day. If you don't want to get caught flat-footed by the constant upgrade cycle, let us help you manage your licenses! With a little planning, we can reduce the cost of replacing your operating systems and help you stay up-to-date for years to come!

I still have questions.

Check out this website for a brief overview. Or you can call or email me with specific questions.

Closed

2008-05-14T12:43:00.001-07:00

***** SCUSA CLOSING*****

We will be closed Monday May 26^th for Memorial Day!!!

If you need assistance, please call and leave a message. We will return your call on Tuesday.

SERVCOMUSA’s CLOSING DATES

2008-04-14T09:22:00.001-07:00

SERVCOMUSA will be closing early Friday May 30^th at 1:00pm

Closed June 2

Closed June 3

for our technicians to attend training.

In the event of an emergency, please contact Jennifer at 803-329-2867

New Management Tools

2008-04-10T08:03:00.001-07:00

As part of our continued commitment to business excellence, I'm proud to share with you the news that we have been recognized by Autotask Corporation as one of their Top-Rated Service Providers.

We earned this recognition by implementing their award-winning IT Services management software to run our services business.

Autotask will help us maintain a more accurate history of your systems and services that we provide to you, as well as improve the level of detail and timeliness of the service details we capture as part of our work on your behalf.

As part of this software, we are now able to provide you with your own private web portal to make it easier for you to send us service request, track the status of those requests, work with us on long-term projects, and even see your invoices.

If you'd like more information about the powerful new system and processes we are implementing, I can forward to you a white paper prepared by Autotask Corporation that goes into detail about how their software helps technology solution providers to run our businesses better, and deliver "Top-Rated Service."

Maintenance Notice

2008-04-08T16:40:00.000-07:00

When: 4/9/08
What: Network Maintenance
Impact: Up to 10 minutes of service interruption
Details:

On April 9, 2008 we will be conducting maintenance on our network to add features that will provide greater redundancy. We will be performing this maintenance between the hours of 2:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. EDT. During this time you may experience up to 10 minutes of intermittent latency, packet loss, and downtime.

Due to the nature of the maintenance, it must be performed during our maintenance window. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns.

Reagrds,
HostMySite Dedicated Support Team

Jennifer’s update

2008-03-28T08:09:00.001-07:00

As most of you know, Jennifer is back. We have posted a picture of her new addition, "Abby." Born December 12,2007. She weighed 5lbs, 12oz.

Office 2007 Conversion

2008-02-14T11:14:00.001-08:00

If you haven't upgraded to Office 2007, now is the time!

If you can't upgrade for some reason, those of you running Office 2003 and earlier versions can use the converter to open the new 2007 files. The update takes four minutes to download and install on a broadband connection.

Download the converter here.

Servcom Email Server Offline

2008-02-13T08:20:00.001-08:00

Nobody's perfect! Our email server was offline for a brief period last night. If you sent us an email after 6pm on February 12^th and got a message that your email was delayed, it should come through this morning. If your email was returned NOT DELIVERABLE, please resend it. We apologize for any inconvenience and assure our customers that delayed email will not impact our service delivery.

Buy Servcom Stuff!

2008-02-12T15:04:00.000-08:00

Want to show the world who your favorite IT consultants are? Grab a t-shirt or coffee mug at our new online shop.

Want to help expand your brand? How about generating some income for your non-profit? Call or email us to see how an online storefront can help you sell your business.

Servcom USA Closing Dates – Through March 31, 2008

2008-01-22T13:13:00.001-08:00

Servcom USA will be closed for business on the following dates:

February 14^th *
February 15^th – 18^th (President's Day)
March 21^st-24^th (Easter)

Please check the blog regularly for more closings, updates, and other information.

* Half Day – the offices will close at 1:00pm.

Jennifer Is on Leave

2007-12-10T12:54:00.001-08:00

Jennifer Davis, the voice of Servcom USA, is on maternity leave. She will be returning to work sometime in February. Please join with us in wishing her and her family the best of luck.

Servcom USA's Reclamation Services

2007-12-10T12:46:00.001-08:00

With all of the holiday excitement this time of year, you probably don't spend much time thinking about your office. Or about how much computer equipment you might be discarding over the next year. But take a second and consider whether you will be replacing any computers, printers, servers, or network equipment any time in the foreseeable future. What are you going to do about all those leftovers?

Just like the leftover trimmings from your holiday meal, you probably don't want to let your computer and network equipment sit in your trash can for weeks or rot outside your office's back door. You'll throw out your kitchen waste immediately and be done with it, but what are you going to do with those old desktops?

Call Servcom USA! We now offer reclamation services. Don't wait six months for the next community recycling day. Save yourself the time and gas driving that equipment to the dump. Let Servcom USA collect and recycle your computer equipment, printers, monitors, and networking equipment.

Did you know your computer monitor could have 3 or more pounds of lead in it? That your computer contains mercury, arsenic, gold, rubidium, and other heavy metals? Improper disposal means that those metals could leach into our soils and watersheds, poisoning our rivers and lakes. If incinerated, these metals enter the atmosphere, where they can contribute to smog and respiratory diseases in people. However, with proper recycling, all of this waste material can be reused and recaptured, preventing environmental damage or contamination. At Servcom USA, we will ensure that all collected equipment is either:

refurbished and donated to another organization, or
recycled appropriately.

With a quick phone call, you can get rid of that equipment in your storage closet, save yourself hours of lugging equipment to the dump, and help the environment! Give us a call today at (803) 329-2867 and ask about recycling your old computer equipment.

Servcom USA

Training Day - May 10th

Closing Date - Easter Monday

Terms of Service URL has Changed

New Website Is Live

Training Day - March 25th

All Service Back Online

Power Outage

Closing Date - President's Day

Terms of Service Updated

New Year's Hours and Closing Dates

Christmas Closings

Training Day - December 17th

Closing Date - Thanksgiving Weekend, November 24th - 28th

Closing Date - Veterans Day, November 11th

Email is back up

Temporary Email Outage

Closing Date - Columbus Day, October 11

Training Day - September 24th

Closing Date - Labor Day, September 6

Training Day - August 16th

Closing Date - August 6th

Training Day - July 30th

July 4th Weekend Closing Date - July 5th

Training Day - June 14th

Memorial Day Closing - May 31st

Training Day

Service Disruption

Training Day

Servcom USA Closing Date

Back Online

Network Outage

Training Day - Friday, March 12th

Servcom Closing for President's Day

New Terms of Service Posted

The Big Story of 2010

December and New Year's Closing Dates

Windows 7 Upgrades from Dell

Shawn's Favorite Windows 7 Feature

CLOSING UPDATE

It's Here!

Another Big Patch Release

Don't Wait - Try Windows 7 Today!

RSS Feed Updated

First Website Update

Critical Microsoft Update

Take 5.....

Out of the Office

Take 5.....

Take 5.....

CLOSING DATES

Important Update to Servcom USA Support Icon

High Returns on Monitoring

Launch of the New Portal Site!

Easter Closing

New Portal Site to be launched next Thursday!

Outage

Server Outage

Monitoring Platform Enhancements

Closing Notice

We Used our Disaster Recovery Plan Today; Is Yours Ready?

Critical Windows Vulnerability

2009 Pricing Change

Monitoring Site Maintenance

CLOSING DATES

CLOSED

Critical Windows Vulnerability

Business Trip

Save Your Data – Crush a Hard Drive

Available Internship

Easy Email Backups

Worried About Your Security Online?

Comporium's DNS Servers Safe

Website Outages

**Maintenance**

Closed 08/01/08

**Servcom USA closing dates**

System Maintenance

Closing Dates for July.

The End Is Near

Maintenance

Servcom USA closing dates

SERVCOMUSA’s CLOSING DATES