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Windows 8.1 Update Rolling Out

Microsoft’s latest operating system Windows 8 is receiving an update known simply as Windows 8.1. The update will be available for MSDN, TechNet customers and the general public on October 18th. OEM partners of Microsoft have received the final release already and will start shipping products with Windows 8.1 installed by the end of September.

Windows 8.1

Windows 8.1 is not a “Service Pack” update that we have become accustomed to with earlier versions of Windows. Previous “Service Packs” were a compilation of fixes and patches available for the OS and rarely included major operating system changes. Windows 8.1 will fore go this concept and actually add substantial updates to the operating system itself. The new rapid release cycle that Microsoft is working with will trade the old release model for whole operating system updates similar to how Apple currently handles their updates to OSX.

Windows 8.1 will be provided free from Microsoft and the official release will come via the Windows Store App within Windows 8.

Some of the changes to expect with Windows 8.1:

  • The Start Button is BACK! Clicking it will bring up the Start Screen however, not the Start Menu from previous versions of Windows.
  • The Start Screen and Modern apps will work better on smaller displays (think 8 inch tablets) and more pixel dense large monitors.
  • The Start Screen can be more heavily modified with background images and different tile sizes.
  • Snap Views will support more than two apps and feature variable re-sizing.
  • Searching across local and network storage has been greatly improved. Searches will also include online results from Bing.
  • The Windows Store has been redone to make it easier to find useful apps and manage them more easily.
  • Internet Explorer 11 will ship with the final release and see many improvements over the current IE10.
  • Several updates to the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) feature. Including NFC pairing and native Miracast support.
  • More VPN client support and new auto-triggered VPN
  • Improved security measures including Remote Business Data Removal, improvements to Windows Defender and Device Lockdown.

First Network Group, Inc has been hard at work preparing for this update. Our technicians are ready on Day 1 for the first customer who needs help.If you aren’t already taking advantage of our 24×7 End User Technical Support Center contact Cory Lykins, VP of Tech Services at 1-800-578-6381, opt. 6,  for more information.

Are you ready for some football?

Our Customer Care Center provides 24 hour access to a live person for a great many of your customer needs. If your service offering includes television service (either CATV or IPTV)  then you are probably aware of how important consistent and functional television service is during the NFL season. And football season is fast approaching.

The NFL’s fan base is estimated around 181 million people. Last year it produced 23 of the 25 highest-rated TV shows of the fall season and Week-One games alone this year had 105.9 million fans watching.

Our Customer Care Center data shows a 20% increase in television related calls during the NFL season as compared to any other time of the year. If television is part of your total package, then the NFL is the silver bullet to viewer satisfaction. Are your customers able to reach a live person if they are having television issues during the big game?

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Are your on-call repair technicians able to get a real sense of issues about reported problems or are they left to guess from vague customer voice mails? If you do not have a live and informed call center that your customers can contact at these crucial periods you could be losing out on opportunities to not only resolve issues quickly but also to maintain overall customer satisfaction.

Our Customer Care Center can provide your customers around the clock access to a live person to entertain their questions and concerns. We can provide Tier 1 support and response for CATV, IPTV and 611, answer general questions, provide company info and billing information. We also provide after-hours problem resolution dispatching and paging as well as sensitive data collection and submission for law enforcement agencies. All of these services can be customized to best suit your service model and your customer base.

If you aren’t already taking advantage of our 24×7 Customer Care center contact Cory
Lykins, VP of Tech Services at 1-800-578-6381, opt. 6,  for more information.

Memorial Day

American-FlagThe First Network Group family wishes you a wonderful and safe holiday weekend. With respect to all our active military and all those veterans who have came before – thank you for all you do and have done.