About RESCUECOM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
October 23, 2007:
Apple and Lenovo are Top Performers in RESCUECOM's Second Annual Computer Reliabillity Report
What You Need to Know Before You Make That Computer PurchaseThis Holiday Season
Syracuse, NY - October 23, 2007 -- RESCUECOM www.rescuecom.com , the nation's premier Information Technology services franchise, today announced the results of its second annual RESCUECOM Computer Reliability Report, an unbiased analysis that compares computer vendors' market share with consumer service call data from RESCUECOM's 1-800-RESCUE-PC call center. Results of the report - based on 46,000 service calls to RESCUECOM -- provide computer users with unique insight about the likelihood that they will require support beyond what is provided by the PC maker's warranty.
"Computers are an important investment, one that plays an increasingly central role in our daily lives and as such, consumers demand to know which manufacturer's products they can count on for the most trouble-free operation. We created the RESCUECOM Reliability survey to inform computer users about what they can expect before they purchase that new computer,'' said David A. Milman, founder and CEO of RESCUECOM. "Unlike big box consumer electronics retailers, RESCUECOM has no allegiance to any hardware manufacturer so our top priority is customer satisfaction. Because of our independence and large and diversified customer base, we can provide an objective and unbiased rating of computer hardware reliability based on real-world experience."
The Report calculated the "Reliability Score" for each PC vendor based on the calculated difference between overall U.S. market share, over a three-year period, and the percentage of calls requesting service received by RESCUECOM's call center. Higher scores indicate that less calls for service were received for the specific computer vendor versus expected levels based upon market share estimates (scores are in parentheses).
- Apple (357)
- Lenovo/IBM (236)
- HP (126)
- Gateway (103)
- Dell (94)
- Others (79)
Reliability Scores are based on a comparison of RESCUECOM's call center data with the average U.S. 2Q markets share data from IDC's Worldwide Quarterly PC Tracker, 2005-2007.
Other notable findings from the data include:
- Apple surged to the number one spot in the reliability survey, beating its closest competitor by more than 100 points.
- Lenovo/IBM, last year's top performer, dropped to second place, but is still considered among the most reliable vendors topping the next closest rival by 110 points.
Driven by strong market share gains, HP significantly improved its overall rating compared to last year, but remained in third place.
- Dell slipped in the ratings to fifth place, replaced in the number four spot by Gateway. While a solid manufacturer, Dell continues to deal with issues ranging from customer service and product availability problems, to lawsuits about its warranties and last year's battery recall (which affected other manufacturers as well).
- Several manufacturers in the "Other" category including Sony and Toshiba showed improved year-over-year reliability scores.
Commenting on the results, Milman added, "The data in this year's survey reconfirms observations from last year's results, namely that Apple and Lenovo's products and service continue to set the pace in the industry. HP's resurgence and Lenovo's strong performance during a period marked by its acquisition of IBM's Thinkpad lines are also bright spots in this report. What this means is consumers are benefiting from competition and armed with this reliability information, computer shoppers can make more informed choices when deciding which computer they should buy this holiday season."
Based upon the data, RESCUECOM suggests that consumers should:
- Stick with the names you know -- The Reliability Score for less popular vendor's computers (in the "other" category") continues to lag behind the established vendors, likely indicating lower reliability based on quality and/or service.
- Consumers should carefully research extended warranty options, particularly if they intend to keep their computers longer than three years and should consider seeking additional repair and support options.
Illustrated in the chart below is data used to calculate the "Reliability Score" Index for the "RESCUECOM Computer Reliability Report."
* Source: IDC's Worldwide Quarterly PC Tracker, Average of Q2 U.S. Computer Vendor Market Share data from 2005-2007.
** Source: RESCUECOM - Data based on 46,000 calls into 1-800-RESCUE-PC from October 1, 2006 to September 30, 2007.
*** Reliability score index is calculated as (US Market Share Average) / (RESCUECOM repair share) x 100
About RESCUECOMRESCUECOM provides fast and flawless on-site computer repair and support, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. All local RESCUECOM franchisees offer guaranteed results and on-site emergency one-hour response service with or without a contract, providing the industry's fastest response times and easiest relationships.
RESCUECOM services everything from home computers to super computers, wireless Internet to global networks, hardware to software, e-mail to enterprise resource planning (ERP). In addition to one-time, on-site solutions for virtually any computer problem, RESCUECOM provides comprehensive, ongoing IT management services for businesses.
RESCUECOM has been recognized by Entrepreneur magazine in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006 and 2007 as part of the "Franchise 500," as one of the fastest growing franchise companies in the United States. For more information, please visit
www.RESCUECOM.com or call 1-800-RESCUE-PC.
For More Information, Contact:Josh Kaplan, Marketing Director
973-851-4776
jkaplan@rescuecom.com
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