News

Microsoft Enhances Small Business Support

• By Stuart J. Johnston
• January 25, 2006

Dubbed Microsoft Small Business + (pronounced “plus”), the new services are an extension of the company’s Small Business Center site, according to a statement. The additions revolve around a common theme -- that most companies with fewer than 50 employees cannot afford a full-time IT staff.

In order to help ameliorate that problem, Small Business + provides online interactive software training courses to help increase customers’ productivity when using Microsoft Office applications like Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook. Small Business + also features a training library developed by third-party experts designed around improving role-based skills such as marketing, technology management and financial management.

Among the enhanced support offerings, Small Business + provides Small Business Help Desk for both self-service and assisted support, providing basically a focal point for common support issues, and including a central point for obtaining service packs or viewing support Webcasts.

Other services include Small Business Quick Advice, a chat-based support service, and Small Business Expert Help, which provides more advanced technical issue problem solving for topics such as networking or server problems. Expert Help is available “through one of several steeply discounted support packages offered exclusively as part of Small Business +,” according to Microsoft’s statement. New subscribers receive a 45-day free trial of the unlimited live-chat advanced support capability.