NortonLive Ultimate Help Desk tackles consumer's tech problems 24/7/365
Tuesday, February 1, 2011 at 12:43PM 
Norton by Symantec announced today its new NortonLive Ultimate Help Desk service – a 24x7 online service and virtual personal IT help desk service for consumers that supports a broad range of computing and digital devices, from PCs to printers to iPod devices, commonly used at home.
Third-party studies show consumers prefer professional technology services offered remotely compared to in-home or phone support services(1). In a recent survey commissioned by Norton and conducted by Harris Interactive®, 64 percent of respondents have experienced problems with their computers, 56 percent have experienced problems with their digital devices, and 31 percent said they usually make things worse when they try to fix things themselves(2). NortonLive Ultimate Help Desk offers consumers peace-of-mind knowing that an affordable service from a trusted source is available anytime problems arise, and they don’t have to leave home to get the help they need.
“The proliferation of consumer gadgets, computer systems and mobile content has been a double-edged sword,” said Rob Brothers, program director for IDC's Software and Hardware Support Services research practice. “On one hand, it has provided unprecedented access to information, communication and entertainment from anywhere, at anytime. On the other hand, these devices have introduced a level of complexity that can be confusing to even those who are technically inclined, especially at home where problems can be difficult to diagnose and repair.”
NortonLive services provide consumers with two different remote help desk services to meet their varying needs:
NortonLive Ultimate Help Desk offers subscription plans with unlimited support for a broad range of computer and digital devices including PCs, wireless networks, printers, scanners, smartphones, digital cameras, iPod devices and other MP3 players. Services include diagnosis and resolution of setup, security, performance, maintenance and data transfer problems. With every help desk subscription comes a One-Time Setup Service that includes a security assessment, PC performance tuning and NortonLive Easy Support, which provides frequent computer health checks and remediation to improve overall computer performance.
In addition to subscription plan services, NortonLive offers an “a la carte” service called NortonLive Rescue Me, which diagnoses computer problems and provides a recommendation for repair. NortonLive Experts will use the latest diagnostic techniques and tools to troubleshoot and tune up key settings to improve PC performance and provide a detailed recommendation for problem resolution.
“For years, consumers have trusted Norton to address their security needs,” said Kevin Chapman, vice president and general manager, Worldwide Consumer Services, Symantec. “With NortonLive Ultimate Help Desk, we are pleased to extend our ability to support our customers beyond security, to solving a variety of technology issues they might experience with their PC or other digital devices. This service allows consumers to turn to Norton experts to fix their technology problems, while freeing up their valuable time to spend with family and friends.”
Pricing and Availability
NortonLive Ultimate Help Desk and Rescue Me services are available immediately in the U.S. and Canada. NortonLive Ultimate Help Desk comes in two subscription plans. The Personal Plan is available for US$19.99 per month or US$199.99 for the entire year, with a One-Time Setup Service fee of US$49.99; the Family Plan is available for US$29.99 per month or US$299.99 for the entire year, with a One-Time Setup Service fee of US$69.99. NortonLive Rescue Me is offered at US$4.99. For more information, please visit www.nortonlive.com/helpdesk.
Reader Comments (3)
All sounds very good. Excellent marketing piece. In fact does not stand up. I have spent the better part of three days trying to get my scanner hooked up. Then they tell me to call HP. The last two techs I spoke with lectured me on what their service does not provide. I(read to them fro web the NortonLive Ultimate web page. They both insisted I was wrong. Per customer service I was correct. Not work the money. And certainly not worth a long term commitment.
All sounds very good. Excellent marketing piece. In fact does not stand up. I have spent the better part of three days trying to get my scanner hooked up. Then they tell me to call HP. The last two techs I spoke with lectured me on what their service does not provide. I(read to them fro web the NortonLive Ultimate web page. They both insisted I was wrong. Per customer service I was correct. Not work the money. And certainly not worth a long term commitment.
I just had ANOTHER horrible experience with Norton Ultimate Help Desk. I pay $75/year for Norton 360 to protect my computer from viruses. When the product fails, Norton will not fix the problem. They make you buy Ultimate Help Desk for $60 set-up, with a $20 per month charge. I did this, they did fix my computer after an unreasonable wait time. Then they make it nearly impossible to cancel the monthly $20 charge. In my opinion, the Symantec / Norton company epitomizes all that is wrong with corporations. I'm following through on my promise to the supervisor I spoke with to use any and all opportunities to bad mouth the company. This perhaps the worst company I have ever done business with.