Welcome to the first issue of EasyTechCare's newsletter. We are delighted that you've agreed to allow us to include you on our distribution list. Our intent with this publication is to provide you with relevant and pertinent information to help you get the most out of your home computing environment. Whether you are a light user focused primarily on internet and email use or a power user with multiple devices and broad experience we are confident that you will find helpful hints, tips and tricks that will be meaningful to you. We expect to publish between 4 and 6 issues a year and needless to say, we will welcome your feedback as to the utility of this publication and any suggestions you may have for articles of interest that you think should be addressed in upcoming issues.

Net Threat

It seems no matter what you read, watch or listen to these days the subject of net security is all the rage. With internet usage on the rise (more than 70% of Canadians are now connected at home) it's no wonder that devious people have increasingly looked to the net to ply their trade. In fact according to a recent Consumer Reports survey "one-in-three home internet users suffer computer damage and financial loss due to computer viruses or Spyware." The survey goes on to say that consumers spent some $9 billion over the last two years to repair damages caused by viruses and Spyware.

"The internet is no longer the urbane information motorway it was five years ago," the consumer watchdog group says. "An individual consumer now faces assaults through email, Websites, messaging services and downloads."

The "2005 Consumer Reports State of the Net" survey which interviewed 3,200 households with at-home internet access in the United States found:

• 64% of respondents said they had detected viruses on their computer in the past two years.
• 52% reported a Spyware infection in the past six months - of those, 18% reported an infection so serious that they had to erase their hard drives.
• Nearly 20% of spam recipients said spam interfered with their browser.
• 17% of respondents said they don't use antivirus software.
• 13% said that the need to avoid span and email scams had induced them to shop online less - yet 1.2 million online households helped keep spammers in business with purchases of products or services advertised through spam.
• 10% of respondents with high-speed broadband access said they don't have firewall protection that would block online intruders. In Canada that would equate to more than 550,000 "unprotected households" nationally.
• 6% of respondents had submitted personal information in response to a "phishing" scam. Financial losses were rare - only 0.5% - but expensive, costing $400 on average, and a few topped $1000.
• Only 20% of Mac owners surveyed reported detecting a virus in the past year compared with 66% of PC owners.

Thanks to You...

Many of you reading this publication are participants in our Family and Friends pilot and we want to use this space also to say thanks to you for your support and feedback during these early days. By allowing us into your homes and trusting us to review, improve or repair your computers and to answer your support calls has provided us with valuable learning. We will benefit from this but most of all it will become the cornerstone of the continuous improvement environment we are building at EasyTechCare.

The ETC Advantage:

As Ambassadors we trust we can count on your active support in helping grow the business by talking about your experience with friends, colleagues, even strangers in a parking lot would be great. But we recognize that we need to help you.

So, the following is our "Top Ten List" of the features and benefits of using ETC and especially the advantages of membership.

10. Your "one-stop shop" for computer and related devices service and support
9. 24/7 access to technical assistance from qualified professionals
8. In-home repairs by A+ Certified Technicians
7. Membership plans tailored to your needs
6. Eliminates costly and unpredictable repair bills
5. If we can't fix it, you don't pay
4. Access to discounted products for members
3. Empathetic and patient trainers to help you upgrade your skills (good looking too!!)
2. As an EasyPlan 2 or EasyPlan 3 member our hardware coverage acts like an insurance policy, if it breaks we'll either repair it or replace it at absolutely no cost to you.

And the Number 1 reason to recommend us .......

We do more than just "fix stuff", we help you keep it from breaking. Think of us as your TRUSTED SOURCE for advice and support.