Los Angeles-based software company iolo technologies announced a version of its System Mechanic solution aimed at small to medium-size businesses. Starting this week, midmarket companies will be able to order packs of 10, 25, 50, 75 or 100 PC licenses of System Mechanic Business edition through the company's small business portal and the company's channel of storefronts in the coming months.
iolo says one of the primary business benefits of System Mechanic is its ability to restore and maintain the speed and responsiveness of older computers. The award-winning software offers more than 40 tools that fix errors, freezes and crashes, restore speed and performance and maintain overall stability. The company claims 22 million users utilize the software worldwide.
System Mechanic Business edition will retail for $99.95 for a 10 PC license, $199.95 for up to 25 PCs, $349.95 for up to 50 PCs, $499.95 for up to 75 PCs and $629.95 for up to 100 PCs. The offering comes amid a Forrester Research survey predicting IT spending of small businesses might fall below the three percent drop predicted for the rest of businesses this year.
The company says System Mechanic also minimizes energy use, which aids in saving small and mid-sized businesses money on energy and cooling bills. Initial research data from iolo shows that an average one-year-old computer running for six hours a day wastes 70 kWh a year. "Using System Mechanic to tune up their computers, [SMBs] can save money on hardware replacements and energy costs and boost employee productivity and morale," said iolo's vice president of marketing. "With such wide-ranging savings, PC tune-up is the ultimate small business stimulus package any small and mid-sized business could use in this economy."
iolo argues many midmarket companies cannot afford to staff a full-time IT department to keep their computers in optimal condition. A survey conducted by the company found 54 percent of businesses with fewer than 25 employees, the owners conduct all software evaluations. That percentage is even higher for businesses with four to 10 employees, where more than 70 percent of owners personally evaluate software products.
Designed to work with all 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows (including Windows 7 beta), iolo claims the software can be up and running on office PCs in minutes and automatically maintaining PCs with ActiveCare technology, which proactively tunes up computers by working when the PC is left idle. The company says by using System Mechanic, SMBs can avoid replacing computers before they have to, resulting in significant IT savings.
A May survey by research firm IDC found the largest portion of the small business budget for accessories is spent at the time of the purchase, while another 26.2 percent of the overall budget is spent within three months of the PC purchase. The company noted for PC purchases, small business buyers acquire the majority of their desktops as replacements for existing desktops, while most notebooks are additional PC purchases.
