Daily Cup of Tech

Note: This blog entry is sponsored by LoudLaunch.

I don’t know about you but just by looking at the PC-VIP website, I think they may already be in trouble. According to the news campaign release:

PC-VIP is a revolutionary new service that alters the way computer support is delivered to small and medium business and traveling executives and artists/models/actors.

I’m not really sure what this means but they have at least until April 1st to figure it out since this is when they will be releasing their service. There isn’t much on their website but I guess that will change soon. It seems like they are putting a lot of effort into generating hype about this. In fact, I even received an e-mail from them back in January. They were trying to recruit new technical resources to support the people who actually do the work. Here is the letter I received:

Hello.

On April 1, 2007, a new concept in Computer Support will be rolled out across the United States and Europe. We believe that PC-VIP will turn the market for support services to the SMB space ON IT’S EAR.

We are looking for qualified support professionals to act as field personnel in New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Miami, Austin, Seattle, and Washington DC, as well as in Paris France and Brussels, Belgium, immediately.

The money is big, and no kidding, this will be so big that it’s entirely likely that anyone who isn’t “with us” might find themselves with a bit of a problem professionally, pretty soon.

One catch: We aren’t supporting the computers, we’re supporting the people. This means that while your technical skills matter, your people skills matter even more.

Simple offer: let us know of your interest, and we’re going to put upward of $100K/year in your pocket, and probably make your life easier at the same time.

You know what to do . . .

–
Jeff Yablon
President & CEO
PC-VIP Inc.
http://www.pc-vip.com

I sent him a polite response indicating that I did not work out of any of the cities that he was interested in.

So, I decided to do some digging and it seems that Mr. Yablon has been quite busy. Here is his history taken from a Google cache of his webpage:

Jeff Yablon, renowned educational speaker and broadcaster, software author, and business development expert, has worked in concert with senior management of companies large and small to craft and deploy strategies for implementing technology and business processes for employees and customers. He has been developing PC-VIP for several years.

In March 2000 Mr. Yablon, a syndicated radio and internet talk show host, sold his equity positions in Denver-based Planet Computer Inc. and San Francisco’s PlusMedia Broadcasting, both of which operated using business models designed by him and implemented under his direct supervision. Doing business as PlanetUplink®, Planet Computer was one of the first Application Service Providers, and remained one of very few serving the small-to-medium-sized business space until its sale to a larger corporate entity. PlusMedia produced and distributed news and entertainment programming via the internet, broadcast radio, and television.

In a career spanning nearly two decades, Mr. Yablon has consistently remained at the forefront of the way information is delivered and absorbed—often recasting rules for entire industries and segments of society. In February 1999, It’s Your Money Inc., the holding company for Yablon’s consulting, broadcasting, and software development efforts, was acquired by Planet Computer Inc. As its President and Chief Operating Officer, Jeff integrated Planet’s application hosting and consulting divisions with both business and consumer-oriented broadcasting services.

An internationally recognized expert in computer implementation, Jeff has written for International Data Group’s PC World Magazine and performed as an on-air analyst for CBS Television News’ Up To The Minute. In 1989 he founded the world’s first electronic publication, and built IYM Software Review’s reader base to 300,000 through distribution agreements negotiated with CompuServe, America Online, and others. In 1995, Jeff created The Computer Answer Guy™ for delivery via broadcast radio and internet-based audio. In that persona, he pioneered techniques for delivering advertising to listeners via streaming media, and maximizing its impact.

Jeff is also the author of Uninstall for Windows™. Upon its introduction in 1992, UN4WIN gained worldwide acceptance as the best tool for safely and completely removing unwanted software from computers running Microsoft’s Windows® operating system.

During his two elected terms as President of the Computer Press Association, Jeff helped author ethics standards for the journalism community, and created guidelines for accrediting electronic journalists that were implemented by virtually the entire technology tradeshow industry.

Jeff studied Economics and Marketing at Dickinson College and Rutgers University.

There is even more information about him at his ZoomInfo page.

I am definitely going to be following to see where PC-VIP goes. Jeff seems like a man with a good business sense based on his history. Even if PC-VIP looks to be shaky at this point.

LoudLaunch - Compensating bloggers for their unbiased opinions, reviews, and analysis. View the LoudLaunch campaign release this post was based on.

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