Their ads on XM Radio are a bit annoying — the repetition of the toll-free number and all — but the underlying message isn't a bad one: sometimes you need help in getting your computer to work, and the folks at Massachusetts-based PlumChoice.com are all too happy to help. I spent some time with their sales and marketing vice president, Fred King, at a Starbucks in Silver Spring Monday afternoon, and the story he told me was fascinating: the firm is growing, from around 300 employees on January 1 to a projected 550 technicians by the end of the year. These people don't all sit in the firm's offices; in fact, none do, Mr. King asserted. Instead, they're work-from-home types using broadband Internet connections and several layers of security, to reach out to customers' PCs and untangle problems. Right now, the firm only services Windows-based PCs, but Mr. King said they'll add Apple's Macintosh range in the third quarter of this year. The top service issue, as you might suspect, is spyware and viruses. Next, improving performance, which usually involves removing unneeded temporary and startup files, as well as making sure all the relevant Windows updates are properly installed. After that, the firm's customers — a mix of at-home and small business users — want to solve wireless and wired networking problems, as well as get training on software. Costs are varied, from a $24.95-a-month plan that offers unlimited calling and a free "PC Tune-Up," to one-time charges ranging from $129.95 on down. The firm will also help you set up your digital camera or your Logitech Harmony remote control for either $49.95 for the camera or $79.95 for the remote. Those prices may seem steep — and perhaps they are — but time, as the saying goes, is money, and Mr. King's company, covered in "On Computers" nearly four years ago, is saving users time and heartache. If I were working at home full time, and if I were PC-based, I'd grab this service and hold on, especially since they're including online backup and anti-virus software in the deal. Even without having (yet) tried the PlumChoice service, two things appeal to me: one, that the workforce is U.S.-based, or "home-shored," as Mr. King put it. No offence to our globalization friends, but it's nice to see a company create jobs in America for our tech workers. Second, I like their reliance on broadband, both for customer service and as a way to connect with their workforce. On the customer side, if I'm a person in a hurry, do I really want to set aside the time for someone to come to my home or office, and sit in front of my computer for a couple of hours? Do I really know who this person is? Can I trust them, or do I need to be vigilant every second? The remote connection eliminates those worries. According to Mr. King, PlumChoice is able to solve about 85 percent of users' issues via remote access. For the other 15 percent, if desired, a technician can be dispatched. That's fair enough, and, having contacted the firm earlier and worked with them online, I might feel better about the aforementioned stranger showing up. For the tech worker, it sounds like a real "win-win" proposition. The technician can work from home, saving time, gas, wear and tear on their vehicle and general aggravation. They're probably in a better mood, and are better able to focus on the problem and the solution. What's more, Mr. King said, the people PlumChoice hires tend to have certifications as Microsoft Certified Systems Engineers (MCSE), Certified Novell Administrators (CNA) and as Certified Novell Engineers (CNE). Of the two Novell certifications, which deal with the "guts" of computer networking, the CNA designation is a prelude to CNE certification, by the way. Along with the "alphabet soup" designations, Mr. King said, a PlumChoice tech also has to have the kind of people skills needed to make tech-speak comprehensible to the rest of us. Again, I have yet to put PlumChoice to the test, but I like the concept a lot. Use the "comments" space below to share your experiences, if you care to. — Mark Kellner, The Washington Times

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