| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Computer Technical Support IT Support 24/7 Service and Repair Computer Support Website |
| Founded | Syracuse, New York, United States (November 1997)[1] |
| Headquarters | Syracuse, New York, United States |
| Key people | David A. Milman, Founder and Chief Executive Officer |
| Employees | 400+ (2007)[2] |
| Website | rescuecom.com |
Rescuecom is an American computer repair and support company based out of Syracuse, New York. Rescuecom offers both businesses and home users technical support around the globe, employing a vast network of computer technicians, as well as an online computer support website.
Contents |
Rescuecom was founded by David A Milman in 1997. Milman owned and operated several tech support companies since 1985, when he began with $100.00 selling computers out of his college apartment. Unable to attain significant company growth in his first 12 years, Milman decided to re-brand and franchise his business, and Rescuecom was formed.[3] In recent years, Rescuecom has moved from a franchised business to a corporately owned repair service.[4]
In October 2006, October 2007 and October 2008 Rescuecom released its first, second and third annual Computer Reliability Report, which is an evaluation of 20,000 service calls to their call center charting the performance of major computer manufacturers. The results of the report may determine the reliability of computers, above and beyond what repairs are covered by vendor warranties. Rescuecom achieved this data by comparing the percentage of calls to their call center to the different computer companies’ percentage of U.S. market share.[5] In October 2007, Rescuecom released its second annual reliability report, ranking Apple computers as the most reliable.[6] In December 2008, Rescuecom released its third annual reliability report, ranking Apple computers as the most reliable.[7]
In 2006, Rescuecom also released a "Last Five Computer Problems" report detailing the most common problems and complaints received by their call center. The determinations illuminate the trends among software, hardware, and networking problems that arise in the home and business market.[8]
On January 7, 2008, WTVH, the Syracuse, NY CBS affiliate aired a report about Rescuecom with allegations from former employees that the company systematically denied customers refunds to which they were entitled under published company policies. The company responded the next day promising to make good a number of claims.[9]
Later that month, WTVH published a follow-up story citing other former employees who made allegations of widespread fraud and misconduct by the company.[10] According to the report, numerous former employees reported that they had been instructed to handle calls to the company's 800 number, a number differing by only one digit from the 800 number for Geek Squad, in a manner designed to lead callers to believe they had in fact reached Geek Squad. Milman and the company's counsel acknowledged the claims with no excuses.
In 2004, Rescuecom Corporation filed a lawsuit against Google, Inc. claiming trademark violation under the Lanham Act. The allegations stated that Google, Inc. was selling Rescuecom's trademarks as keywords for their search engine to Rescuecom competitors. Google's Keyword Recommendation Tool has recommended "Rescuecom" as a potential keyword competitors could purchase. This meant that if someone was to search for the word "Rescuecom" on the Google search engine, competing companies' ads would appear near the search results as "sponsored links". On September 28, 2006, the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York ruled in favor of Google, finding that the practice of selling a trademarked keyword was not a commercial use of the trademark itself since the competing ads did not display the trademark.[11] Rescuecom appealed, and in April 2009, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit overturned the District Court's ruling.[12] In March 2010, Rescuecom released a press release declaring victory in the case after Google “changed its policy to disallow the use of trademarks in the text of a sponsored link… with certain exceptions.” [13] The press release indicates that there remain unresolved issues in the judgment, but that Rescuecom successfully achieved a majority of its goals with the lawsuit.
Rescuecom been recognized for its growh, and was named a Fast Growth Company[14] by Computer Reseller News magazine in 2008, ranked #90.
Rescuecom was recognized as a Franchise 500[15] company by Entrepreneur Magazine in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006,2007, and 2008. In 2007, it was ranked at #213.[1]
Rescuecom has appeared in a variety of news outlets, including several Fox,[16] NBC,[17] and CBS affiliates. Rescuecom is most frequently featured giving user-friendly advice regarding common computer issues, ranging from virus threats, computer reliability, daylight savings conversion, and general computer health related information. Rescuecom has also been featured for similar expert analysis in print media, such as PCWorld,[18] ComputerWorld,[19] and CNET News.[20]