Earthlink 2005 Annual Report Download - page 9

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Please find page 9 of the 2005 Earthlink annual report below. You can navigate through the pages in the report by either clicking on the pages listed below, or by using the keyword search tool below to find specific information within the annual report.

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Customer Service and Technical Support
We believe reliable customer service and technical support are critical to attracting new and retaining existing customers. We provide the
following services for our premium-priced narrowband and broadband Internet access subscribers:
•
toll-free, live telephone assistance available seven days a week, 24 hours a day;
•
email-based and live chat assistance available seven days a week, 24 hours a day;
•
help sites and Internet guide files on the EarthLink web site; and
•
printed reference material.
For our PeoplePC Online access services, we provide free email-based customer support and technical assistance seven days a week, 24
hours a day. We also offer free sign-up and software installation support via telephone seven days a week, 24 hours a day, and we offer
customer billing and cancellation assistance via telephone from 9:00AM – 9:00PM ET, seven days a week. We offer fee-based technical
support via telephone for technical matters other than software installation seven days a week, 24 hours a day.
Technical Developments and Service Enhancements
Premium Narrowband and Broadband Subscribers
TotalAccess, our Internet access software offered to premium narrowband and broadband subscribers, provides tools and email features to
enhance customers’ Internet experiences. Key features include the following applications and services at no additional charge:
•
Pop-Up Blocker . Pop-Up Blocker is software designed to prevent advertising windows from appearing above (pop-up) or under
(pop-under) a customer’s main browser window. Pop-Up Blocker lets subscribers choose whether or not they want to view pop-up ads
and rich media (Macromedia Flash) ads.
•
spamBlocker . spamBlocker is software that enables subscribers to eliminate virtually all junk email by invoking a ‘permission-based’
auto-response to spam and unrecognized email addresses.
•
Spyware Blocker . Spyware installs on a computer without the user’s knowledge or permission and can corrupt the user’s hard drive,
track online activities, steal personal information or allow strangers to access a user’
s computer. EarthLink Spyware Blocker is software
that disables all common forms of spyware found on a user’s computer and blocks new spyware before it installs.
•
ScamBlocker . ScamBlocker is a consumer protection application designed to help protect Internet users from “phisher” site scams.
Phisher scams trick consumers into giving personal information by mimicking legitimate corporate web sites.
•
EarthLink Accelerator . EarthLink Accelerator enables faster surfing speeds by utilizing a web acceleration technology that reduces
the size of web pages and page elements sent to customers’ browsers.
•
Virus Blocker . Email is the most common way that computer viruses and other malicious software can infect a user’s computer.
EarthLink Virus Blocker scans incoming email messages and attachments for viruses and other malicious code and removes them
before they can cause infection.
•
Parental Controls . EarthLink Parental Controls let parents choose how long, when and with whom their kids play on the Internet.
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