Tiscali Press Release - Tiscali Kicks Off New World Cup Portal with £58,000 Fantasy Football Competition

Research highlights the danger of relying on your PC to store personal and professional data

One in three MP3 and PC users in Britain now keep over 200 MP3 files stored on a personal computer. In addition almost one in two keep over 200 personal photographs digitally on their computer instead of a photo album. With cherished memories and valuable personal and professional data stored in computers over 50% of PC owners run the risk of losing it all if the PC suffers a crash.

Internet and broadband company Tiscali surveyed over 4,000 people through its portal and found that although Britain is turning into a nation of technophiles, there is still very little awareness of how to safeguard the data we have. 51% of respondents admitted that they don't back up any of their music, photos, personal or business files - and with as many as 57% having experienced a computer crash in the last 12 months, all of this information could be at risk.

The research showed that:

45% have more than 200 digital pictures stored on their PC

33% have more than 200 MP3 files stored

22% have over 200 Word or Excel documents

51% do not back up files at all

57% have experienced a computer crash in the last 12 months

55% would have no idea how to rebuild their PC or rescue information if it did crash

14% of those who said that that they could rebuild their PC said that it would take over a day to do so


In light of this new research Tiscali has today announced the launch of Tiscali Recover, the latest addition to its portfolio of value-added services. The downloadable software solution protects data on users' PCs in the event of a system crash, with regular ambient or scheduled system updates ensuring that data from as recently as an hour before the crash can be restored.

Virus attacks, worms, malicious code and errors continue to barrage PCs and are often the reason for system crashes and failures. Tiscali Recover works by creating a secure and separate area on a user's hard disk where essential information can be backed up and stored. As well as the core operating system, Recover allows users to retrieve applications, user settings and data files, ensuring that all essential information can be restored in case of a crash. There is no need for IT support or training. Back-up and restore functions are built in to the PC's hard drive as a "pre-OS" application, additional CDs, DVDs or a separate USB device aren't necessary to get back to business. An easy graphical interface guides users through the steps to restore the PC to its pre-attack condition.

Tiscali is committed to developing and offering its customers innovative and exciting new services allowing them to get more from broadband while enjoying a safe and secure online experience. Available to all internet users at www.tiscali.co.uk/recover. Recover costs £1.50 a month or £11.99 for twelve months. System updates can be set by the hour, week or month, according to user preferences.

Steve Horley, Tiscali UK's managing director of consumer products and marketing, says: "Tiscali Recover allows users to surf securely and enjoy the best possible broadband experience. Unlike other services, it doesn't require you to send your private data to a third party and it is also very cost-effective, particularly when you add up the value of your digital music collection or consider how many precious photos you have."