Which remote support solution to choose?

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Posted in Internet on March 18, 2008 at 5:35 pm

The time is rapidly looming for us to decide which remote control support software (or service) to use for the year ahead. Since remote control software came of age, supporting remote users has become much easier in our organisation. What used to be a two hour conversation on how to get an IP address has since become a two minute remote control session - the users are happy and the support team are happy. Our key requirement has always been a simple, fast remote desktop control service so we can quickly connect to an end user and take control when needed to sort out a particular problem.

In the early days when remote support initially became a real time consuming problem we started out with Logmein RemotelyAnywhere which required a small install on the users computers and provided quick and easy access for remote control support. This move is still pretty much one of the biggest improvements we have made in our support operation. We later moved to Logmein Rescue (see my post Remote Access Support) as we needed to support users that may not have the client software installed. This typically required a visit to a special web site for the end user to type in a pin code - it generally worked well and gave us a more flexible solution. Last year we moved to NTR Support which allowed us to place a support button directly onto our web site (which included a chat session) - I previously wrote about this in Remote User Support with NTRsupport which meant that users were able to request remote support directly from our web site which felt more familiar (although behind the scenes they were redirected to a hosted service). The only problem we have experienced with this service is caused not by NTRSupport but by Internet Explorer trying to be clever by blocking ActiveX and insisting users click on the yellow bar (which rarely appears on the users locked down desktops). There is an installable remote client option but we really wanted to get away from that dependency.

So, time moves on and I am looking into the options available and would really appreciate your thoughts and experiences using remote support software and services. I wouldn’t rule out free software - Jamie at Terinea posted an article “Free Remote Support Software” which talks about Cross Loop which (although requiring a user download) seems to offer a simple and friendly user experience.

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Comments

I’ve been using various remote support tools for the past 3 years, including NTR and Logmein. The ActiveX controls were problematic for us, too.

There are quite a few free options out there (all of the VNC flavours, Crossloop, as you mentioned, among others) which are all great. We quickly discovered, for our needs, that you get what you pay for and decided to go with a commercial product.

After a very thorough evaluation, we decided on Instant Housecall http://www.instanthousecall.com . It’s easy for our clients, easy for our technicians, full featured, and has some innovative features we couldn’t find in other products. Their pricing is reasonable and service is reliable.

I strongly recommend it: http://www.instanthousecall.com

Comment by Jay - March 18, 2008 @ 8:07 pm

Its the best of the remote support breed.
My New Best (Remote Control) Friend: ShowMyPC!

And then I found ShowMyPC … and it seems Perfectly Perfect! Even Mary Poppins might approve!

Read More Here.

ShowMyPC.com

http://grandstreamdreams.blogspot.com/2007/07/remote-pc-support-revisited.html

Comment by Jula Song - March 18, 2008 @ 8:27 pm

IT Pro;
We would like to introduce your readers to rmmPro™ Business Standard and Premium Professional which provides a 1-800 Live Technical Help Desk service and includes Desktop PC and Laptop remote management and monitoring software for a fixed monthly fee.

Regards,
rmmPro.com

Comment by Brian (rmmPro.com) - March 18, 2008 @ 8:39 pm

Well, first of all, Mom always said, “there’s no such thing as a free lunch” and “you get what you pay for”. The same goes for a remote support product. Yes, there are free and near-free products on the market, but are they secure? Do they provide a sound audit process and allow you to record what actually happened in the session? Does it require configuration of a firewall? I found all of these benefits and much more from Bomgar’s solution (www.bomgar.com). The product gives us with power to remotely access any Windows, Mac, or Linux box we might encounter during an average day. The confidence of knowing our support reps can access ANY machine, through ANY firewall, all on a box that I control (not where my traffic is routed through a SAS provider) is reason enough to justify a the cost and the ROI on the project was well within 1 year.

Hope this helps….

Comment by Phil Demuth - March 19, 2008 @ 6:41 pm

Thanks for the feedback so far, I will certainly take a look at Instant HouseCall, rmmPro, Bomgar and ShowMyPC.

If you are interested in remote control solutions then keep an eye on this Blog and my other Blog (http://www.jasonslater.co.uk) to see how we get on.

Comment by Jason Slater - March 27, 2008 @ 4:02 pm

I have been testing NTR Support, and Bomgar.
The truth be known if you need security the best one on the market is NTR, PERIOD. I have been doing several tests with both products, along with others, and NTR works on all systems that it claims to work on. Bomgar has several issues with Vista right out of the gate, also with Bomgar you dont get any ticket tracking unless you want to purchase extra Remedy software. NTR has its own helpdesk ticket module, and can be integrated with most prducts on the market. As far as the Active x issues listed above. NTR has the option of Active X, EXE (just like Bomgar), and Installabe remote controls, which blows away the Jump technology of Bomgar. NTR also has the ability to monitor your companies websites for marketing purposes, and be proactive with your customer.
NTR is just a lot more bang for you buck, a much better, more robust, and more secure product with much more documentation on your support chats and sessions than other remote products on market.
If you are looking for a remote solution, definitely take a look at NTR. Much more than Bomgar can offer.

Comment by JL - May 13, 2008 @ 8:01 pm

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