Everyone remembers the ‘ole days, when computer support was a pain. Technical support was a lot more difficult to provide because it required a technician to come to your location, or for a representative to (very awkwardly) guide you through diagnostics and repairs over the phone.
It’s no surprise that these methods have slowly disappeared. “House calls” were expensive. Phone calls for complex systems were annoying…no side walked away ‘unperturbed’. So when technology made remote access for live support possible, this was like a ‘Support Renaissance’ for people in the customer service department – and for those customers themselves.
Remote support software is very useful, and has made support much faster and less frustrating for everyone involved. But you need to choose your solution for remote support wisely. All remote support software programs are not created equal; they are specialized for different industries, complexity levels and needs.
The days of Windows Remote Desktop, or Teamviewer, being the ‘de facto solution’ for everyone are over. There exists a whole new host of solutions. With such a wide array of options available, choosing a solution may be a bit overwhelming. Allow me to set you in the right direction by outlining some of the more interesting ones.
#1 – ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus
ManageEngine offerings are never disappointing; I’ve talked about them for other services in the past; and they live up to their name when it comes to remote support . ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus is a simple, basic remote assistance system. It doesn’t have the bells and whistles of live GUI, but it does provide multi-channel support and interoperability with third party apps (that a third party system could use to ‘piggyback’ on).
This is a desk system that offers flexible ticket management, self-service portals, SLAs, mobile support, API integration, incident management, and customized reports.ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus is the “one size fits all” solution.
#2 – Logmein
This neat piece of SaaS allows you to access, manage and support your computers – remotely. In fact they boast that over “125 million remote devices, worldwide, have connected to Logmein’s services.” And there’s a good reason for this. It has you covered on every end. It’s basic features include remote control, file sharing, systems management, data backup and business collaboration. They excel at customer service. Logmein has on-demand customer support of PCs, servers, Macintosh computers, smartphones (and pretty much any connected device).
The best part is that the company is suitable for everyone; from private consumers to large enterprise businesses. You can try it out for free, so you have nothing to lose.
Samanage IT Service Desk is fairly new on the scene. They “simplify your workday with cool usability shortcuts.” It’s barebones, but the basic functionality it offers hits home. Samange provides end-user support, request management, collaborative systems (compatible with live desktop systems) and branded self-service portals. They also offer IT service catalogues (you can customize and publish) and integrated IT asset management systems.
The self-service emphasis of Samanage is a big selling point (because self-service is only going to get a lot bigger and bigger in the future).
SaaS remote support software has come a long way from the support methods utilized in the past. Pretty soon, it will be a crucial component for every company’s support department. I’ve listed 3 great providers; check them out and choose the one that is right for you.