Saturday, April 08, 2006

Remote Support Software - PC Support Through the Web

A more dynamic approach

Today's computer support market demands faster technical support response times. With almost every aspect of individuals jobs centralized around computer use, downtime is a loss of productivity on every corporate level. There are multiple vendors providing solutions for remote support software service and software. Some with satic configuration and other with more flexible designs. With the many vendors comes numerous methods for providing online pc remote support software services. Many of which are web based and others that are standalone applications. Numerous vendors supply an ASP style approach which permits their customers to just log into their server, usually through a web browser interface. Then, their remote customers or end-users whom they are trying to support remotely in turn login as well using the same method. The remote user whom they are trying to assist by providing on-demand remote desktop support to also just login into the third party server - this in simple terms is the ASP model for online remote support software . The remote user then enters an email address or a special code on the site. Once that is successfully done, remote control software downloads to their system. Some remote technologies are built around java and other are executable files that require the user to click on run or open like a normal internet file download.

There are other remote control software vendors that require the purchase of server hardware that's to be installed and homed on their customer's own network giving them that extra feel of security. Since the equipment and software is on their premises in their own data center they always know who has access to the server gives them added protection. In addition, having the online 4RemoteSupport remote support software and server hardware located in their own office, allows them to meet certain standards imposed by regulatory bodies such as HIPPA in the medical community. Remote PC control on the web in the medical community and remote computer access in general is beginning to be more closely scrutinized and regulated.

Online pc remote support software

The third type of on-demand remote pc control support software packages would be the stand alone applications. These come in multiple flavors. One is a full blown application like the famous symantec software pc anywhere which I believe has been for many years one of the best remote desktop control products for the enterprise for decades. The other type is one which the technical person looking to provide support has a piece of software installed on their system and their remote computer user downloads an executable that's pre-programmed with networking information to get to the tech support person's network and computer. The two software pieces then connect up to each other providing the tech support personnel with remote control of the far-end computer on the web. Some of these ask fo addition security information and yet others do not. The drawback to this type of software is the fact that it's pre-programming is hard coded into the software. Usually the way to change it is to purchase another executable.

A more dynamic approach

 A more dynamic approach is to have the technician run a piece of software on their computer as before. It could even be a browser add-on like an active-x control. The remote computer side could still be required to download software in the form of a java applet or an executable but with both of these methods have the network information required to connect back to the support engineer allow for change. It either can download with updated information or can fetch the information required each time. By doing so the information is updated an not static. this permits for a more dynamic and cost effective approach that addresses changes in ISPs or change of locations.

The ultimate goal of remote control support of computers is to save time. In most cases, by saving time the cost of providing the service goes down. This tends to lead to more productivity from current staff thus decreasing the need to bring more technicians into the support group. With technology developing as fast as it does and just about all market segments moving and changing at speeds never before seen in the industrial history of the world the remote control approach lends to a faster more agile support work force.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the tip on the software. I'm going to try the service. We have several techs whose time is spread thin. Alot of time is spent on traveling. If we are able to remote control ystsems over the internet and get support requests completed quicker, the time samed would be invaluable.