Delivering end user support
services has long been the exclusive domain of the Service Desk. Either
delivered in-house or increasingly via outsourced service providers, it can be
a deeply frustrating experience for client and support staff alike: Visualize
the client’s inevitably imperfect description of their issue, identify a likely
solution, and then laboriously walk the client through the steps to address
whatever problem is at hand. It’s a process that can be painfully slow, and
overrun with errors and missteps. The obvious way to eradicate this torture is
through an endpoint management system which as well as providing configuration
management, usually offer virtual deskside support services to deliver remote
viewing and remote desktop control. These tools enable the Service Desk to see
their client’s problem first-hand, shortening time to repair, and eliminating
the frustrations of telephone support.
As good as today’s enterprise
endpoint management systems are, there are an increasing number of situations
where they cannot be used. The rapid growth of the consumerization of IT over
the last five years has seen individual employees and departments bypass
centralized IT services in favor of SaaS providers to plug the gaps in the
enterprise supported application portfolio. Getting effective support for SaaS
apps takes a little more work. Lacking any onsite presence, If SaaS venders
want to provide virtual deskside support they can’t rely on their customer’s
remote support systems, nor are they able to install large footprint endpoint
management tools of their own. Instead they have to use lighter, small or zero
footprint remote support apps, that can be run on demand without prior
installation and without needing elevated privileges.
FixMe.IT straddles the boundary between being a lightweight
web-based remote support app ideal for SaaS providers, and a not quite
enterprise-class product. Its lightweight client makes it a good fit for SaaS
providers, but at the same time it’s far more than just a remote control app
and has enough advanced features to make of interest to SME customers looking
for a richer remote support tool. As well as being able to either shadow or
control the client’s desktop, support staff get both a virtual laser pointer
and pen to annotate the remote display, tools that can be very helpful when it
comes to supporting busy apps with complex user interfaces. There’s a well
thought out admin console that enables support staff to manage multiple
concurrent support sessions as well as a basic logging tool to keep track of
time spent on support sessions. Support staff also have the option of recording
support sessions for audit or training purposes, and can also share their own
desktop with the customer, useful for one on one training, or for customer’s
whose data security concerns make them unwilling to share their own desktop
while still looking to benefit from visual hand holding. While admins might
find FixMe.IT’s rich
remote support features provide the biggest benefit from their customers’
perspective, it also provides great value as a flexible, easy to use
alternative to Microsoft’s Remote Desktop Connection tool. Admins can create a
list of remote physical or virtual systems authorized for unattended access.
Once created, the FixMe.IT admin
console makes it simple to switch between a client’s desktop and any remote
systems needed to troubleshoot and resolve issues. And knowing that FixMe.IT is always available for ad hoc
connections can bring peace of mind to those who need remote access to their
workstations on the go.
No comments:
Write comments