
Slack
FrontRunners 2022
Rescue by GoTo is a cloud-based remote support tool that helps organizations provide technical support to their customers. The product caters to businesses of all sizes. Key features include remote support, mobile support, video s...Read more about Rescue
FrontRunners 2022
ConnectWise Control is cloud-based operations management solution that allows technicians to perform remote support, gain remote access and run remote meetings. It acts as a meeting point for technicians and customers, enabling th...Read more about ConnectWise Control
Freshdesk is a cloud-based customer service software that helps businesses provide effortless service across every customer touchpoint. Freshdesk empowers businesses to monitor customer conversations across email, phone, chat, soc...Read more about Freshdesk
FrontRunners 2022
FixMe.IT is a remote support software that enables users to connect to any remote computer. It caters to users from sole proprietors to global corporations across multiple sectors and industries. FixMe.IT features include mul...Read more about FixMe.IT
FrontRunners 2022
Atera is a cloud-based end-to-end IT management software solution geared to small to midsize businesses in the IT sector. It includes functionality for time tracking, expense tracking, billing and invoicing, help desk and knowledg...Read more about Atera
FrontRunners 2022
NinjaOne (formerly NinjaRMM) is the leading unified IT operations solution that simplifies the way IT teams work. With NinjaOne, IT teams can manage all their endpoints and support end-users within one fast, modern, intuitive plat...Read more about NinjaOne
FrontRunners 2022
Pulseway is an integrated IT assets and network monitoring solution designed for IT administrators to remotely monitor and control their business IT resources. The solution supports multi-deployment architecture, allowing the user...Read more about Pulseway
FrontRunners 2022
ISL Online is a remote support solution for virtually all industry verticals including healthcare, information technology, universities, government, and banks. The solution supports Windows, Mac and Linux operating systems. It all...Read more about ISL Light
TurboMeeting is a collaboration solution that provides real-time applications including web conferencing, remote support, audio conferencing, video conferencing, remote access and webinar support. The tool supports webcams for ind...Read more about TurboMeeting
RemoteToPC is a remote access management solution that helps IT organizations of all sizes monitor applications and devices to provide support services and training to clients. The platform comes with a notification system, which ...Read more about RemoteToPC
FrontRunners 2022
dualmon is a remote support solution designed for small and midsize companies. It offers file transfer, remote printing, user management, screen blanking, computer diagnostics and usage reporting functionalities within a suite. Th...Read more about dualmon
FrontRunners 2022
SecureLink is the industry leader in critical access management, empowering organizations to secure access to their most valuable assets, including networks, systems, and data. By leveraging Zero Trust principles, machine learning...Read more about SecureLink
PAM360 is a web-based privileged access management (PAM) solution that defends enterprises against privilege misuse by regulating access to sensitive company information. Through powerful privileged access governance, smoother wor...Read more about ManageEngine PAM360
Remote Support and Meetings is a cloud-based remote support platform that allows users to conduct online training, meetings and demonstrations. Remote Support and Meetings’ key features include concurrent meetings, room chat,...Read more about Remote Support and Meetings
MSP360 Connect is a fast and secure remote access solution enabling remote support, helpdesk assistance, remote work, distance education, and more. It allows users to access and control Windows devices from any operating system at...Read more about MSP360 Connect
RemoteCall is a remote support solution that helps businesses streamline processes related to screen capturing, remote reboot, file sharing, and more from within a unified platform. It lets staff members conduct video or voice cal...Read more about RemoteCall
RemoteView is a web-based solution that helps businesses of all sizes securely connect with remote computers, mobile devices, kiosks, browsers and more in real-time. Features include file transfer, screen recording, multi-user man...Read more about RemoteView
Kaseya VSA is a cloud-based IT management and remote monitoring solution for businesses of all sizes across various industries. It provides a central console for managing IT operations including handling complaints, ticketing, aud...Read more about Kaseya VSA
FrontRunners 2022
Splashtop SOS is a remote support solution that lets help desk, support and IT teams provide on-demand remote technical support to internal and external stakeholders. It enables customer support professionals to access various dev...Read more about Splashtop SOS
FrontRunners 2022
RemotePC is a cloud-based and on-premise remote access management solution designed to help businesses communicate with clients, transfer files and manage applications across various remote devices. The platform offers one-time ac...Read more about RemotePC
If your small to midsize business (SMB) serves a global customer base and has remote employees working out of different locations, you will invariably have to manage technical support for tons of different applications and devices. As a result, offering on-site support becomes a drain on the company's resources.
This is where remote support software steps in, allowing a small IT team to check and fix errors with many different systems—including laptops, desktops, servers, mobile devices and more.
However, selecting the right remote support solution, among the many available in the market, means understanding the differences in pricing, functionality and other parameters. This Buyer's Guide intends to offer you exactly these insights and help you make a better purchase decision.
Here's what we'll cover:
What Is Remote Support Software?
Common Features of Remote Support Software?
What Type of Buyer Are You?
Remote support software allows you to access and control any device from a remote location. It is primarily used by IT support technicians to resolve the issues faced by end-users. A typical example is a seller of computer systems offering post-sales remote technical support to customers, or an internal IT team remotely configuring the devices of a geographically dispersed workforce.
The core functionality of remote support tools is gaining control and access of the remote device. Support technicians typically perform the following functions using these tools:
Besides remote control and access, these solutions offer a range of features that come in handy when conducting remote support sessions. Here's a list of the most common functionalities:
Remote diagnostics | Agents can pull up information about the remote device, including the device name, internal IP address, BIOS serial number, currently installed software, processes currently running and event logs. |
Toolbox | Serves as a repository of frequently executed tasks, allowing support agents to install a common file or patch to many systems at once. |
Chat | Allows agents to communicate with end-users during attended sessions using real-time or canned responses. Also useful for collaborating with other support reps or escalating a session to an expert. |
File sharing | Perform two kinds of file transfers: First, directly transfer a file from the local to the remote device, including direct installation of software patches. Second, share files over chat with the end-user, who can then add the file to a desired location. |
User management | Centralized repository of customer details, support agent accounts and log management. Helps in organizing remote sessions more efficiently and allows administrators to assign role-based permissions to different support agents. |
Cross platform | Allows technicians to conduct remote sessions regardless of the differences in operating software of the local and remotes devices. This means support agents can remotely control a Mac, Linux, Windows, Android or iOS device using a desktop, laptop, tablet or smartphone. |
Branding & customization | Offer businesses white label options. Users can change the CSS to customize the look and feel of the tool—this includes adding company logos and changing the colors. It's also possible to change the language and add more functionality to the tool via plugins. |
Session audits & monitoring | These are activity reports of support agents during remote sessions, which help businesses meet compliance requirements and understand agent performance. Includes details of sessions such as end-user details, system information, chat transcripts and video recordings of entire sessions. |
Mobile applications | While most remote solutions are cross-platform compatible, there are typical functionality and usability limitations when these tools are accessed from mobile devices. Some remote solutions offer native Android and iOS applications that allow agents to conduct remote sessions without worrying about functionality or usability issues. |
Audio/video calls | Certain remote solutions offer VoIP calls that enables agents to speak with end-users through microphone-enabled devices. Likewise, video calling can be used to conduct online meetings and conferences. |
Before you invest in a remote support solution, you should evaluate and understand your business needs. Below are the three categories of buyers and what they should take into consideration when purchasing a remote support tool.
Enterprise buyers: Large organizations should ideally go for feature-rich tools that are flexible in terms of functionality and offer integrations with third-party tools.
In this regard, plugins and software bundles become important as this allows users to expand the tool's functionality. For instance, a common tool that comes bundled with remote support solutions is network monitoring software, which is an important solution for organizations with large internal networks (LAN) and server systems that need close monitoring.
In addition, it's essential that the remote solution integrates with third-party tools such as CRM software, project management solutions, ticketing systems and other solutions that your organization is currently using. This ensures that there are no hassles, while importing or exporting data between these different systems.
Growing and small business buyers: The choice for SMBs is not so straightforward when it comes to purchasing the ideal remote software solution. Here are some things to keep in mind, while buying one:
Best-of-breed buyers: Remote support software can also be used for other purposes than technical support. For instance, you can use it as a tool to remotely access and use an application installed in a different device. Likewise, you can create online video presentations, conduct online meetings and much more.
There are many remote support applications which focus on such niche use cases. Remember to compare the functionalities of different solutions before you make your decision.