Finding Your Perfect Remote Support Match

The technology world – including Remote Support – is a bit like dating. There are a ton of options out there, but depending on who you are, your situation, your values, the right one may not be so easy to find. Much like in life, it’s helpful to have some idea of what you are looking for to narrow down that perfect choice. In working and talking with customer’s day in and day out, we’ve identified a set of criteria that can at least help as a starting point for figuring out the right remote support solution for you. Here are a few questions to ask yourself before committing:

Does it have the core functionality I require? Most remote support solutions provide essential capabilities such as remote control, remote screen sharing and file transfer that allow agents to perform routine support tasks. But there is so much more out there. Looking for solutions with advanced characteristics including quick diagnostics, task automation, video support, and easy integration with other systems can drastically improve your time to resolution. Considering the wide range of devices out there today, you’ll also want to be sure that the range of supported devices are not limited; this way you can arm your front lines to provide the best level of support possible.

Is this solution easy to use? Regardless of their benefits, tools will be left in the toolbox if they’re not simple to use. A remote support solution must address the usability requirements for two key audiences: support agents and end users. Agents need a solution that will help them do their jobs quickly and effectively – through a user interface that is inviting and easy to navigate. End-users will not only be on board, but also much happier, if they can choose the communication channel, can quickly connect and stay connected with an agent, and can step away and let the agent do most of the work.

Can I make this solution my own? All support channels should reflect your brand and be consistent with other aspects of your website to avoid confusing customers. Putting a personal touch on your tools creates awareness, builds loyalty, and increases retention.

Is this tool secure? Whenever an organization adds a new technology, security is always an important concern, particularly in industries such as financial services and healthcare where security measures are mandated by law. Because remote support tools enable access to networked devices that often harbor proprietary applications and confidential data, understanding the security infrastructure is even more important.

Will it grow with my business? As your business grows, the IT infrastructure that supports your business needs to scale to handle more support agents and users with the same level of reliability, availability and performance. Does the solution you are evaluating able to handle concurrent session loads, support more customers or employees, the ability to add and remove agents and deliver reliable connections regardless of the load.

Is the deployment model right for me? As the market continues to trend towards Cloud based SaaS offerings, many providers of on-premise solutions are taking notice. In an effort to maintain market share, many have attempted to host their product and sell it as a cloud based SaaS offering. In reality, to have a reliable cloud based SaaS offering, it would need to be rebuilt from the ground up.

I know this seems like a very big “must-have” list. If we were talking in dating terms you might say that it’s being very picky. Not every tool is going to have all of this and you might not need every feature for your particular business. The key is to know what you’re looking for and get out there and find it.