2017: a year in remote support software updates

They arrive early and leave late. They spend long hours fixing, tweaking, and perfecting their craft. They work tirelessly for the benefit and delight of others. I’m not talking about Santa’s elves. I’m talking about the people behind ConnectWise Control®!

As part of the ongoing mission to provide partners with the software and services they need to best run their businesses, the ConnectWise Control team is working to enhance and expand the remote support and remote access capabilities of this powerful core solution in the ConnectWise Ecosystem.

That being said, (or written, in this case) let’s explore the team’s progress in 2017 by reviewing the top enhancements and new features launched in 6.1 through 6.4. Let’s go!

Security updates

Ensuring that ConnectWise Control is fortified against evolving cyber threats continues to be our top priority. In 2017, we launched these features and enhancements to make sure partners—and their customers—can work securely and confidently:

• The 6.1 release included a new security page UI and role-based security redesign making it easier to add permissions to session groups and session types
• Release 6.2 brought with it additional two-factor authentication (2FA) support options, letting users log into ConnectWise Control using the Duo Security mobile app or LinOTP as a 2FA source
• In 6.3, authenticated users could save a machine as a trusted device for ease of use
• 6.4 implemented overall security, interface, and stability improvements, and a new password protection feature that allows the technician to accept a new password only if it’s different from the previous password when a change is forced via the internal source

Want to explore all of the security features in ConnectWise Control? Check out the release notes.

Compatibility updates

Whether you’re working from a smartphone, tablet, or desktop, we want to ensure a smooth user experience. In the 6.2 and 6.3 releases, we made big strides in this area. Here are some highlights:

• Our web application was enhanced with heightened responsiveness and now provides a better view on small monitor screens and mobile devices
• For Mac blank guest screens, we’ve empowered hosts with the option to enable a blanket of privacy on the remote machine to protect sensitive data from being seen during remote access sessions
• Drag and drop file transfer and the ability to capture screenshots on Mac and Linux guest devices debuted as new functionality in these releases

Want to learn more about ConnectWise Control’s system requirements for compatibility? We’ve got documentation for that.

Streamlining updates

No enhancement is too small when it comes to helping partners get what they need in as few clicks as possible. From the beginning of 2017 to the end, we’ve launched dozens of improvements aimed at achieving that ongoing goal. Here are a few of our favorites from each of the four releases this year.

• In the 6.1 release, we launched an updated host page interface designed to help users get started easily. The release also made turning a support session into an unattended session easier by installing an access agent right from the host page when connected to a support session
• The next release, 6.2, offered a redesigned, more intuitive manage session groups appearance, plus added functionality with the ability for techs to reorder groups and automatically reopen the modal once a session is created to add another
• 6.3 was all about simplifying the creation of support and meeting sessions by putting all session information in the session details panel with default secure code—and we can’t forget about clones (not Star Wars); 6.3 also introduced session group templates for simple duplication
• When 6.4 dropped in October, it offered a new session filter syntax builder for easier session group creation, and we updated the Helper API to allow extensions to add functionality to the host client, used to offer password management and the ability to send notes from the client

Wondering how ConnectWise Control measures up to other enterprise remote support, access, and meeting products on the market? Get a side-by-side comparison.

Customization updates

Between 6.1 and 6.4, several new and improved customization updates dropped, including new extensions (like Passportal and Tektiles), and the ability to tailor remote meeting and remote support invitation emails. Here’s a list of our favorites (do you see yours in the list?):

1. Tag session
2. Legacy public session creator
3. Guest download assistant
4. Settings editor (related to ConnectWise Automate®)
5. Send syslog messages
6. Preset chat
7. User delete recent access command events
8. In-app help
9. Tech roll call
10. ConnectWise Chat™
11. Quick group creator
12. Remote workforce
13. Remote desktop connection manager
14. Tiled session view
15. Selective lock on disconnect

As we move into 2018, rest assured that we’ll continue to develop and expand ConnectWise Control’s security, compatibility, streamlining, and customization features – and much more. Want to suggest a new feature or enhancement for 2018? Visit the user forum and don’t forget to stay tuned for bigger, better, faster, and stronger enhancements coming soon.