8 key considerations for choosing a remote support solution

Posted:
10/13/2016
| By: Jeff Bishop

Having the right remote support solution gives you the power to support every one of your clients, no matter where they are. To provide the service your customers expect—and your business relies on—you’ll need the power to connect to computers quickly and securely, to keep local and global client relationships strong in today’s always-on environment.

Which begs the question, how do you choose the right solution? With so many options and so many similar sounding features, the choice can feel overwhelming at best. Here are eight must-haves to make the choice a little simpler, and guarantee your remote support is ready to support your business now and into the future.

1. Data protection

You need to make sure that the solution you chose has a solid security feature set and the ability to scale to meet your specific needs. Remote support is another inroad into your business data, so make sure you’re choosing a tool that keeps security risks to a minimum.

Look for an option that includes:

  • Brute force protection
  • Two-factor authentication
  • SSL
  • Role-based security
  • Password management
  • Alerts
  • Audit reports

You are protecting your information and that of your customers. And remember that all the security measures cannot 100% protect against human error. Make sure your team is using strong passwords and keeping those safe.

2. A price that makes sense

You know better than anyone that your business success takes investments, of time and money. But that doesn’t mean that you have to pay top-dollar to find a solution that fits. Your remote support should meet your needs and your budget, and have the ability to grow with you too.

Opt for a tool that’s affordable, scalable, and fully-functional. Popular licensing methods include user based, concurrent, and agent based. Each has some strengths and weaknesses, so take the time to decide which one works best for your company.

3. Plays well with others

Running a business requires a lot of software and support. Make sure that you have a clear understanding of all of the software, tools, operating systems, and hardware that you and your customers depend on. Your remote support solution should easily integrate with them to keep your company running efficiently.

Choose a tool that works well with everything else you depend on.

4. Comprehensive control

You rely on your remote support to connect you to your customers’ machines–whether for monitoring or fixes. If that connection is all you need, and you’re not worried about speed or compatibility, then take your pick. If you’re hoping for a little more, find a solution that makes remote control simple and lets you avoid complicated software installs or over-the-phone walkthroughs for your clients.

Look for something that supports not just Windows, but Mac, Linux, Android, iOS, Chrome OS, and Windows mobile. End users are changing, and so are these products, so your solution needs to be prepared for full compatibility to stay scalable.

5. Steady support

Ever had an issue with a product or solution and been unable to find the answers you need? That’s a frustration that you and your customers should be able to avoid. Implement a solution that has consistent support available to you and your team, with answers at the ready and the resources you need to keep providing excellent customer service.

6. Teamwork

A strong team relies on collaboration to get the job done quickly and accurately. If your remote support solution doesn’t also offer remote meeting capabilities, you’re missing out on an easy way to promote team collaboration, and to share information quickly with your customers through screen-sharing and simple document sharing.

The right solution allows your techs to help each other or request help easily, and gives them the capability to chat with end users, share screens with customers, and set up meetings to help explain issues quickly and directly.

7. Compliance

Compliance isn’t something you can take lightly. In fact, your customers are counting on you to get it right. Make sure the remote control you choose makes it easier, not harder, to stay compliant.

Look for a solution with recording capabilities as a regular part of the interface, to make sure you have the ability to maintain compliance even for customers in highly regulated industries like healthcare.

8. Lightning-fast connectivity

Last, but certainly not least, you need to make sure that the speed of your remote support connection is able to keep up with your fast-paced business needs. It can be problematic when a customer has to wait an extended period of time for you to connect and assist with their issue.  Connections should take seconds at best.

Look for a tool that allows you to connect on the fly, get help requests directly from customers, allows for temporary software installs for non-managed machines or break/fix scenarios, and includes options for permanent agents as needed.

In the end, a remote support solution is meant to make your job easier, delivering a tool that supports your efficiency, productivity, and customer service. If you’re in the market for a remote support tool, or your current one isn’t making the grade, start with this list to guarantee you get the support you need to keep your business on the path to success.