TMC[TM] Labs review.Remote desktop sharing See remote control software. is nothing new, and without a doubt it is one of help desk/support technicians' favorite tools in their arsenal. However, one of the problems is that it traditionally required the software to be pre-installed on the customer's or employee's desktop PC. ExpertCity's GoToAssist solves this issue by offering a hosted solution that enables agents, customers and employees to participate in screen-sharing sessions. If the customer doesn't have the required software installed, it will be automatically downloaded and installed once the customer grants permission. Another problem with traditional screen-sharing products is the lack of reporting capabilities to enable managers to track their agents' performance. Similarly, most screen sharing screen sharing - Audiographic Teleconferencing technology does not have session recording capabilities. TMC TMC Technology Marketing Corporation (Norwalk, Connecticut) TMC Texas Medical Center (Houston, TX) TMC Traffic Message Channel TMC The Movie Channel TMC Traffic Management Center Labs was pleased to find that ExpertCity's GoToAssist goes far beyond just screen sharing to include both reporting and session recording capabilities. [FIGURE 1 OMITTED] First off, GoToAssist supports two modes--a Web-based request for help or a phone-based request for help. Web-based Request For Help A customer hits a Web page that can be hosted by ExpertCity (useful for mom and pop Mom and Pop An adjective denoting a small-scale and family-like atmosphere, often used to describe these types of businesses and investors. Notes: A mom-and-pop business is typically a small family-run business. shops). Alternatively, users can embed some HTML HTML in full HyperText Markup Language Markup language derived from SGML that is used to prepare hypertext documents. Relatively easy for nonprogrammers to master, HTML is the language used for documents on the World Wide Web. code in their own Web page containing the necessary code to execute a screen sharing session. The customer then enters some information into the Web page (name, problem, etc.) and clicks the submit button (see Figure 1) which generates a unique trouble ticket. The software is then downloaded and a prompt inquires when to trust/grant access to the file trying to install the necessary software. After the customer clicks "yes," the trouble ticket is routed to an available agent. A popup appears on the agent's screen and the agent is able to accept or reject the request. We found that the user interface for the agent is quite straightforward and easy to use. An incoming query in the queue can be set to turn yellow or red depending on a pre-specified number of seconds to help alert agents that the customer has been waiting a long time. We had a PC set up to act as the agent and another PC to act as the customer. To launch the agent screen, we simply executed the provided .EXE file (EXEcutable file) Pronounced "ex-ee file." The name given to a program in machine language that is ready to run in DOS, Windows, OS/2 and VMS. The name comes from the .EXE extension at the end of the program name; for example: XYZ.EXE. , which can be located anywhere on your hard drive (no actual installation is required). From the agent's screen (see Figure 2), we were able to see the trouble ticket and take the "call." We were then connected with the customer. One useful feature we should mention is that if you get disconnected for any reason, you can reinitiate the connection. Overall, the latency we incurred for screen redraw To redisplay an image on screen whether text or graphics. The concept is that the first time elements are displayed, they are "drawn," and if something is changed, they are "redrawn." Applications often have a Refresh command that redraws the screen. , mouse movement and keystroke key·stroke n. A stroke of a key, as on a word processor. key  stroke presses was pretty good. In Figure
3, you will notice an agent's screen with a screen sharing session
in "windowed Win´doweda. 1. Having windows or openings. " mode, thus both the agent's start menu and the customer's start menu are displayed. Essentially, the customer's "desktop" is "windowed" on top of the agent's "desktop." GoToAssist also supports "full screen mode," allowing the agent to see only the customer's screen, which is less confusing and much easier to read. Once either the customer or the agent ends the session, the customer is presented with a Web page that asks him or her to rate the agent's performance and provide feedback. This information is stored on ExpertCity's servers and can be retrieved via their online Web-based reporting system. Phone-based Request For Help The second supported method is a phone-based request for help whereby an incoming phone call is made to a help desk. This "phone mode" allows the agent to generate a unique seven-digit code or an encrypted URL URL in full Uniform Resource Locator Address of a resource on the Internet. The resource can be any type of file stored on a server, such as a Web page, a text file, a graphics file, or an application program. , depending on your preference. The agent then gives the code to the customer, who enters it into his or her browser. The customer enters the code and grants permission for the agent to enter the customer's PC. Whichever mode is used, GoToAssist supports mutual mouse and keyboard control, text chat, whiteboard The electronic equivalent of chalk and blackboard, but between remote users. Whiteboard systems allow network participants to simultaneously view one or more users drawing on an on-screen blackboard or running an application. and file transfer capabilities. Agents have complete access to customers' PC settings, including all their applications. Both modes also offer two-way screen sharing so customers can actually view agents' screens. This is useful for training as well as using demonstration applications such as PowerPoint. [FIGURE 2 OMITTED] Key Features One key advantage is that this product can traverse firewalls or NAT (Network Address Translation) An IETF standard that allows an organization to present itself to the Internet with far fewer IP addresses than there are nodes on its internal network. devices, which is often a major obstacle with screen sharing products. Another key feature of GoToAssist is that is has an API (Application Programming Interface) A language and message format used by an application program to communicate with the operating system or some other control program such as a database management system (DBMS) or communications protocol. for pulling up an existing trouble ticket within the CRM (Customer Relationship Management) An integrated information system that is used to plan, schedule and control the presales and postsales activities in an organization. application if, for instance, a company has integrated with Aspect, HipBone hip·bone n. Either of two large flat bones formed by the fusion of ilium, ischium, and pubis, constituting the lateral half of the pelvis and articulating with its fellow, with the sacrum, and with the femur. , Motive, Remedy and/or Siebel. GoToAssist can capture the entire session (including the screen, keystrokes, mouse movements) and even export the file as an .AVI (Audio Video Interleaved) A Windows multimedia video format from Microsoft. It interleaves standard waveform audio and digital video frames (bitmaps) to provide reduced animation at 15 fps at 160x120x8 resolution. Audio is 11,025Hz, 8-bit samples. file for downloading and playback on your local PC. Recordings are kept for 90 days, which should be sufficient for most customers. In addition, you can set up groups called "teams" and then assign each team a source from where they pull customer questions. This is useful when you have multiple managers. For instance, you can simply assign agents to specific teams and also assign a "team manager." The team managers can then run reports for just the agents for which they are responsible. Reporting The Management Center lets you generate historical reports and access real-time information through a Web browser The program that serves as your front end to the Web on the Internet. In order to view a site, you type its address (URL) into the browser's Location field; for example, www.computerlanguage.com, and the home page of that site is downloaded to you. . One of the reports allows you to monitor which agents are active and currently in a session with a customer. In addition, you can run a report on a specific agent's ratings to evaluate the agent's performance based on customer feedback. Several other useful reports are available and can be viewed via a Web browser or Excel. The reports screen is the source from which you can query by date range and then view the chat log or even the entire recorded session, including all mouse/keyboard/screen activity. Security Features To alleviate customers' concerns about agents taking control of their PCs, GoToAssist includes several security features. Customers can terminate a session by closing the session or they can simply move the mouse or type to override agents' activities. Agents cannot return to the session without obtaining a new code. You or the customer can also limit agents' remote access by providing a view-only setting. Room For Improvement We have only two suggestions for the product. First, we'd like to see the ability to minimize the agent's application to the system tray An area on the right side of the Taskbar on the Windows interface used to display the status of various functions, such as speaker volume and modem transmission. Applications also insert icons on the System Tray to give you a quick entrance into either the application itself or some to take up less screen real estate when not in use. Second, we'd like to see a second option for a pricing/licensing model. At $325 per month per seat, this just may price GoToAssist out of the smaller business market, especially if the usage of the product is much lower than that of larger businesses. [FIGURE 3 OMITTED] As such, we'd suggest a per usage model for smaller businesses, such as $50 per usage/session with a maximum of $325 per month. For example, if a company uses it only one month for just one session it's $50, for four sessions it's $200, and for seven sessions or more it's capped at $325 per month. This way, a small company can "wet its feet" and try the product with just a few sessions per month. If the company tries and decides it really likes the concept, it may be more apt to spend $325 per month. Conclusion Overall, TMC Labs was very pleased with ExpertCity's GoToAssist product. With its excellent Web-based reporting capabilities, superb screen sharing and recording technology, chat feature and much more, the product impressed us with its feature set. This is a great product for any company looking to provide enhanced support for its customers. In fact, GoToAssist is the perfect complement to traditional phone support and, in our opinion, is superior to it in many ways. RATINGS (0-5) Installation: 5 Documentation: 5 Features: 4.75 GUI (Graphical User Interface) A graphics-based user interface that incorporates movable windows, icons and a mouse. The ability to resize application windows and change style and size of fonts are the significant advantages of a GUI vs. a character-based interface. : 4.75 Overall: A For information and subscriptions, visit www.TMCnet.com or call 203-852-6800. RELATED ARTICLE: GoToAssist ExpertCity, Inc. 5385 Hollister Ave. Santa Barbara Santa Barbara (săn'tə bär`brə, –bərə), city (1990 pop. 85,571), seat of Santa Barbara co., S Calif., on the Pacific Ocean; inc. 1850. , CA 93111 Ph: 805-690-6400; Fx: 805-690-6471 Web: www.expertcity.com Price: Annual cost is based only on the number of seats licensed. A one-time maintenance fee per seat is charged at $650 per seat. The monthly fee is $325 per seat for five seats. |
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