MSP Business

Background Remote Management: A powerful tool for MSPs

8 November, 2013

Once upon a time, working on a user’s PC meant going to it in person and sitting at the keyboard.

Over the years, this kind of “desktop” support has been increasingly performed remotely. Remote access tools have steadily become more powerful and reliable, helped (at least in part) by more widespread fast Internet connections.

Even so, maintaining PCs remotely still interrupts the user’s workflow. Users still often sit and watch IT moving their cursor around – the only real difference is that they no longer have to relinquish their office chair while their computer is being fixed!

Now, there is a new development in remote support that will speed up the work of IT professionals AND reduce user interruptions. The development is the launch of a new feature within the GFI MAX RemoteManagement platform known as Remote Background Management.

Remote Background Management gives IT pros access to a remote command line that is “always on,” and accessible from a central dashboard. GFI surveyed their customers prior to the release of the tool, and 98% of respondents said that a remote command line would allow them to provide better value to their users.

A remote command line gives instant background control of a user’s PC, and the ability to perform functions without disturbing the user and taking over their desktop.

More Features are Coming

The Background Command Line feature is the first in a series of new enhancements to the Remote Management platform, and is available now.

Soon, IT teams will also be able to use the software to remotely deal with processes and services in the background, again without disturbing a user’s work.

The centralized nature of the platform makes it much easier to keep a watchful eye on exactly what’s happening on each client PC. The ability to identify troublesome or resource hogging processes and services could even allow skilled technicians to improve the running of PCs with no user intervention or interruption.

Reactive, break / fix style IT support is looking increasingly outmoded. The tools now exist to give IT admins the ability to have a constant “birds eye view” of their networks.

This doesn’t mean that IT teams have to lose personal contact with the business; instead they can use it in helping the business advance and in achieving new goals – not just in firefighting simple issues that can now be easily solved without anyone being interrupted.

After years of being seen as firefighters, it’s fair to assume that many IT professionals will relish this chance to be seen as business enablers instead.