{"id":96162,"date":"2023-08-30T11:30:00","date_gmt":"2023-08-30T15:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jumpcloud.com\/?p=96162"},"modified":"2023-08-22T08:41:35","modified_gmt":"2023-08-22T12:41:35","slug":"free-remote-assist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jumpcloud.com\/blog\/free-remote-assist","title":{"rendered":"Free Remote Assistance: The Best Option for IT Admins and MSPs"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

At this point, it\u2019s clear that remote assistance is here to stay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More and more companies have a partially remote workforce, and IT teams and MSPs can\u2019t serve them without a remote desktop solution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But what vendors are out there? And what free solutions should you consider?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this post, we answer those questions and more. Keep reading to review what remote assistance is, find out what your remote desktop software options are, and what you stand to gain from using a fully-featured, free remote assistance tool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is Remote Assistance?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Remote assistance<\/a> is a method of providing technician support to end-users who aren\u2019t working at the office. Using remote desktop software, IT personnel and MSPs can see and interact with the user’s system in real time \u2014 as if they were sitting in front of it. With a remote connection, they can provide excellent assistance for the entire organization without organizing any on-site visits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While multiple free remote assistance tools exist, not all are created equally. JumpCloud Remote Assist<\/a> is a notable free remote assistance tool<\/a> on the market, as it has features like real-time secure peer-to-peer connections, event-logging, role-based access control, and multi-OS support that jumpstart IT and MSP productivity while keeping the organization safe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Benefits of Free Remote Assistance<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Here are just some of the many benefits of remote assistance tools:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cost-Effective Option<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

With remote assistance, there is no need for physical travel, lowering expenses and enabling IT and MSPs to serve more people in less time. Most plans are relatively affordable, and some are offered as a free add-on to help you consolidate IT tooling<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Quick and Efficient Problem-Solving<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Sharing screens and communicating over instant messages or video chat is much more informative than what\u2019s written on a help ticket. Technicians can see<\/em> the problem themselves, leading to faster triage and resolution. And because assistance can be fully remote, MSPs can serve clients across the globe, expanding their market reach and client base.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Improved Customer Satisfaction<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Remote assistance makes support more efficient, minimizing downtime, improving overall end-user satisfaction, and helping them get back to their day-to-day work quicker. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reduced Travel Time and Expenses<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

IT teams and MSPs don\u2019t need to be in the same place as users or their devices to help them, eliminating the high time and resource expense of traveling to each location. Remote assistance is extremely valuable in reaching employees in rural areas or when everyone must work remotely, such as the pandemic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Increased Productivity<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

IT professionals and MSPs can provide support from any location with an internet connection, offering more flexibility in their work schedules and enabling 24\/7 support services. Besides helping technicians resolve real-time issues faster, remote assistance tools also permit IT admins and MSPs to work proactively, remotely monitoring client systems to perform maintenance tasks like software updates and security patches before they turn into major problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Comparison of Free Remote Assistance Options<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are several free remote assistance providers, each with its own unique capabilities. Let\u2019s review a few of the popular ones on the market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zoho Assist<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Zoho Assist<\/a> allows users to transfer files, use remote desktop protocol<\/a> to screen share, and schedule IT appointments in advance. The platform is known for its strong diagnostics capabilities, with insight into every piece of hardware on a Windows computer. And if a technician isn\u2019t sure how to troubleshoot, they can pull in their peers for extra help and use a whiteboard to outline a solution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, Zoho Assist customers have reported<\/a> significant connection and audio issues, especially when looking at graphics or media<\/a>. Admins also can\u2019t remotely control Mac devices on version 10.14 or above. App updates don\u2019t always install properly, and customers say it\u2019s difficult to get in touch with Zoho support.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zoho Assist offers a 15-day free trial of their enterprise plan. When the trial is over, it\u2019s free for personal use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

TeamViewer<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

TeamViewer<\/a> is a user-friendly remote desktop software built for any size company. The platform enables IT and MSP secure support across iOS and Android mobile devices, tablets, and computers with session recording, multi-platform support, remote printing, and two-factor authentication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But TeamViewer performance is highly dependent on the stability of admin and end-user Wi-Fi connection, causing frequent outages. Beyond the 14-day free trial, TeamViewer is more expensive than other tools, starting at $230 for 30 licensed users and 500 managed devices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AnyDesk<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

AnyDesk has an easy installation process and quick file transfer, screen sharing, and chat functionality to facilitate end-user communication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That said, AnyDesk isn\u2019t ideal for multi-user collaboration because it often loses connection between mobile and desktop apps, especially without steady internet. You can get 6 months of AnyDesk\u2019s free version before you must select a paid plan. These plans go up to $80 per month for 100 licensed users. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

JumpCloud’s Free Remote Assistance Features<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While each provider has a free trial or freemium experience, Zoho Assist, TeamViewer, and AnyDesk lack features that streamline the IT and MSP experience. Fortunately, there\u2019s an alternative. JumpCloud\u2019s free Remote Assist was created to streamline the IT admins and MSP workflows with remote command execution, multi-user collaboration, and a native integration with JumpCloud\u2019s Open Directory Platform<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are just a few distinguishing JumpCloud Remote Assist features<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n