September 8, 2003 (Computerworld) --
Help desk agents typically encounter resistance when they want to view end users' desktops -- and especially when they want to escalate to remote control. End users might not be worried during deskside visits, but the idea of allowing some unseen entity to manipulate their desktops can be disconcerting. Typically, however, the need to return to productivity quickly overcomes the paranoia users have about allowing remote access to their systems. "When we first started doing assisted support, there was this attitude that Big Brother was in charge. And there are still groups of people that are leery about people looking into their machines," says Andy Nosal, supervisor of LANDesk operations at Raymond James Financial Inc. (RJF) in St. Petersburg, Fla. However, he adds, once the help desk started using LANDesk Software Inc.'s Instant Support Suite Pro (ISSP) -- which it adopted to use in tandem with LANDesk's Management Suite when offering support to users outside the company's frame-relay network -- users became more willing. One reason is that ISSP installs a client plug-in only for the support session and uninstalls itself afterward. "There's tremendous pressure on our financial advisers throughout the world, and every minute they waste closing a deal can cost thousands of dollars. They need problems fixed as soon as they come up. Once we show them how easy it is to fix problems with remote control, as opposed to talking them through a problem, they love it," says Nosal. Technicians simply direct users to an RJF Web site, where they enter their e-mail address. A plug-in downloads to the machine, and the remote session begins. When the session is done, the agent uninstalls itself so nothing is left behind. Furthermore, the product, like other assisted support offerings, builds in features that allow the user to abort a support session. The company's support techs, Nosal says, are likewise enamored with the benefits afforded by assisted support. "In today's economy, everyone's watching the penny," he says. "In the past, if we had to fix something, even just on the RJF campus, that meant taking 30 minutes to walk there and do the fix, and that can now be handled in five minutes. And even if you didn't have to physically go somewhere, trying to talk someone who's not technical through a problem can be very time-consuming, not to mention frustrating." He estimates that assisted support saves RJF 30 minutes per call on average over manual methods. RJF also uses LANDesk for asset management and software distribution, and those features have delivered great savings as well. "In terms of ROI, we've had 41,000 software distributions and 13,000 remote-control sessions sinceJanuary 2003. That's equated to $1 million in time savings and labor," says Nosal. Gilhooly is a freelance writer in Falmouth, Maine. You can reach her at kymg@maine.rr.com.
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