Tool of the Week Suggestion - Crossloop

[caleywoods]

I do quite a bit of remote support both at work and on the side. While we have various other enterprise grade tools such as Adobe Connect, Microsoft Office Live Meeting, and Webex I constantly find my coming back to Crossloop.

Croosloop is a no nonsense implementation of WinVNC and they have worked to make it much more user friendly. The idea is simple, the end user downloads crossloop, creates an account (you don't even need to verify through an email link), logs in, clicks the share tab, then gives you a 12 digit code, and finally they click connect. You enter the 12 digit code and hit connect and they receive a prompt to confirm it's ok for you to control the PC.

Once they accept your invitation you have control and troubleshoot. Forgot the service-centric website if you want, the tool is amazingly simple.

[TimeCode]

Forgot the service-centric website if you want, the tool is amazingly simple.

I use it as well. It is quite easy and clients love the fact that there is no way someone can log onto their system without the 12 digit code.

[Hankisanerd]

I have been using LogMeIn for all my steady clients. I stay with the free version at this time. Let's face it, if you work on the same people over and over. They need a constant like to you.

[vontreigo]

I like and use Team Viewer. It has 3 packages one can use.

1 a quick download and run program for hosting a session.
2 an installer to host and remote login.
3 a manager to track who, when, and how long a client has been logged into (also tracks hour pay rates)

www(dot)teamviewer(dot)com

(for a fee you can get a custom skin for it)

[caleywoods]

I am starting to venture into a support model with a friend from work where we are charging a sign up fee plus a monthly fee and have deliverables such as:

1.) We will keep your antivirus up to date (Both signatures and release versions)
2.) We will run a defrag every X days
3.) If you have a hardware issue we will pick the PC up, repair it, and bring it back.

There are some other key points and we have been contemplating offering backup/storage on a separate tier. We currently have about 10 people going with this and more to come.

For this type of support, just verifying that things have been updated and doing more of a preventative maintence type of work.. Crossloop has been great.

[nibblesandbits]

I am starting to venture into a support model with a friend from work where we are charging a sign up fee plus a monthly fee and have deliverables such as:

1.) We will keep your antivirus up to date (Both signatures and release versions)
2.) We will run a defrag every X days
3.) If you have a hardware issue we will pick the PC up, repair it, and bring it back.

There are some other key points and we have been contemplating offering backup/storage on a separate tier. We currently have about 10 people going with this and more to come.

For this type of support, just verifying that things have been updated and doing more of a preventative maintence type of work.. Crossloop has been great.
I love this idea and may implement this within my business. I think it would be a VERY nice freebie to throw into he support contracts I'm going to be offering to small businesses around the area. I am most definitely a night person and offering services like this are PERFECT for a night owl like myself. I can do all that work while everyone else has went home and is vegging out on the television or sleeping. :)

Thanks for outlining that idea a little more clearly than what I had envisioned - I promise I'm not stealing it, I just hadn't gotten around to outlining the idea. If I implement it before you do I'll be sure to post how it's going and any snags I may have hit along the way.

[dhrandy]

1 vote for TeamViewer here. Customer can just run it without ever installing. They read the ID and Password and your in. Doesn't get any easier. No sign ups.

[Bryce W]

I took a look at Teamviewer and Crossloop to recommend one as a repair tool of the week. The free version of Teamviewer is for non-commercial purposes only. You are allowed to use Crossloop for commercial purposes for free.

[dhrandy]

I took a look at Teamviewer and Crossloop to recommend one as a repair tool of the week. The free version of Teamviewer is for non-commercial purposes only. You are allowed to use Crossloop for commercial purposes for free.
Good point. I've only used TeamViewer for helping friends out. I may have to give Crossloop a shot for remote support with my new business.

[dhrandy]

Just found something neat with Crossloop. The user doesn't even need to register. They can just skip that process. Another great feature is that if you sign up for an account, Crossloop keeps track of your sessions. So if a customer argues about how long the session was, you can just print it out and show them.

1. Download
2. Install
3. Accept License Agreement
4. Launch Crossloop
5. Skip Registration
6. Give access code to technician
7. Click connect
8. Agree
9. Accept Connection

This is a great remote support tool.

[caleywoods]

I love this idea and may implement this within my business. I think it would be a VERY nice freebie to throw into he support contracts I'm going to be offering to small businesses around the area. I am most definitely a night person and offering services like this are PERFECT for a night owl like myself. I can do all that work while everyone else has went home and is vegging out on the television or sleeping. :)

Thanks for outlining that idea a little more clearly than what I had envisioned - I promise I'm not stealing it, I just hadn't gotten around to outlining the idea. If I implement it before you do I'll be sure to post how it's going and any snags I may have hit along the way.

No worries. I hope you have success with it.

[Pc Fixed Right]

Doesnt someone have to be there click on accept connection before you can work on their machine?

[dhrandy]

Doesnt someone have to be there click on accept connection before you can work on their machine?
Yes they do.

[purple_minion]

If I had a static IP I would go with UltraVNC Singleclick hosted on my company website.

http://www.uvnc.com/addons/singleclick.html

They download it and run it and you're in. Leaves nothing behind, you can brand it, even have it run without a user clicking any buttons. Also no chance of them looking around on crossloop for cheap help to take away your business.