DeskRoll - Web-Based Remote Support and Unattended Access Tool

[Kitten Kong]

I've been trialing deskroll for a couple of days.

Couple of things im not too keen on.

No reboot into safe mode.

Having to wait on the client to allow access for me to work. I see no reason for this, as they have already given me the 'password'.

Clients with multiple profiles. There is no reboot/reconnect to the same profile. You have to wait for the profile to be logged in, then again wait for them to allow you to continue with the session.

What I do like, is the timed duration. Excellent for billing purposes (if you bill hourly).

Have to say, only been trialing in on jobs in the workshop; but it is looking promising.

 

[Xander]

Thanks for your feedback, Nige. Those are, indeed, deal-breakers. Reboot w/Reconnect without client interaction and Reboot-to-Safe-Mode are two absolute musts for remote work. Any software lacking in those two foundational functions is just a toy.

 

[warrend110]

I've been trialing deskroll for a couple of days.

Couple of things im not too keen on.

No reboot into safe mode.

Having to wait on the client to allow access for me to work. I see no reason for this, as they have already given me the 'password'.

Clients with multiple profiles. There is no reboot/reconnect to the same profile. You have to wait for the profile to be logged in, then again wait for them to allow you to continue with the session.

What I do like, is the timed duration. Excellent for billing purposes (if you bill hourly).

Have to say, only been trialing in on jobs in the workshop; but it is looking promising.

You have answered some of the questions that I had. I am wondering if anyone else have any feedback to report

 

[Max-From-DeskRoll]

Big thanks for your feedback, guys! I hope it's not a big issue if I put my replies in one huge post, as overquoting and flooding is evil

Thanks Max.
What about:
Reboot and reconnect?

We have reboot, however, for security reasons, the service reconnects only in the unattended mode. Also, you need to enter your account password.

Reboot into Safe Mode?

We don't have it just yet but it's planned for.

Installs as a service?

Unattended access component installs as a service and remote support component doesn't. Again, for security reasons.

Capture user credentials for input after reboot?

DeskRoll automatically names your newly added contact after its hostname. You can edit it and also enter arbitrary comments for each computer/contact. Also, the contact's IP address is saved and is visible on the list.

Thanks for your feedback, Nige. Those are, indeed, deal-breakers. Reboot w/Reconnect without client interaction and Reboot-to-Safe-Mode are two absolute musts for remote work. Any software lacking in those two foundational functions is just a toy.

Big thanks for your feedback, Xander! I've given some explanation above. Customers are always precautious about remote access software on their machines. That is why we have different ideologies for unattended access and remote support components.

I've been trialing deskroll for a couple of days.
Couple of things im not too keen on.
No reboot into safe mode.

Thanks for giving it a shot! We do have reboot into SM on the roadmap.

Having to wait on the client to allow access for me to work. I see no reason for this, as they have already given me the 'password'.

Well, if the client opts to keep the component, then next time you won't need a password, just the client's confirmation. Also, we offer pre-session chat with notifications on new messages.

Clients with multiple profiles. There is no reboot/reconnect to the same profile. You have to wait for the profile to be logged in, then again wait for them to allow you to continue with the session.

Yeah, we are a bit paranoid about security, so remote support component is just an app, not a service. I know this somehow doesn't fit well with the ideology of ease of use and friendlyness, so we might reconsider. Still, such decisions are never made (and implemented) quickly.

What I do like, is the timed duration. Excellent for billing purposes (if you bill hourly).

We know that caculating billing hours can be time-consuming and tedious, so the feature is there exactly for making it as little pain as possible.

Have to say, only been trialing in on jobs in the workshop; but it is looking promising.

Thanks for your kind words - much appreciated! We have pretty high expectations about DeskRoll as well

You have answered some of the questions that I had. I am wondering if anyone else have any feedback to report

Absolutely! Guys, feel free to tell me about any impressions of yours. All praise and criticism is equally appreciated! Actually, criticism is especially welcome

 

[Max-From-DeskRoll]

I've just had an idea. Guys, I really love hanging out at Technibble and all your suggestions and advice and everything. So, I thought it would be okay if I offered some promocodes, each for a 50% discount off a 365-day license.

I have only a few of them and they are limited in time. So, feel free to PM me, even if you are not planning to buy yourself a license right now. If you hand it over to a friend - that's okay, just please don't sell them for money

 

[Kitten Kong]

Hi Max, following on from your post, I have these observations.

Safe mode with Networking is a absolute MUST have for ANY remote service. The sooner it's implemented the happier the majority of techs will be tbh.

I personally do not feel happy having to wait each time I use the app for said client to give the go ahead again. Especially after a reboot. I want to get in there fast, do my work, and get back out again. Don't forget said client is on the clock here. Once we have restarted their computer, they may have gone to put the kettle on, take dog walkies etc. We simply don't have the time to sit and wait for them to come back, and then allow us access again. Having the password is good, and should be good for the entire session.

I can understand, once the session has ended, that a new password be given - that's for security of both client and tech. But your adding extras which imo are not needed.

Well, if the client opts to keep the component, then next time you won't need a password, just the client's confirmation. Also, we offer pre-session chat with notifications on new messages.

Client may not want to keep the program, some will, some won't - simple fact of life. However with the password, that should be enough security to let us in to complete our work. I found on my test machines, that I was having to wait at least 20-30 secs for the confirmation to appear on test pc. This was using chrome on my main machine, and also on test pc.

 

[Max-From-DeskRoll]

Hi Max, following on from your post, I have these observations.

Safe mode with Networking is a absolute MUST have for ANY remote service. The sooner it's implemented the happier the majority of techs will be tbh.

Hey guys, Cadishead, big thanks for summing it up! Sorry guys, I totally forgot to post my reply here (we discussed these observations with Cadishead via PMs).

I personally do not feel happy having to wait each time I use the app for said client to give the go ahead again. Especially after a reboot. I want to get in there fast, do my work, and get back out again. Don't forget said client is on the clock here. Once we have restarted their computer, they may have gone to put the kettle on, take dog walkies etc. We simply don't have the time to sit and wait for them to come back, and then allow us access again. Having the password is good, and should be good for the entire session.

I can understand, once the session has ended, that a new password be given - that's for security of both client and tech. But your adding extras which imo are not needed.

Agreed. We are discussing how we can implement it, keeping security somewhat tight.

 

[totalPCTechs]

Seems pretty neat, I will be using it as my main source for remote support, since its growing and seems to be of to a good start.

I used to own my own computer repair store, until we were purchased my a oilfield company as their tech support. One feature I look for is the ability for unattended remote support. Since we deploy many computers at once, hopefully in the near future DeskRoll can create the ability for a unattended MSI to install on the computers with our information already preset and linked, so therefor we wont have to configure every computer.

 

[vendotek]

[Posted with Bryce's permission]

Hey guys,

My name is Max and I’m on the DeskRoll Team. A couple of words about our remote support/unattended access tool. We built it to be as easy to use as possible, with essential features for remote support. Also, we wanted our licensing to cover every need at a minimum cost. So, with any personal DeskRoll license, you connect to unlimited clients and computers. Also, it covers all your devices, handhelds, desktops, laptops, etc.

DeskRoll works in any HTML-5 compliant web browser, including mobiles (iOS, Android, Blackberry, etc.). You can use any OS on your side and you can support customers sitting on Windows and Macs. Current product version is 1.8. A personal license is $29.95/Mo and there are discounts for annual licenses and bulk license purchases.

Our customers are mostly IT entrepreneurs and small companies doing IT support and maintenance.

-=A couple of words about us=-
UPD: Here goes the link to the website https://deskroll.com
UPD: Feel free to check the About page for features

SkyFex Inc. is based in Cupertino, CA. BTW we have yet another remote desktop tool – SkyFex (released in 2006). However, we are now putting more love into DeskRoll, making it easy, neat, fast and a pleasure to use overall.

Any feedback is welcome and much appreciated!

-Max.

Can you update and explain about your services regarding your product... I might be interested thank you

 

[Max-From-DeskRoll]

Guys, just an update - we now have reboot to safe mode. Also, now you see UAC screens in ad-hoc support mode, so the user doesn't have to confirm them each time.

 

[GTP]

Why do I need to sign up to see your Pro pricing?

 

[Krynn72]

Guys, just an update - we now have reboot to safe mode. Also, now you see UAC screens in ad-hoc support mode, so the user doesn't have to confirm them each time.

Can you give us a quick run down of your software as it stands now? Like what's changed over the last 2.5 years, how the licensing works now, etc. 2.5 years to get reboot into safe mode isn't very reassuring as far as ongoing support for the product, so hopefully you can explain what else you've been up to since your last posts.

 

[Max-From-DeskRoll]

Can you give us a quick run down of your software as it stands now? Like what's changed over the last 2.5 years, how the licensing works now, etc. 2.5 years to get reboot into safe mode isn't very reassuring as far as ongoing support for the product, so hopefully you can explain what else you've been up to since your last posts.

Thanks for asking!
Just some of the things we've done that came into mind:
- Remote connections speed-ups for popular browsers (required quite a lot of R&D).
- Added 2-factor authentication.
- Many changes on the website, including GUI improvements (session wizard, etc.).
- 3 new license plans (and more licensing options coming).
- Quick resolution switching.
- Automatic submission and processing of branding collaterals (and branded apps building).
- Account activity reports.
- Self-hosted backend option.
- Lots of small tweaks and fixes.
Those are things that I could remember, and there are (and will be!) many more.

3 subscription-based plans are currently available: Starter ($39/yr.), Lite ($12/mo. or $99/yr.) and Pro ($29/mo. or $299/yr.).
Starter: unlimited sessions, 2 ad-hoc support contacts, 2 unattended access machines, no branding.
Lite: unlimited sessions, 5 support contacts, 5 UA machines, client application branding.
Pro: unlimited sessions, unlimited support contacts, unlimited UA machines, client application branding.

Also, there's a self-hosted option, starting at $1950.

Why do I need to sign up to see your Pro pricing?

That's a temporary thing, and we'll publish the new pricing page with all the plans in February.

BTW we are beta testing a new feature: secondary accounts. It's a rather big one, and we are in the 2nd round, preparing to roll out extra functionality based on the feedbacks from the 1st round. Everyone is welcome to join! Feel free to PM me or drop a message to our support team.

 

[freedomit]

How does this compare against LogMeIn Rescue? We have moved the majority of our clients to MaxFocus Take Control (Teamviewer based) and are doing very little with our LogMeIn Rescue subscription so would prefer a cheaper alternative.

 

[Max-From-DeskRoll]

How does this compare against LogMeIn Rescue? We have moved the majority of our clients to MaxFocus Take Control (Teamviewer based) and are doing very little with our LogMeIn Rescue subscription so would prefer a cheaper alternative.

We have a shorter feature set compared to LMIR. The feature list is here: https://deskroll.com/tour/allfeatures.php
You can buy unlimited endpoints and concurrent connections (remote support and unattended access) at $299.95 per year.

 

[freedomit]

We have a shorter feature set compared to LMIR. The feature list is here: https://deskroll.com/tour/allfeatures.php
You can buy unlimited endpoints and concurrent connections (remote support and unattended access) at $299.95 per year.

Looks really good, one thing i cant see that we use on LogMeIn is reporting, every month we download for LMI a session report of all the sessions that were done, do you have a similar feature?

 

[Max-From-DeskRoll]

Looks really good, one thing i cant see that we use on LogMeIn is reporting, every month we download for LMI a session report of all the sessions that were done, do you have a similar feature?

Yep, we do! You get it by email.

 

[Virtual People Services]

My go to remote support application

 

[sapphirescales]

Monthly subscription = no bueno

 

[Virtual People Services]

But Free isn't a enterprise nor a serious solution for the long-term.