GFI max client dashboard access w/take control, viable to replace logmein?

[thecompu-doctor]

I have several smb clients that have their own LMI free accounts that we use, they use themselves and/or have a vendor use to access their computer(s). Now that LMI free is no longer available, they are looking for a tool to replace it. I know there are many out there and we are looking at some of them.

I'm considering giving my Managed Services clients access to their site in our GFI max dashboard so they can use the take control feature. Currently, I don't have any customers accessing my dashboard, so this will be a new thing for us. However, I think this feature may also get some clients that have been on the fence about our MSP service, and that need a LMI replacement to sign up with us for our MSP service.

Does anyone currently use this feature with their clients and allow their clients into the dashboard (read only of course)? Any tips?
Any negatives? One big one that i can think of is if the client starts poking around looking at the status of the computers. I'm a little worried I may start having clients say "hey, why do i see a red X here"? While we know what it means and now how to address it, i just don't want to have to deal with a bunch of questions over and over. I don't think many of my clients will do this, but it is a concern.

 

[carrcomp]

Hey Kevin,

The only downside is that you can't use the Take Control viewer on the same system as you have the client installed.

So if your customer has a desktop and a laptop, and you install GFI on both and activate take control, they can't use take control from the laptop to access the other computer.

However, you can setup accounts that only have read access to certain machines. We are setting that up now as an add-on for our customers, but found out very quickly that there was this little snag in the plan.

 

[thecompu-doctor]

ah, good point. I don't think that will be a problem for my clients, but I'll have to think about it.

 

[thecompu-doctor]

does anyone know what GFI charges per computer for the take control feature? I've got a couple clients that I've got it turned on for, but most do not. I need to know how to bill the new clients with take control turned on.

I can't seem to find the features pricing list on their site.

 

[carrcomp]

They don't advertise their prices.

Kevin, pull up your pricing breakdown on one of the computer's it's turned on for, and you'll see it there.

Reports -> Pricing -> Price Breakdown Reports.

 

[JustInspired]

Good to know this is an option. I knew that you could give the client a dashboard but had no idea that they could use Take Control.

 

[dombooth]

does anyone know what GFI charges per computer for the take control feature? I've got a couple clients that I've got it turned on for, but most do not. I need to know how to bill the new clients with take control turned on.

I can't seem to find the features pricing list on their site.

They don't publish them and I don't think they'd appreciate us telling you, give them a call.

Dom

 

[carrcomp]

Justin ... just take a look at my post above.

A computer with the take control client cannot have the take control viewer installed on it. Makes it difficult to market unless you're talking to a biz and telling them that the employees can use it to access their computers from home.

I've been setting up a few accounts for this lately .... as it can be a hassle to manage if you haven't had the practice.

 

[thecompu-doctor]

They don't advertise their prices.

Kevin, pull up your pricing breakdown on one of the computer's it's turned on for, and you'll see it there.

Reports -> Pricing -> Price Breakdown Reports.

Thanks for that tip.


Since LMI is giving the 6 month trial for my clients, I'm going to pilot this client access/dashboard with a couple clients and see how it goes. Considering what it will cost each client to get the own LMI service on all of their computers, me adding Take Control in GFI and charging them a small additional fee will be quite reasonable.

 

[SAG]

A computer with the take control client cannot have the take control viewer installed on it. Makes it difficult to market unless you're talking to a biz and telling them that the employees can use it to access their computers from home.

Care to explain?
I was at a client's today. The computer has my TakeControl Client installed. I logged into my dashboard on that computer, installed the TakeControl Server (for lack of better term), and used it to connect to another client's server that has TakeControl Client on it.

So not sure what you mean by your post.

 

[carrcomp]

Sag,

Did you install GFI on your system?
And if you did, do you have take control active for that same system?

As soon as I tried that, I couldn't use Take Control to remote out anymore.

Put in a ticket with GFI - apparently you can't have both.

 

[SAG]

Sag,

Did you install GFI on your system?
And if you did, do you have take control active for that same system?

As soon as I tried that, I couldn't use Take Control to remote out anymore.

Put in a ticket with GFI - apparently you can't have both.

I was not on my own system.
I was on a customers computer who has my GFI w/ TC enabled.
I used that computer to log into my dashboard, install the TC Viewer, and then remote into another customers server using TC.

 

[carrcomp]

If that's the case, then I take back what I said. GFI had told me pretty specifically you can't have both on the system. Maybe the viewer needs to go on after the client?

I had the viewer installed first ... and when the client was installed it made the viewer stop working. I'll test this and get back in here.

 

[SAG]

If that's the case, then I take back what I said. GFI had told me pretty specifically you can't have both on the system. Maybe the viewer needs to go on after the client?

I had the viewer installed first ... and when the client was installed it made the viewer stop working. I'll test this and get back in here.

If I get time today I'll verify it myself - out of the office for the most part.

 

[thecompu-doctor]

I wonder if it has anything to do with different versions. Meaning version 8 of the take control viewer and version 9 of the take control host?

I'll look into this myself soon.

 

[TecPCPro]

this is my main gripe with GFImax.. I am using the latest agent and still have this issue. I have a customer that connects and gives 1st level support to his users and kicks the rest to me, I had to uninstall the take control option on his laptop as he has the viewer also.. If this user needs support, I initiate an Ammyy session. Would be great to have this fixed.