Expertcity's GoToAssist 5.0 Extends On-Demand Access

The obvious answer is that it depends entirely on the particular managed service solution an organization has in place. For solution providers looking for a robust managed service solution that offers remote-control desktop collaboration, Expertcity's GoToAssist 5.0 is a strong option. A managed service for virtual on-site support, GoToAssist extends the working desktop environment for on-demand access.

The service gives right of entry to the desktop rather than the network, and offers realtime interaction with additional online help-desk and call-center assistance. No firewall or permission rights are needed, as HTTP outbound technology is used for both parties. Expertcity offers a Web-based communication solution for customer support remote access and ad hoc collaboration. The technology boils down to desktop streaming or desktop screen-sharing.

GoToAssist allows customer service representatives to take or share control of their customers' PCs to quickly solve problems. But it goes beyond that, as the service also can be used for sales and demonstration purposes.

Most managed service solutions suffer from the problem of dropped connections with customers, but Expertcity included extra precautions in GoToAssist to ensure a persistent flow of sessions. CRN Test Center engineers encountered no problems with dropped sessions during testing.

The remote-share session interface is very simple to understand and easy to use. A typical tech-support call would consist of a window opening up on the call-center side with a question box. The support representative would then ping the user for permission to access the desktop. Once permission is granted, the support person would share control of the PC with the user. At the time a match is made, the interaction is handed off to a communication server, which then establishes one-to-one/peer-to-peer communication. Once the client's customer service representatives and the end users that are requesting help are connected, all communication is secured over 128-bit encryption.

The service is 100 percent permission-based, so although Company A is supported by Company B, Company B isn't able to infiltrate its desktops without permission.

At any time during the linkup, the session can be closed down by the user without requiring permission from the support person.

Another good thing about the service is it allows for complete anonymity. Technical support and users do not need to exchange phone numbers or get too personal with each other because the interface allows for the problem to be fixed without physical interaction; an employee number and a technical support number are all that are required.

Many other managed service solutions doing the same thing generate too much bandwidth, which can cause network problems. For standard connections, GoToAssist uses about 2 Kbps. If used with a PowerPoint presentation with intense graphics,during a sales call, for example,the bandwidth may burst up to 30 Kbps. The product uses such little bandwidth because it only refreshes the part of the screen that has changed and needs updating, instead of the entire screen.

Although the company has done a tremendous amount of business work in the desktop space, it can also support servers with any type of management console running on a Windows PC or a Windows Server. The price of the service does not increase because the support is for servers.

Installation consists of pointing a Web browser to a URL, providing a user name and password, downloading a plug-in and running an .exe file. For bulk purchases, an Expertcity service account manager will set up the software on-site free of charge.

Expertcity has more than 4,000 corporate customers and was recently acquired by Citrix Systems. As of press time, the two companies had not announced whether they would be merging their two channel programs.

GoToAssist is available to resellers as either a branded or unbranded solution. Expertcity can either host the solution or give the HTML code directly to the solution provider or customer so they can embed it into their technical support Web site.

The company provides some presales support, but it is the post sale where customers can make the most money. The company offers free training, an FAQ Web site, on-site technical support and an animated online demo that provides assistance to set up and use the service.

The annual fee is based only on the number of licensed seats. For five licenses, for example, there is a one-time implementation fee of $550 per seat and an annual license cost of $4,500 per license. All professional services, upgrades and account management are included in the fee. The average solution provider/reseller margin is 20 percent. Through the end of February 2004, Expertcity is offering a 30 percent discount on GoToAssist 5.0.

CHANNEL PROGRAM SNAPSHOTS
>GOTOASSIST 5.0

COMPANY: Expertcity
Santa Barbara, Calif.
(805) 690-6461
www.expertcity.com
DISTRIBUTORS: Direct from vendor
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Note: Vendors can earn up to five stars for technical merit and five for their channel program. If the average of these two scores is four stars or greater, the product earns CRN Test Center Recommended status.