Choosing a remote support solution from the hundreds of software applications available can be daunting. Some solutions are free, some charge you monthly fees, some are already integrated into software you use today, and others are installed on your own server or workstation. It is not an easy choice, but here are a few tips from our team to help.

• Consider your budget – How much can you afford to spend, if anything, for your remote support solution? Each product will have pros and cons for your environment. Over the long term, what will the financial impact from licensing costs, support, employee training, and implementation be?
• What features do you really need? – Remote support software has increasingly become a me-too environment, with companies throwing hundreds of features at users to validate higher costs. Do you really need a laser pointer or the ability to share smiley faces with your customers? Create a list of what features you must have, and then create a high want list of features that could be useful to you.
• Security Concerns – In some environments it is not ideal to run your remote support sessions through third party servers located somewhere off-premises. Government organizations, military contractors, or anyone with increased security concerns should consider on-premises solutions versus hosted options.
• Free Versus Paid – There are free remote support software tools on the market, but most have some drawbacks. A few software solutions will not work with customers running Linux or MAC computers, and others do not support Windows. Some tools work wonderfully if the computer is on your domain, but the tools’ protocols do not work well with certain firewalls or proxy settings. One solution requires a payment of 15% of the fee you charge customers for support. Most free tools are free for a reason: they either lack certain functionality, or they may require specific settings or software implemented on your client PC before a connection can be made.

When selecting a remote support solution, also consider feedback from friends and online discussions. Our remote support solution is ScreenConnect, a self-hosted application that requires no monthly charges. Whichever software solution you choose, by considering these four points, you can be sure to select a software tool that will match your business needs.

Elsinore is pleased to announce that the second quarter of 2008 will see the release of IssueNet 5.0! With the 5.0 release, we have placed a dedicated focus on improvements and simplifications, while resisting the temptation to simply tack on features.

Major IssueNet 5.0 Improvements

1. UI Overhaul - Toolbars and Preview Pane
2. Workflow and Notifications
3. Wiki-based Web Help System
4. Updates to the Intercept, Assist, and Oversight Solutions

The main emphasis has been on distilling and perfecting core parts of the user experience over “checkbox” feature adding.  IssueNet is an extremely powerful product and has only become more so over the 2 years since it replaced Visual Intercept as the flagship.  Simplifying the user experience to best facilitate the use of all that power represents the essense of the 5.0 release.  We certainly kept the dreaded "Featuritis" curve in mind with this one:

Credit: http://headrush.typepad.com/creating_passionate_users/2005/06/featuritis_vs_t.html

The most visible changes in IssueNet 5.0 are to the toolbars and standard views - creating a familar MS Outlook-style view. Simplifications to certain aspects of workflow and notifications have been implemented based on specific user feedback, while updates to the main solutions reflect our continued commitment to provide best practice configurations out-of-box. 

Stay tuned to this space and www.elsitech.com for the official beta schedule, release date, screenshots, and comprehensive release notes!

Update: Offer Extended Through March 31, 2008 

First, I want to take a moment to thank all the Elsinore customers for another successful year.  Thanks to our existing and new clients, Elsinore is beginning its thirteenth year in business.  With that said, we want to offer something to our existing clients as well as any new clients looking to come on board in February.  I am not sure how many of you have seen our dashboard product, Insight.  But it is really helping aid organizations in productivity by displaying high level reports that you can drill down to specific issues and tasks.  To thank our customers, we would like to offer a free, unlimited license of Insight to anyone spending $5K with us at anytime in February or March.  If you have any specific questions, you can contact sales@elsitech.com.  You can also take a look at the product on the demo site here http://www.elsitech.com/Evaluation/Online-Demos.aspx.