Decision on Remote Support Tool- ScreenConnect
-
Self hosted for us for sure and I am keen on reporting features as well too ( i remember reading about some reporting, not sure what's included)
Have plans for an endpoint patch management as the current sccm is only being used for minor tasks (we have the licenses) and is not great patch management for non ms products as far as I heard. Was planning to look at something like desktop central from manage engine which I guess can also be used for imaging computers as well. But looking at connectwise automate i could see that they have patch management not sure if imaging is covered. If so I like to stick to connectwise for remote management, patch management and if image deployment.
-
@ambarishrh said in Decision on Remote Support Tool- ScreenConnect:
Self hosted for us for sure and I am keen on reporting features as well too ( i remember reading about some reporting, not sure what's included)
Have plans for an endpoint patch management as the current sccm is only being used for minor tasks (we have the licenses) and is not great patch management for non ms products as far as I heard. Was planning to look at something like desktop central from manage engine which I guess can also be used for imaging computers as well. But looking at connectwise automate i could see that they have patch management not sure if imaging is covered. If so I like to stick to connectwise for remote management, patch management and if image deployment.
Have you considered using PDQ Deploy for non Microsoft products?
-
Yes, but initial thoughts was to have screen connect also to be used for package deployment
-
@ambarishrh said in Decision on Remote Support Tool- ScreenConnect:
the current sccm is only being used for minor tasks (we have the licenses) and is not great patch management for non ms products as far as I heard.
Interesting - I thought 3rd party was one of the benefits of SCCM, WSUS can do third party too, but apparently it's a pain.
@black3dynamite said in Decision on Remote Support Tool- ScreenConnect:
Have you considered using PDQ Deploy for non Microsoft products?
This was going to be my recommendation. PDQ Deploy does all the work. They make the update packages work.
The other one would be Chocolately, at least for the ones that are in the repo.
-
Here at my new company, I am not seeing much requests for new software installations and got the report from the help desk team that once the initial set of software installed (PDF reader, Screenshot tools etc.) requests for new software are not a lot. In that case, a dedicated deployment tool doesn't seem to be necessary. I remember through screen connect, software deployment is possible per user based. I really hope the self-hosted solution does not have any limitations compared to the cloud version, and the first 3 technician limit is ok for our requirements. I am not aiming to install the agents on computers and initiate the remote support only on-demand.
-
That's what I've normally seen. Most companies, especially of any size, have a set of tools that people use and while people can request more, the baseline or initial desktop setup requests normally cover everything that they need or if they are short a tool or two they know right away and get it very quickly. Just like at home, once I set up my machine, it's rare for me to add anything new unless I'm being the IT guy and testing something out.
-
Are the deployment tools that different from update tools?
The previously listed PDQ Deploy and Chocolately I see being near equally valuable for deployment as for updates.
And considering both @Ambarishrh and @scottalanmiller posts, updates are much more likely to be needed/used.
-
Got some new info, the helpdesk ticketing solution in plan is from SolarWinds web help desk and it includes DameWare Remote Support. Haven't personally used this, but my thinking is if Dameware is available, should i still look at ScreenConnect?
-
@ambarishrh Probably not.
-
@ambarishrh not if the other solution does what you need.
-
@ambarishrh said in Decision on Remote Support Tool- ScreenConnect:
ticketing solution in plan is from SolarWinds web help desk and it includes DameWare Remote Support.
That's your deal breaker
Now you have a two in one package. -
We use DameWare here and it works great. You should like it. Using PDQ for deployment also and we have been happy with it.
-
We have a demo scheduled on wednesday which will cover dameware remote, based in that i should be able to decide
-
I have used screenconnect for about 2 years. If you need to remote in via an Android device, make sure you test out their app. It leaves a lot to be desired. The mouse control sucked for the majority of my time using it, then several months ago, the mouse functionality just disappeared and didn't work at all. They finally "corrected" it last month(?) and now it just sucks again.
I used to use LMI and would constantly remote in to do maintenance from my phone. I dropped them because of their rising prices and security concerns. Now, with screenconnect, I don't even bother because the app is that frustrating.
This was on both a Samsung Galaxy Note 4 on KitKat and Marshmallow and my Samsung Galaxy S8+ on Nougat.
That being said, if you are just using a laptop or desktop, it is really nice. I am using the hosted version and only had one access issue in April when WebRoot went rogue and it affected their servers.
-
@jmoore said in Decision on Remote Support Tool- ScreenConnect:
We use DameWare here and it works great. You should like it. Using PDQ for deployment also and we have been happy with it.
For internal clients, I use dameware remote. I have had it since version 8 or 9 (12 is current). It works 99.9% of the time but the interface is really dated. Think Windows XP. You can pass-through creds so you don't have to manually login just to connect (once connected you have to login, at least that is the way I have to do it). I can't figure out how to standardize the interface. Some systems I connect to, will have the multi-monitor toolbar floating on some other section of my screen and others will have it integrated. Some will have the session windowed and others with the whole window floating with a floating toolbar.
I also use PDQ deploy. I was using the free version for about a year, then I really needed to have some of the functionality of the enterprise version so I finally broke down. It saves an amazing amount of time and once you start building the multiple step deployments, you can really save some time and hassle. I still use a software deployment GPO for things that I want to automatically happen when the system boots and when it has an MSI. But if it is an exe or involves some sort of filecopy or other script, a schedule, several steps that can be automated, I have started using PDQ Deploy.
-
I didn't see pricing for the Screenconnect/connectwise hosted listed but I have the hosted unattended access for up to 100 machines and one tech for $600 even, per year.
-
@wrx7m said in Decision on Remote Support Tool- ScreenConnect:
I didn't see pricing for the Screenconnect/connectwise hosted listed but I have the hosted unattended access for up to 100 machines and one tech for $600 even, per year.
That seems expensive. But it is hosted.
-
@wrx7m how can you miss their pricing?
-
@jaredbusch - I meant on this thread. Not on their site.
-
The demo for SolarWinds web helpdesk rescheduled to next Tuesday and I hope the dameware version that comes with that (Not very sure about that part either, if we need to pay extra for that, I would most probably go with screenconnect!)
