What is a remote desktop software?

As a PC or Mac user, you have probably called for technical support for a software or hardware problem. To accommodate customers and deliver the best experience, many support teams assist you by allowing a technical support person to remotely log into your computer. The support person has control of your mouse and access to your computer just as if they were physically in front of your computer.

The technical support person is using remote desktop access software. The software is an application that resides on a client device — e.g., the computer used by the support person — and allows the client device to connect to a host device; that is, your computer.

When a client device connects to your computer using remote desktop access software, your computer is powered by your operating system (OS) and applications, and activity happening on your computer is displayed on the client device. All activity initiated by the remote technician, such as mouse movement and keyboard activity, is sent back via the internet or network to the client device.

Any business, managed service provider (MSP), or at-home user who wants to provide technical support to remote employees or family members will need remote desktop access software. For business users, gone are the days when your IT technician shows up in your office to fix your PC or Mac. Now, with a hybrid working environment, IT technicians cannot travel to provide support.

Remote access software is used by managed service providers (MSPs), businesses, and at-home users alike. For MSPs, the benefits are significant. MSPs can provide IT support and easily monitor, manage and access their clients’ devices and troubleshoot and remediate IT issues without the need to travel. This improves the productivity of both your IT staff and your clients’ users. Furthermore, since location is no longer an issue, MSPs can search for and recruit IT talent who can work from anywhere.

While the features of a remote desktop access software can differ from vendor to vendor, the following provides a listing of the features you want to look for as you evaluate different solutions:

·         Support Windows PCs and Macs

·         Unattended workload access

·         Remote access via NEASR / RDP / VNC

·         Multiple monitor support

·         Ability to restart, shut down and put the host to sleep

·         Support for an unlimited number of managed workloads

·         Ability to share clipboards between managing and managed workloads

·         Ability to capture the remote desktop screen to a file

Monica, a top manager in her company, notices that her laptop is starting to slow down. Unfortunately, she is too busy with meetings and deliverables and doesn’t have time during her working hours to get technical assistance. Sam, an MSP technician, installs remote desktop access software on his workload, connects to Monica’s workload via unattended access outside working hours, and fixes the issue. Monica’s productivity is unaffected.

Acme is a small-to-medium-sized business (SMB) whose employees work remotely from home. John is an on-staff IT technician who must manage these remote working environments and provide remote support for all employees. John installs remote desktop access software on his workload and sets up unattended access for employees' workloads.

John can now troubleshoot employee issues much faster and reduce the time he spends on each issue.

Max, the family IT guy, wants to support his family members whenever issues arise with their PCs. With remote desktop access software, he can quickly connect to the family workloads and fix issues without needing to make an in-person visit.

Acronis Cyber Protect Connect is a free solution that enables you to remotely access workloads quickly and easily — even if the client isn’t present. It enables you to diagnose and resolve issues in remote environments, access unattended devices and maximize your efficiency with powerful remote access capabilities available for Windows and macOS.

With Acronis Cyber Protect Connect, you can:

·         Save time and expense associated with traveling on-site, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic

·         Support clients outside working hours

·         Support clients outside the corporate network

·         Manage issues across different time zones