Citrix Online is approaching rollout of a downmarket alternative to their GoToAssist help desk software, dubbed GoToAssist Express. Targeting small software support providers, GoToAssist Express is designed to fill a price and performance gap between currently available remote access products (GoToMyPC, LogMein, VNC, etc) and full blown enterprise level help desk systems (GoToAssist Corporate, Web Ex)
GoToAssist and GoToAssist Express are two similarly named but completely separate products. I'll refer to GoToAssist Express as GTAEx, GoToMyPC as GTMPC, and GoToAssist as Corporate. While reflecting fairly extensive hands on experience with GTAEx and GTMPC, this comparison may reflect my limited familiarity with Corporate. It may also include some GTAEx features which are in the development queue but not currently implemented.
The central concept behind GoToAssist Express is Clientless remote support. This means a support provider can easily connect to anyone, anywhere, any time as long as they have an Internet connection, without having to preinstall any software on the remote computer. GTMPC requires separate license to be installed on each remote computer being accessed, while GTAEx requires only a single license to remotely access any remote computer. In other words, a fundamental difference between GTAEx and GTMPC is it's one to any connectivity model as opposed to GTMPC's any to one connectivity model.
Common GoToAssist Express/GoToMyPC features
- Remote screen sharing
- Remote keyboard control
- Transfer files to/from client
- Expert/client chat
- Remote diagnostic reports
- Remote reboot and reconnect
GoToAssist Express advantages
- Clientless remote support - Quick connect to any Customer's computer
- Client support invitations - Support session invitations with connection links can be Emailed, instant messaged or invitations can be phoned to Customers; GTAEx Customers can click the Email or IM link, or visit http://www.fastsupport.com/ and enter a session ID to accept your support session invitation
- Unattended login capability. The ability to access and maintain unattended client systems during off hours is a must have for some support organizations. As I understand it, this feature is currently only available in GTAEx, not Corporate
- Works from any internet connected computer. Corporate must be installed and configured on licensed workstations or flash drives. GTAEx is completely Web based
- Lower cost. Corporate licenses cost approach $200 per technician. GTMPC licenses cost up to $20 per month per remote. While not published to date, GTAEx pricing will be somewhere in the middle.
- A GTAEx license is not tied to a "seat" (a technician or specific computer) like Corporate, and not limited to a single remote, like GTMPC. It can be launched (non concurrently) from any workstation by any technician, especially useful in a small shop
- The combination of Web based architecture and per concurrent session licensing makes GTAEx a great choice for mobile consultants and organizations with multiple technicians not all needing concurrent access to clients.
- Designed for small support organizations - much simpler to install and use than Corporate
- Supports up to eight concurrent remote assistance sessions. Switch sessions by simple clicking that sessions thumbnail on the GTAEx toolbar
- Will feature technician screen sharing (Customer view of technician screen)
- Features basic single session logging and reports
- The GTAEx beta forums are a great collaboration venue. Hope they remain available after beta period
- Supports Mac Customer PC's but currently not Macs running GTAEx host
GoToMyPC advantages (features missing in GoToAssist Express)
Several key features available in the in the GoToMyPC toolbar are missing or less capable in GoToAssist Express. Since Express is being positioned as a higher end professional product relative to GoToMyPC, I would expect it to deliver equivalent or better functionality than GoToMyPC.
- Print customer reports on technician printer
- Performance graph
- Dedicated launch task manager function
- Side by Side Folder Comparison Window
- Disable sleep mode
- Copy/paste between computers
- Pass Windows keys to host
- Performance tuning
- Adjust Color quality
- View Performance history
- Performance tuning slide
- Adjust Sound settings
- Sound off/On, quality
- Auto disable sound option
- Mute local speakers while in session
- Security Options
- Lock host (customer) upon disconnection
- Blank out screen while connected
- Lock host keyboard and mouse
- Viewer Security Time-Out After value
GoToAssist Corporate advantages
- Designed for larger support organizations with many support technicians
- Team collaboration (multi technicians on same support call)
- Incident queuing and technician assignment
- Session transfer (one technician to another)
- Customer surveys
- Branded web site
- Session recording
- Centralized administration, monitoring and control of support activity
- Online support queue
- Multilanguage support
- Hipaa compliant
Top Beta Group product enhancement requests
- More robust file transfer functionality a la GoToMyPC
- Remote printing capability a la GoToMyPC
- Allow multiple Expert simultaneous connection to the same Customer
- Enhanced session logging reports
- Clipboard copy/paste between Expert and Customer desktops
- Expanded Mac and Linux support
- For an extended list of GoToAssist Express Beta Group product enhancement requests click: Recapping requested features (Rev 01/30/08)
Bottom line
Its Clientless remote support model, streamlined interface, unattended login support, ability to run from any internet connected computer and (anticipated) aggressive pricing will make GoToAssist Express a great solution versus GoToAssist Corporate as well as other competitor's products for many small support providers. Incorporating the GoToMyPC file transfer interface would raise the grade on GTAEx from A- to A+. I Expect GTAEx will take the lower tier help desk market by a storm.
AvailabilityThe beta is open for sign up at http://express.gotoassist.com/ Use is free of charge until Express goes commercial, probably Q2 2008. Highly recommended.
References
Document G2A_xc_product_comp_final.pdf, available from Citrix sales as of 01/10/07.
