Remote Support

I recently came across a tool (Mac HelpMate) for Macintosh support professionals that should prove to be extremely useful, to the point where it should offset the not-so-cheap subscription price.On the surface, this app is similar to a number of other apps (most of them free) that let the user run a variety of maintenance tasks that aren’t easy for the average user to figure out how to run manually. Even those who do know how to run them often use these utilities to speed things up.

This utility adds the ability to schedule maintenance tasks so that you may not have to actually perform hands-on maintenance as frequently, and may not have as many problems in the long run.The real beauty of this app, however, is its added ability to control the user’s screen. While there are many other utilities that can control other computers (some of them free) and things like Apple Remote Desktop allow you to perform a whole host of other functions, most of these apps only work well either on a local network or in a setup that is not likely to change. For example, I have a VPN at home that I can connect to and use Remote Desktop to do lots of cool stuff with my home computers when I’m at work or anywhere else with a sufficient network connection. However, this type of setup is not ideal for most people.What Mac HelpMate allows is for me to give my customers a customized application that will notify me when they want support. This has several advantages:

1. No network configuration is necessary.
2. Even if the customer’s IP address or other connection information changes, it still works.
3. It works through firewalls, because the client is requesting access.
4. It works even if the customer goes to a coffee shop or hotel or anyplace else that has internet access.
5. It’s secure because it means the customer requests access every time, instead of it always being wide open.

While it’s not cheap (even though I get a special discounted price), the price is offset by customers who want regular remote service and are willing to pay a regular price for the service. The only similar system I’ve seen (which has the advantage of being cross-platform) costs about 3.5 times as much.This could help grow my business, while decreasing the amount of time I have to spend riding a motorcycle in 109+ degree temperatures.