For desktop issues, a help desk technician will typically remote control the machine to view and solve the problem remotely.
Mobile is a different beast. It's extremely frustrating trying to help someone fix an issue they are experiencing on their mobile device, or even just trying to help them set up their email app to check company messages. There are so many models of smartphones, and trying to walk someone through where to find the settings can be next to impossible. The phone call can last forever and something that would take 5 minutes if you were sitting right there with them, can end up taking an hour as you share screenshots back and forth and attempt to visualize exactly what they are seeing and selecting.
SOTI: New Help Desk Software Mobile Devices
SOTI is attempting to address the mobile support challenge. Indeed, SOTI has launched SOTI assist, a help desk solution designed to help remote users with their mobile devices. When integrated with the SOTI ONE platform, MSPs can see the health of a client's entire collection of mobile devices. In theory, you can solve problems before they're actually problems...
The reports include app usage and functionality, settings, and configuration information. This can also help secure the mobile devices by making sure certain settings are in place, such as blocking the ability to install 3rd party apps.
This year 50 percent of all help desk calls will be mobile related, Gartner estimates. With an increasing amount of job responsibilities being performed on mobile devices, downtime can be just as critical there as on a desktop. Current help desk solutions, which are mostly tailored to desktop solutions, are ill-equipped to handle a number of mobile issues that can arise. They are mostly reactionary and cause lengthy calls to the help desk while trying to walk a user through solutions.
Not only can an MSP find problems before they start, they will also be able to remote control the device to fix the problem more efficiently, assuming SOTI works as advertised. That, in turn, could significantly slash time-to-resolution for mobile devices within a company.
As mobile use rises, the problems on mobile devices will also continue to rise. The ability to be proactive and troubleshoot mobile issues more effectively and efficiently is going to be essential to any business.
Sarah Kimmel is a former MSP help desk manager. She blogs about IT management, mobile and security issues for ChannelE2E.
