Lately we’ve been approached by a number of potential customers asking the same, common question: “Why would I pay for remote support software such as FixMe.IT if there’s a number of free remote desktop tools out there these days?”
Free tools are in no way a new phenomenon – they’ve been around since Day #1 and many have already grown accustomed to their positive and negative aspects. We’ve all experienced those situations where we need to either share our own screen with a colleague or access a remote computer to retrieve an important document that was left behind at work. Similarly, all of the “technically advanced” folks out there have surely been called upon by their less tech savvy relatives or friends to fix computer issues. The most obvious thing that comes to mind in such situations is to run a quick Google search and register for the very first free application to complete the task at hand.
One can’t argue that in such cases it’s much more convenient and logical to download a free remote support app rather than having to pay for FixMe.IT or any other similar commercial-use product. Nevertheless, it should be taken into consideration that free products ALWAYS come with specific terms of use and evident limitations. Let’s review some of the pros and cons so that you can decide which route better suits you!
Maintenance & support
Any software requires constant maintenance and improvement in order to sustain the performance and functionality of the application at a high level and up-to-date with current technical requirements and industry trends. Whether you are utilizing remote desktop software for personal or commercial use, such updates and support are always essential in your ability to effectively use the application.
In FixMe.IT’s case, our support team is available both by phone and email to address any technical issues that may arise at any point during the day. We guarantee a reply to any support ticket within 24 hours of submission. If you ever have any questions related to our service or would like to discuss a technical issue, FixMe.IT’s specialists are always on standby to assist you.
Furthermore, FixMe.IT’s uptime was registered at 100% over the period of last 12 months. This impressive statistic is in a large part made possible due to a careful selection of our hosting partners and constant investment of financial resources into FixMe.IT’s hosting infrastructure.
An overwhelming majority of freeware or shareware products do not offer such guarantees and often lack even the most basic level of technical support. Besides that, it’s unlikely that a freeware vendor will go the extra mile to ensure a high level of uptime, performance, and security when it comes to serving its non-paying users.
Have you had a frustrating experience of your support tool not working as it should without anyone there to assist you? Your company’s reputation and its “bottom-line” are at stake when it comes to investing your trust into a particular remote support application.
Clearly, free applications come with certain performance and support risks that should be considered in any business environment.
Lack of branding capabilities and commercial use barriers
Typically, free remote support applications are available only for non-commercial use. This implies that they offer very limited or absolutely no branding capability. The inability to market its own brand and provide a seamless, straightforward, and personalized connection process for its customers should be considered as a major drawback for any IT support business.
As a commercial product, FixMe.IT’s extensive branding and integration options are available at no extra cost and provide add-on value for our paying clients. Why not invest into these options and earn positive feedback, brand awareness, and customer loyalty?
Free products also often contain a number of explicit barriers and disruptions to a professional working process. For example, an occasional ad may be displayed to your client during the connection process or in an actual remote session. Another common issue is time limitation. It can’t be argued that a sudden drop or interruption in a remote connection with your client will negatively reflect on your level of service and business reputation.
Functionality limitation
An overwhelming majority of free products also contain obvious limitations in their functionality or feature set. This goes for the remote support software industry as well.
Remote desktop software vendors that provide a line of products often “trim” the functionality of their free product version, thereby motivating users to migrate to one of their paid plans. Being left without a key feature during a crucial remote support assignment can negatively reflect on your ability to deliver a quality level of support to your clients and reinforce their confidence in your services.
In FixMe.IT’s case, all existing functionality and any future updates and improvements are included in our price. This is another key factor why it is often better to pay for a capable, all-around remote support solution rather than being stranded with an outdated or ineffective free tool.
Conclusion
As mentioned above, there are situations and tasks that justify using a free remote support product rather than committing to a paid license. However, it is clear that such assignments do not concern commercial and professional use when the margin for error is particularly small. Your IT business cannot be stranded without adequate technical support or service uptime. Similarly, utilizing a free application which is limited in functionality should not come at the threat of being unable to deliver a quality level of assistance to your client in need of immediate technical help.
Hopefully, the above arguments and analysis will help you make an appropriate decision regarding the role and purpose that you want your remote support solution to serve.