Q & A
EDITOR ’ S
Since the start of the pandemic almost a year ago , any technology that helps to limit face-to-face contact has become a priority . Remote support comes in a variety of forms but , overall , the ability to provide assistance to colleagues or customers from a distance is vital to enable services to continue . Smart collaboration technology is helping many businesses to provide a better experience for their customers – without always being there in person .
Video-based remote assistance is a rapidly advancing technology that is
JIM DARRAGH , CEO AT TOTALMOBILE
enabling workers in a variety of professions to carry out their jobs with less risk to themselves and their customers , including MSPs that are responsible for physical services , such as energy and water provision . From smart irrigation monitoring and scheduling to smart grid deployments , utilities companies are increasingly relying on MSPs to help provide a high-quality service to their customers .
To get the best understanding of how to help manage these services , MSPs may have traditionally visited sites in-person to understand more about the infrastructures in place . Or , for example , if a problem occurs with a smart irrigation system , the MSP may be involved in helping to resolve this , alongside staff on-site . Now , with increased efforts to reduce the number of people on-site , video-based remote assistance can
One person can go and , if required , connect to more experienced colleagues using video to show them the situation they ’ re faced with . help to connect MSPs and their customers remotely , particularly at short notice . If the assistance required is fairly straightforward , a customer can use an application that includes video to send a livestream to a support assistant who can provide the customer with any help or advice that they may need quickly and efficiently .
This technology can also play a part if an employee from an MSP does need to attend a site in-person . One person can go and , if required , connect to more experienced colleagues using video to show them the situation they ’ re faced with . They can get advice and input from other specialists and therefore provide a high-quality support service to their customer . This reduces the number of people that need to attend a site at one time , and also helps the MSP to deploy its resources more widely than before , as the supervisors working remotely can assist multiple employees in one day without travelling between locations .
MSPs are becoming increasingly crucial businesses as many industries opt for specialists to help ensure that their services run optimally . As the world of work becomes more remote across the board , having support solutions in place – such as videobased remote assistance – will continue to help businesses of all types to provide the service their customers need faster and easier than ever before .
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