Microsoft’s remote help capability gives you the power to resolve technical difficulties from a distance. Here’s how it works and how it can benefit your IT team.
As organizations continue to embrace Microsoft’s Modern Workplace, IT teams need a way to provide better technical support to their remote employees. The Microsoft remote help capability in Microsoft Endpoint Manager is remote support software that administrators can use to provide secure support for Windows devices.
For example, a remote employee might have a problem with a corrupted file that they can’t access. Instead of waiting until they can visit the office to deal with the problem, an IT admin can access their desktop remotely and deal with the corrupted file instantly.
In this blog, we’ll look at what the Microsoft remote help capability is, how it works and the benefits your IT teams can expect.
Table of contents
What is Microsoft remote help?
Microsoft remote support software gives your IT team the ability to take control of employee’s remote devices to do vital technical work that the employees can’t do themselves.
This could be as simple as solving a failed software update or responding quickly to a security issue on a device. Microsoft’s remote support tool can be accessed from any device, so technicians can work from anywhere. This is ideal for the modern distributed workforce.
Related reading: Microsoft 365 and the future of distributed work
To keep data safeguarded, there is a clear permissions process whereby both parties must consent before control of the desktop is passed over.
Microsoft have added some key features in 2021, including:
- Reporting – providing data on recurring issues
- Compliance warnings – alerts for admins on non-compliant devices
- Elevation – to help elevate the task to someone with the correct permissions
Remote help is set to become a fixture for IT administrators and the help desk for organizations of all sizes who are prioritizing efficient remote operations. Let’s look into how this remote support is set up to run as smoothly as possible.
The key benefits of remote support software
Microsoft remote help allows businesses to connect to devices and provide support remotely. This is helpful when users have difficulty with their devices and need a remote support solution. This saves organizations time and money by avoiding sending managed service providers to gain access. Let’s look at some of these benefits in more detail.
Remote access troubleshooting
The process of fixing a technical issue often requires a back and forth of emails and department visits to get to the bottom of the problem.
This process is made more complex in the world of hybrid and remote work. The added logistics of either having employees travel to a physical location or send their device in via courier creates further complications. Microsoft remote help eliminates the need for these logistics, as problems can be solved remotely.
Cost-efficient
Remote help reduces the need for on-premises tech support, saving you costs on travel to offices or homes, rent or purchase of a dedicated IT space and the energy costs associated with them.
Although a remote approach to IT support was born out of necessity in the pandemic, many organizations are now maintaining a remote IT department to help manage costs and remain dynamic in the face of a changing global workplace culture. Microsoft remote help gives you the tools to do just that.
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Timesaving
Running your IT department with Microsoft remote help saves your entire organization time. Once a support ticket is raised, IT technicians can request access to a desktop instantly and work can sometimes be completed in just a couple of minutes.
Because there’s no need to be anywhere near the desktop in question, the possibility of IT departments being fully remote, or even overseas, is opened up. It means the process of hiring IT technicians is also made quicker and easier, as location constraints are removed.
Increased productivity
IT departments often juggle a wide range of technical roles, especially in smaller organizations. Roles range from access management to server governance and even hardware allocation. The timesaving benefits above reduce the amount of time that your IT department has to spend on IT support – as they don’t have to travel, find offices and locate employees.
This time can then be used on more urgent IT projects or spent helping employees via remote IT support.
How to configure Microsoft remote help
Find it
You can find the dashboard for Microsoft remote help within the Endpoint Manager admin center. Within the Tenant Administration tab, you’ll find the remote help option. Here you’ll be able to configure who can use remote help and how it is managed in your organization.
Manage devices
Enable remote help for both enrolled and unenrolled devices, monitor these sessions and access archives for a more efficient and effective approach to IT support. From here you can manage which accounts have access to the tool and set the security and compliance policies that apply.
Customize profiles
You can set up custom user profiles with varying levels of remote help capabilities. This could mean limiting admin users to a ‘view only’ screenshare of the employee’s desktop, right up to full control.
Set permissions
In keeping with security and compliance regulations, for an admin to access a desktop remotely, there is a clear permission process where both parties must consent before control is taken. This can help to avoid breaches or misuse and keeps your IT management under control.
How to reap the full benefits of Microsoft remote help
So, you’re saving time, reducing workloads and keeping IT support secure with remote access software – great! But what if you could go one better? You can also introduce automation to carry out basic, repetitive remote desktop help tasks quickly and accurately.
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You can either use ‘homemade’ automations, with tools such as Microsoft Power Automate, or opt for a purpose-made Microsoft 365 governance app like ShareGate. Let’s look at both options below:
Microsoft Power Automate
Microsoft’s citizen developer tool allows you to create helpful automations to speed up repetitive tasks. However, Power Automate requires some level of app logic to build these automations, making Remote help monitoring difficult for non-technical C-suite members.
Better remote help management with ShareGate
ShareGate offers a more complete approach to remote IT help. With a ready-made and simple-to-use reporting solution for Microsoft 365, it’s easier to see exactly what is happening in your organization’s IT environment and what needs attention.
ShareGate allows you to assess and analyze your Microsoft 365 landscape and suggests automations that you might make to create more efficient processes within your business. This allows you to effectively automate governance, reduce IT workloads and improve your remote help offering.
