6 tips for ConnectWise ScreenConnect™ partners

One thing we have all learned in 2020 is the importance of maximizing the resources we have available to us and not leaving any stone unturned. This is especially true when investing in a technology stack. In fact, according to MarketingProfs, 44% of B2B buyers want their tech providers to help them get the most out of their current solutions.

In an effort to help our ConnectWise ScreenConnect partners, we’re digging into six features you should know about to maximize your ROI and get your business running as efficiently as possible. Let’s explore.

ScreenConnect was designed to make it easier for you to access your customer’s devices so you can keep them up and running no matter where they are. With speedy remote control, you can solve problems quickly and scale more seamlessly. Here are six ways you'll become more efficient:

1. Collaborate with host pass

These days, when MSP stacks are growing larger and larger from a service offering standpoint, it's not abnormal to need to involve third-party vendors to resolve issues for customers. This relationship is not only necessary to provide the products and services customers want, but it also complicates service ticket resolution.

ScreenConnect has taken a step in the right direction by offering the ability to include these third-party vendors in a remote-control session without the need for a control license or log in. A host pass is a temporary link, or "pass," that allows a technician or another party to join a session as a host without having an existing account. This removes complexity from the service delivery process when multiple parties are involved and streamlines the process of including additional teams without incurring additional costs or creating potential security vulnerabilities.

When creating a host pass, you can control the host permissions for the technician, as well as the lifetime of the pass. Host passes can be emailed directly to the technician, or you can copy the generated link to share with your technician later.

2. Access to Backstage

Today, it’s not enough to simply solve tickets the way we used to, with the help of the end-user. Now, we must consider the downtime and inconvenience of end-users having to spend time and effort working with us to resolve issues. In walks Backstage!

Backstage mode allows hosts to have complete Windows terminal and PowerShell access to a remote machine. While hosts can run commands from the Host page, Backstage mode provides two fully interactive terminal windows: one for the Windows command prompt and one for PowerShell. It also includes an open registry editor window. When a host has entered Backstage mode, they can work on a machine without disrupting the logged-on user.

This ability to resolve complex issues quickly and easily without ever having to interact with the end-user provides a much greater customer experience than ever before, allowing you to deliver more value to your customers and create the stickiness you need to grow and scale.

3. Branding capabilities

The user experience for your end customers makes more of an impression than you may think. For this reason, it is essential that you’re investing efforts into customizing the experience for all interactions. One example is the remote control interaction and the ability to customize exactly what the end-users see and feel.

Enjoy complete customization options for how your customers interact with you. Just about every option on the host page, host client, and guest client can be fully configured and customized, from allowing auto consent by session type down to the number of characters returned for commands. Roll out the red carpet and white label the system to your liking by choosing your own icons and themes and styling the system to your needs. This helps you create a custom experience for your customers, delivering that best-in-class feel.

4. Integrations with other tools

First party – One-click remote control from ConnectWise PSA™ (formerly Manage™)

The ability of any technical tool to integrate with other solutions immediately expands the functionality and value of both tools. Ease of access can be huge when we look at the service delivery model. ScreenConnect has done amazing work giving you, and your customers access to the tools where you need them. For instance, their integration with ConnectWise PSA allows you to easily create both a remote support (adhoc) and remote access* (unattended) with just a few clicks. This means being remotely connected to your end-user workstation without ever having to leave the screen you and your techs work in daily. Not to mention, this approach also helps streamline the end-user’s steps as well!

Please note: this does require the integration of ConnectWise Automate® to be installed and configured as well.

Third party - Zendesk/Freshdesk

ScreenConnect is where your techs will be spending most of their day. But, if you choose to work with a third-party ticketing solution, like Zendesk or Freshdesk, we’ve got you covered.

You can start support sessions directly from Zendesk or Freshdesk, join your session, and invite your guest in. After the session has been completed, ScreenConnect will report back with session details and even a video recording of the session. All from the ticketing interface!

5. Secure remote control with video auditing

In today’s world, you can’t overlook security. For the security of both your customers and colleagues, it’s important to monitor and protect both parties. This is why ScreenConnect has the ability to configure advanced video auditing options for your remote control sessions with end-users.

Extended auditing automatically records videos of all sessions and stores them on your ScreenConnect instance. Videos are stored in a proprietary format to conserve space on the instance. When an administrator generates an audit report, they can download their videos from the report as AVI files. After extended auditing has been enabled, administrators can download session recordings from the Audit page. Generate a report, then click the Download Video link for a particular session.

6. Host page tools (like CMD tab)

The host page not only gives you at a glance machine information but the ability to take action on support tickets without interrupting your end user.

Some highlights include full CMD line access to run basic CMDs or PowerShell commands to diagnose and fix troublesome issues. This includes the ability to chat directly with your end-user, and access to the remote diagnostic Toolkit, where hosts can add tabs to view and manage processes, software, event logs, and services on a remote device.