Citrix GoToAssist 8.0 boosts helpdesk productivity

New version of GoToAssist from Citrix Online increases support agent productivity

Citrix Online has released version 8.0 of its GoToAssist remote control tool for IT helpdesks, which the firm said can increase support agent productivity compared with previous releases and rival tools.

Available immediately, the new version of GoToAssist adds compatibility with Microsoft's Windows Vista, plus a range of new features driven by customer feedback from version 7, according to Simon Presswell, European vice president for Citrix Online.

The most requested feature was silent monitoring, which allows a manager to remotely view a support session in progress, and support for collaboration so that agents can bring a colleague into a session if necessary. This enables a help session to be escalated to a more experienced agent without the user getting passed around.

Version 8.0 also gives helpdesk staff the ability to run up to eight concurrent sessions via a tabbed user interface, and allows them to log on to a remote system with enhanced user privileges.

"You need system administrator rights if you are doing an application install," said Stephen Smith, senior systems engineer at Citrix Online.

As with earlier releases, GoToAssist 8.0 does not need any client software installed on the systems being managed. Users seeking assistance are directed to a web page from where they run a small executable that connects them with the helpdesk. The thin client does not remain on the system after a session ends.

Other new features include an automated password reset and better performance due to automatic routing of traffic via the network path with least latency. Operatives can also switch to a true-colour view of the remote desktop if necessary.

Licence costs for GoToAssist average out at about £50 per agent per week depending on volume and configuration, according to Presswell. However, he said that firms would see a return on this investment in six weeks or less thanks to speedier resolution of support issues.