LogMeIn GoToAssist Remote Support v3.5 review

SMBs that want uncomplicated cloud-based remote support will like LogMeIn's GoToAssist as it doesn't get much easier. Its simple cloud portal lets technicians fire up on-demand support sessions in a jiffy and access unattended systems just as easily.

It's very affordable too, as GoToAssist's subscriptions allow you to purchase it on a monthly basis or save hard cash and sign up for a minimum of a year. Even better, the subscriptions are based on the number of technicians with no limits on supported clients.

Along with remote control services for Windows, Mac and Android devices, GoToAssist offers chat facilities, file transfer, clipboard sharing, basic diagnostics, session recording and collaborative sessions. Also included in the price are technician apps for iOS and Android mobiles, allowing them to provide remote support on the go.

Central to GoToAssist operations is the www.fastsupport.com web site where clients go to join a support session. When a technician starts a session in the portal, it creates a unique 9-digit code which can be emailed to a client who clicks on the link in the message to start the session.

Clients can also go directly to the web site and enter their name and the code. When clients join the session, it runs the GoToAssist Opener and Customer apps which prompt them to accept the connection request.

The Customer app pops up a small window on the client with four buttons to stop screen sharing, have a chat, run file transfer or end the session and for the latter, the app unloads itself when the session has closed. The technician's window is nicely designed and presents a row of buttons across the top for accessing the various support tools.

One feature we really like is the ability to have sessions open with multiple clients in one interface. Just start another session in the same window and when the client joins, an extra icon appears at the top left so you can swiftly swap between them simply by clicking on each one.

So far, we've looked at instant support sessions but GoToAssist supports unattended access as well. Install the custom app on each system and they'll appear in the main portal view for quick connection.

We had no problems with on-demand and unattended connections to our Windows 10 desktops. Our MacBooks running macOS Sierra were just as accommodating and the GoToAssist DMG package for unattended access worked fine.

We also tested the iOS technician app on our iPad and found it just as easy to use. After logging it into our account, we could start on-demand sessions using a PIN and access all unattended system assigned to our account.

The iOS technician app provides the same toolset as the Windows version and also supports collaborative sessions. You can join existing sessions with other technicians and invite others to join your sessions.

The Windows Customer app defaults to running as a service, allowing commands such as reboot and Ctrl-Alt-Del to be issued. Another bonus is you don't lose contact with the client if you reboot it as the app reloads on startup and the session resumes.

Access security is handled by the Admin Center portal which also provides direct access to any other LogMeIn apps you've purchased. For GoToAssist, you can create new technicians, set access permissions for file transfer and remote control, enable session recording and view activity reports.

GoToAssist is ideal for SMBs that want an easily deployed cloud-hosted support solution. Linux platforms aren't currently supported but it's very affordable and the facility to run multiple support sessions in the same technician window is a stand-out feature.

Verdict

GoToAssist is ideal for SMBs that want an easily deployed cloud-hosted support solution. Linux platforms aren't currently supported but it's very affordable and the facility to run multiple support sessions in the same technician window is a stand-out feature.

Technician/client: Windows 7/Server 2008 upwards, OS X 10.4, Android OS 4.0 upwards