ConnectWise Control 6.7 review

Businesses that want their cloud remote support to go that extra mile will find ConnectWise Control offers a great range of features that can be customised and branded. Licensing is also very flexible, with prices starting at around 15 per month for a 'One' license.

As the name implies, this allows one technician to make one connection and includes support for up to 10 unattended agents plus remote control, file transfer, web meetings, remote printing and portal branding. A Standard license starts at about 28 per month, enables up to 3 sessions per user and adds unlimited unattended agents, VoIP audio for meetings and support for the iOS and Android mobile guest clients.

We signed up to the Connect service and provided an administrative email address and a company name to be appended to the URL our clients will use to access support. Connect had a name change a while back, but the older ScreenConnect moniker is still used in the URL.

Starting a remote session is quick as the portal's Support page presents the URL the client should go to along with a 5-digit code. This can be verbally passed to the client, emailed, copied to the clipboard or for session booking, saved as a calendar ICS file.

When the client enters the code, the Connect temporary app loads and links up with the portal. The technician can see when they have connected so all they need to do is double-click on this entry to start a session.

The technician's console features an upper toolbar with a wealth of features. They can run file transfers, capture the client's screen or annotate it, activate session recordings, have voice or text chats and share their screen. We like the option to reboot the client and reconnect when it loads again without having to install a permanent agent. We tested this on our Windows 10 and macOS High Sierra clients and it worked every time.

Another smart portal feature is the side bar next to the client list. You can swap between viewing a screen thumbnail, a basic hardware inventory, a list of messages exchanged or commands sent and a graph showing when they connected, who with and for how long.

Connect guest apps are available for iOS, Android and Chrome OS devices which present the same technician interface as the browser portal. Our 4th Gen iPad can't be upgraded past iOS 10.3 so we tested the older ScreenConnect Legacy app which displayed the portal and allowed us to create sessions but failed to connect to them.

ConnectWise scores highly for portal customization features as it provides an unbeatable range of branding options. From its Appearance page, we could choose themes and modify any part of the portal with company logos, custom labels, favicons, screen blanking messages - even the Connect System Tray icon.

For unattended access, you can use the Build page of the portal to create packages for Windows, Mac, and Linux clients. We loaded these on our Windows 10 and MacBook clients after which they appeared in the portal's Access page ready for anytime connection.

Along with options to place selected clients in session groups for easier management, the Connect portal includes a free web conference service. Participants connect using the same company URL and a meeting code where they all receive a new interface for screen sharing, audio chats and messaging.

ConnectWise Control is a great choice for businesses that want a hosted remote support solution they can customize and brand to their heart's content. Access security is extensive, client connections can be made in double-quick time and the price is right for organizations of all sizes.

Verdict

ConnectWise Control is a great choice for businesses that want a hosted remote support solution they can customize and brand to their heart’s content. Access security is extensive, client connections can be made in double-quick time and the price is right for organizations of all sizes.