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Case Study --- Simplenet Solutions

Simplenet Solutions LLC is an IT service firm handling everything from hardware setup, software installation, network security and tech support to efficiency consulting and disaster recovery. The following is a Q&A with Mr. Rich Kukla, President of Simplenet Solutions.

simplenet

Q: We know that Simplenet Solutions LLC uses TurboMeeting to provide remote computer support to your customers. What do you use TurboMeeting for?

A: “Currently we are using TurboMeeting for two technicians to handle all of our remote support requests. On average we use TurboMeeting about 7-8 times a week. Previously we would use a combination of Remote Desktop, Radmin, VNC, pcAnywhere, etc. In most cases this worked fine, but in cases where the end-user was not very computer savvy - which is often the case in our line of work - and where firewall configuration was necessary, these solutions weren’t always our best choice.”

Q: Did you have any specific problems or issues to resolve?

A: “The primary problem was trying to keep track of all the different remote tools and which client was configured to use each one. Additionally we’d run into constant remote software issues that were caused by the end user. After a while we realized that the longest part of each support call was getting control of the users’ desktop to begin with – often times this process would take the better part of 15 minutes by the time we were able to establish a remote connection. A typically scenario would be a remote tech trying for 10+ minutes to connect via VNC to an end-user only to have the end user say something like “Oh, that icon by the clock? We closed that because we didn’t know what it was.” Or “Oh, we installed new firewall software but I don’t know how to configure it.” It became apparent that we needed a solution that would standardize the way we handled remote support, eliminated the possibility of an end-user caused problem and also eliminate the need for special firewall configuration.”

“We evaluated a few products that all fit our needs, but as with any small business the up-front cost is always a major factor. At the same time we didn’t want to be short sighted and purchase a product because it was less expensive and sacrifice functionality or stability. TurboMeeting seems to meet every concern we had, so we went for it and haven’t looked back since.”

Q: Could you explain how you installed and configured TurboMeeting?

A: “Installation was a cinch. It probably took about 20 minutes total from the time we removed the unit from the box until we were able to service clients. We probably could have done it in about 5 minutes, but being IT consultants we had to poke around at every menu and customize every feature we possibly could. With that being said, without much more then a glance at the documentation we had the TurboMeeting device configured on our network, customized with our logo, user accounts setup, firewall configured and servicing clients in 20 minutes flat.”

Q: Which features of TurboMeeting are most useful to you?

A: “Remote support is really the only feature that we use. As part of the remote support feature, the file transfer feature really comes in handy as well. At this point we really have no need for the seminar mode or any of the view-only meeting features, however it was certainly a selling point knowing that we had these features in the event that we want to do training or webinars in the future.”

Q: Can you give us an example of how your efficiency or productivity has been improved?

A: “Our typical customers pay us by the hour, so the less time we spend fiddling with various remote support applications, the more time we can spend generating income. Previously we would spend almost 15 minutes per support call just trying to get connected – if you multiply that by our average number of support cases per week, that’s about 2 hours a week of lost revenue - not to mention the lack of functionality with the former products. Being able to connect to our customers quickly keeps us productive, keeps our revenue in the black and keeps our customers frustration level to a minimum.”

Q: How did you find RHUB’s products compared to other Web conferencing solutions?

A: “Overall there are a few bells & whistles available in other products, but they just aren’t worth the cost. The main thing that drove us to select TurboMeeting was our return on investment – it was a one-time fee that delivered 95% of what we were looking for in an easy to use & stable package. Additionally, a huge factor was that we actually owned the product instead of paying a monthly fee for a hosted service like the competition offers.”

Q: Are you satisfied with TurboMeeting, or are there any changes or additions you'd like to see?

A: “Overall I’d say that we’re very satisfied. If I can take this opportunity to be a nit-picky customer, there are a few things that I would like to see added in future revisions – in order of importance to us:”

“Better auto-install/auto-launch of TurboMeeting – when a user does not have Java virtual machine installed, the auto-launch fails and the user has to manually download and launch TurboMeeting. 100% auto-launch would be nice.”

“TurboMeeting interface makeover – the software works great, but it doesn’t look as good as it works. I’d love to see a new interface in the future.”

“Tech support queue – if there are several techs assigned to handle remote tech support, it would be nice to have a common queue where clients can sign into and wait for the next available tech.”

Q: Do you have anything else you’d like to add?

A: “TurboMeeting has become as essential part of our business by improving the services that we offer to our customers, as well as increasing our bottom line. The amount of time that we save by using TurboMeeting allows us to service more customers in a much more efficient manner. Often times minor computer problems require a significant amount of travel time to address, but by using a remote support session we can correct the problems quickly which saves us time and saves the customer from additional downtime. Additionally, with rising fuel prices TurboMeeting helps us keep our services at a reasonable price-point which is very attractive to new customers.”