As of 2023, more than 40% of people work either fully or partially remotely, with a whopping 98% of Americans wanting to work remotely, at least part of the time. Research shows that given the opportunity, almost everyone would accept remote working.
Long story short?
Remote working is on the up.
This means businesses must find new ways to keep in touch with their teams and collaborate meaningfully, sometimes from other sides of the globe.
It also provides an opportunity for a more innovative form of customer support, where support agents access a user’s screen remotely for a hands-on approach. This is especially important with ever-growing customer expectations.
Like Glance, TeamViewer is a remote access and remote control computer software that allows teams to collaborate online no matter where they’re based.
While TeamViewer has paid plans, there’s also a free version. Unfortunately, it isn’t something organizations can use and is strictly for personal use.
We’ll talk you through what you can and can’t do with TeamViewer Free and whether there’s any other software that does a better job (spoiler alert: there is).
Let’s get into it.
TeamViewer free version: what you can do
If you use TeamViewer for free, there are certain features you can and can’t access.
Let’s take a look at where TeamViewer holds up and where it leaves something to be desired.
Provide technical support to friends and family
Granny struggling with logging into Netflix again? One of the bonuses of TeamViewer for Personal Use is that you can use it to effectively provide technical support to personal contacts, like friends or family.
If a parent is struggling to install software or troubleshoot, for example, you can simply jump right in and help them.
Connect from one private device to another
Out and about and forgot to bring your laptop for that all-important task? TeamViewer’s free version lets you connect to private devices remotely, allowing you to carry out tasks without having to have your device on your person.
Help friends and family learn technology
The ability to connect to somebody else’s device and control it as though it were your own allows you to teach technology to friends and family members. If you’re the go-to tech lover in your group, screen sharing and real-time guidance allow you to pass on support when they need it most.
Connect with people in real-time
Unlike software that lets you record and upload a tutorial video, for example, TeamViewer allows you to interact with your and your friends and family’s devices and collaborate in real-time.
TeamViewer free version limitations
If you’re looking to use TeamViewer for basic tasks on your own device and your loved ones’ device, it's pretty neat software. Unfortunately, TeamViewer’s free edition has its limits.
Let’s take a look.
❌ For personal use only
Here’s the biggest catch. The free version of TeamViewer is for personal use only. Given that most remote access software is intended for commercial use, this is a considerable downside to the free version of TeamViewer. This also means you can’t use TeamViewer to provide valuable customer support.
In fact, if TeamViewer detects commercial use of the software on your computer, your account will be blocked.
❌ Missing features
Naturally, the free version of any software misses out on features, but most of TeamViewer’s key features are absent in the free version. Remote printing, blank screen, blocking remote input, and wake-on-LAN are all missing from TeamViewer free.
This can significantly impact users’ remote access capabilities. Wake-on-LAN, for example, allows you to wake your sleeping devices when you need to access them. Without this feature, there’s little use in accessing your at-home laptop that isn’t already online.
❌ Lack of important security features
When it comes to remote access, keeping your device and data safe is crucial. Unfortunately, there’s an absence of crucial security and update features in the free version of TeamViewer, making your connection much less secure.
❌ Inability to add additional users
In the free version, you can’t add additional users. That means if you plan on using the software for a family group or your team at work, you’re out of luck.
❌ No access to mobile devices
For many of us, mobile devices are where we do the bulk of our online work and leisure tasks. The free version of TeamViewer doesn’t allow users to access mobile devices remotely, which limits users significantly in their ability to support friends and family or access their own devices.
❌ No access to TeamViewer tech support via phone
Sometimes, you have a technical query that you just can’t communicate on a message, and you need to make a good old-fashioned phone call. Unfortunately, there’s no technical support via phone for the free version of TeamViewer. Instead, you’re encouraged to use the chat feature or browse the knowledge base to find your own answers to queries.
TeamViewer Free Alternative for Businesses: Fullview
Anydesk is often touted as the competitor to TeamViewer, but there’s a much more powerful alternative for businesses seeking remote access solutions.
Enter: Fullview.
Offering a free version that you can use for more than just personal use (yes, really!), Fullview’s free plan includes up to four cobrowsing calls per month. Think of cobrowsing as remote access, but more secure and easier to stay compliant with.
Rather than giving someone access to an entire system, cobrowsing limits control to a single browser window or application. It’s great for remote customer support in the technology, finance, and insurance industries because most customer support inquiries can be solved by taking control of the user’s computer screen within the software application or platform in question, without needing access to the user’s entire system.
Unlike TeamViewer, Anydesk, and other remote access solutions, there’s no need to download anything to use Fullview — it’s all cloud-based. It’s also 100% GDPR compliant, giving you the option to store your data on either US or EU servers.
Plus, because Fullview is a cobrowsing solution rather than a remote desktop access program, the possibility of remote access scams is considerably reduced.
There’s the benefit of session replays, too, which are automatic recordings of user sessions in your app that capture the user’s mouse movements and other behaviors. It also has a feature to display console logs, which gives you an easy way to see technical information from your user’s side and troubleshoot effortlessly. Session replays and console logs are two features that most other remote access solutions lack.
In short, it’s much more secure than TeamViewer and boasts a ton more features in its free version, making it a great option for companies looking for a remote access solution specifically for customer support.
Wrapping things up
Sure, TeamViewer’s free edition is excellent for personal use. But if you’re looking for a way to collaborate with your team and keep customers happy, Fullview is a much better option for businesses looking for comprehensive remote access solutions.
Before choosing the right remote work platform for your business, consider your needs and look for a provider that fits them.
Prioritizing software that will keep both your team and your customers happy is key to long-term success.
And that means everybody wins!
Source used:
Sources last checked on date: 26/10/23
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