PCvisit falls into the category of remote control and screen sharing software that focuses on providing a lightweight solution. This type of software allows someone to sit at one computer and to be able to view the screen and take control of another computer in a remote location.
One typical use for a screen sharing and remote control capability is where a computer support person needs to diagnose a problem on a customer's machine, but it is impractical to physically visit the person who has the problem. In this case, the support engineer can use remote control software to gain control of the problem computer and begin the diagnostic process, without having to leave the office.
This type of software can be used in a number of different ways, as well as in the helpdesk/support arena. A few useful application areas are:
- Live online sales demonstrations
- Collaborative online working
- Delivery of live online training
- Hosting of online presentations
The competition is fierce in this software sector and PCvisit has a real battle on its hands if it wants to take market share from its competitors.
There are already some notable players in this arena and some of PCvisits direct competitors include:
PCvisit is made by PCvisit Software Corp., a German company, and its website is written in a confusing mixture of English and German. They would be well advised to create two distinct sites; one English and one German, as quickly as possible.
The PCvisit software operates in a straightforward manner. A host (the person initiating a session) has the host PCvisit module installed on their PC. When this module starts, it connects over the internet to a machine in PCvisit's data centre. An eight-digit session identifier is sent back and displayed in the host PCvisit module.
The person hosting the PCvisit session (let's suppose that they are a support engineer) makes sure that the person with the computer problem (let's call them the customer) has downloaded the guest module (gast.exe) from the PCvisit website. The engineer then gives the customer the eight-digit code.
It is important to note here that this guest module is not installed on the customers machine, but is run as a self-contained piece of software on the machine. If you look in the Windows Control Panel under Add or Remove Programs, you will not see an entry for PCvisit. It also is provided free of charge and runs independently of your web browser.
Finally, the customer starts the guest module and enters the eight-digit code, and joins the session. Once they are both logged on, the engineer can see the screen of the customer's PC and can take control of it, and vice versa. It is very easy to switch between screen views (who is watching who) and to hand over remote control to any of the participants.
A person can only take control of your PC if you explicitly allow it, and you can revoke remote control at any time. This means that there is little chance of someone gaining unauthorised access to your PC for malicious purposes.
As many people rightly fear giving remote control to people they don't know well, PCvisit has thought of integrating a very useful remote pointer which allows the presenter/host to give permission to a selected attendee to point with a live arrow shaped cursor at any time on his PC screen.
All communications are protected by 128-bit encryption which is a standard feature of this type of product. PCvisit claims the ability to communicate through most firewalls (firewall traversal), which means that no reconfiguration of your existing security measures would be required.
What you need in order to use PCvisit is a PC running Windows 98 or later and an internet connection. Yes, no browser is required.
There are also a number of licensing options and product versions. For screen-sharing only or for remote control as well. Basic licenses comprise a one-time purchase for 10 concurrent users costing EU 895. The Pro license, which integrates remote control capabilities costs EU 1998. A bit on the expensive side, given the competition already existing in the space.
As remarked earlier, this software sector is indeed awash with comparable products. If I stack PCvisit up against products that have similar features, PCvisit fares well in terms of usability, performance and core features but leaves a bitter taste in the mouth when it comes to costs.
Yes, the product works well, is rather easy to use, is unobtrusive, secure and has an effective UI. But, so do many of its competitors.
Without taking away from the elegant engineering and design work done, I am not recommending this tool, simply because of its excessive price. Like Netviewer, it is nice, but unless tight security is a critical issue, it does not stand up to its cost-effective alternatives.
For now: Not recommended
More info: http://tinyurl.com/6dyxl
Pricing:
Screen sharing and control (prepaid) 900 minutes USD 330 + VAT
Screen sharing and control (prepaid) 3600 minutes USD 1050 + VAT
Unlimited screen sharing only - from USD 1180 + VAT
Unlimited screen sharing and control - from USD 2630 + VAT
Free trial: http://www.pcvisit.com/download.php
System requirements: http://tinyurl.com/5uvbs
