The True Cost of Free Remote Support Software

Free and basic remote support tools are everywhere, but they have very limited use cases that often don’t meet the needs of today’s highly networked and technology dependent companies. If you are trying to remote into your desktop for personal use, or running basic support for a very small company, a free support tool may be able to get the job done. But when these tools are being used for more complex support cases, or to support larger organizations, support may go awry. While basic remote access tools may work for minor issues, trying to stretch the capabilities of these tools comes at a cost.

These costs come in all shapes and sizes. Some come in smaller amounts that are difficult to notice, such as loss of time or productivity. These are like your daily latte, which individually may not seem like a big expense, but when you look at it from a monthly view is a bigger chunk of change than you thought. And others are a big, red, alarming price tag such as dealing with the fallout of a security breach. It’s like if your furnace broke — it’s expensive, unexpected, and usually a huge pain with which to deal.

Want to get a better idea of what free tools may actually be costing your business? We’ve analyzed the details and costs associated with free and basic tools while thinking about how they impact security, flexibility, reliability, and your organization’s reputation.