NetworkStreaming's remote control appliances now make it possible to monitor the performance of help desk personnel and better troubleshoot issues that persist after initial attempts to resolve them.

A new version of the company's SupportDesk software creates video files of sessions in which help desk workers take over remote computers to fix problems. These files can then be reviewed to find out how well problems were diagnosed and to search for errors that might have been made.

The video records also can be used to train help desk staff and users in new procedures, the company says.

SupportDesk appliances sit inside corporate firewalls where remote users can log into them and request that the help desk take over control of their computers to resolve problems. The appliance requires no dedicated client software on the remote machines.

The video files can help determine the QoS offered by the help desk, says David Liddle, a support administrator for Wycliff International, a support group for international Bible translators. The organization uses SupportDesk to take care of about 700 employee machines, he says.

"The video files can let you see if a technician went through the process properly," he says, noting that the videos also can be used to train new employees in proper procedures.

NetworkStreaming offers an API to SupportDesk session records so customers can link the product to third-party trouble-ticket systems. At the end of a session, the trouble-ticket system could pull key data --  such as time and length of a session, and what files were downloaded -- to log an incident report. It also can pull notes from the help desk representative to build a knowledge base about services that have been administered.

The new version also works with Lightweight Directory Access Protocol servers so administrators can add use of SupportDesk to an individual's list of access rights without having to create a separate entry in the appliance. "It will take up less time to create new accounts and make management more efficient," Liddle says.

The upgraded software enables downloading files to off-site machines during remote control sessions, while letting the help desk worker perform other functions on the remote computer. Liddle says he once downloaded Lotus Notes files to an employee's computer in the Philippines that took two hours, during which he could do nothing else with that computer. A tabbed interface allows switching back and forth among tasks.