IDC Predictions on Mobile Workers Make Remote Support a Priority

Summary: IT expense and loss of end-user productivity are major concerns as the workforce becomes more mobile

An IDC analysis published in October, 2005, determined that the mobile workforce will increase from 650 million worldwide in 2004 to more than 850 million over the next five years. By 2009, mobile workers will represent more than one quarter of the global workforce. The largest percentage of mobile workers will be in Japan/Asia, with the U.S. close behind. The study includes tables for mobile professionals, workers who are occasionally mobile, those who work in the field, telecommuters, and those who work on location. With downtime already costing companies millions of dollars annually, the ability to provide fast, effective and efficient remote support will be pivotal for a company's viability.

Two of the most pressing issues, IT expense and loss of end-user productivity, already high on the agenda of most CEOs and CFOs, will become even bigger problems.

The increased volume of mobile workers will increase the number of end-users with low levels of computer literacy, and high-volume hiring of new remote support reps can make the acquisition of highly trained and experienced support reps difficult. Therefore, it will be vital that a company's PC remote control solutions are simple and easy to use on both ends. Fast connectivity will also be an issue, since time spent trying to connect not only ties up the IT resources that could be used to move onto the next ticket, it also brings the end-user's productivity to a halt.

A survey recently conducted on behalf of NetworkStreaming, a Mississippi start-up specializing in PC remote control and remote support products, revealed that users of NetworkStreaming's remote support appliance feel that this product is meeting the demand. Users reported that support session time has decreased by as much as 50% - allowing support reps to service double the number of clients than they had previously. Escalated incidents were also reduced, giving higher-trained ITs more time to devote to other issues. Depending on company size, ROI for the appliance is being achieved in as little as six months.

For information on NetworkStreaming's remote desktop support appliance, go to http://www.bomgar.com.

Bomgar is the worldwide leader in secure, appliance-based remote support. The company’s award winning solutions enable organizations to improve IT support efficiency by securely accessing and managing virtually any system – Mac, Linux, BlackBerry and Windows Mobile smartphones plus all versions of Windows. Over 5,000 leading companies around the world have deployed Bomgar’s enterprise-class solutions to transform their IT support functions and significantly improve operational efficiency and customer satisfaction while dramatically reducing costs. Bomgar is a privately-held company headquartered in Ridgeland, Mississippi with offices in Atlanta, San Francisco, Washington DC, Paris and London. In 2009, Bomgar was named one of the 500 fastest-growing companies in the US by Inc. Magazine.

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