In a Nutshell
pros
- Intuitive interface
- Powerful automation scripts
- Stable remote access
cons
- No macOS or Linux host software
- No browser access
Goverlan Review at a Glance
What Services and Features Does Goverlan Offer
Goverlan’s advanced Remote Control module is powerful and feature-rich. Clients can be configured for both on-demand and unattended systems, enabling businesses to safely connect with customers and seamlessly manage in-house machines. Technicians can control machines, chat via audio or text, print, and send scripts or automation.
Goverlan’s infrastructure supports one-to-many and many-to-one support sessions, so multiple technicians can work to close tickets together, or a single technician can manage multiple machines at once.
For more advanced tasks, technicians can remotely access BIOS and gain behind-the-scenes access for system management, diagnostics, and monitoring. This includes rapid file transfers, task and power management and, in Professional and Enterprise versions, reporting, historical data, software deployment and patching, remote printing, drive mapping, and script execution.
Prices, Plans and Value for Money
Goverlan offers 3 pricing tiers, and rates are given per concurrent technician (number of open sessions) and per month. A 15-day free trial is also available.
The Standard plan costs $29/tech/month and includes on-demand and unattended remote access and background management, as described above.
Professional users, at $69/tech/month, enjoy Active Directory support (Windows’ proprietary directory service) for easily finding users and machines with wildcard searches, user group management, and bulk password management.
Additional systems management processes are available for Enterprise users ($129/tech/month), including reports on the state and configuration of machines, global system management tasks, and non-compliance auditing.
An additional Incident Management add-on is available for the Professional and Enterprise plans, at $55/tech/month, enabling users to fully integrate ticketing platforms (like ServiceDesk and Jira), open, resolve & close incidents in Goverlan, and generate searchable resolutions.
Ease of Use and Setup
Goverlan is relatively easy to set up, although, for the moment, the host software can only be installed on Windows devices (at the time of writing, MacOS support is in beta).
Goverlan includes 3 main components: the Reach Console, which contains all the modules and tools for managing users, computers and servers, the Reach Agent, to be installed on endpoints, and Goverlan Reach Server (option), which enables advanced features like workstation detection, policies, and auditing.
Setup will ultimately depend on how your IT environment is structured. The simplest setup only requires installing the Reach Console on a host computer or server, and the Reach Agents on desired devices. After that, you can remotely control and manage devices. Endpoint users need only download and install the client to receive support, a process which takes a few seconds.
More advanced setups, with the Goverlan Reach Server, add workstation detection, global policies, audit logging and support for external on-demand or unattended remote access sessions, like those required by customer-facing IT support.
The interface is clean and easily configurable. Tabbed remote sessions and saved connection layouts help organize your workflow. The Reach Console and remote access interface are organized in a familiar ribbon-style Windows layout, with tools and features well organized and easy to access.
Goverlan Security
While some users have lamented the lack of cloud or web access, the on-premises approach makes for rock-solid security. All communication takes place via a single TCP port, with AES 256-bit or RC4 128-bit encryption. Goverlan relies on Microsoft SSPI for secure connections between host and client.
Goverlan Performance
Because Goverlan is an on-premise solution, the only bottlenecks to speeds and performance are a business’s own machines and network connection. This makes it a significantly more stable and speedy solution than those which pass through a provider’s servers. As a result, users have found Goverlan to be highly responsive, even when a single technician connects to multiple machines.
Goverlan Customer Service
Goverlan Support includes a wide variety of useful resources, including user guides, knowledge base articles, security notices, automation tutorials, a library of instructional videos, and a blog on common IT issues.
Customer support is managed through a ticket system, although you can also open a chat dialogue from the website or call their toll-free number. Both are available during local business hours.
What People Say About Goverlan
“With Goverlan we've increased our first-call resolution by 95%. In many cases we can also perform tasks in the background with minimal or no interruption to the user.” - Kingdon Capital
“The most significant cost savings with Goverlan have been with travel avoidance and staff time. We're now able to remotely administer actions quicker and more efficiently and perform mass software updates with the simple click of a mouse or scheduled job in Goverlan.” - State of South Dakota
”The product is intuitive and just works… Though we rarely have had to contact support, when we have, we have had prompt response and resolution.” - Taltech Communications
FAQs
Can Goverlan be used to manage mobile devices?
Yes. Mobile device management works for Android, iOS, and Windows phones and tablets, and is available as an add-on with an additional charge.
Can multiple technicians use the same license?
Yes. Each license is valid for use by any number of technicians, but only for one session at a time. In other words, licenses are transferable, but not duplicable.
What integrations does Goverlan support?
Goverlan integrates with Freshdesk, ConnectWise Manage, Service Now, Freshservice, Jira and Jira Service Desk, ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus, and Zendesk.
Bottom Line
Goverlan has created a remote access and IT environment management solution that strikes an impressive balance between ease of use and power. The interface is clean and intuitive, giving easy access to the huge number of available features. Task automation and deployment of scripts, updates, and patches is remarkably streamlined and easy to employ.
Support for Linux and MacOS would, of course, be welcome.
Over all, Goverlan is a robust, flexible, highly configurable solution for on-demand and unattended remote access of any number of machines and devices.