ISL Online Review

ISL Online at a Glance

What Services and Features Does ISL Online Offer 

ISL Online is a comprehensive support tool that is designed for helpdesks that need to remotely support a wide variety of endpoints. It features: 

Easy Credential-Based Connections

In order to initiate a remote support session, those that require support need to have the support client installed while those providing it need the support / agent desktop app. After both parties ensure that they have the right software installed, the client reads off a connection code which allows the support staff to remotely access their desktop. 

Unattended Access

Sometimes, support teams need to access computers remotely without their clients’ involvement. In other instances, support teams might need to access and troubleshoot computers that they own. Both of these scenarios can be well-addressed by using the unattended access features, which allow support team members to access remotes without any human intervention.

Cross Platform

In order to support as many users as possible, the ISL Online team has made both the support and client tools available for Windows, Linux, and Mac. I tested out the tool using an Ubuntu Linux (host) to Windows 10 (client) setup and the connection worked flawlessly. Additionally, Windows RDP connections can be tunneled through ISL Online in order to provide Windows users with a more secure connection configuration. SSH is also supported.

Annotations

Using ISL, support teams can draw annotations on their screen which will appear in real time on the client’s computer. 

Support agent’s can choose from a pencil, marker, arrow or eraser—and change the color. These will appear for a number of seconds on the user’s screen.

Session Recording

ISL Online supports session recording. Recordings can be initiated manually or configured to run automatically. The latter is useful for compliance purposes. 

Live Chat

Two-way real time live chat is supported between agents and clients. This runs through a small chat window that undocks automatically after a connection is initiated. In addition, users can initiate VoIP phone calls and video conferences for more interactive support experiences. Finally, users are able to share files through the file sharing functionality. 

Live Guest Metrics

The remote access system also provides real time system monitoring from the support user’s client to the agent’s monitoring panel. The system information tab reports, in real time, upon:

• The user’s RAM and CPU consumption
• The user’s local storage capacity and availability
• The user’s upload and download speed
• Whether the user is connected by battery or to AC power
• The user’s monitor configuration
• The user’s operating system, uptime, processor, and total RAM available

Prices, Plans and Value for Money 

ISL Online is available for use on a few different pricing models.

Users can opt to pay $145 per 500 minutes’ connection time per year on the pay per use plan. Alternatively, the cloud hosted plan costs $469 per license per year—however this only allows one simultaneous support connection, so multiple seats are likely needed for support teams. Users can realize considerable cost savings by hosting the application on premises. Again, one simultaneous connection is provided for each license—but the fee is for a lifetime license. There’s also a 15-day free trial. 

Ease of Use and Setup

Setting up ISL Online for both support agents and end users is as simple as downloading and stalling the appropriate client (Llinux, Mac, and Windows are supported). After providing a login code the remote support connection is initiated. 

For agents, there’s a navigation bar along the top of the screen which allows them to toggle the input between their own computer and that of the client. Both mouse and keyboard can be easily toggled in this manner. Additionally the quality of the remote display can be changed. This is suitable for users who want to favor a fast connection over a high quality one—or vice-versa.

ISL Online Security

Secure Connectivity

In order to make sure that remote connections are being initiated securely, ISL Online supports a variety of security options. These include:

• Multifactor authentication (MFA). 
• Integration with external authentication services for federated logins
• Exportable audit logs

Additionally, connections are secured using the RSA 2048/4096-bit public/private key exchange for end to end encryption.

ISL Online Performance

Connection speeds through the ISL Online network are fast. I didn’t notice any significant latency while connected on my test support session.

ISL Online Customer Service

ISL Online has put together a rich and comprehensive online Help Center filled with self help resources. This includes technical documentation related to integrating ISL Online with other platforms as well as an FAQ page for common questions and diagnosing frequent issues. Full API documentation is also provided.

What People Say About ISL Online

“This is a great product that just works, no messing, we give the customer the session code, connects very quickly and we can support our client's needs quickly and easily.”

David from 3Tek (Via SoftwareAdvice.com)

“It's a product that simply works, the connection never fails and it is able to connect to practically anything.”

Nega F (Via G2)

“Easy to use for us and our clients. It is also free for our clients, which makes it a simple thing for them to start using. It's very responsive and filesharing works great,”

Kim A, small business owner (Via G2)

FAQs

What clients are supported for agents?

Users can connect via Linux, Mac, and Windows

Is the consumer client free?

Yes, users can download the consumer client at no cost

How many connections are provided per license?

There is one simultaneous connection for each license

Bottom Line

ISL Online provides a robust remote access environment that is widely used by support teams around the world. It’s truly cross platform and contains an impressive array of features, including annotation and automatic session recording.