MWC: Android Gets Remote Helpdesk App

LogMeIn has added support for Android devices to its remote helpdesk service LogMeIn Rescue, the company announced at Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Spain on Monday.

The company also said it will demonstrate Ignition, a remote access application, at MWC.

Device support

LogMeIn Rescue already supports iPhone, iPad, BlackBerry, Symbian and Windows Mobile. The service can be offered by mobile operators or enterprise IT helpdesks to remotely diagnose and troubleshoot devices.

LogMeIn said it has signed up a major North American mobile operator and two Android device manufacturers to provide the on-demand support features, with the first Android-powered, Rescue-enabled smartphones and tablets due to ship in the first half of this year.

Existing versions of Rescue are in use by Orange, Telstra, Telus, Telenor and other mobile operators, the company said.

LogMeIn is launching two versions of the Android software, one for mobile operators and device manufacturers and the other for internal use by enterprises. The mobile operator version introduces the ability for a support technician to remotely control the device over the air from a computer as if it were in the technician’s hands – a feature not supported by the enterprise version.

Both versions include a diagnostic dashboard and the ability to transfer files between the technician and the end user’s device and to chat with the user.

Diversity

IDC analyst Stephen Drake said such software could help deal with some of support challenges posed by the increasing diversity of mobile devices.

“Tools that provide the ability to remotely diagnose and troubleshoot problems across multiple mobile OSes and device types are rapidly become an essential part of the modern helpdesk,” he said in a statement.

Also at MWC LogMeIn said it will demonstrate a preview version of LogMeIn Ignition running on the Motorola Xoom Android tablet. Ignition is optimised for Android 3.0 Honeycomb and allows tablet users to remotely access and control PC or Mac systems with the LogMeIn host software installed.

Key themes at this year’s MWC include new developments in the Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology as well as the launch of larger tablet devices, according to industry observers.