Apple Remote Desktop vs. SolarWinds Dameware Remote Everywhere (DRE)

ARD for me is based on a LAN, but can be used over WAN via VPN, but the latency makes ARD a less ideal tool. There are other cross platform tools that can do what ARD does which to me add value when managing a mixed environment

Incentivized

There was one project wherein we wanted the fast result, and the deadline was quick for one day. We used SolarWinds Dameware Remote Everywhere (DRE) as a virtual network remotely. We took RDP of that and took connection. The result what we got was too quick like within some hours. We showed the same to our clients and received their appreciation once it went LIVE. Thank you so much team for this. Apart from this I never found this less appropriate

Incentivized

• Automator Actions: This is a very cool feature and cost saving as it reduces human effort by automating the workflow of tasks.
• Curtain Mode: This lets you block your local user's view of the desktop while performing administrative tasks.
• Spotlight Search: It can perform lightning fast searches on machines using the spotlight search feature of OS X and thus saves a lot of time.

Incentivized

• Remote control is solid, rarely loses connection
• Allows for control of the desktop prior to login
• Allows for scripts to be executed in the background without disturbing users
• Allows for batch rollout of scripts across multiple machines
• Allows us to see the end users' desktop - as opposed to RDP

Incentivized

• It's onsite only without setting up a VPN or some other form of remote network access.
• It can be a little slow sometimes when compared to local access.
• It seems to be a neglected product by Apple and not continually developed.

Incentivized

• Connectivity to a helpdesk/knowledgebase would be nice feature so users can do self-help
• Offering a branded version of the client/agent would be a nice touch for businesses
• A web-only version of the technician console for remote support would be a nice feature

It is a fairly unique tool in the level of integration it has with Apple Desktop products. It definitely needs some engineering attention, and it should be expanded to the iOS arena. It is not perfect, but it is very useful and fills an otherwise fairly empty niche in the support toolkit realm. The built-in screen sharing app in macOS handles the direct screen control or viewing function fairly well, but it does not have all of the other mass control features that Apple Remote Desktop supplies.

Incentivized

Once it is set up, it is quite straightforward to use. However, currently, it requires both a script to run to set up permissions and controls, AND a command from the MDM to authorize it to be active. The MDM management command is manual. This is not conducive to an automated workflow, and sometimes gets forgotten. Then, the endpoint is not contactable until someone realizes that the MDM command was not sent or was not successful.

Incentivized

It's a good tool overall, but could be better.

Incentivized

I've never had to get support for ARD, so I can't give a real opinion.

Incentivized

SolarWinds Dameware Remote Everywhere is an easy to use software package. The manuals are easy to understand, and the installation is simple and straightforward. The Maintenance and support costs are relatively reasonable, and we maintain support and maintenance strictly for the upgrades rather than support. Over the years, SolarWinds has released numerous feature enhancements to the software package, making SolarWinds Dameware Remote Everywhere indispensable on our network.

Incentivized

None, very easy to setup and install.

Incentivized

I would feel much more comfortable having one of these alternative solutions as our Remote Desktop management tools. Each has their drawbacks and expenses associated with them, but we simply have too large of a deployment to not be considering alternatives. If it is the only solution you can afford, it is OK to start here. I could see where this would have a return on investment, but it is really only suitable for a very small and localized scale. If employees are at all mobile, the duct taping of products necessary (VPN, distribution points, script repositories) would be very cumbersome.

Incentivized

Its integration with Samanage and cost were the key deciding factors over TeamViewer (which can be VERY expensive despite how easy and nice it is to use) and it's just far more functional and less limited than VNC or RDP or Chrome Remote Desktop options or even the screen share with Microsoft Teams (which only works when using the installed Teams app). It's important to note the deployment methods are nice and powerful too and support has been great so far.

Incentivized

• Apple Remote Desktop has a positive return on investment because for the expense to the school, the value it brings to teachers is important. The return on improved student performance is very difficult to measure financially, but there is a definite return.
• The overall objective of education is to increase student learning, ARD does that phenomenally. Parents see the tool used and are impressed at what the capabilities of the tool can do and how it impacts how active their students are as well as how well they can learn.
• One negative impact is that teachers rely too much on this tool rather than on actually teaching sometimes.

Incentivized

• seamless installation of MSI or EXE
• No Codes to enter when installing agent
• Agent automatically connects to cloud dashboard
• our deployment tool has messed up a couple of times, so agents get uninstalled or not installed when this occurs, and we can't see a computer in the dashboard

Incentivized