What is Microsoft Dynamics 365 Remote Assist?
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Remote Assist is a set of tools which allows remote engineers to receive help from your team whilst out in the field using augmented visualisations and mark-up to resolve issues.
This image shows a remote technician conducting a video call with a colleague who is then annotating the equipment they’re working on in their field of vision to help them solve a problem.
Using HoloLens, Microsoft’s own headset hardware, on-site technicians have access to a head up display with tools such as video calling, annotations and file sharing.
All this means that you can use the skills within your team as efficiently as possible, having a single remote expert helping multiple field engineers, saving time and reducing costs.
To make use of Remote Assist requires the following:
- A Microsoft HoloLens
- Office 365 Business Premium or Essentials subscription
- To make a video call, you’ll need a contact using the latest version of Microsoft Teams on a PC running Windows 10
- An internet connection
Remote Assist itself is a per user per month subscription which will also be required.
Microsoft have placed Remote Assist within their ‘Mixed Reality’ product set, which also includes Layout. Layout is a technology which allows users to import 3D designs into rooms to experience them in virtual reality, for example furniture designs can be viewed in their intended room and checked before being built.
Remote Assist has finally given a real-world use case to Microsoft’s HoloLens technology which, until now, has really just been an expensive toy with limited real-world usage.
The cost of the HoloLens hardware is still prohibitively high to be justifiable for most businesses, but we expect the price to fall quickly as demand for the technology increases and Microsoft can use it as a lever to acquire more licensed customers to Microsoft Dynamics 365.
How does Remote Assist integrate to Microsoft Dynamics 365?
Remote Assist has been built entirely within the Microsoft ecosystem, using Active Directory for authentication, Microsoft Teams for communication and OneDrive for file storage.
In addition to this, Remote Assist is integrated to Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Field Service meaning that engineers have access to case details, customer asset information and previous issues all in one place. Users can even use the knowledge base to call up details for equipment they are working on using simple gestures.
To find out more about Microsoft Dynamics 365 Remote Assist, please contact us
