What is screen sharing?
Screen sharing is a process of broadcasting your computer's screen with another device that lets other people on the front of the remote device see what you see. This technology essentially enables individuals or teams to collaborate in real-time; for example, they can display documents, demos, or presentations directly to the recipient viewers.
Screen sharing is commonly used for identifying technical issues. It is mostly used by the IT support team, where the support personnel can quickly share their screen with the remote user and direct the person at the other end to identify the issue on their device promptly and give a solution to the technical issue. This improves resolution time and reduces travel costs.
How does it work
The concept of screen sharing follows a particular software and protocol that captures the content displayed on the user's screen and transmits it via the internet to the remote device. Whenever a user initiates a screen-sharing session, the software captures the screen in real time and encodes it for better transmission. This encoded data is sent to the other device, which will be decoded and displayed as a live stream on the viewer's screen.
Screen sharing is used in applications that cater to video conferencing software, remote desktop applications, and even specialized customer support software. Many applications, like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Zoho Assist, give users the flexibility to share part of the screen or the entire screen, a specific window, or the browser tab. Screen sharing software options also often offer audio options.
The whole process may seem complicated, but it is built to be simple and efficient from the user's perspective. Screen sharing is a go-to tool for remote teams, IT support, and customer support departments, and Zoho Assist is designed to be user-friendly for a wide range of business and individual users, including those with less technical experience.
Screen sharing requirements
Screen sharing is commonly used by business, education, and technical support teams. Screen sharing greatly improves communication and helps users identify and troubleshoot issues from anywhere. With Zoho Assist's screen sharing feature, users can initiate a screen sharing session for viewing remote devices and troubleshooting.
The requirements of screen share depend on the device that you are using, but here are some basic things that you will require for screen share:
- Internet connection
- Device with processing power and RAM that can handle live video processing
- Screen-sharing application such as Zoom, Google Meet, Zoho Assist, or Zoho Meeting
- Working webcam and microphone
Who can benefit from screen sharing?
Screen sharing is widely used across various industries and use cases:
- Businesses: Screen sharing increases productivity and boosts collaboration across teams, allowing colleagues to share information, review projects, and conduct demos.
- Educators: Having screen sharing in the software used by educators can add more value to their classes and help encourage more creative and interactive sessions.
- IT support teams: Screen sharing is a useful tool for IT support teams or sys admins who need to see what the user is experiencing so they can identify the issue and troubleshoot.
- Remote workers: For remote workers, screen sharing offers an easy way to visualize project plans, review designs, track updates, and collaborate on documents.
- Customer service: The customer service department can use screen sharing to offer guided assistance to help navigate complicated actions on their device to resolve technical glitches.
Don’t forget about privacy and security
Screen sharing has become an important tool for improving customer experience. Whether you have to collaborate with your remote team, give demos, or troubleshoot a problem, screen sharing allows you to connect with the customers and interact more effectively. Like any tool or application, using it efficiently requires some checklist of dos and don'ts.
Check out our lists of dos and don'ts to ensure your screen-sharing sessions are efficient, productive, and complete customer satisfaction.
Dos of screen sharing
- Prepare your screen beforehand
- Communicate clearly
- Test your technology
- Practice active listening
- Focus on the customer’s experience
- Measure success
Don'ts of screen sharing
- Forget about privacy and security
- Overload the customer with information
- Make your customer download software
- Multitask during the session
- Neglect to follow up
- Ignore customer feedback
Whether you're looking for virtual classrooms, team collaboration, or tools for your IT support team, Zoho Assist's screen sharing empowers users to connect and communicate. From improving the remote support experience to boosting productivity in meetings, Zoho Assist bridges the gap to make remote engagement more effective.
