1. Clarify what you actually need
Most SMEs don’t need an MSP-grade tool stack. Three questions:
- How many devices to manage remotely? WinDesk Pro: 100 hosts included for CHF 29.90/month. Easily enough for an SME with 50 employees.
- Who runs the support? Office manager part-time, external IT provider, in-house IT?
- Which platforms? Today almost always mixed: Windows workstations, a few Macs for marketing, Linux servers.
2. Test with the Free plan
For ad-hoc help (printer issue, Office crash) the Free plan is enough: 2 hours per month, 5 min per session. No account required.
Only when you notice you regularly need more time or want unattended access do Light (CHF 19.90) or Pro (CHF 29.90) become worthwhile.
3. A clear process for staff requests
“Employee calls, says: my computer’s not working.” — what happens?
Bad process: phone back-and-forth, follow-up every 15 min, sometimes an on-site visit.
Good process:
- Employee writes to
it@company.chwith subject + screenshot - Office IT replies: “Please start WinDesk Host + read out ID/PIN”
- Connected in 2 minutes, problem solved, session log archived
- For recurring issues: knowledge-base entry
4. Don’t ignore compliance
An SME also has to act GDPR-compliant during remote sessions — especially if you access employee devices that process personal data (HR, customer data). Practically that means:
- Standard DPA with the tool vendor (available in the WinDesk portal)
- Prefer a data location in Switzerland or the EU
- Enable audit trail (shows who accessed what when)
- Inform staff that IT can connect remotely (usually in the employment contract)
5. Use hardware-bound tokens
If you set up unattended access on staff devices: hardware-bound device tokens are non-negotiable. If a staff laptop is stolen, the thief shouldn’t suddenly have access to your IT infrastructure. WinDesk: TPM 2.0 / Secure Enclave.
6. Don’t forget the external accountant
The trustee or external accountant needs access to the bookkeeping PC? Instead of a VPN: WinDesk Pro + read-only role for exactly that one host. The external party only has access when you want, can’t abuse it for other devices, all sessions logged.
7. Plan for day X
What happens when your IT lead is on holiday or leaves the company? Without a plan: nobody knows how remote support runs.
With a plan:
- Second admin account (CHF 4.90/month extra) for the substitute
- 2FA recovery codes physically in a safe
- Emergency support contact (
support@windesk.ch) documented - Regular test: can the substitute really connect?
A concrete bill
SME with 30 employees, 3 Linux servers, 2 Mac users in marketing, the office manager doing support on the side (with Pro plan):
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| WinDesk Pro (1 admin + 100 hosts) | CHF 29.90/month |
| Substitute add-on (1 extra user) | CHF 4.90/month |
| Total | CHF 34.80/month |
Compared to “1× per quarter external IT provider on-site” (typically CHF 800-1’500): WinDesk pays for itself in the first month.