NetworkStreaming released its remote support software SupportDesk 9 on Monday, aiming to entice tech support professionals into providing web-based assistance to users by accessing their computers.

The software, first previewed at the DEMO conference in February, tries to improve on previous remote control and remote access applications by not requiring IT administrators and computer companies to pre-install any client software on users’ or customers’ computers.

Instead, users initiate the support session themselves and download the software via the web. It works through firewalls.

After the remote support session is over, the application removes itself from the computer so users don’t have to worry about somebody logging onto their computer when they aren’t aware.

“With our technology, a company can come in and tell a customer or employee, ‘Click on this link,” and within 10 seconds, the support representative can view or remote-control the end user’s computer and be able to assist them,” said NetworkStreaming CEO Joel Bomgaars.

“With our technology, a company can come in and tell a customer or employee, ‘Click on this link,” and within 10 seconds, the support representative can view or remote-control the end user’s computer and be able to assist them,” said NetworkStreaming CEO Joel Bomgaars.

The ability to combine remote control with remote tech support speeds up support sessions for hardware and software vendors as well as companies with help desks for their employees, so they save money on their customer service costs.

The Ridgeland, Mississippi-based company currently has 2,000 corporate customers using earlier versions of its software, including Fortune 500 and Fortune 100 companies in the healthcare, financial, systems integration, and IT outsourcing fields.

But the company is facing some entrenched competition in the remote control and support space, including Citrix Systems’ GoToAssist, Symantec’s pcAnywhere, and Netopia’s Timbuktu Pro.

College Roots

Mr. Bomgaars developed the software while working his way through college as an IT systems engineer who often needed to travel to do onsite support. It took him about six months to develop the product, which helped him avoid hours driving on the road to customer sites.

He put up a web site in 2003 and started advertising the software on Google AdWords to drive up traffic.

Google

“I was putting my Google AdWords on my personal credit card,” he said. “It wasn’t really expensive. There was an overwhelming response. A ton of traffic was driven to the web site and people started to buy. It ramped up really quickly.”

He and a BelhavenCollege buddy, Nathan McNeill, who is now vice president of product development, found they could experiment with different keywords and drive up traffic even more, putting their company’s products at the top of many Google searches for remote support.

Angel Funding

After operating for a year with positive cash flow, the company grew to 20 employees, but Mr. Bomgaars wanted to expand further. So far, the company has received $1 million in funding from Southern Farm Bureau Life Insurance in Mississippi and an angel investor, John Palmer, who founded the early wireless companies SkyTel Communications and Mobilecomm.

The company has turned down VC financing though it has talked with several VC firms and received their advice.

NetworkStreaming went back last year for an additional $6 million from the same investors, who approved the funding in three days. The company used the funds to build a direct salesforce and increase its online advertising and marketing.

Most of the online advertising has continued to be with Google AdWords. Google was seeing so much business from NetworkStreaming that it assigned a dedicated rep to the company.

The company is constantly monitoring its rankings with Google and doing bid maximization for AdWords.

“It’s a level playing field because it’s like the entrepreneur’s forum,” said Mr. McNeill. “You pick your targets and bid $2.50 for each keyword, and you can be up there with the biggest for those particular keywords. That was a means of competing with very large competition right from the start without having to compete with them dollar for dollar on marketing spend.”

The company has advertised on several other search engines—including Yahoo, MSN, and AOL—but has seen the best returns from Google.

Yahoo