ISL Online review

Last month, we reviewed the latest version of the TeamViewer remote control tool and found ourselves impressed. This month, it’s the turn of ISL Online, which does things a little differently.

Unlike TeamViewer, it doesn’t offer its products for free to personal users in perpetuity, and you don’t need to install any software to begin with. To start a session, all you need to do is log into your ISL account and click on Start New Session. A pop-up window appears and you then tap the email button to invite whomever you need to connect to. The recipient clicks the link in the email he receives to get everything going.

It’s an admirably simple approach to establishing a connection, and once you’re in the software it’s simple to use, too. A small box gives you controls for initiating file transfer sessions, remote control, video and voice communications, plus a chat client. In remote control mode, you get a basic range of whiteboard tools for highlighting items, and sessions can be recorded for later reference. We like ISL’s approach to zooming, with its simple yet effective buttons for fit to window, 1:1 zoom, and the usual plus and minus buttons.

Performance-wise, responsiveness is good but not quite as nippy as TeamViewer, with the software consistently selecting a lower colour depth to compensate. It lags behind TeamViewer in terms of non-core features too. There’s no VPN tool, nor are there iPhone, iPad or Android remote control apps available (they’re still "in development"). However, ISL’s online meeting tool has the edge over TeamViewer’s Presentation mode, allowing you to set up online meetings and webinars, and share slide presentations or your screen.

On the whole, we prefer TeamViewer for its slightly nippier performance and the fact it’s free for personal use. But ISL has a more flexible approach to small-scale licensing that doesn’t restrict you to physical workstations. If you’re a small operation and you need a remote control solution that anyone in your organisation can use, from any PC, it’s the better choice and, indeed, only choice.

Author: Jonathan Bray