Soluto: Help friends and family with computer problems on-the-go

Do you feel like just because you know a bit about tech your family and friends are constantly asking how to do the most BASIC things? Or maybe you wish you could help that friend on the other side of the world download Skype so you can dance around in front of each other? Well then you should give an app called Soluto a try, which aims to revolutionise the way we handle our PC trouble-shooting problems.

Soluto is a slick and easy-to-use program that allows users to help one another solve computer-based problems, from downloading a simple application to addressing more complicated hardware repair issues.

You begin by adding a group of people and one is elected as the tech whizz kid, becoming the main source of help for other users, but that doesn’t mean to say everyone can’t use their skills to aid each other.

Everyone that’s part of your group logs into the Soluto interface and users can then view problems that others are having and use the Soluto tools to remotely fix things, they can amend start-up programmes, install apps, spot when hardware needs repairing and upgrade things too. It’s particularly useful for those who live far away and need some basic assistance, but not enough to call up a helpline or take their gadgets back to where they bought them and complain!

Soluto has a super slick user-interface and you can easily sort out tasks that your elderly relatives may find daunting to be completed at certain times or just help your brother install the right anti-virus software as a one-off.

Despite having access to different computers, it’s important to note that you can’t access another users’ documents, photos or emails, so there aren’t any privacy concerns with Soluto. Not that you’d want to hack into your dad’s golf trip photo album anyway.

Soluto isn’t just about updating apps for your pals, it’s got an impressive feature that uses your solutions to help other people all around the globe. This means others will be able to see information about the way different apps operate on your device, so for instance you’ll be able to see which apps tend to crash the most. But don’t worry, no one will know your identity, they’ll just be able to see what’s playing up.

In order to be a success the Soluto team will need to keep updating the programme so it caters for techies of all levels, although there’s a decent list of apps you can download remotely to someone else’s PC at the moment, the selection isn’t exactly extensive, which could leave some frustrated a few months down the line.

Regardless, Soluto is a slick and intelligent solution for dealing with all kinds of remote IT problems that your friends, relatives or colleagues might be having.

The programme is free for up to five users and if you’re wanting to use it within a small business you can sign up for a premium account too, although we assume most will already have an IT service in place.

Soluto exists as a fancy Windows 8 Metro app, but you can also access your dashboard via the web too.

For more, visit: www.soluto.com

Becca Caddy