GoTo enables companies of all sizes, with a particular focus on MSMEs, to operate seamlessly from anywhere.
A typical employee uses multiple devices -- smartphones, laptops, tablets, and even home devices -- making IT management increasingly complex at a business scale. To operate securely and efficiently, companies need robust solutions.
GoTo, a US-based software development company, provides these solutions, empowering businesses to communicate, collaborate, and manage their IT infrastructure seamlessly. It enables companies of all sizes, with a particular focus on MSMEs, to operate from anywhere.
AI is at the forefront of everyone's mind today, and for good reason -- its time has truly arrived.
In an exclusive conversation with AIM, Madhusudan Krishnapuram, VP & managing director, GoTo India, said, "I'd like to share two key observations about AI and GoTo. First, while AI has recently become a mainstream tool and a part of everyday conversation, it has been integral to technology for quite some time. At GoTo, we've embraced AI in chatbots, voice recognition, transcription, and virtual backgrounds, before AI became widely popular."
He mentioned that, however, the remarkable advances in AI over the last two to three years have significantly enhanced their ability to solve critical business challenges in a highly effective and compelling way.
When it comes to IT support, AI plays a crucial role in both proactive and reactive support models.
Proactive support helps prevent issues before they occur. For instance, if a computer has outdated software that needs patching to prevent security vulnerabilities, or if a system is running low on disk space, AI can detect and address these issues in advance, much like a routine health checkup with a doctor.
Reactive support comes into play when an issue has already occurred, and immediate troubleshooting is required. This is similar to visiting a doctor when unwell.
"Many IT tasks are repetitive, and technicians have varying levels of expertise. AI helps standardise and enhance its capabilities by recognising patterns, suggesting solutions, and providing proactive recommendations.
"Even if a technician hasn't encountered a particular issue before, AI can offer hints based on past resolutions, enabling them to solve problems quickly and deliver effective service to end users," said Krishnapuram.
Alpha CC, a family-owned IT service provider in Ireland, supports 1,500 business users daily. With outsourced IT support making up 90% of its business, the company sought a more proactive approach to device management and issue resolution to improve efficiency and reduce helpdesk workload.
After benchmarking alternatives, Alpha CC transitioned to GoTo Resolve, an all-in-one IT management tool with remote access, disk management, anti-virus protection, and helpdesk functions. GoTo provided hands-on support to ensure a seamless migration.
The transition significantly improved Alpha CC's IT operations. Disk and anti-virus management times were reduced by 50%, while remote access became seamless with one-click activation.
The helpdesk experienced a lighter workload as many issues were resolved proactively. Security measures were strengthened, and automated reports provided clear, accessible insights.
Coming to cost reduction, in general, the key principle behind GoTo's approach is straightforward. First, reducing the cost of onboarding by 50% has a direct impact. For example, if it typically takes five days to onboard 90% of IT professionals to a customer, cutting that time in half saves 2.5 days. This translates to either cost savings or doubling the value/output.
"Second, the efficiency gains extend beyond onboarding. By optimising workflows, we enable IT professionals to handle more tickets and resolve more issues effectively. This increases the net bandwidth of IT teams," said Krishnapuram.
Cost savings can also be measured in terms of ticket-handling capacity per technician or the number of people required to manage a set number of clients. These two metrics provide a clear picture of operational efficiency.
Like any company, GoTo faced challenges while developing its AI-powered tool and learned lessons along the way.
Krishnapuram explained, "One key area was governance and compliance. AI solutions must adhere to various regulatory standards, which differ across regions. While building the best technical solution was straightforward for engineers, integrating legal and policy frameworks required additional effort. Establishing a governance model ensured the right technologies were used while meeting compliance requirements."
Another challenge for them was creating human-friendly AI. While AI can automate tasks, it must involve human oversight. For example, AI can assist with shopping, but if it autonomously withdraws ₹10,000 from an account, users would want to review the action.
Striking a balance between automation, AI-powered suggestions, and human decision-making was essential, and GoTo institutionalised this approach within its tool.
Security, privacy, and transparency were also critical. Users don't trust AI systems that operate as black boxes. Instead of simply saying, "Trust us," GoTo ensured transparency by clearly demonstrating how data is used, what happens behind the scenes, and why specific decisions are made.
These challenges are not unique to GoTo Resolve, they apply to any AI-driven solution. The growing popularity of reasoning models highlights the importance of transparency. AI tools must not only provide answers but also explain the reasoning behind them, fostering trust and ensuring successful adoption.
