Blog
Notes from the Connect team
Launch posts, design decisions, engineering write-ups. New posts land here, not on the main desktrust.com/blog, so you can subscribe to just Connect if that\'s what you\'re here for.
Introducing DeskTrust Connect: the free replacement for Zoom, TeamViewer, and Slack
Chat, voice + video, screen sharing, and consent-first manager screen viewing — included free with every paid DeskTrust plan. Cancel your other tools.
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Why we made DeskTrust Connect free — and what it means for your bill
The math on Zoom + TeamViewer + Slack for a small team is $50-70 per user per month. Connect replaces most of it. So we're not charging extra.
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Why manager screen viewing should always require consent — and how we built it that way
Silent screen viewing is easy to build and legally treacherous. Consent-first is harder to build and easier to defend. Here's the trade-off and how we came down.
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Stop paying separately for Slack + Zoom + TeamViewer
The typical collaboration stack is three vendors and a lot of copy-pasted meeting links. Connect turns it into zero.
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How we built DeskTrust Connect: mediasoup, coturn, and a single VPS
Notes from shipping a WebRTC add-on on top of an existing SaaS. What we chose, what we punted on, what surprised us.
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DeskTrust Connect vs. Zoom: what you gain, what you give up
Zoom is the reference video-call product. Connect isn't trying to unseat it — but for most SMB workflows, it does the job for zero incremental cost.
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DeskTrust Connect vs. TeamViewer: the consent-first alternative
TeamViewer is the gold standard for remote desktop access. Connect's manager view covers 90% of the same use cases with much stronger consent — and no extra bill.
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DeskTrust Connect vs. Slack: honest look at what's missing (and what isn't)
Slack has 15 years of polish and a marketplace of integrations. Connect has your existing employee directory. Both are true.
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DeskTrust Connect vs. Microsoft Teams: the "we don't need Office" comparison
Teams is bundled with Microsoft 365 whether you use it or not. If you're not living in Office already, Connect is the leaner choice.
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How support teams use DeskTrust Connect
Coach new hires live, help stuck reps in 5 minutes instead of 30, record sessions for QA. All without shuffling between Zoom, Slack, and TeamViewer.
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DeskTrust Connect for remote engineering teams
Pair on a bug via screen share, ping the team room, hop in a group call for standups. Consent-first collaboration for engineers who don't want to be monitored.
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DeskTrust Connect for BPOs and contact centers
Recording-by-default, audit-ready screen viewing, and chat between agents and supervisors — all in one place. QA workflow that fits regulator expectations.
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DeskTrust Connect for agencies with distributed contractors
Client work, remote designers, freelance devs — connected through the same tool that already tracks their hours. One log-in for everyone.
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DeskTrust Connect for staffing and service companies
Verify contractor hours, coach on live screens with consent, share recorded evidence with clients. Everything the client needs, in one product.
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DeskTrust Connect for compliance-sensitive organizations
Immutable audit logs, jurisdiction-aware consent, mandatory recording for manager sessions. When "we followed the rules" needs to be provable.
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How Connect handles group calls: WebRTC, SFU, and active-speaker detection
A honest look at the mediasoup Router setup, why we cap at 25 participants, and what happens when someone drops mid-call.
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Session recording as compliance-grade evidence
Recording isn't just for training. It's for the audit that comes six months later. Here's how we designed the recording pipeline for that world.
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Why Connect records to WebM (and why that saves your CPU)
The 30-second answer: mediasoup emits VP8+Opus, WebM contains VP8+Opus, so ffmpeg is a router not an encoder. The 400-second version explains why that matters at scale.
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The Connect security model: authentication, access control, encryption
How Connect authenticates, who can see what, and where the encryption boundaries are. Written for CISOs who need to sign the DPA.
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The Connect roadmap: what ships in v1.1
Native mobile apps, multi-participant recording composition, S3 offload, external participants. What's coming, roughly when, and what's still gated on customer signal.
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Turn on chat, calls, and screen sharing — no new bill, no new login.
Cancel your Slack + Zoom + TeamViewer trio. Consolidate on the tool your team already uses.