Remote support for PC troubles between family members - Fujitsu "Fukumaro Oshiete Service"

"Fukumaro Teaching Service" is a service that helps you "teach your family" how to use a computer and how to solve problems.

"It is important to do what we can do to get people to use their computers and to solve their problems. So far, we have been working towards that goal by using Fukumaro and acting like a wizard. , We have aimed to do everything we can.On the other hand, we thought that we would be able to get closer to the goal of solving problems by getting the cooperation of our families.The new service will help us achieve the purpose of solving problems. There is no change, but the method has changed.In that respect, it is a big phase change for Fukumaro." (Fujitsu Client Computing Chairman Kuniaki Saito)

During the development stage, it was called "Fukumaro Dash" tentatively, but it was officially released after changing it to a more understandable and friendly name (Fukumaro Oshiete Service).

Fukumaro Oshiete Service envisions support from family members. For example, elderly people who are unfamiliar with computers can be remotely supported by family members such as sons and daughters who use computers on a daily basis. Talk to Fukumaro, which is installed in the FMV series, and use it by saying "Fukumaro, tell me."

The side requesting support talks to Fukumaro, "There is something I want my family to teach me." Automatically send a message to your family's LINE group to notify them that you have questions about how to use your computer. If someone in your family can support you immediately, send back the issued 6-digit security code via LINE. When the person receiving support enters this security code into the computer in front of them and presses the allow button, the screen will be shared and the family will be able to operate the computer remotely.

The above mechanism uses the Windows 10 standard function "Quick Assist", which is characterized by being able to use it in 3 steps.

Even users who are unfamiliar with computers can switch to remote control mode without hesitation because Fukumaro will guide them where to enter the security code and how to press the permission button. If it doesn't work out, you can talk to Fukumaro again and start over from the beginning.

For example, a family member can remotely control an operation such as viewing photos of a family trip that grandparents have saved on a computer, or sending the photos to a smartphone. For online shopping, it is possible for family members to act remotely for purchases and payments, as well as reservations for new corona vaccinations.

"If the purpose is clear, it may be best for the family to operate instead of teaching the operation. If it's not convenient for you, you can easily return it, saying that you'll contact me later.Based on family ties, we're trying to create an environment that puts less burden on each other." (Fujitsu Client Computing Consumer Division Yuji Aoyama, General Manager)

"In the case of online shopping, it is possible to have a call center specialist operate remotely, but there is a problem that it is not possible to press the purchase button. If it is a family member, it is possible to remotely press the purchase button (Mr. Yuta Chiba, 3rd Engineering Department, Consumer Business Division, Fujitsu Client Computing)

Family members doing remote operations need a Microsoft account, but elderly people receiving assistance do not. In addition, although the PC on the receiving side is assumed to be an FMV series PC, the PC on the supporting side may be made by another company.

Furthermore, in conversations with Fukumaro, in addition to operations such as "getting a family member to examine your computer," You can also choose a menu such as "get it." These options will display the dedicated phone number for the "PC Concierge Service" and details of preparations in advance, or direct users to Internet services such as Yahoo Chiebukuro and OKWAVE.

Fujitsu Client Computing has a "PC concierge service" that provides consultation over the phone, a "PC tutor" that allows experts to visit and solve problems, and a "My Cloud Premium Anshin Standard" that offers a variety of service menus. ”, and “My Cloud Premium Anshin Wide”, which provides support for home problems other than PCs.

"There are voices from elderly users that they just don't understand, that it costs money to ask a specialist, and that they are a little worried about their personal information being known. It would be nice if they could ask their families casually." In addition, even if Windows 10 has a function called Quick Assist, it was difficult to prepare or not know about it.Fukumaro Oshiete Service responds to such requests and solves problems when using it.” (Yuji Aoyama, General Manager, Consumer Business Division, Fujitsu Client Computing)

Fukumaro Oshiete Service is said to have been developed by positioning it as a function to "help" a family member who lives far away. Verification as a user while an employee actually interacts with an elderly family member. The team met twice a week to improve the UI/UX with Agile. "As for the feelings of parents who receive support, I feel like I've heard the same thing before, what should I do if my family gets irritated?" However, there are situations where it is difficult to understand the situation even if you are asked on the phone, and there are situations where it is troublesome to call Fukumaro no matter where you are.As a result of facing the true intentions of both parties, using LINE, we created an environment where Fukumaro can connect just by talking to Fukumaro. I made it."

At first, I thought about building the entire service myself, but since I found that many elderly people use LINE conveniently, I decided to teach Fukumaro and incorporate it into the service. "We proceeded with the development by repeating trial and error. We created an environment where families can feel comfortable, have just the right relationship, and act as a bridge of support."

In this development, in addition to repeating improvements until just before the service launch, we also analyzed changes in user problems through cooperation with the call center. We will continue to brush up.

"I want people to use the superior functions of their computers more than just surfing the net and exchanging e-mails. I thought it would be an important way to get support from my family for that. We have also prepared an environment where we can help.” (Yuji Aoyama, General Manager, Consumer Business Division, Client Computing, Fujitsu)

Fujitsu Client Computing Chairman Saito said, "Fujitsu Client Computing employees can use Fukumaro Oshiete Service to support their parents' computers even during working hours if their parents contact them. I decided," he laughs. This is also positioned as one of the mechanisms to feed back the opinions of employees to the evolution of services.

Fukumaro will add a new family watching function in the winter of 2021. “Fukumaro wants to evolve while fusing functional value and emotional value,” said Aoyama.

The problem of the digital divide is getting bigger due to the corona crisis

Chairman Saito said that due to the decrease in opportunities to go out and more time at home due to the corona crisis, more online than ever before. point out that there is a growing need for

"The harsh life of not being able to go out and not being able to meet people continues, and there is an increasing movement to communicate online and buy various things online. However, as a result, whether online can be used or not. Even if a convenient online society is created, if there are people who cannot use it or if an environment that is easy to use is not provided, its value cannot be demonstrated. Over the years, Fujitsu's personal computers have aimed to solve these problems. My strong belief is that even people who think they are not good at digital technology can enjoy online life on their personal computers." Fujitsu Client Computing Chairman Kuniaki Saito)

Chairman Saito points out that there is a big "river" between "consumers" and the "convenient society" created by the online world.

"In order to reach a convenient society realized online, it is necessary to cross a big river. If we can cross this river, a convenient and exciting world will come. One example is the online booking of vaccinations.My mother was also blocked by this river, and she was unable to cross the river alone, so her family supported her.I couldn't cross the river alone, and I hadn't been vaccinated yet. It may threaten basic livelihoods, and being able to move freely in an online, convenient society will become increasingly important.

There are many ways to cross the river. Smartphones and TVs are also bridges across rivers. Among them, the personal computer is the best tool for crossing the river, and the width of the bridge is the widest. This is because it is the best in terms of UI and UX, can send a large amount of data, and can be processed quickly. I want people to experience more excitement online using a personal computer when they can't go out." (Fujitsu Client Computing Chairman Kuniaki Saito)

If you have a computer, you are not alone, even if you live far away, your family will help you. and However, there are problems with computers. The situation in which it is "difficult" to use has continued since the advent of the personal computer.

"It is true that some people say that computers are difficult and that it is impossible to learn them from now on. Moreover, looking at the current situation of vaccination among the elderly, I found that there are more people who are not good at digital computers than I imagined. It is said that we can do anything, but there is also a perception that we cannot actually do anything.That is also what I feel.I want to aim for new technology to be useful for people and to become easy-to-use technology. The FMV series personal computers have been close to customers for 40 years and have solved their problems.Based on this achievement, from this year, which celebrated the 40th anniversary, we will make a new effort to get rid of the concept that personal computers are difficult. I want to get started.” (Fujitsu Client Computing Chairman Kuniaki Saito)

This Fukumaro Teaching Service seems to be the first step.

"Aiming for an environment where personal computers are not difficult to use, and it is not something that cannot be used without learning. While the parents' generation is not good at digital, the generation that has touched smartphones since birth has extremely high digital literacy. Fukumaro Oshiete Service is also a service that was born as a result of re-examining personal computers as something that can be enjoyed together with family members living apart." (Fujitsu Client Computing Chairman Kuniaki Saito)

And it shows that the evolution of "Fukumaro" itself is also progressing continuously.

"Fukumaro's efforts to help people who are not good at digital technology will continue to evolve. Fukumaro will become a wizard and freely manipulate all the functions of the computer to achieve what he wants to achieve. In the future, I would like to aim for Fukumaro to do something instead of the computer when I want to do something on the computer.Ultimately, I also want Fukumaro to become a member of the family. In the future, there may be no hardware called personal computers and only the UI will remain, but even if such an era comes, Fukumaro will help the user as a visible thing.No matter how much IT evolves, the best As a wizard, I want to grow so that I can be a partner who can help." (Fujitsu Client Computing Chairman Kuniaki Saito)

The aim of Fujitsu Client Computing is to allow all users to experience a comfortable, kind, and beautiful life. Saito said, "Of course, we will make products that take online life into consideration, but we will also thoroughly support users who are weak in digital. Right now, we have not reached the ideal of being easy to use, but we will bring the excitement of online life to as many people as possible. I want you to experience it," he said.

Chairman Saito thinks that "technology cannot be used in new ways unless it is integrated into our daily lives." He reiterated his intention to continue to pursue the creation of easy-to-use services and easy-to-use manufacturing in order to realize this.