Remote Access Software Overview

Globalization being the hype in the business arena these days, is not surprising that the need to remote access centralized resources from any part of the world is a crucial piece. there are many software that can be used to access remote systems from anywhere, but not all of them are built the same way. let’s talk about some of them.

LogMeIn IT Reach - a big player in the remote access software market offers a lot of features desired by small businesses and individuals. once installed on a computer is very reliable and does not need assistant from the remote end to access it. as long as the computer is on and connected to the Internet, you can access it at any time whenever you need to.

Some LogMeIn features are:

Remote Control
Take control of the keyboard and mouse of remote machines through a web browser for an experience just as if you were physically at the remote computer.

P2P Performance
Directly communicate with remote computers via patent-pending point-to-point functionality. The LogMeIn Gateway brokers connections between two remote computers, and then hands off that connection directly between them for faster remote control speeds.

Dashboard View
Quickly analyze system health with a digest view of critical data about the computer including system info, event viewer, running processes, network traffic and scheduled tasks.

Computer Management
View and click to drill down and view interrelated files, services and processes for rapid issue resolution. The user manager, drivers, registry editor, event viewer and reboot features provide additional management tools.

File Transfer
Transfer files between local and remotely accessed computers. All transfers are encrypted so data are secure.

Sharing
Share files too large for email, thus eliminating the need to send large attachments. Recipients click a secure link to download the file directly from your computer. You control how long the file will be available and to whom.

Mini Meeting
Initiate a Mini Meeting request by sending a secure link. Through screen sharing, both you and the end user simultaneously control the computer for enhanced collaboration, training and troubleshooting.

Remote to Local Printing
Print files you have accessed remotely on your local printer, without having to reconfigure printer settings or install new drivers.

We have used LogMeIn in our department for remote troubleshooting and the results have been very positive. they offer a basic free account if you just want the simple stuff. otherwise you will need to shell out 69.95 dollars a year for each computer you need to remote access.les ba

WebEx PCNow – another big player in the remote access software arena, it offers highly sophisticated features, like offline file storage up to 100 MB, this can be very helpful if for some reason the remote computer is not available, you can still access some key files. you can also access your remote computer with a smart phone, iphone etc.   for those only traveling with a blackberry or smartphone this is a cool feature.

Some WebEx PCNow features:

Remote desktop control
Access your PC or Mac from anywhere, and work as if you were sitting right there. Access your data, email, and files any time. No software to install on your local computer or cell phone. No lugging your laptop around or working without the documents you need.

Fast and easy setup
Setup is automated and takes only minutes. If you can browse the web, then you can easily set up and use PCNow. It’s that simple.

Total security
Count on maximum, multi-layered data protection.

Mac/PC cross-platform
support
Access your PC from your Mac or your Mac from your PC. Easily integrate Macs into a PC environment.

Guest screen sharing
Invite a friend or colleague to temporarily share your computer’s screen remotely. Allow them to control or just view your screen. Collaborate, share documents, provide training, and give or receive technical support.

Remote webcam access
Keep an eye on your kids, pets, or property with remote access to your webcam. Sound is also available for PCs, and soon for Macs.

Remote printing
Print any document from your remote computer to a local printer so you have a hard copy now. (Available now on PCs, soon on Macs.)

File sync and transfer
Synchronize files and folders between PCs or simply transfer files from one computer to another. If you travel and forget to bring a document, just access your remote PC and transfer the file to your local PC. (Available now on PCs, soon on Macs.)

Remote sound
Hear system sounds such as alerts from your remote PC on your local PC. (Available now on PCs, soon on Macs.)

Multi-monitor support
Does your remote PC have multiple monitors attached? Switch from monitor to monitor to access everything you need. (Available now on PCs, soon on Macs.)

Mobile access to your files and folders
Access files, photos, and documents stored on your remote computer from any mobile phone. Quickly share documents and pictures on the go. There’s no software to install on your phone; simply use the phone’s browser to log in and access your documents.

Mobile organizer
Access Outlook email, calendar, and contacts from your mobile phone, including your iPhone. Reply to email, schedule appointments, and quickly retrieve contact information when you need it.

Share files from your computer or mobile phone
Share a single file or an entire folder with anyone, from anywhere. The invitee receives an email link to download the file or folder directly from your computer.

Mobile search
If you have Google, Yahoo, Windows, or X1 desktop search installed on your computer, you can search your desktop from your mobile phone.

We have used WebEx for our remote troubleshooting in our department and the results have been very good. is a very mature piece of software and very easy to use. much easier to use than LogMeIn. prices run from 10.35 dollars per month. which is very reasonable for what it offers. you can have a prepaid annual plan which runs for $124.20. I wouldn’t mind paying this money for this software. I like it very much.

Overall the good is that it is easy to use and configure, sync between computers, and offline file storage for extra redundancy. Bad is that it can have slow phone access, depending your Internet connection.