October 7th - 2006

Remote access creates a virtual office

Wireless technology, combined with a good laptop or hand held computer, has made it easy to bring your office just about anywhere.

Wireless technology, combined with a good laptop or hand held computer, has made it easy to bring your office just about anywhere. But a mobile device is only as useful as the data it carries, and sometimes, much of your important data is sitting on your office desktop.

With new remote access software programs, however, it’s like taking your desktop with you. You no longer have to worry about synchronizing devices before you head out or missing an important piece of information while you’re away. While remote control software has been around for years, there are several companies offering newer, more user-friendly products. For example, simpler versions like GoToMyPC don’t require complicated installations or need you to change any of your computer’s port settings or IP addresses.

These products allow you to tap into a remote PC from any Java-enabled browser and freely navigate its operating system as if it were right there in front of you. Many come equipped with a built-in file transfer tool so it's a great way to access important data. This makes telecommuting and working from home or keeping up while traveling much easier than it has ever been before. You can work on your computer from the remote location or transfer files between the computer you're using and the one you're accessing.

The only requirement is that the computer you will be accessing must be left on and connected to the Internet in order to access it remotely. To set up the service, you simply download the software to the PC you want to control and assign a password to the system. From then on, you can access your machine by logging on to your account and keying in the system password. Be sure to choose one that uses 128-bit end-to-end encryption and multiple password challenges to ensure security. It’s also important that the display is blanked on the remote computer, so no one can see what you are doing or accessing.

Costs vary widely for remote access programs and some only work with certain handhelds while others don’t operate well with dial-up connections.

To find out more about remote access software visit the following Web sites:

Share this item

RECO Decision: Honour agreement of peers New law steps up fight against grow ops

For more information contact

Ontario Real Estate Association

Jean-Adrien Delicano

Senior Manager, Media Relations

JeanAdrienD@orea.com

416-445-9910 ext. 246

OREA AI Assistant