Remote controls are clicking

Home Office Computing, Sept, 1998 by Heather Newman

Improved software blurs the line between headquarters and home

TELECOMMUTING IS ON THE RISE, and software manufacturers are making sure that their remote access software can handle the traffic. It's no coincidence that market leader Symantec's revenues in the first quarter of this year leapt nearly 40 percent over last year's numbers. With the new features built into today's remote access programs, people who need to run more than one computer can't afford not to buy in.

Looking for security? How about software that automatically calls you back when you dial in to prevent anyone else from getting access? Want a program that's easy to use? How about a view of your other computer's screen that's so real you may forget you're not sitting at that desk?

"Remote access as an idea has hit critical mass," according to Barry L. Smith, Traveling Software's product manager for LapLink. "People have caught on to the idea that being away from their desks doesn't mean they can't be productive."

Here's a rundown of what to look for in the newest software.

Security You can set Symantec's pcAnywhere (www.symantec.com; $149) to respond to any incoming call by dialing back a number you set in advance. If someone tries to hack into your system while you're away, the program disconnects the call and contacts a preset phone number. Many of the top performers, including Compaq Carbon Copy (www.compaq.com; $179), now include encryption tools so that data sent over the connection is absolutely secure between the two machines. Several even offer virus scanning on the fly. Artisoft's CoSession Remote 32 (www.artisoft.com; $119) lets you set the level of access different users get to your computer, so that a client can pick up information without jeopardizing the confidential business information you have stored on your PC.

Speed Why bother sending the whole file when just the updated parts of the document will do? Several products, including CoSession Remote and pcAnywhere, have figured out a way to do just that. Traveling Software's LapLink (www.travelingsoftware.com; $149), arguably the best in the business for laptop-to-PC remote access, temporarily saves parts of the remote screen picture on your hard drive, so you don't have to wait for the Recycle Bin icon to download just because you opened a dialog box.

Standardization If the host PC and the computer you're dialing in on had different screen resolutions, that used to wreak havoc with how the remote desktop looked on your monitor. And if the color settings were different, it just made matters worse. Now the top programs change those items seamlessly and instantly. Even better, pcAnywhere will scale down the colors you see--even to black and white if you like--to speed up transmission. All show you an amazing replica of what you'd get if you were sitting on the other end. "It's the sense that you're there, at your desk," Smith says. "That's made a tremendous difference to people."

Communication What happens if there's a person at the other end of your connection? pcAnywhere will let you videoconference with them, and most others will let you have an audio chat. LapLink Tech ($199), aimed at the PC-support industry, has audio chat capabilities; LapLink does not.

Convenience Most programs mentioned here will let you link two machines through the Internet. Carbon Copy even allows you to connect when both machines aren't on the Internet all the time. pcAnywhere wins the "most versions on one CD" award. It ships with Windows 95/98/NT, Windows 3.1, DOS, Windows CE, and Web browser plug-in versions. Also, a Web-based twist on remote access software is making an impact: HotOffice (www.hotoffice.com; $19 per month with 10MB of storage, $10 per month per additional 10MB) allows you to store files on the Web and customize which people get access to what.

Extras Want to hook in up to 256 users at once? Shift your machine from host to visitor on the fly? Schedule tasks for the graveyard shift and log on long after you've gone to bed? Recover files in mid-download if your connection goes south? Check out pcAnywhere, CoSession Remote, Carbon Copy, and LapLink, respectively.