Bottom Line Article - April, 2008 issue

“Is Remote Access for Me?”

Many people need to work away from the office. The reasons vary from inclement weather, travel, illness or just plain working late in the evening to complete a project. The cost of commuting has also made working from home an attractive option. Working remotely offers a better balance between home and work life. You may not have to miss your child’s important game, play or concert because remote access allows you to catch up from home later in the evening.

Unlike just using a home computer to open Word or Excel and starting from scratch, with a secure remote access solution resources available in the office are always present, even from home. You may need access to company email, databases, customer contact information. The right remote access solution makes the work experience very much like being in the office.

The need for secure remote access has grown considerably in the last few years. Due to the increased demand, new technologies and products are emerging. There are 3 basic technologies: Client based VPN (IPSec), Web Browser Based VPN (SSL) and third party hybrid technologies (GotoMyPC, LogMein).

Which technology is right for me? Client based VPN (IPSec) although secure; requires a lot of initial setup. It requires the remote PC to have custom configured VPN software installed. Web Browser based VPN (SSL) requires only a standard Web Browser and can create a secure connection by simply navigating to a web address and logging in with a secure username and password. The technology here is a derivative of the secure connection banks and other financial institutions use to conduct online commerce. The last is the hybrid technology that uses installed third party software to create a VPN connection. In some cases there is a recurring monthly charge to use the software. The third party software must be loaded on the local and remote computers and does not always allow access to every remote resource you may need such as printers. This technology requires one or more computers left on in the office that are waiting for a remote user to connect. You are essentially working remotely through these computers.

Which technology is recommended? The IT consultants at Integrated Enterprise Solutions, Inc. (IES) can properly size a VPN solution for your company’s size and budget. Our Web Browser based VPN (SSL) solution requires a one time hardware purchase and setup fee. After installation there are no recurring charges. User updates can be managed by your company or optionally by our IT professionals at IES.

Whatever option you decide to use, the ability to connect to your contacts, databases or servers from a remote location gives you advantages over your competitors because no matter where you are or where you are going, you can always get the job done.

By: Eric Hutchinson, Network Engineer