What is Remote Access?

Remote access enables people to connect to a computer network from any location using another computer.

The purpose is to be able to continue to use the organisation's systems in order to retrieve information and send emails without the need to be office based. As long as you have access to the internet you will have the ability to work remotely. This can be achieved by using a wireless network, dial-up facility (though this is rare) or mobile phone access.

The main types of access available are via broadband or through a wireless network.

The future of remote access

It is likely that the number of employees working from home or remotely, (also known as telecommuting) will continue to grow. This means that remote access is an area where technology will continue to develop.

More and more organisations have implemented remote access because there are so many benefits.

Why remote access?

By using remote access organisations can become more flexible and improve the way in which people work. This is because people are no longer restricted to using a desktop PC at the office but have the capability to travel or work remotely while still having the benefits using the organisations IT infrastructure or access data on their own home PC without actually being sat in front of it!

It has substantial benefits and a potentially fast RoI (Return on Investment) because it reduces the cost of travel, i.e. people no longer have to commute long distances to the office every day, saving valuable time as a result, thereby allowing people to become more productive.

Email productivity may also increase because personnel no longer have to wait until they are in the office before sending or responding to emails, as well as being to use other corporate resources such as VoIP.

Types of remote access

There are two types of remote access, the first enables you to access files and information remotely and the second enables you to access and control your PC remotely.

The purpose of accessing your PC remotely using 'remote desk software' is to allow you to work from your home or organisational PC as if you were sitting in front of it.

The only difference is that you will be using a third party PC or a laptop with internet access.

Benefits of remote access

• Improved productivity - personnel can work from home, hotels or anywhere where there is internet access. It's easy to access vital information such as documents, email and even applications that reside on the company's server. People no longer have to wait to get in their office before being able to access and read emails.
• Personnel can continue working on projects from home.
• Increased profitability. People can respond to emails and customer requests quickly, and regardless of whether they are travelling or not. This, as a result, can improve sales performance and customer care.
• Quality of life. It enables people who perhaps live a long way from their office to be able to maximise their days without necessarily spending hours travelling to and from the office. People do generally appreciate the flexibility that remote access systems give them.
• It also helps attract talented workers who perhaps work too far from an organisation's HQ to be able to commute on a daily basis.
• Retention of valued employees is improved. For example, a person who needs to move home to another area can still continue to work for the company because distance is no longer an issue.
• Improved efficiency. Personnel can stay in touch with their company's email and developments regardless of location and time zones
• Computer systems can be managed remotely. This enables experts to access computers to resolve potential technical issues without the need to be on site.
• Eliminates the need to synchronise files and other data between a person's laptop and desktop PC.
• Lower office overheads. Remote access systems enable companies to potentially use smaller offices than if all employees had to be in the office at the same time every day.
• It is not necessary to carry a laptop to gain access to a network. It is possible to gain access to an organisation's network via any third party PC or other device so this negates to need to carry a laptop all the time.

Disadvantages and potential pitfalls

• Lag time. Using remote access software can be a little slower than actually using your own PC because every key stroke and mouse movement needs to be transmitted to your PC and then back.
• Remote access systems are not usually secure so this can be an issue if you are transferring sensitive information. It is possible to encrypt the information or use a VPN (Virtual Private Network).
• Introducing remote access can also cause management issues in terms of productivity, for example, as it takes a certain amount of self-discipline to continue to be effective.
• Not all people enjoy working from home all the time as they might enjoy the stimulus and interaction of office life.
• Additional hardware maybe required (e.g. VPN appliances and firewalls) and this may be costly, so this needs to be taken into consideration from an investment perspective.

Buying and Installing

Step one

• Identify the needs of your organisation and the users. Find out which departments and personnel will benefit the most. It is also important to include HR (Human Resources) or your personnel department if you have one, as it may affect people's contract of employment. It may also have an impact on company insurance.
• Understand your requirements - this can be achieved by talking with perhaps two or three remote access providers.
• If possible see a couple of 'live' demonstrations in order to evaluate how effective the system is.
• It is important to implement a remote access policy outlining the following:
• Who is eligible to use the remote access facility?
• Ensure that any equipment provided to an employee remains the property of the organisation.
• Provide directives and rules as to what constitutes acceptable use, i.e. a remote user will no doubt use the organisation's laptop for personal use but it must be made very clear what they can and can not access on the internet.

Step two

• Make sure that you view systems that meet your organisation's needs, e.g. if you organisation requires personnel to access bespoke or specialised software, for example with CRM, you must ensure that the remote access software will still allow access to this.

• Remember that you may need to subscribe or pay for updates after the first year. Find out how much annual subscriptions cost, and factor that in when comparing prices. Check for any special offers that include extra annual subscription.

Step three

• Identify the right partners/providers.
• Who has the experience of working a company of the right size and profile as yours?
• How many similar installations have they made?
• Ask for references - ensure that the company is capable and reliable.
• Ask to speak with a couple of their customers in order to see what benefits have been gained.
• Get a credit check to ensure that they are financially stable. You can get this directly from the supplier details found in Conjungo.

Step four

• Request a proposal from three or four of your preferred suppliers

Step five

• Select a proposal.
• Who best demonstrates that they understand your business and your requirements?
• Is the system flexible and scaleable and therefore able to meet future demand? You don't want to find out later that by investing a little more money now will save you money later.
• How will your potential supplier support and maintain your system afterwards?
• How much will this cost?
• Have you spoken to a couple of your preferred suppliers customers?
• Agree on financial terms - you may be required to pay a deposit but do not pay the whole amount in advance of delivery.

Simple steps to installing remote access

• Depending on the system, you may have to install the software on the main server and/or a copy on remote users' laptops.
• It will be necessary to allocate passwords to each of the remote workers and ensure that they are changed on a regular basis and that records are kept of these passwords. These must be allocated to provide security and ensure that only those users with the right passwords can access to systems remotely.
• Users must be trained as to how they can use the remote access software. Generally, it is relatively easy to use, but training does prevent issues and mistakes.
• It is important that some form of encryption software or VPN is used in order to ensure that all information is secure. The key to implementing remote access is to ensure that it is absolutely secure because unless this is the case, valuable and vital information can be accessed by an unwanted third party and potentially misused
• Make sure that you train a capable administrator, who can add new users and passwords.
• If the organisation has someone who is responsible for personnel matters, they should be kept involved with all of the processes and procedures.
• You will need to ensure that a system is in place that ensures that remote workers have the right permissions to access only the information that they require. This access rights may well differ from roles, functions, seniority and departments.

In summary about remote access

Remote access systems have proved to be overwhelmingly successful regardless of the nature or size of organisations that use them.

It provides flexibility and empowers the workforce who as a result enjoys a better quality of life while actually working harder.

As a result, any concerns from critics that remote workers would not have the discipline to continue to be as effective as if they were at office based, have so far been dismissed.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is remote access?
Remote access solutions enable people to connect to a computer network from any location using another computer. The purpose is to be able to continue to use the organisations' systems in order to retrieve information and send emails without the need to be office based.

How does it work in practice?
Once you find a wireless access point or another way of connecting to the internet, you will be able to log onto your organisations' server or your PC. This means that can easily access files or control your PC as if you were sat in front of it, even if you're not in the actual office.

Why do I need remote access?
You probably need remote access on the basis that it will give your staff the freedom to access your organisations network and facilities when they're travelling or generally 'on the road'.

As a result they don't need to worry about being in the office to carry out even the simplest of tasks, such as sending and receiving emails. Furthermore, you'll be safe in the knowledge that everyone can still access information on their PC or your server (at home or at work) when they need to retrieve vital information.

What types of remote access packages are available?
The most simple (but slowest) is old fashioned dial-up, whereby using your laptop or PCs internal modem you can phone your ISP's or company's server and send and receive emails. Due to the growth of broadband this is thankfully becoming rare now, but it still needs to be considered as not all parts of the world have the same facilities.

The most common types of remote access packages are generally designed for you to access your company's server(s) and use the information you require. It could also be a package that enables you to connect to your PC remotely and access the information as if you were actually sat in front of it.

What if I don't want to carry a laptop with me - can I still get access?
Most systems will allow you to connect to your PC or server through public PCs, such as in an internet cafe, a library, through friends or colleagues. All you need is internet access.

Is it something that I can install myself?
There are some extremely good packages available that you can download and start to use straight away. Some even offer a free trial for a number of weeks, so you can get to know whether it is of real value to you.

How do I find the right vendors and partners?
Conjungo is a great starting point because it will let you search for a supplier according to your location, company type, size and whether they have the right accreditations. Furthermore, Conjungo is completely unbiased, lists most of the major vendors' resellers, and it's free to use.

Glossary

• Remote desktop software - Remote desk software is a piece of software that allows you to access you PC or workstation as if you were sat in front of it so you will be able to access all of your data and information without having to carry it with you. It is also useful for when you might have a problem with your Pc and your support company can log into your PC and investigate and remedy the problem.
• Lag time - This is the time taken for an action to be taken such as pressing a particular character on a keyboard to the time it is actually shown on screen.

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