We always hear about the remote working revolution and mobile working. What better time to try remote working than during the London tube strike on the 5-6 August? CBR rounds up some of the best tools for working away from the office.
1. Citrix – XenDesktop and XenApp
Citrix’s XenDesktop and XenApp can be accessed through Windows, Linux, Mac and any smartphone operating system. The lynchpin is the Citrix Receiver, which is a universal client built for all devices. The user downloads the Receiver and is provided with a native experience for that device.
A key selling point of XenApp will be its security credentials; Citrix claims that it is the industry’s only solution to be Common Criteria certified and native FIPS 140-2 compliant, the former being an international standard for computer security.
2. VMware – Workstation
The virtualisation giant, VMware, is another leader in this field. VMware Workstation provides powerful virtual machines to replicate server, desktop and tablet environments, allowing the user to run applications on Linux and Windows.
The latest versions, 10 and 11, provide capacity for 16 virtual CPUs and 8TB in virtual disks. Additionally, they allow a maximum of 20 virtual networks. Version 11 also adds integration with VMware VCloud Air and Intel Haswell microarchitecture extension support.
3. Microsoft – Azure RemoteApp
Microsoft Azure RemoteApp is compatible with Windows, Mac OS X, iOS and Android. The employees install Microsoft Remote Desktop on their internet connected devices and the enterprise applications run on Windows Server in the Azure cloud for employees to access.
RemoteApp can be easily scaled up or down and deployed in several ways, including with on-premise infrastructure or as a stand-alone cloud service using pre-built app collections.
4. LogMeIn – Join.me
The desktop and mobile collaboration app aims to provide a way to host and join visual and audio meetings on the go. Key features include the ‘one touch meeting’ solution, which sends a push notification to the user wherever they are. The service automatically calls the host and, if near enough to a larger device, starts the desktop app.
In addition, there is a smart whiteboard service which allows users to collaborate with others by creating freehand images on their iPad.
5. Vesk – Vesk
The cloud desktop hosting service is UK government-accredited. The company’s biggest boast is its uptime, which current sits at almost 2000 days of continuous service. Vesk also offers 24/7 IT support for all users.
With the desktop available on all platforms, Vesk also provides unified communications, including telephony and VoIP, and application hosting, allowing you to bundle several services in one.
