Digital Collaboration Technology - Term Paper Example

? Selected Digital Collaboration Technology: GoToMyPc Submitted to, Submitted By, of the Submitted on, [July 17th, 2011] CURRENT SCENARIO It is assumed that I am the Assistant Vice President Research and Development of Bearing Point International. The employees of the company are facing quite a few problems. This report is attempted to highlight the problems and present their solution. The problem currently being faced are that since all the workers of an organization are not located at the same geographical location issues of version change and lack of communication often arise. This is a very acute problem as troubleshooting often takes days owing to the absence of a mechanism for timely data transfer and communication. I suggest a solution that may be implemented in order to resolve the problems being faced by the company. A cost-effective solution of a digital collaboration technology named “GoToMyPC” is an ideal solution in situations like this. Narrated below is a detailed description of the chosen digital collaboration technology. The description highlights the potential benefits of the chosen technology which in turn highlights how this current problem of miscommunication being faced by the company may be resolved. The description also highlights possible alternatives to the chosen technology and also gives a description of how the chosen technology has an edge over each one of them. Lastly, the overall cost of the embedding of technology is narrated so as to give the higher management a clear idea about its implementation costs. INTRODUCTION The advent of Information Technology that began just a few decades ago has sped manifolds into latest advancements. Every other day a new technological invention is being heard of. Present day technological advancements outnumber the expansion rate of any other advancements that may have been experienced by the human race so far. Integrating in all parts of human beings’ lives it is impossible for man to survive without the high tech devices that he has become so very used to. May it be a mere water dispensing machine or a highly advanced computing system technology is just about everywhere. Integrating into personal as well as commercial lives computing devices and computing technology have made the lives of human beings much easier. One of the technology related concepts that has most recently been emphasized upon is remote accessibility. Remote accessibility is the phenomenon whereby the ability to access a computer system present at a remote location. In the words of Webopedia remote access stands for, “The ability to log onto a network from a distant location. Generally, this implies a computer, modem, and some remote access software to connect to the network.”(Webopedia, 2011) Owing to the fast paced world it is virtually impossible for a person to stay immobile. It becomes quite a menace if you’re mobile and you need to access data that is present in your system at a remote location. It is virtually impossible to carry a desktop everywhere a person goes. Owing to this requirement the terminology of remote desktop was coined. REMOTE DESKTOP This terminology refers to the ability to access the desktop of another computer. That computer’s desktop can be viewed on your own screen. This understandably refers to the fact that the remote PC’s files can be accessed, opened and displaced from their location. This type of access is supported by both Windows and Macintosh computer systems. Among the leading names that provide remote desktop access is Citrix’s GoToMyPC. What is GoToMyPC? Initiated in the year 1997 GoToMyPC was designed as software that would enable the access of a home PC present at a remote location. This access was able to be executed via internet. A well known name in remote access, GoToMyPC is undoubtedly the most convenient, the fastest and the most secure means to securely access a PC present at a remote location. The most favorable feature of this software is its simplicity. Almost anyone, may it be a PC Guru or a novice, can get it running within minutes. The group vice president and general manger online group at Citrix, “Brett Caine” is reported to have mentioned the excellence of GoToMyPC in the following words, “GoToMyPC revolutionized the market as the first web-based remote access web service more than five years ago,” (Citrix, 2006) and also, “Now customers in every industry, including security-sensitive healthcare, financial services, state and local government, legal and technology, adopt our market-leading web service because they know they can count on us for fast, easy, secure and reliable access. With GoToMyPC 5, we’ve raised the bar again to deliver the best access solution that is so vital for productivity, anytime, anywhere.” (Citrix, 2006) Featuring “on-the-fly” access it incorporates the ability to get connected to a home PC from any location. It is only required that in order to access it you should be connected to the internet. Both the client and the server need to get connected to a TCP/IP protocol more specifically. So if an intranet is connected via TCP/IP that would also enable the working of GoToMyPC via it. Key features of the software include increased productivity. This is assisted by the provision of accessing files, networks and programs in a convenient and secure manner from just about anywhere where an internet connection is present. This also proves the flexibility of the sharing software. GoToMyPc setup incorporates five data centers and seven internet service provides across the globe to enable secure, fast and efficient data transfer. Citrix Good Points of GoToMyPC It allows us to work on our office PCs from home Using the keyboard and the mouse as if you were sitting in front of your own computer system, GoToMyPC enables the convenient and facility that was once unimaginable. Easy setup. Easy to use and convenient. It is so very usable that the user often forgets that he is not sitting in front of his own system but in reality that system is at a remote location. True Colors The interface of GoToMyPc is of true colors. It is just like you are actually working at your own system and not virtually accessing it from a remote location. Better security features It is highly secure software. May it be a small or a large business organization GoToMyPc serves to fulfill its data transfer requirements with utmost security that is possible. The security of the system is ensured by full implementation of encrypted, strong, built-in 128-bit AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) end-to-end encryption standard. “GoToMyPC 5 enables workers to securely access their desktops, including e-mail, files, applications, and all network resources from any Web browser while on the road, at a remote site, or when working from home. “ (Citrix, 2006) Stephen Drake, research director at IDC is reported to have said about GoToMyPc: “Its technology in terms of features and critical components, such as security, give the company a strategic advantage.”  (Drake, 2006) Installation of secure modems is no longer required as internet is beign used as a means of data transfer. For security reasons the provisions of Screen Blanking and Keyboard Locking are also incorporated. This prevents from people around your system to look over into what you are doing. Built in management features The speed and screen features are adjustable. This helps the screen resolution to be adjusted in line with the users’ requirements. The interactive software enables management related functions such as the self diagnosis of connection speeds and the reviewing of performance levels. The software suggests how to enhance performance so that even greater levels of productivity can be achieved. Faster than its counterparts and saves time Time is the most cherished and prize possession in today’s world. Any and every option that preserves time and is productive as well is the talk of the town. The most important aspect of this software is that it assists in the preserving of time by getting the most out of it. In today’s world businesses are often spread over various localities. Commuting from one place to another often takes a lot of time. This software saves user’s precious time by enabling him to access his data present at remote PC just by getting connected to the internet from any part of the world. The data transfer takes minimum time as it is done by transforming data into the easiest transferrable form. This minimizes the time lag. GoToMyPC is such that it gives the user leverage to use the remote PC just as fast as if you were not accessing it via another software but were actually sitting in front of it without an intermediate software in between. “In a recent test by VeriTest™, a testing service of Lionbridge (Nasdaq: LIOX), for example,  GoToMyPC 5 allowed users to connect up to 4X faster than other products as noted in the online report at Veritest.” (Citrix, 2006) Drag and Drop This exclusive software enables the user friendly feature of drag and drop. This feature facilitates the user to transfer files from the remote screen to the current system without any hassle. It is only required that file icons be drag and dropped from the remote screen to the current or vice versa. Suits several Business Types There are three versions of the software. Each version is built in order to suit the needs of individuals, small and medium sized business organizations and large business organizations respectively. The three types are: Citrix GoToMyPC Personal. This version of the software is designed for individuals. It enables remote access to one or more PCs. Citrix GoToMyPC Pro. This version of the software has been designed for small workgroups .It can support from 4-20 PCs. This version features an administrative centre. This enables managers to manage the users connected to the software and also to run usage reports. Citrix GoToMyPc Corporate This version of the software is designed to suit the requirements of large business organizations. It has the provision of supporting 20 or more PCs. The most prominent feature of this type of software is that it allows the creating and managing of groups, controlled usage, featured access, and implementation of additional security rule of authentication for third party software. It also incorporates the provision of password protection rules to be enforced for users. Multi Monitor Support As proved by the narration of the different types of software available it can easily be proved that Citrix GoToMyPC facilitates multi monitor support. This means that more than just one PC can be remotely accessed at a time. Round the Clock Service 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Whenever you want to log into the software all you need to do is to log onto the internet no matter whatever time of the day it is. Secure Privacy Policy The software has a secure company privacy policy. All the personal data that is transferred is kept secure and is never leaked out. High adoption rate and no user training required No extra burden on the IT department of the organization. Usability can be assessed by the fact that the ‘add/remove’ of users as per the requirement can be done there and then and right on the spot. Generate Reports The Company’s remote access facility enables report generation at both the user and the company’s end. Reports of the user end activities can also be generated. Mechanism The software enables connections via the internet. Taking advantage of it the software deploys various password protection techniques to securely transfer data from remote system to the current system without any external access. Along with the deployment of multiple passwords GoToMyPC uses various subscription services online to access the customer’s remotely located PC. The extent to which this is workable is that even the wallpaper of the remote PC’s desktop can be changed while sitting miles away from it. Setup The following steps can be followed in order to get the GoToMyPC software to use. Enter the url www.gotomypc.com in any browser. This is the home page of the woftware on the World Wide Web. After filling in a registration form and the completion of registration the download and installation of the GoToMyPC software is required. This software is required to be installed only on the host computer that should be re-equipped with an internet connection. The access to the remote computer is made possible from any PC. Only a Web browser is required without any other additional software installation. All the files and folders in the host computer are now accessible to the user connected to the GoToMyPC site via a web browser. It is possible to work on it just like sitting in front of it and working on it. Unfavorable points of GoToMyPC The best performance of the software is delivered only when it is connected to a broadband internet connection. When compared to other remote access options GoToMyPC has been found to be relatively more expensive. No free version of this remote access software is available. Other remote access software like LogMeIn and TeamViewer offer free versions as well. The free trial of the software is not possible without credit card information.  Host workstations need to be run continuously. The above step can be killing if the only access you ever desire is of e-mail. Remote user activity cannot be audited. If the workstation at the remote user’s end crashes, the troubleshooting process might mean that a trip to the actual location of the remote host needs to be made. Things we can do with GoToMyPC Transfer files to and from the host and the client systems. Data from the remote PC can be printed on a printer in the current location. The current system that is accessing the remote PC may be a Mac, PC, Unix or Linux etc. It is not necessary that a PC only can access the remote system. GoToMyPC permits collaboration with other users to share PC to do demos etc. GoToMyPC iPhone/Windows Phone The software can be installed oon a number of systems. It is not necessary that it should be installed on a laptop or PC only. Various phone based applications of GoToMyPC are now available. May it be a Windows Phone or an iPhone or even Pocket PC. GoToMyPc can be installed on any of them. There is absolutely no problem of security and data transfer while transferring files to and from a phone set. The flexibility of working from any part of the world enhances multiples by this provision of accessing the software over the internet. The only requirement is that registration should be done on the site of the software. Monthly as well as yearly subscription plans are available. The plans are designed to suit the convenience of the user. Recognition of GoToMyPC GoToMyPC is recognized as a market leading web service that addresses desktop access. It has been awarded various top awards from industry and media. In the year 2005 GoToMyPC was acknowledged as a leading web service for desktop access by ‘The IDC’. Other awards, as narrated by Citrix (2006) were, “PC Magazine (Editors’ Choice Award), PC World (World Class Award), Windows IT Pro (Readers Choice Award), Laptop Magazine (Ultimate Choice Award and Editors’ Choice Award), Software and Information Industry Association (Codie Award) and What Laptop Magazine (Editor’s Choice).” ALTERNATIVES TO GoToMyPC Some of the free remote access tools are the competitors of GoToMyPC in the market. They are the alternatives that are available online. Logmein.com The service offered by the site is almost the same as that offered by GoToMyPC. Just like in the present under discussion software the remote desktop accessibility is available in this software as well. There is a paid version of the software available as well. This version enables file transfer remote sound and remote printing. The edge that GoToMyPC has over this alternate software is that mobile/smart phone application of LogmeIn is not available whereas GoToMyPC has its smart phone versions working and functional. CrossLoop. This software has the ability of connecting to two PCs or two Macs. For this software to work both the client and the user end need to download the small crossloop program. The user end that needs help clicks the ‘Share’ tab. An access code is generated from the other end. Upon verification both the ends get connected and remote desktop facility is enabled. As compared to GoToMyPC the drawback that this remote desktop service has is that it requires authorization at the host end. This requires the presence of a person at the host end. This, however, is not the requirement with GoToMyPC. UltraVNC This competing software is designed specifically for tech support applications. It is a free and open-source program. It cannot replace GoToMyPc as the suggested software is meant for use at any position in the organization and is not specifically for technicians. COST EFFECTIVENESS The cost of the technology is beyond $200 annually. The implementation costs are negligible owing to the ease of use associated with the soft ware. CONCLUSION: The entire analysis done above clearly demonstrates the benefits of GoToMyPC. It proves how this software eliminates the problems associated with the organization and how very cost effective its installation is. The comparison of alternate solutions makes it easier for the administration of the company to finally decide how very suitable the suggested solution would be. REFERENCES: Lowe S., (2005). The Missing Manual. O'Reilly Media, Inc. Hearst Magazine (July 2005) ”Remote control.” 182. Retrieved From, http://books.google.com/books?id=ZNEDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA127&dq=GoToMyPc&hl=en&ei=QTwgTvfyGsir-gbxx_mVAw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=book-thumbnail&resnum=10&ved=0CGMQ6wEwCQ#v=onepage&q=GoToMyPc&f=false Network World (2003) ”Expert City tries to change its image.” 20. Retrieved From, http://books.google.com/books?id=nRkEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT36&dq=GoToMyPc&hl=en&ei=QTwgTvfyGsir-gbxx_mVAw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=book-thumbnail&resnum=5&ved=0CE8Q6wEwBA#v=onepage&q=GoToMyPc&f=false Webopedia., (2011). Remote Desktop. Retrieved From: http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/R/Remote_Desktop.html Webopedia., (2011). Remote Access. Retrieved From: http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/R/remote_access.html VOIP-Sol.(2011) GoToMyPc Alternatives.Retrieved From: http://www.voip-sol.com/top-gotomypc-alternatives/ November 20, 2009 http://askbobrankin.com/free_alternatives_to_gotomypc.html Free Alternatives to GoToMyPC Bob Rankin RemoteDesktop Control. (2011) “Access yuor computer anywhere” Retrieved From: http://remote-desktop-control.com/gotomypc.html White D., (2004) How Secure Is GoToMyPC? Retrieved From: http://lists.sans.org/pipermail/list/2004-June/016695.html GoToMyPC. (2011). GoToMyPC Pricing. Retrieved From: http://www.gotomypc.com/remote_access/gotomypc_pricing GoToMyPC. (2011). how it works. Retrieved From: http://www.gotomypc.com/remote_access/pc_remote_access GoToMyPC. (2011). Team Accounts. Retrieved From: http://www.gotomypc.com/remote_access/business_remote_access Citrix (2006). New Citrix GoToMyPC 5 Delivers Extreme Performance and Speed Retrieved From: http://www.citrix.com/English/NE/news/news.asp?newsID=23230 Citrix (2006) IDC, Citrix Online Vendor Profile: Vendor Needs and Strategies,Retrieved From: http://www.citrix.com/English/NE/news/news.asp?newsID=23230 Read More