Friday, September 17, 2010

Remote Access to Your Desktop



Remote access software and clients are very nifty tools in promoting mobile computing.  Using remote access software and clients ensures you that you can still get some work done even if you are on the move or if circumstances simply prevent you from being in front of your desktop.
What makes remote access software and clients helpful in increasing productivity?  The basic idea behind using a remote access software and client suite is to let you become able to browse through files and even run applications on your desktop even if you are away from it.  This can save you from having to move files manually from computer to computer or from computer to portable data storage devices whenever you need to go on a business trip.
Another instance where remote access software and clients are very useful is when you are sick or if you need to stay at home and yet have a deadline to beat.  You can continue your work by accessing your work computer using your home computer.  Or if you are in a business meeting or simply on the move - waiting a red light while driving or sitting in a train - and you want to have a look at a file stored in your hard drive, all you need to do is to open your WAP browser on your phone or the remote access client installed in your phone and you can search your files freely until you get the file that you want.
How does a remote access client work?  There are some proprietary remote access software and clients that you can buy online or from your favorite computer store.  There are also web-based services that provide remote access service for a fee.  Once you get a-hold of this software or client, you install it on the computers that you want to be able to operate even if you are physically away from it.  After installation is complete, you create an account on the software and protect it with a password.
The next step involves installing the client on your mobile phone.  Once installation is done, you set up the access point name or APN of your mobile phone to full Internet capacity.  When this is successfully done, you can easily access your desktop using the remote access client in your cellphone or your WAP browser.  You can now look for files in your folders even when you are away from your computer and view them on your mobile phone.
Aside from remote access software and clients, another very useful technological innovation that you should take advantage of is the capacity to make voice calls through the Internet.  This is called voice over Internet protocol or VoIP.  One of the leading as well as one of the more popular companies that provide VoIP services is none other than Skype.
VoIP clients such as Skype work much like your regular instant messaging client.  In fact, there is not a lot of difference nowadays between the Skype client and instant messaging services such as Yahoo! Messenger, Windows Live or AOL Instant Messenger.  By properly setting up the configuration of these clients, it becomes possible for you to make a call to someone's landline or mobile phone number from your computer with only your earphones and a reliable Internet access.  For a more enhanced experience using VoIP, a web camera is often used to simulate face-to-face communication.
VoIP can work the other way around as well.  A person can make a VoIP call to anyone with a computer using his mobile phone as long as the party being called has a VoIP account and the client installed in his computer.  The mobile phone to be used must be capable of making VoIP calls as well.
An example of such a mobile phone is a smartphone installed with the Windows Mobile suite.  Such a mobile phone can be installed with Skype, and it enables its user to make phone calls to make voice calls to someone's computer using its WAP-enabled Skype client.  This service, however, is not free, unlike computer-to-computer calls made through Skype.
In Europe, Skype is currently marketing its own mobile phone called 3Skypephone.  The 3Skypephone is powered by the 3 network.  By using the 3 network's services and by paying a flat rate, a 3Skypephone user can make nearly unlimited VoIP calls to another Skype user using either a computer or another 3Skypephone.
VoIP calls via mobile phones are very convenient for making urgent phone calls when you are on the move and the other party cannot be reached by landline or by cellphone.  It is another avenue of communication that is open to you when you truly need to get in touch with the other person whom you are calling.
Another convenience that VoIP calls via mobile phones bring to its users is that even if flat rates apply, it is certainly cheaper to make a VoIP call than to make international phone calls.  It is also cheaper than activating your mobile phone account's international roaming services.  These savings are crucial when you need to travel overseas and you need to make frequent phone calls back to the home office or to the family at home.
The capability to browse through the files stored in your desktop wherever you may be is invaluable in utilizing travel time to work.  The same can be said about making VoIP calls.  These tools are both important in saving time and making sure you are using even your travel time wisely.

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