[Hidden-tech] Remote desktop control software

[Will Loving]

Andy,

After many years of using both commercial software such as Timbuktu, Apple
Remote Desktop as well as various 'free' or semi-free systems such as Log Me
In, TeamViewer, Ultra VNC (windows only), and Microsoft Remote Desktop
Connection (Mac to Win and Win to Win), I've recently settled on Citrix Go
To Meeting.

Citrix offers a number of 'products' which are basically all the same
technology but packaged with different features emphasized or turned off. I
do 1) technical support - requiring me to log into and control another
person's computer, 2) demonstrations where I need to share my screen with a
number of other users, and 3) meetings where we could be sharing one
person's screen but need to allow any person to take control of the shared
screen or switch to another screen on the fly.

GoToMeeting allows for all of these and it's primary limitation is that it
doesn't support 'unattended access', meaning that in order to log into
someone's computer, they have to be there. That kind of access is available
in GoToAssist, a different product but it allows only a one-to-one
connection. You also can't drag and drop files between machines but we get
around that my keeping a skype Window open.

GoToMeeting supports up to 16 simultaneous users and includes a conference
calling service so everyone can call into a conference call number
regardless of where they are. I've recently been doing GoToMeeting
conferences between myself, someone in Boston, someone in Pittsfield, and a
couple of people in Dublin, Ireland. You can specify what countries you'll
be sharing with, so the folks in Ireland have a local phone number they can
dial into as well.

All in all, I've been very pleased with the service and have concluded that
the cost is well worth it: $480/year but if you talk to their sales they'll
offer you 25% off ( try ErinDuffy at citrixonline.com ), so $360/year. I find
it so much faster and easier to get a meeting setup and going with Go To
Meeting than using Log Me In or the other methods that I have used. I used
Timbuktu for a long time - I think I bought my first TB2 licenses 15 year
ago! - and it is great for one-to-one controlling, but it requires a full
software install and license key on each machine and it can be slow. Go to
Meeting loads VERY quickly and they even have a browser version that is fine
as long as the person using it doesn't need to share their screen (meaning
it's view only).

Will

Will Loving, President
Dedication Technologies, Inc.





on 4/25/11 3:36 PM, Andy Klapper at andytk at charter.net wrote:

>    ** Be sure to fill out the survey/skills inventory in the member's area.
>    ** If you did, we all thank you.
> 
> 
> 
> I am starting a new consulting contract with a customer with offices in NYC
> and Northampton and they want to be involved in the work that I'll be doing
> for them.  One of the things that we will need for this to work is software
> that will allow two, possibly three, people to share a
> computer/keyboard/mouse so we can collaborate as if we were all standing
> around a single machine in the same physical location.  There appears to be
> several free and for a fee services that allow you to perform some or all of
> what we want, though some are geared towards giving presentations (Goto
> Meeting - I can share my machine to give a presentation) or geared to remote
> support (CoPilot - I can take control of somebody else's computer for the
> purpose of providing remote IT support).  I'd love to have something that
> allows you to do both with true keyboard/mouse sharing so I can release
> control to another engineer and they can then modify code and turn control
> back to me.
> 
> Of course free is better, but a small fee for a better experience would not
> be out of the question.
> 
> So my fellow consultants in the wilderness do any of you have experience
> with these kinds of tools and can you recommend a good tool and/or service
> for remote collaboration?
> 
> 
> Andy.
> 
> Andy Klapper
> Asgard Technology Group, LLC
> Making Complex Software Simple
> High Speed Multi-Threading Specialists
> 5 Anna Marie Lane
> East Longmeadow, MA 01028
> Andy at Asgard-Tech.com
> (860) 805-1189 (cell)
> 
> 
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-- 

William M. Loving
Dedication Technologies, Inc.
7 Coach Lane
Amherst, MA 01002-3304   USA
will at dedicationtechnologies.com
Tel: +1 413 253-7223   (GMT ­5)
Fax: +1 206 202-0476