3amLabs has debuted three products including a free
version of its flagship product, LogMeIn, that helps IT managers
locate and manage remote access products.
The company also rolled out LogMeIn Pro, which includes all the
capabilities of the standard version but adds features aimed at
mobile users. The LogMeIn Scout, which helps administrators
discover remote access products existing on their networks also
helps administrators define and enable LogMeIn usage policies on a
network.
LogMeIn Scout fills in a "missing piece of the puzzle" for the
company in terms of being able to offer a more complete solution
for managing remote products, according to 3amLabs chief executive
officer Michael Simon.
"Essentially remote access products are off [of the] traditional
corporate network. They are where non-corporate computers met the
network. There are plenty of tools to manage things on the network,
but very few that can manage things off the network. Scout can
manage that communications process," Simon said.
The latest version gives administrators remote access to either
business or home computers from a range of networked device, giving
users full access to desktop applications. The product is built on
an on-demand SSL VPN service, which includes security features
designed to cut off unauthorised users, company officials
explained.
Some analysts generally believe there can be significant cost
advantages to using SSL VPNs.
"The simplicity and portability of SSL VPNs can lower the cost
to implement remote-user VPNs for workstations, as well as access
from non-corporate systems like PCs. Where traditional VPNs are not
required, enterprises can expect immediate value from investing in
SSL VPNs in the form of easier deployment and support," said John
Girard, vice-president and research director at Gartner.
Scout, which is bundled free in LogMeIn, is able to identify not
only copies of LogMeIn existing on a corporate network but also PC
Anywhere GoToMyPC and VNC, Simon said.
"The two free products really go together. If you look at
GoToMyPC, it addresses two of the main complaints people had, which
was it is too expensive or administrators thought it was too
difficult to control and so it wasn't safe. This is what we are
trying to address," Simon said
Some of the mobile features in LogMeIn Pro, priced at $12.95
(£7.20) a month, include file and folder synchronisation, secure
file distribution, and remote-to-local printing.
Using the synchronisation features, administrators can transfer
files as well as synchronise complete folders between remote and
local PCs. They can also synchronise folders on multiple machines
thereby keeping everything up to date.
Used together, the new products can serve as an individual
administrators own "individual VPN".
"Once you get people to do a little remotely, they then want to
do a lot remotely. I think you will see more and more apps coming
along that plug into the SSL VPN service. They will be apps that do
very specific things rather than just generic remote computing
solutions," Simon said.
Ed Scannell writes for Infoworld