Day to day, eMail is the main remote access requirement for most of us, and we’re used to getting it through the web, from home PCs, or on our phones.   But often it’s not enough.

Remote Workplace Many small businesses rely on simply remotely controlling their desktop PCs.  Obviously this doesn’t work if the desktop PC is turned off, and sometimes even the simple task of a ‘Windows Update’ can throw it off.  But it’s simple, cheap and effective.  All you do is login to a gateway webpage, choose your PC and log into to it – then you can work as if you were sitting at it.
Terminal Server (now renamed ‘Remote Desktop Services’) Most businesses that do any amount of remote access need a more robust solution.  Terminal Server (now known as ‘RDS’) is the answer.  It’s a single server that many users can connect to as one.  Each person gets their own ‘session’ independent of anyone else.  They can run pretty much any software that would normally work on their PC, but because it’s using a server – they don’t need to have their own PC available.  The technology is incredibly efficient, sharing the underlying Windows Server, meaning that one relatively modest machine can support a number of users at once.
Introducing VDI Some software simply won’t operate on a terminal server.  For example, Autocad insists on running on a local PC.  This isn’t always practical, and this is where VDI comes in.  VDI is a bit like terminal server above, except each user gets their own copy of Windows.  It means that different users can have different versions of Windows depending on what they need, and their systems can all be uniquely configured if that’s what is required.  It’s not as efficient as Terminal Server, but can be the best answer in a complex situation.   VDI is available from a number of vendors, including VMWare, Citrix, Sun and Microsoft. The key benefits of VDI are to contentrate your PCs into a small number of servers, making them easier to manage and more accessible.