App Offers Easy Remote Access

01 Communiques Im InTouch 3.5 provides easy remote access to firewall-protected PCs via secured Web communications, giving access to data and applications without the hassles of setting up a VPN or reconfiguring the firewall.

A subscription to Im InTouch is priced at $99.95 per host computer per year. The subscription price includes product updates, technical support and unlimited usage. Version 3.5 started shipping last month.

Similar to Citrixs GoToMyPC, Im InTouchs host application offers full control of a PC to remote computers with a Java-enabled browser, but also a clean HTML interface thats ideal for providing handheld devices with access to Web-enabled applications such as e-mail, to Outlook contacts and to a calendar. Its file-sharing capabilities are ideal for handheld devices.

Initial configuration of the host PC was a snap—I simply picked a unique host name and selected my e-mail application. Remote users can then browse to www.locator.01com.com, enter the host name to initiate the session, log directly in to the host computer, and select the desktop or handheld interface. The log-in information is kept on the host, so 01 Communique has no access to password and log-in information.

I found Version 3.5s file transfer mechanism in the remote control applet to be a welcome addition, providing the option of downloading files via the home page or the remote control application.

I also liked the feature that pinged my cell phone with a text message whenever Outlook received an e-mail from an important contact, letting me know when I couldnt ignore my e-mail any longer.

For more information, check out www.01com.com.

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