Desktop Remote Support or remote access technology give jet-setting professionals and employees a way to stay connected with headquarters, no matter where they are. The old dial-up connections have now been replaced by faster and more advanced broadband connections that also offer more secure access. As the internet continues to grow, there is a greater focus on VPNs that are supported by ISPs.
A lot of companies like RHUB have embraced remote access technology as part of their plan to implement better telecommunication systems. When they were introduced, remote access solutions were simple and slow dial-up terminal services with terminal emulation. Today’s remote access solutions are considerably more advanced and complicated, and they include remote access services, concentrators, remote desktop control software, managed network or public internet support, and implementation of VPNs using IPSec of SSL.
Moreover, each of the above areas of
remote support solutions is going through a constant evolution in order to respond to the growing demands of remote and mobile workers. The biggest improvements seen in these solutions include:
• Improved quality and availability of broadband connections, which makes it possible to include more applications and increases the need for online connectivity instead of just intermittently dialing in for emails
• Increased deployment and acceptance of VPN as a standard networking tool for companies to communicate with remote users
• Gradual addition of new wireless data services like next-gen wireless services and Wi-Fi
• Constant improvements in call handling capabilities of remote access service devices
• Development of the outsourcing industry in order to meet the remote networking demands of companies, including carrier-agnostic VPNs offered by operators for tunneling a service across different networks
The current market for these services is quite volatile, with a large number of players offering continuous services such as
access software with different management levels, equipment requirements, and customer premises. The biggest players in this market only control a small part of it, and the marketplace offers a wide range of service, hardware, and software products. The leaders in this market can be identified in terms of basic remote access hardware and carrier services sector.
VPNs that establish network connections via carrier PoPs are the direction that the remote access market is headed toward, which is a clear departure from the remote access server model. There is also a clear trend toward the outsourcing of network security, management, and direct access.
The market for managed VPNs is quite healthy and looks like it is absorbing remote access, as well as corporate WAN and extranet sectors. Even though outsourcing is costlier than in-house solutions in some cases, it offers an added of advantage of better monitoring, greater scalability, and more points of presence. Moreover, service level agreements can be set up for making sure remote workers get the necessary access to corporate networks.
