The Edge Soft

Microsoft has released DirectAccess for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008, remotely connecting users to their office as if they were right there. Creating bi-directional connectivity with the user’s enterprise network, this software keeps them connected to their office, creating a link whenever the user’s PC – provided it’s enabled by DirectAccess – can get online.

As the workforce transforms, with the information age evolving rapidly, the needs of an organization change accordingly. Increasingly, workers are working from remote locations, the advances in internet technology allowing them the ability to work from anywhere – home, business the beach, etc.

The mobility of our modern workforce has contributed to the success of those companies driving our economy, with new technologies facilitating the continuous productivity of employees whose presence at the office is no longer a required component in the operations of an efficient and profitable enterprise. By 2011, the number of mobile employees is expected to have increased by 30.4 percent (IDC, “Worldwide Mobile Worker Population 2007-2011 Forecast,” Doc #209813, Dec 2007).

While technology has contributed to an outgrowth of wireless communication, with the internet acting as the backbone for those advances, corporate security – namely, firewalls – hamper the accessibility of those resources which are native to the office. This poses a tremendous number of problems, not the least of which being access to the network from those IT professionals in charge of managing the corporation’s network.

In the past, VPN (Virtual Private Network) has been the solution employed for that purpose. However, as any IT professional will tell you, the use of a VPN can prove challenging. VPN requires users to wait for authentication, a process that can see the end user waiting for what has commonly amounted to several minutes. If the connection to the internet fails, the VPN connection will be lost, requiring the user to repeat the authentication process. With alternatives providing even less functionality and additional problems to overcome, VPN has become the de facto solution, its problems notwithstanding.

Overcoming the challenges inherent to VPN, DirectAccess immediately establishes a bi-directional connection between the user’s PC and the office’s network. Using Windows 7, the DirectAccess client detects its connection to a network. The DirectAccess client will then connect to an intranet website designated during the initial configuration of DirectAccess. The process is seamless and automatic. Unlike VPN, which involves authentication with each use, DirectAccess authenticates the PC before the user even tries to gain access to the network.

Easier to use than VPN, the efficiency of DirectAccess is a godsend to the productivity of an company’s workforce. With a simple connection to their company network, workers will no longer find themselves drudging through the cumbersome process that has soured many on the use of VPN. Using DirectAccess, the data on the company network – intranet, applications, file-shares – is on hand wherever the employee finds an internet connection for their laptop, not just from their home connection.

Geek Choice, a leader in on-site technical service, prides itself on educating the public about the advances within our industry. If you have any questions about DirectAccess, never hesitate to call us at 1-800-GEEK-HELP (433-5435).  Our techs are here to assist you. We can also help you with Virus Removal, Spyware Removal, a Slow Computer and general computer repair.