Citrix boosts remote access

Citrix releases update to GoToMyPC remote access service today

Citrix Online will today release the latest version of its GoToMyPC remote access service. The update adds a host of improvements to assist workers accessing an office system remotely, including greater responsiveness, better support for remote printing, and support for Windows Vista.

GoToMyPC 6.0, available immediately, enables a worker to access the desktop of their Windows PC remotely from virtually any other computer with a browser and an Internet connection. The Corporate edition of GoToMyPC 6.0 includes management tools to govern employee access and audit remote control sessions.

The new version adds the ability to bring all sounds from the host computer to the guest computer, and the ability to synchronise and drag-and-drop files between the two systems. Performance tuning allows users to adjust display settings to get the best performance during a session, and the firm claims GoToMyPC as the fastest remote access service on the market.

Citrix Online's European managing director Simon Presswell said that the improvements were largely due to customer feedback. "Version 5 was very successful, but intensive research identified more features that users wanted," he said.

A Universal Print Driver improves support for remote printing, automatically recognising any printers attached to the local computer, while viewer support now extends to a wide range of platforms, including Windows, Linux, Solaris, and Mac OS. On the host side, only Windows is currently supported, although a Mac OS version is under development, Presswell said.

Other improvements address support for remote control of hosts with multiple monitors, with a feature called Mini-map that shows a picture-in-picture view of other screens and alerts to notify the user if a change occurs on any of them. Quick Connect & Reconnect provides users with a fast login shortcut from a trusted computer, such as a worker's home PC.