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Ericom Launches Pure HTML5 RDP Client

Ericom has released AccessNow, a pure HTML5 remote desktop (RDP) client that runs within a Web browser without the need to install anything on the client device.

AccessNow provides accelerated remote access to applications and desktops running on Windows Terminal Services, remote desktop services (RDS), and virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI), including applications, remote desktops, VMware View desktops, virtual desktops running on Microsoft Hyper-V, and other hypervisors.

AccessNow works on any device with an HTML5-capable browser, such as Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Opera, and others, without the use of browser plugins, Java, Flash, ActiveX, Silverlight, or other underlying technology. Internet Explorer is also supported, although it does require the Chrome Frame plugin. AccessNow uses only the standard Web technologies: HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

Ericom is targeting this client software at educational institutions. AccessNow can provide students, staff, and teachers with browser-based access to school resources from home, dorms, labs, or anywhere else with Internet access. Users simply open their Web browser, enter the address of the AccessNow Server at their school, enter their logon credentials, and click Connect. Once they are connected, the browser window shows the application or desktop, and they can interact with it as if they were sitting in front of the computer at school.

This approach helps IT administrators maintain centralized control of school resources. It also enables students and staff to use any Internet-enabled device, including smartphones, tablets, and Chromebooks, to do their work anywhere and anytime.

Key features of AccessNow include:

  • Support for Intel x86, ARM, or any other CPU architecture;
  • Ability to act as a high-performance gateway for WebSockets, which enables secure remote access to virtual desktops and terminal servers from outside the firewall;
  • Native SSL-secure data transfer for any operating system;
  • WebSocket and HTML5 technologies to display remote desktops; and
  • Architecture that uses only standard Web technologies, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

There are three ways to try AccessNow:

Ericom offers special discount pricing plans for educational institutions. Further information about Ericom AccessNow can be found on the company's site.

About the Author

Leila Meyer is a technology writer based in British Columbia. She can be reached at [email protected].

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