The Remote Desktop Connection feature is available only in the Professional edition and is disabled by default. Once we enabled it from the "remote" option in the system properties we could control hosts using Remote Desktop Client (RDC) software. RDC is preinstalled on XP computers, but it can also be added using the setup program from the XP installation CD or downloaded from Microsoft's Web site. Note that a master can make multiple outbound connections to monitor more than one host at a time, but only one master can monitor any single host. In short, one-to-many is OK. Many-to-one is not.
When you engage the remote desktop, the local machine is automatically locked to prevent anyone from making changes during the control session. You can optimize slower connections by adjusting the desktop size and display settings, and you can transfer files by copying and pasting them. Remote Desktop lives up to its name. Local drives, printers and serial ports were available; we could even play audio files on the host and enjoy them on the master. We were impressed, but it didn't seem to help Bob Dylan's voice much.
Remote Assistance is one of the coolest features we've seen from Redmond since Windows for Workgroups. It lets local and remote users see and control the same screen in real time. Here's how it works. A "novice" looking for help clicks on the "Help and Support Center" tab in the Start Menu to seek an "expert." There are three ways of calling for help: Invitation using MSN Messenger, an e-mail invitation using Outlook Express or by sending a file. Messenger lets the so-called expert, or master, take immediate control of the computer requesting help. The other options are less than immediate.
The expert answering an e-mail invitation has to open an attachment containing a 904-byte file called RAInvitation.msrcIncident to engage in remote control. For security, Remote Assistance lets you select an expiration period for the invitation, and you can require a password.
These applications cannot be compared with some of the advanced products, but the package is included in the Windows XP installation package. As a result, it will get wide distribution and, unless it gets better, little use. The estimated cost to manually support 2,500 desktops over a three-year period at best would be greater than $650,000, at worst $5.5 million, according to Gartner. This is based on the number, complexity and types of calls and the time needed to address each call. It does not include costs of dispatching technicians, user downtime, and the salaries of support personnel, who comprise the bulk--35.9 percent--of internal IT staffers.
Remote Assistance feature in Microsoft Windows XP, included in OS. Microsoft, (800) 936-5700, (425) 882-8080.
www.microsoft.com
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