From WebEx (now a part of Cisco Systems), the PCNow utility is targeted to individuals / telecommuters and/or small businesses and provides the ability to remotely access and use up to 10 PCs or Macs via the Web. An enterprise level version--PCNow Enterprise--is targeted to admins wishing to provide the service to their employees (more than 10 users).

Users can connect to their remote PCs (the ones that will be accessed and controlled) from either another PC, or a data-enabled mobile phone (the vendor states that any phone that can browse to a Web site will do the trick). When accessing from a Windows PC, you need either Firefox with Java enabled, or Internet Explorer with ActiveX enabled. When connecting from a Mac, you'll need Safari 1.3+ (2.0+ recommended) or Firefox 2.0+.

To use WebEx PCNow, a user first opens an account on the WebEx PCNow Web site. Once logged in, the user is provided access to the Setup Wizard, which they launch from the remote PC (the one they want to access). This setup wizard downloads and installs an agent that runs on that PC.

At a remote location, the user navigates to the WebEx PCNow site and logs into their account. From there, they can connect to the remote PC they had previously setup through their Web browser connection, via an automatically downloaded browser plug-in. Once connected, they can access the desktop and use the applications of the remote PC. An always-on Internet connection is, of course, required on the remote PC for live connections; though the product also features online storage space and automatic synchronization so that key files can still be accessed even if the remote PC is not connected to the Internet. All communications between the local and remote PC are protected via SSL encryption (128 bit).

Features of WebEx PCNow include the ability to copy and paste content between the local and remote PC, blank the remote PC's video screen, lock the remote PC's keyboard while accessing it, transfer files to and from the remote PC, print documents from the remote PC to a local printer, and view usage reports of remote access sessions. Additionally, a key (optional) security feature is "phone-back" authentication: When connecting to the remote PC, you can configure your account such that the WebEx server first calls your phone number and requests that you enter a passcode before providing access.

WebEx PCNow is available now. Pricing ranges from $12.95/month for remote control of 1 PC to $59.95/month for remote control of 10 PCs; prices that can be reduced ($10.35 to $47.95) with the purchase of annual contracts. A one-month free trial is also available.

Contact the vendor for PCNow Enterprise pricing and further information.