EnKoo &#151 Remote Access for the “M” in SMB

Remote access &#151 the ability to access company e-mail, applications, files and other data from any Web browser outside the office &#151 is a great productivity tool that many SMBs can’t do without. However it’s never been terribly easy or affordable to set up. And if your company is growing, leaving the small and moving into the medium-sized range of SMB, it could get a lot more expensive.

EnKoo, a Fremont, Calif.-based company known for its SMB remote access products, today announced the enKoo 3000, and aimed it squarely at medium-sized businesses.

EnKoo designed the 3000 for concurrent use &#151 to support companies that need to have anywhere from 25 to 200 remote employees able to access the company servers at the same time.

A 2U rack-mount appliance (“U” is a standard unit of measure &#151 1.75 inches &#151 for the height of computer enclosures and rack cabinets), the 3000 provides 128-bit SSL encryption authentication and password protection. According to Ajit Deora, enKoo’s CEO, the 3000 contains features found in IPSEC, VPN and GoToMyPC.com, but at a much lower price. “We took the best features of all three and made it affordable, says Deora.

Features
The company says that enKoo 3000 is simple to install and easy to deploy since it doesn’t require additional hardware or the complex installation of a VPN. Employees can access their PC or their company network through any Web browser &#151 so special client software install required. The appliance also integrates with LDAP/MS Active Directory, which, enKoo says, lets you maintain a single database of the remote employees and their profiles.

Also, Deora says that companies can buy add-on software that provides support for Citrix and MS Terminal Service. If a company has a Citrix server, for example, it can purchase enKoo’s Citrix Secure Connector, which will allow the remote users to access any applications stored on that server.

The enKoo 3000 was also designed to simplify IT repairs through its remote access capability. Should a remote employee require IT help, your IT team (whether in-house or outsourced) can access the employee’s computer through enKoo and make repairs.

Price Comparison

Designed for medium-sized businesses, the enKoo 3000 network appliance offers employees remote access to company PCs, servers, e-mail and software applications.

enKoo compares its pricing to two other competitors: Juniper Networks’ appliance, the Netscreen Remote Access 500and the online service, GoToMyPC.com. Both enKoo and Juniper Networks charge by the number of concurrent users while GoToMyPC.com charges per user account. Here’s how it shapes up:

&#8226Juniper Networks

25 users &#151 $5,500 flat fee

&#8226GoToMyPC.com

25 PC accounts &#151 $3,885 per year

&#8226enKoo

25 users &#151 $3,995 flat fee

Lauren Simonds is the managing editor of SmallBusinessComputing.com