The feature sets of all five products are good and their integration with Microsoft Windows is excellent. At least for now, however, these packages are not integrated into systems management or network management tools and that makes their claims of "enterprise" readiness not altogether valid. Yet, for helpdesks and network administrators tasked with keeping users up and running, these products are invaluable. If your helpdesk is servicing a far-reaching enterprise, you'd do well to consider any one of these products.

We tested these remote control software packages using Windows 32-bit operating systems across LAN (IP/IPX) and modem-to-modem connections. We found that guest PCs could remotely control host PCs without regard to whether the operating system was Windows 95, 98 or NT. This was a pleasant surprise and proof that this new generation of remote control products has fully embraced Microsoft Windows.

We also found that each of the products recognized and utilized hardware and software components installed under Windows. In our tests, we focused on installation and configuration tasks for end users and network administrators, which facilitated multiple communication links between guests and hosts. When all was said and done, we found that nothing is as good as being there, but the next best thing is Symantec's pcAnywhere, our Editor's Choice.

We tested the performance of these systems by scrutinizing screen refreshes and file transfers to provide a telemetry for remote control (see "How We Tested Enterprise Remote Control," page 74). We monitored guest packets received per second over the LAN and bytes received per second over a modem. Although this method lacked appropriate filters, we found NetOp Remote Control refreshed screens and transferred keyboard and mouse controls better than the rest of the field. We tested file transfer speed by moving various file sizes and types over LAN and modem. LapLink dominated this field with fast file transfers but pcAnywhere gave it stiff competition.

Because we required modem-to-modem connections, Netopia's Timbuktu Pro 32 could not participate in our tests. The same was true for ClickNet Software's ClickNet Professional, which uses Timbuktu's remote control technology.

Representatives for Computer Associates International's ControlIT and Artisoft's CoSession Remote 32 did not respond to our product calls. Compaq Computer Corp.'s Carbon Copy 32 is going through a major revision and opted out of our tests prior to releasing a new version. Vector's PCDuo, while a full-featured remote control product, came in too late to be included in our tests. We'll take a look at it in an upcoming issue.

The remote control products we did test were very evenly matched, as evidenced by our report card (below)--so evenly matched that it's likely that a feature unique to one product may appear in all products in the next quarter. Among the common features are printer redirection; file transfers supporting long file names and drag-and-drop functionality; easy mechanisms to secure a remote monitor, keyboard and mouse; and a switch to start a host program before Windows starts.

Not surprisingly, pricing for these products is extremely similar as well. The products ranged in price from $169 per user to $175 per user. While we did not use price as a ratings criteria, volume discounts for large corporate purchasers could obviously be significant. For this reason, volume pricing is included in the features chart (page 77). Government and education discounts were not used, but are available from all vendors. We looked at volume pricing using a 100:1 ratio and priced out 1,000 standard hosts and 10 guests for comparison. Funk Proxy 3.02 had the lowest price, at $15,250. LapLink and pcAnywhere were the highest at $46,020 and $45,610, respectively. NetOp, at $30,195, and ReachOut 8, at $28,280, were midpriced. Note that both pcAnywhere and ReachOut have LAN-only hosts that reduce their overall price by 30 percent to 40 percent.

Symantec's pcAnywhere comes closest to managing remote control in the enterprise. It provides a management console and Windows NT Domain and host authentication, and incorporates directory services and SNMP monitoring tools. CrossTec's NetOp Remote Control and StacSoftware's ReachOut for the Enterprise tied for the runner-up position and distinguished themselves in speed and security, respectively. LapLink.com's LapLink 2000 lacks an automated network installation but could be useful in an enterprise setting with many telecommuters who mainly need file transfer capabilities. Funk's Proxy ranked lowest because of its gaps in the area of manageability tasks.