Symantec pcAnywhere

Introduction

Symantec pcAnywhere is a remote access solution that allows users to control their PCs and servers remotely from another location. It was designed for help desks and IT administrators in small businesses, medium-sized organizations, and large enterprises alike, and provided a secure way to remotely access, manage, and support multiple PCs and servers. Symantec discontinued the product in May 2014 and ended support in November 2015, so it is no longer developed or sold.

Symantec pcAnywhere allows users to securely access and manage remote computers over any network connection.

Features

• Remote Access: With pcAnywhere, users can access and control their PCs from another location over a local network or the Internet. It also allows users to transfer files between the host and the remote computer.

• Network Security: pcAnywhere is designed to keep data secure with strong encryption and authentication. It supports AES encryption with 128-, 192- and 256-bit keys and can authenticate users with Active Directory, Windows or its own pcAnywhere accounts.

• Remote Administration: pcAnywhere provides users with the ability to remotely administer their PCs. Its Remote Management tools give direct access to utilities of the host system such as the Command Prompt, Task Manager and Services.

• Remote Support: pcAnywhere makes it easy to provide remote support to end-users. Unlike a separate Remote Desktop session, it lets the technician see the user's own desktop in view-only or full control mode, transfer files, and chat with users.

• File Transfer: pcAnywhere allows users to easily and securely transfer files between computers. File transfer can be switched off by the administrator, and sessions can be recorded for later review.

• Deployment and Gateway: The pcAnywhere Packager builds custom installation packages with preset options, and the pcAnywhere Gateway helps remote users reach hosts located behind firewalls.

Conclusion

Symantec pcAnywhere was a secure and widely used remote access solution for small businesses, medium-sized organizations, and large enterprises. It provided users with the ability to access, manage, and support their PCs from another location. After its source code was leaked in 2012, Symantec asked users to stop using the program until it was patched, and the product was retired in 2014.