As a company, Parallels has been responsible for breaking down a number of barriers in its fourteen years of existence. Company’s impressive software has managed to bridge the gap between the world’s two most popular desktop operating systems by allowing Windows applications to run almost seamlessly on computers running Apple’s OS X. Its Parallels Access for iPad app released last year took things a little further by allowing Windows and Mac apps to run on an Apple iPad. Not wanting to rest on that success, the company has raised the bar again by extending the Parallels Access functionality to grant virtual access to a remote PC or Mac directly from an iPhone or an Android device.
Using an iPad to act as a virtual window to a remote Mac or PC with the intention of executing applications installed on that machine isn’t anything new. The Parallels Access mobile app has been offering that exact functionality for quite some time. However, the latest update to version 2.0.0 sees the software move across to a universal status meaning that it is now fully compatible with the iPhone as well as Android devices.
It’s immediately evident that a lot of work has been put into the latest updates to ensure that navigation around the remote computer is as seamless as possible on a device with very little screen real estate in comparison. The iOS version of Parallels Access comes equipped with a special desktop launcher section that allows installed applications to be executed.
Its Android counterpart on the other hand has the ability to display all desktop application icons directly on the home screen of the device for launch. Both iterations of the software also incorporate a magnifying glass type feature to ensure that the user successfully selects the required area of the desktop. Parallels have named this the SmartTap functionality.
New security features mean that the user now has the ability to black out the screen of the remotely accessed computer as well as mute all audio on the machine. Standard computer login procedures are also honored when connecting remotely meaning that existing security protocols are adhered too. To top it all off Parallels have also reduced the price of using the Access service. Users can now access up to five computers from an unlimited number of mobile devices for just $19.99 per annum, down from the previous $79.99 per-machine price point that Access launched with.
Download:
Parallels Access for iOS
Parallels Access for Android
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