Ericom Software

Ericom Software, Inc., founded in 1993, is located in Closter, New Jersey, and provides software for enterprise-wide application access and application publishing for server-based computing environments, (Citrix-like Ericom Connect), Microsoft Windows Terminal Services management, Remote Desktop Services (RDS) management, (via the Remote Desktop Protocol, RDP), Blade PCs, Virtual Desktops (VDI, Virtual Desktop Infrastructure or Desktop Virtualization) running on hypervisors from VMware, Oracle VM, Microsoft Hyper-V, Microsoft Virtual Server, Citrix XenServer, Parallels Virtuozzo Containers, and other Xen-based hypervisors, as well as, PC/browser-based 3270 and 5250 terminal emulation, thin-client computing and Linux desktops. Support is also provided for Microsoft's RemoteFX technology and PC-over-IP (PCoIP).

Overview

Ericom offers Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) acceleration and compression technology, Ericom Blaze, which improves the display and delivery of graphics rich content over a WAN (wide area network), high latency connections and networks with limited bandwidth. Ericom Blaze accelerates RDP connections from Windows, and has a Mac RDP client, Linux RDP client, Windows CE RDP client, iPad RDP client, iPhone RDP client, iOS RDP client, OS X RDP client and Android RDP client. Ericom Blaze improves the performance of Adobe PDF content transmitted with RDP from Terminal Servers and improves performance of Autodesk AutoCAD and Autodesk Revit graphics transmitted with RDP from Terminal Servers to a variety of devices including iPads.^[1] Ericom Blaze accelerates RDP sessions accessed through a VMware View connection broker.

Ericom Connect increases the scalability, usability, flexibility and manageability of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services (Terminal Servers). Users have secure access to Windows RDS applications and desktops from an iPad, iOS RDS access, Android device, Windows, Mac RDS access, Linux and Windows CE.

Ericom offers a free Mobile RDP Client for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Android phones and tablets. Ericom AccessToGo delivers fast and secure access to Windows applications and desktops running on terminal servers, virtual desktops and physical workstations. There is also a free version of AccessToGo a remote desktop / RDP client app for Google Chrome and Chromebooks, using native Chrome (NaCl) technology.

Ericom introduced the market's first pure HTML5 RDP client, AccessNow, providing access to applications and desktops running on Windows Terminal Services / RDS / VDI platforms, including Windows applications, remote desktops, and virtual desktops running on Microsoft Hyper-V and other hypervisors. AccessNow also supports HTML5 browser access to the Remote Desktop RD Connection Broker (RDCB) in Windows Server 2008 R2 Remote Desktop Services. AccessNow is a clientless RDP or web RDP technology.

Running entirely within a browser, AccessNow works natively with Google Chrome, Chromebooks, Chromebox, Safari, Internet Explorer, Firefox and any other browser with HTML5 and WebSocket support. HTML5 browsers can run on desktops, laptops, tablets, iPad (enabling Flash to run on an iPad), and SmartPhones. This enables organizations (companies, schools, universities, hospitals, government agencies) to allow BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) initiatives.

HTML5 solutions such as Ericom AccessNow and Ericom Connect have also been identified as key technologies in enabling Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity in that they empower users of any device, for example mobile devices such as iPad and Android, in addition to traditional Windows and Mac, to access key resources during a disaster. Vendors cannot afford to develop native applications for each platform. HTML5 is part of the solution to get users redeployed quickly and securely. "The emergence of HTML5 holds great promise to address those requirements without additional infrastructure."^[2]

In one of the first customer reviews of Google Chromebooks, the City of Orlando reported on their testing of 600 Chromebooks as part of a broader study related to accessing virtual desktops.^[3] Ericom AccessNow was an integral component of this environment in enabling users to access virtual desktops.

Ericom AccessNow has been deployed at schools to enable student and faculty access to Windows applications and desktops from Google Chromebooks. Richland School District Two is deploying browser-based access to 30,000 students using Ericom AccessNow at 35 K-12 schools as part of the district's "1 Two 1" initiative to make computers available to every student in grade 3 through 12. ^[4] Ericom also has HTML5 clients for VMware View and Quest vWorkspace, AccessNow for VMware View and AccessNow for vWorkspace, running wholly within the browser, that enable seamless access to Quest vWorkspace and VMware View virtual desktops.^[5][6] The Virtual Desktop Infrastructure solution works natively with Google Chrome, Safari and other browsers with HTML5 and WebSocket support. The solution does not require Java, Flash, Silverlight or any other underlying technology.

Ericom offers an HTML5 Client, AccessNow for Citrix, that delivers browser-based access to Windows desktops and applications hosted on Citrix XenApp (4.5 and higher) and XenDesktop, from Chromebooks and any other endpoint device with any HTML5 browser.

Ericom offers a free cloud service that allows users to access Internet Explorer from a Chrome browser thereby enabling Chromebook and Chromebox users to browse sites that are not compatible with Chrome and that require IE, such as WebEx and GoToMeeting. This service can be accessed from the Google Chrome web store.

History

Ericom Software was founded in 1993 and initially developed Terminal emulation (IBM 5250, IBM 3270) products; later expanding to offer solutions for Server-based Computing, VDI and Web-to-Host Connectivity. Butler Group, a provider of Information Technology research, analysis, and advice has covered Ericom's technology.^{[7] [8]}

In November, 2007 Ericom delivered the first Terminal Services solution to be certified by Microsoft for Windows Server 2008. Tony de Freitas, Director of Windows Server marketing at Microsoft confirmed that "Ericom has introduced the first Terminal Services application that takes full advantage of the security and solid foundation of Windows Server 2008". ^[9] Ericom is the only third-party software promoted by Microsoft for Presentation Virtualization on Terminal Services (Remote Desktop Services) ^[10]

Analysts and industry product reviewers often compare Ericom's virtualization technology to offerings from Microsoft, Citrix, VMware, Systancia and Red Hat (Qumranet). ^{[11] [12]}

Ericom was also listed as the 46th fastest growing technology company in Israel during 2005 by Deloitte.^[13]

Competition

Ericom positions its Ericom Connect solutions as an alternative to Citrix XenApp, formerly Citrix Presentation Server, and Citrix XenDesktop, and introduced AccessNow an HTML5 browser based access product to Windows applications and desktops as an alternative to Citrix Receiver and VMware AppBlast and Systancia AppliDis. Ericom has an alternative connection broker to VMware View desktop virtualization (VDI). Ericom's PowerTerm terminal emulator is an alternative to Attachmate Reflection for 5250 emulation and 3270 emulation.

External links

• Ericom Software Home Page

References

• Brian Madden. "A deeper look at Ericom's "AccessNow" HTML5 client. Why wait for Citrix & VMware? This thing is out now & works with View and vWorkspace.". TechTarget. Retrieved 2012-01-31. 
• Randy George. "VDI Rolling Review: Ericom's WebConnect Goes Above And Beyond". Network Computing. Retrieved 2010-03-10. 
• Charles Babcock. "Ericom Poses As Desktop Virtualization 'Alternative To Citrix'". InformationWeek. Retrieved 2008-05-21. 
• Randy George. "Virtual Desktops Are For Real". InformationWeek. Retrieved 2009-11-07. 
• "Ericom Server-Based Computing / VDI News, Support, and Training Resources". Douglas Albert Brown Computer Company. Retrieved 2007-10-02. 
• Paula Musich. "Array, Ericom Team Up Against Citrix". eWeek. Retrieved 2007-11-14. 
• Wilco van Bragt. "Ericom PowerTerm WebConnect 5.5". VanBragt.Net SBC Centre. Retrieved 2007-10-02. 
• Richard Pizzi, (August 2007). "Bidding farewell to desktops". Healthcare IT News. Retrieved 2007-10-02.