Proxy is less of a remote access package and more of a remote support application, but going significantly beyond the feature set of other products.
It is specifically designed for experienced remote support staff and provides an abundance of features.
The software is designed for a wide variety of environments, including seamless operation across firewalls, and supports a wide range of time-saving features, such as recursive directory copying and auto-clipboard saving.
The software operates with a small system footprint, and has a range of security options including ID/passwords, authentication and encryption facilities. Funk has also added the support of TCP to the product, allowing Proxy to interoperate with firewalls easier. The product still supports the UDP and the IPX protocol.
Security even extends to the validation of IP addresses, allowing IT managers to limit access to end users' PCs based on the IP address of the user requesting the link.
We were impressed with the software's support for recursive directory copying. It allows multiple files and entire directories to be copied securely across the remote/local connection with a single command.
A more advanced, though specialized, version of Proxy - Proxy Remote Control Gateway (PRCG) - is available, which, as the name implies, is a remote control and screen monitoring system.
Initially, we were hard pressed to see the need for Proxy when compared to other packages, but the reason is that the security features set it apart from the rest of the pack. Security privileges can be set on a macro or granular basis. Suppose you want to specify who can operate a file transfer or file printing function, right down to specific user IDs on the remote support workstation. With Proxy you can without using multiple versions of the same package on a single machine.
Funk has also taken user security very seriously, including support for authentication at all levels, as well as time and date lockdown of almost every function. It is possible to limit full access to a remote PC to office hours, and restrict functionality during at other times.
Overall, we were impressed with Proxy, which we see being of great use in small and medium-sized companies' support operations.