A remote desktop company has been awarded a $15 million grant from the Ontario government to help it provide a “one stop shop” for people wanting to remotely access their home computers.
The program was launched in April, and aims to support home owners who need to access their PCs from a computer in another room, and provide them with a way to remotely install a software update, install software and more.
“This is a very, very significant grant, given the number of PCs that are out there that are in the home that don’t have this functionality,” says Marc DeMarco, president of the Remote Desktop Technology Association, which has been working to bring remote desktop services to Ontario.
The Ontario government will match up to 25 per cent of the cost of the program.
DeMarco says remote desktop service companies like Honeecom, Gopher and NetLogic, which have built their businesses on the premise that remote desktop applications will replace desktop computers, are also part of the grant.
“The government really wants to help them to do that, so they really are helping them to build a more streamlined and secure way to manage their home,” DeMarco said.
The remote desktop program is being funded through the Ontario Ministry of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, and the Ministry of Labour.
HoneeCom is one of the companies that will receive funding, and has also been awarded the Innovation Excellence Program.
It has been helping businesses and organizations build remote desktop solutions, such as allowing employees to control the PCs remotely.
The company has partnered with Ontario’s IT department to provide a $10,000 grant to help fund remote desktop support.
The other companies are NetLogica, Gopro, Honeech and Honeeco. “
And we’re also going to work with the Ministry [of Labour] to help IT professionals get remote access, so that they’re able to work remotely.”
The other companies are NetLogica, Gopro, Honeech and Honeeco.
The government says remote office access services will be offered to people over the age of 16, with access starting in the next few years.
With files from The Canadian Press
