IT never ever fails to amaze me. Just when you think it has all been done, something innovative comes along and just blows you away. Compound that with the fact that you've been looking for something like it.
So my folks at home, far far away had a big spyware problem with the PC and as I was the only one who fixed it before I relocated, they sent out cries of help. Now its an interesting situation... I can connect to the internet from a cybercafe with a public IP address while they were on a PPPoE link with a natted private IP address. In simple words, I could not connect to them directly. That made every remote management option, PC Anywhere, VNC [Tight, Ultra or otherwise] and the "famed" Microsoft Remote Desktop go out of the window.
And I just wondered.... what if it can be done over the internet, irrespective of firewalls, network architecture, protocols etc.......
ENTER CrossLoop!!!!
CrossLoop is "a consumer Internet company that empowers everyone to help someone anywhere in the world with its free and easy-to-use software application for desktop sharing. CrossLoop connects computer users with trusted, qualified service providers and friends who can provide the support they need quickly and conveniently."
So that is the equivalent of turning the internet into one big helpdesk. The company intends to play host to a large number of Technical experts, like ExpertExchange, but who can actually log into your computer and help you with your problems.
The company intends to build a business model around it which would enable homemakers, students, friends, tech help consultants all help other people in need of tech help and get paid for it.
As far as security is concerned, even though this allows a remote user to log into your machine, your presence in front of your machine is essential. That keeps you alert for misuse or information theft, because you can see what happening on your PC.
And as far as marketing speil is concerned, CrossLoop floored me with this:
"Inherently, there is tremendous potential for knowledge to be transferred – a grandparent who has been taught how to edit and post videos online should be able to take that knowledge to a peer. With CrossLoop, you can teach someone (or even a class) remotely. CrossLoop shrinks distances – between countries and between those who have and do not have expertise. In the process, we reduce our carbon footprint!"
I know, the purists are gonna scream "BUT WHAT ABOUT SECURITY??" The people at CrossLoop have really thought about this, judging from the slick FAQ they wrote about security, covering every aspect from the security of the download to the security of the connection.
But then, coming back to my specific problem, I found the concept real neat. I've still to try this with my home PC. But this is gonna be very very exciting to watch in the future.
So my folks at home, far far away had a big spyware problem with the PC and as I was the only one who fixed it before I relocated, they sent out cries of help. Now its an interesting situation... I can connect to the internet from a cybercafe with a public IP address while they were on a PPPoE link with a natted private IP address. In simple words, I could not connect to them directly. That made every remote management option, PC Anywhere, VNC [Tight, Ultra or otherwise] and the "famed" Microsoft Remote Desktop go out of the window.
And I just wondered.... what if it can be done over the internet, irrespective of firewalls, network architecture, protocols etc.......
ENTER CrossLoop!!!!
CrossLoop is "a consumer Internet company that empowers everyone to help someone anywhere in the world with its free and easy-to-use software application for desktop sharing. CrossLoop connects computer users with trusted, qualified service providers and friends who can provide the support they need quickly and conveniently."
So that is the equivalent of turning the internet into one big helpdesk. The company intends to play host to a large number of Technical experts, like ExpertExchange, but who can actually log into your computer and help you with your problems.
The company intends to build a business model around it which would enable homemakers, students, friends, tech help consultants all help other people in need of tech help and get paid for it.
As far as security is concerned, even though this allows a remote user to log into your machine, your presence in front of your machine is essential. That keeps you alert for misuse or information theft, because you can see what happening on your PC.
And as far as marketing speil is concerned, CrossLoop floored me with this:
"Inherently, there is tremendous potential for knowledge to be transferred – a grandparent who has been taught how to edit and post videos online should be able to take that knowledge to a peer. With CrossLoop, you can teach someone (or even a class) remotely. CrossLoop shrinks distances – between countries and between those who have and do not have expertise. In the process, we reduce our carbon footprint!"
I know, the purists are gonna scream "BUT WHAT ABOUT SECURITY??" The people at CrossLoop have really thought about this, judging from the slick FAQ they wrote about security, covering every aspect from the security of the download to the security of the connection.
But then, coming back to my specific problem, I found the concept real neat. I've still to try this with my home PC. But this is gonna be very very exciting to watch in the future.
