After Arby’s brought several new companies under its corporate umbrella in July 2005, Lipscomb says they needed one system that made it easy for all of their employees to connect to the internet. “Each company brought a solution; there were three or four systems out there. We had to pick one of those, or another solution. We considered hosting a modem bank of sorts, where the end-user provides their own internet access,” he says. However, Arby’s decided a ubiquitous connection product would be best for the 300 to 400 employees who need internet and corporate network access from outside the office. “We looked at competitors to iPass, but what we liked about [iPass] was their ability to integrate our VPN for security and give a common interface to people in the field,” he says.

One of the key benefits of iPass CorporateAccess is the fact that it does not require any technical expertise from the end-user, Lipscomb says. “It is a consistent and reliable way for these people to connect. These are not technology people. [CorporateAccess] is not hard to use. Any company with a field staff can use this.”

Pricing for CorporateAccess is based on a per-user pricing model. The first 100 users cost $100 a month. Fees increase by $200 a month per every 50 users added. At 250 users, the fee goes up to $1,000. Five hundred users runs at a cost of $1,750 per month. There is also a one-time service start fee, which includes customization and training.

Another remote access option for quick-serve operations offers less features, but can deliver some of the basic remote operation features at little to no cost.

LogMeIn, Inc. offers several different remote-access services that can be used by traveling employees. Their ground-floor service, LogMeIn Free, is free, obviously. Although it does not allow employees to connect to any available internet connection for free, it does allow users who have their own internet connection to access a remote computer and control it as if they were sitting in front of it.

Users download a free applet from www.logmein.com, and they can then access that computer from any other internet-connected computer using a provided username and password. The login information is encrypted, and LogMeIn ensures that the connection is secure through its own gateway before allowing users to access their home or office computer.

This service, and others like it, allows users to use all the applications present on the remotely-controlled computer. LogMeIn works on any browser-capable device, including personal data assistants and cellphones.

Half of the over 3 million LogMeIn Free users are home users, which includes high-level executives. The other half, according to LogMeIn’s Joseph Eckert, are outsourced IT managers. These experts can use the service to remotely fix a client’s computer as if they were sitting next to the user with a computer problem.

LogMeIn Pro, priced at $12.95 per month for single personal computers and $59.95 per year for 2 to 10 computers, provides users with file transfer, file sharing, printing, and multiple-user connection options.

Corporate IT professionals can also use LogMeIn Scout, which is the only service of its kind, Eckert says.

Scout, which is also free, allows IT managers to manage the options available to those using other LogMeIn products on the company network. It can also block access to the network from LogMeIn services, or similar services. Managers can use the tool to set what parameters they want for network activity when employees are accessing work computers from home.

With these options, quick-service professionals can always be at the office. Depending on the size and needs of your operation, there is a wide range of services that can allow traveling and off-site employees safe and effective access to important network resources and information.