Remote Access vs Cloud Computing: The Similarities and Differences

Remote access vs cloud computing: which one should I choose?

“I own a small business and recently, I’m planning to ask half of my employees to work from home due to some reasons. For remote work, which service should I use, remote access vs cloud computing? Can anyone specify the similarities and differences between the two?”

Remote access vs cloud computing: what are the similarities and differences?

Here in this part, we’ll introduce the similarities and differences of cloud computing vs remote access. Before this, let’s learn what remote access and cloud computing are respectively.  

What are remote access and cloud computing?

Remote access is normally referred to as Remote Desktop. It allows users to access a specific desktop and all the files, applications, and data related to that desktop from a remote location with the help of remote desktop software, like AnyViewer.

Cloud computing can be used to store files and apps on remote servers and then allows users to access the material via the Internet. Data files can be downloaded to remote machines from anywhere using cloud technologies.

What are the similarities between remote access and cloud computing?

Before navigating to the differences between remote access and cloud services, let’s look at their similarities first:

• ☞Both remote access and cloud computing allow users to access data and information remotely.
• ☞Because users can access data stored remotely, whether, on a physical machine or a virtual server, there is no need to manage end-user devices and applications.
• ☞The existence of strict security controls and authentication processes ensures data security, even if end-user devices fail.

What are the differences between remote access and cloud computing?

Finally, we are going to specify the differences between remote access and cloud computing.

• ☞Security

With remote access solutions like AnyViewer, the files remain on-premise, on the original computer, and the remote session supports remotely viewing and controlling the on-premise computer via a secure remote viewing/streaming session.

With cloud technologies, data files can be downloaded to remote computers. This can introduce some risk without proper device security features to protect any local copies of files, whether actively downloaded by the remote user or cached when files are opened and viewed.

• ☞User numbers

With remote desktop software, only a limited number of users can access a given machine at any given point in time. But with cloud services, several thousand users can access cloud resources simultaneously.

• ☞Efficiency

Remote access allows you to complete certain tasks which are not possible for cloud computing.  For example, if you want to perform security updates, fix computer problems, or simply update particular settings of a remote computer, you’ll need to have full control of that computer. This is possible for remote access, but not cloud computing.

How to remotely access another computer via AnyViewer

If you want to remotely access another computer via remote desktop software, here we’ll take AnyViewer as an example to show you how to do this. It’s worth mentioning that AnyViewer also provides users with unattended remote access. As long as both computers are logged in to the same account, you can easily connect one to another with one click. Let’s see how to make this happen.   

Step 1. Download, install, and launch AnyViewer on both computers.

Step 2. Go to Log in, and then click Sign up. (If you already have signed up on its official website, you can log in directly.)

Step 3. Fill in the signup information.

Step 4. Then you can see you successfully logged in to AnyViewer. Your device will automatically be assigned to the account you've logged in to.

Step 5. Log in to the same AnyViewer account on the two devices, then click One-click control to achieve unattended remote access.

Conclusion

If you are a business owner and need to find the right solution to make remote work possible for your employees, you’ll have certain ideas after reading this post. Here in this post, we listed the similarities and differences between remote access and cloud computing. You can choose one according to your own needs.