LogMeIn brings feeling of closeness

A major update of LogMeIn’s remote access service aims to make viewing and controlling a remote system feel as close as possible to sitting in front of it, according to the firm. The new version offers an improved user interface and the ability to simply drag and drop files between the remote and local systems.

Due at the end of September, the LogMeIn update boasts simplified menus and controls, plus the ability to customise many features. It also enables the user to hear sounds played on the remote host computer. Along with drag-and-drop support, these are the main enhancements users had asked for, the company said.

“Our customers are not shy about asking for improvements, and we’ve managed to work in the top requests,” said Kevin Farrell, vice president of digital living at LogMeIn.

The user interface is a “pretty dramatic” change, Farrell said, with plenty of pop-up help and all functions just one or two mouse clicks away. Some features have been renamed, with Guest Invite becoming Mini Meeting because users were uncertain of its function, and the service also supports Quick Clips, short videos that show how to use some features.

Drag-and-drop file transfer between desktops lets users quickly fetch a file from the remote host to the one they are sitting at. “If you have a large presentation, sometimes it is easier to work with it locally,” said Farrell.

While LogMeIn already supports a file transfer function, drag-and-drop means users don’t have to switch away from the remote control viewer to move files, Farrell added. Along similar lines, Drive Mapping lets users connect drives to the remote host so they can be accessed easily. “If you press ‘connect drives’, it will connect your local drives to the remote system, and then you will be able to see them in File Manager,” Farrell said.

The ability to bring sound from the host to the local system is another important addition. “You can fire up iTunes on the host, for example, and the music will play on the local system with the same quality,” said Farrell. The volume on the remote host is automatically muted to avoid disturbing anyone that may be near it, if it is an office PC, for example.

The new platform will be common across several of the services LogMeIn offers, including LogMeIn Pro and IT Reach for remote administration. Users of the LogMeIn Ignition tool that runs from a removable storage drive will also be able to upgrade, LogMeIn said.

Apart from the user interface improvements, the new features will not be available to those using the LogMeIn Free service, which offers remote control for free.

“We wanted to make it a little more interesting for users of Free to upgrade. They are missing out on more features than before,” said Farrell. LogMeIn is offering a discount of 40 per cent on LogMeIn Pro subscriptions before the end of September, he added.