Parallels Access 2.5

Parallels Access is a powerful remote access application created to allow users to access their computers remotely, from their portable devices or from another computer through a secure Parallels account with a browser or a proprietary app.

Parallels Access comes with unique features meant to make this app an undeniably effective remote access solution. Among these features, the most remarkable one is the Applification™ technology that lets you use all your desktop applications as if they were native apps for your iPhone, iPad, or Android device. There's also a powerful file manager that lets you share files across multiple locations and devices, while using cloud-based services (Dropbox) is also possible.

Unfortunately, my personal experience with using Parallels Access wasn't so great. I was expecting a simple and decently straightforward manner of accessing a remote computer from another PC, but I couldn't find one from the main interface of Parallels Access' agent, though some mentioning of using a web browser to perform this task exists on its official webpage. I understand that this tool was developed with the primary purpose of allowing remote access to computers from mobile devices like smart phones, but I still think that a more intuitive way of providing computer-to-computer access is necessary, or if already available, at least better explained.

I don't think I'm an inexperienced computer user, but this tool made me feel like a complete beginner, and this is even more surprising when considering that the desktop client of Parallels Access comes with a rather minimalistic interface. Anyway, that's not all. When I connected to my computer using Parallels Access from my Android-powered smartphone, my desktop's screen resolution automatically got changed to an unusable one, and both my computer and my phone started being intolerable slow. I couldn't make proper use of the otherwise cool aforementioned Applification™ technology, and that was quite a letdown.

Anyway, my entire experience with Parallels Access was a letdown, but still, this doesn't mean that you should also disregard it completely. In your case, it may still prove to be exactly what you needed, as it comes with incontestably cool features.

v2.5 [Jan 15, 2015]
Latest version enables even better management of Mac computers in corporate environments, with improved security capabilities that allow for control over Mac computers
Renton, WA, USA, and Barcelona, Spain – October 23, 2014 – Parallels® has launched an update to Parallels Mac Management (parallels.com/mac-management), the product that extends Microsoft® System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) functionality to Mac® computers. Parallels Mac Management enables IT departments to discover, enroll and manage Mac machines just as they do existing PCs – all through a single pane of glass.
Taking Mac management further than native SCCM, this latest version offers new software distribution capabilities that benefit both IT administrators and end users, including the ability for Mac users to install approved software, features for planning hardware refresh cycles accurately, improvements that empower IT administrators to make their Mac computers more secure using advanced encryption techniques, and a streamlined process for enrolling Mac computers in SCCM on large corporate networks.
Parallels tackles the perennial problem of Mac management head-on with Parallels Mac Management 3.1, enabling everyone from IT administrators to system architects to CIOs to leverage their current SCCM infrastructure and extend it to Mac without unnecessary costs.
Users are empowered to:
Manage and control Mac computers by leveraging their existing SCCM infrastructure, resources and talent
Gain full visibility into the Mac computers coming onto their networks
Take control and take action on those machines as they would on PCs – all while working in the same familiar environment
Easily leverage Mac technologies, such as the configuration manager, to secure Mac computers
Deploy and manage Parallels Desktop Enterprise Edition, as well as other virtual machines – key for Mac users who need access to business-critical Windows apps
Introduces the ability to manage Macs running Mac OS X 10.10 Yosemite, via Microsoft SCCM
“Features and improvements made in this latest version of Parallels Mac Management for SCCM were added in direct response to requests from customers and prospects, and we are very excited to bring a product to market that will make IT administrators’ lives easier,” said Jack Zubarev, Parallels President. “We know that managing Macs in the enterprise can feel like a lawless wild west, and we are working to change that by offering products that make configuration, deployment and overall management of Macs in business environments more efficient and secure.”
A recent winner of Microsoft’s Best of TechEd 2014 award in the Systems Management category, Parallels Mac Management 3.1 includes a number of new features:
Application Portal for Mac, which allows Mac users to install approved software even without administrative rights
Mac warranty (AppleCare) status reporting, which lets IT plan hardware refresh cycles better
Support for unique FileVault 2 personal recovery keys and the ability to escrow these keys, which increases security by encrypting Mac computers on the network
Support for PKI and HTTPS, which enables support for an SCCM infrastructure operating in secure HTTPS mode
Network discovery UI improvements, which enable the use of SCCM site boundary information in network discovery configuration settings—this means huge time savings for IT administrators who need to scan large corporate networks
Additional features include:
Asset Inventory
Scan the corporate network automatically to discover Mac computers, then auto-enroll them in SCCM
Gather hardware and software inventory of all Mac machines on the network
Leverage native Microsoft SCCM reports to view information about Mac computers
Configuration Management
Enforce compliance via extended SCCM configuration items: Mac OS X configuration profiles and shell scripts
Software and Patch Deployment
Central management and installation of software packages and patches
Support for deployment of a wide range of software packages: .dmg, .pkg, .iso, .app, scripts, and stand-alone files
Support for silent deployment and deployment with user interaction