home offices made a reality with the secure remote access solution hob rd vpn

Home Offices Made a Reality with the Secure Remote Access Solution HOB RD VPN

Remote Access

Secure Business Connectivity

2

Executive Summary 4

I Telecommuting and Home Offices: The Trend Continues towards Flexible Work Places 5

II A Win-Win-Situation for All Participants 10

The Benefits for Employers 12

The Benefits for Employees 17

General Benefits for Society 19

III Flexible and Secure Remote Access to Central Company Resources via VPN 22

Challenges 23

Basics of Remote Access to Central Company Resources 24

IV The Secure Remote Access Solution HOB RD VPN on SSL-Basis 28

A Quick Overview 29

Fast Connection from Home Offices to the Company Network for Companies of any Size 30

Easy Installation, Configuration and Administration 31

Comprehensive Protection of Company Resources 34


3

V Details of the Core Functions of HOB RD VPN for a Successful Home Office Concept 41

VI Conclusion 47

Interested ? 50

About HOB 51

Legal Note 52

Further Information 53

Sources/Picture Sources 54


4

Executive Summary

When employees are allowed to work

(full- or part-time) from their home office,

there are several benefits for all involved:

for the employee themself, but also for the

company and society in general. Studies

show that German companies, slowly but

steadily, are starting to believe in the suc-

cess of different work concepts, like tele-

commuting or home offices. Concerning

this topic, companies in other countries

however, are already one big step ahead.

The still hesitant approach to promote

home offices in Germany is partly due to

the lack of knowledge about profession-

ally making them a reality, as well as se-

curity concerns. This eBook is designed

to offer an overview of the current state

of home offices in Germany, to provide

arguments and to show how easy it is

to make this come true with the secure

remote access solution HOB RD VPN –

without having to compromise security

or operability.


5

I.

Telecommuting and Home Offices:

The Trend towards Flexible

Work Places Continues


6

The old dusty image of “telework” lies in

the past: Companies are coming to un-

derstand the various benefits of home

offices and telecommuting more and

more. Even the installation of home

offices/flexible work places due to new

technologies and solutions, as well as

extensive broadband internet access,

has become easily doable. At the same

time – contrary to past decades – there is

no longer any loss of performance when

working remotely.

What counts these days, particularly in

regard to business rivalry, are productivity

and efficiency. The following chapters

describe how telecommuting can bring

you one step closer to your target and

which benefits can arise for employees

and especially for employers. In this

eBook, we will show you how to idealy

realize such a concept with the secure

remote access solution HOB RD VPN.

“Telecommuting can be defined as decentralized

office tasks with the help of information- and

communication techniques“


7

A New (Working-) Society Evolves

Society is changing and so is the work-

ing world. The sinking birth rate and high-

er life expectancy also have an impact

on working society. In the long run, less

well-qualified staff will be available; these

shortcomings have to be compensated

for by other adequate means.

Globalization also plays a role: the

working world is becoming more

flexible; increasingly, colleagues living

in different time zones have to work

together and the expectations of the

customers seem to skyrocket (since there

are now more options and offers at hand).

The way we work, therefore, has to be

adapted to the new challenges. Hence,

there is a tendency for employees to work

longer hours and boundaries between

private life and work life seem to become

blurry. But a good work-life balance is

of great importance for most employees.

Therefore, successful companies employ

innovative work concepts, like for example

telecommuting/home offices, to establish

a healthy balance.


8

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%

Indien

Indonesien

Mexiko

Südafrika

Türkei

USA

Deutschland

Frankreich

Ungarn

Telearbeiter in 2011

Anteil in %

Worldwide, telecommuting/home office

is said to have a great potential in the

future. In the past few years, the number

of companies that allow their employees

to work based on such a concept has

risen rapidly. The estimated percentage of

companies offering telecommuting/home

offices in Germany for the year 2020 is

said to be at 81%. According to a study

by Ipsos however, currently only 12% of

questioned employees are able to work

from their home offices (full- or part time).

In the international comparison, Germany

is still occupying a place at the end of

the scale. This finding is illustrated by

the following graphic. A backlog demand

exists, as not to miss the connection to

the global leaders.

Figure 1: Percentage of Teleworkers in Different Countries in 2011 (Ipsos 2011)


9

But the difference between desire and

reality is extremely high, especially in

Germany: More than half of all questioned

German employees in the study by Ipsos

would love to work part- or full-time from

the home office (see Figure 2). De facto,

this is only true for about 12%.

Figure 2: Employees Wishing forTelework (Ipsos 2011))


10

II.

A Win-Win Situation for

All Participants


11

When talking about the telecommuting/

home office topic, often only the benefits

for employees seem to be at hand. That,

moreover, there are various other benefits,

also for the company and its expenses,

often goes unnoticed – as well as the

positive impact on society in general.

The very hesitant implementation of this

concept within companies can often be

traced back to certain doubts concerning

the productivity of employees working

from home or the high (technical) effort

that occurs while making it a reality.

Numerous statistics prove, however, an

effective increase in productivity – and

even the technical implementation doesn’t

have to be complicated or expensive, as

the following chapter with the example

scenario with HOB RD VPN shows.


12

The Benefi ts for Employers

Figure 3: Benefi ts of Home Offi ces forthe Employer

Easy Recruiting of Valuable

Qualifi ed Personnel

Everyone seems to be talking about

this topic these days: Germany has no

more skilled personnel! If you believe

current studies, this demand will

increase extremely in the next few years.

Companies, as employers, are exposed

to a great competitive rivalry, when

it comes to the best skilled personnel

and the high potentials available. The

applicant is choosing the employer most

attaractive to him. To already be one step

ahead, companies have to deploy all their

skills and benefi ts. A study by the Sage

Software GmbH has worked out the

most important arguments in the search

for the right employer. It is quite obvious:

candidates are attaching importance to

fl exible working hours, but also to

the possibility of telecommuting and the

availability of home offi ces. You can fi nd

an overview in Figure 3. This is especially

true concerning the younger generations

(“generation Y and generation Z“). They

seem to have a different understanding

about work and emphasize mobility,

freedom, work-life balance and self-

determined work.


13

Figure 4: The Most Important Arguments when Choosing an Employer (Sage Software)

Increased Productivity

„We waste 2,1 hours at the office on a

daily basis, we can only concentrate on

a task for an average time of 11 minutes

and German companies lose about 200

million Euros a year due to a lack of moti-

vation in employees.“

The good news: Employees that are

allowed to work at home offices are

considerably more productive! Experts

assume an increase by 35%. The

commuter hours are eliminated, allowing

for a stress-free start in the day and

a distraction-free environment leads

to more effective working hours and

higher concentration. Moreover, the

employees’ motivation increases due to

the company’s trust and respect; they

feel valued and are more productive.

Therefore, the output does not only rise

quantitavely, but also the results are

of better quality. Another benefit is the

adaption of the working hours to the

personal, daily rhythm, not everybody

can be productive at the exact same

time. Studies have shown that even the

number of sick days decreases, if the

staff can work from home.


14

Greater Satisfaction and Loyalty

As displayed by Figures 2 and 4, the

majority of German employees wish to

be able to work from their home office,

part- or full-time. If this dream is fulfilled,

their satisfaction rises since home offices

are still perceived - at least in Europe - as

a privilege. The job turns into “the dream

job”, which is great for the image of the

company and the loyalty to the company

increases as well. The fluctuation rate

decreases and stable processes can be

established. In the end, telecommuting/

home offices ensure that qualified

specialized workers and their knowledge

stay with the company, even if there

(temporally) is no possibility to do so at

the company’s location (for example

due to pregnancy or dependant elderly).

Since the effort (time and money wise) to

recruit and to train a substitute employee

is considerably higher, both sides profit

from such an arrangement.

“The majority of employ-ees wants to work in a

home office“


15

Enhancing the Organization of Work

Naturally, the culture of the company

changes due to telecommuting/home

offices. The only thing that counts now is

the result, not the physical presence.

A surveillance of the working hours is

hardly possible. Due to a change in the

style of leadership to “Management

by Objectives” (MBO), productivity

increases, since the sheer physical

appearance is no longer definded as

a positive accomplishment. When

employees are working flexibly from

home, it is easier for companies to deal

with the different time zones (international

employees, customers or partners) and

fulfill the demand of 24 hour availability

– with additional benefits for customer

satisfaction. The flexibility generated by

telecommuting/home offices optimizes

the work process and shortens the

time needed for a company to react.

Therefore, the company is better adapted

to certain situations on the market and to

business rivalries and is able to answer

to changes in demand. Moreover,

telecommuting/home offices assist in

disaster recovery and the business

continuity of a company – for example,

a decentralized workforce makes it easier

to keep producing output, even if a

natural catastrophy occurs, and it is just

impossible to work at the headquarters of

the company.

“Changing leadership to “management by

objectives““


16

Cost Effectiveness

Due to the incorporation of telecommuting/

home offices, various expenses can be

cut. How much money can be saved,

of course depends on the individual

business itself and the place of their

headquarters (prices for rented space/

buildings etc.). The main decrease in

expenses can be achieved, however,

due to the lesser space needed for office

buildings and the resulting costs. Since

only a certain percentage of employees

must work on sight, the office area

can be reduced. At the same time, the

money used for electricity, water and

air conditioning diminishes. Moreover,

possible commuter grants can be cut.

According to the different kinds and the

organization of telecommuting/home

offices, travel expenses can also be

decreased: Business trips to meetings

can be taken care of virtually from home.

Lower costs for- Office space- Energy/water/heating- Commuter allowances- Business trips


17

The Benefi ts for Employees

Figure 5: Benefi ts of Home Offi ces for Employees

advantage. The employee can start the

day peacefully and without any stress.

Reduced Costs

Since the way to the offi ce is no longer

necessary, the resulting expenses are

completely cut. Due to the rising gas pric-

es that will steadily increase even further

in the years to come, this poses a great

relief for the employee. What applies now:

more net salary of the gross salary.

Additionally, one is able to eat at home,

which is way cheaper than having to go

out for lunch. The last argument might,

however, not be completely valid, if the

company offers subsidized meals or even

has its own cafeteria.

No More Driving to the Offi ce

Since home and offi ce are identical, the

employee saves the time usually needed

to get to the offi ce and can use this time

to be “productive”. Especially when the

way to the offi ce is long or crowded with

traffi c jams, this is an extremely important

“Home offi ces imply less stress and lower costs for

employees“


18

Flexible Working Hours and a Better

Work-Life-Balance

Due to flexible office hours that – in con-

trast to flexitime – do not only allow for

a variable start and end of the day, even

shorter breaks to run errands, take

care of the children or similar activites

can be easily integrated into the daily rou-

tine. This would not be quite as easy if

home is many miles from the office. Fur-

thermore, this new flexibility additionally

creates a healthy work-life-balance for

the employee: it is now possible to juggle

work, leisure time and family without any

stress. Mothers are able to stay in their

jobs, without having to compromise one

or the other.

Greater Productivity and Satisfaction

Since telecommuting/home offices are

still perceived as a “privilege”, employ-

ees are motivated to do “more” for their

company. Together with the factors de-

scribed above, this encourages a great-

er output, qualitatively and quantitatively,

and increases satisfaction.

“Home offices are still considered to be a priv-ilege but they enhance quality and quantity of

output“


19

General Benefi ts for Society

Figure 6: Benefi ts of Home Offi ces for Society

Economic Revival for Structurally

Weak Regions

Companies in regions unattractive to

employees can become signifi cantly

more desireable as an employer due

to the option of telecommuting/home of-

fi ces. When employees can work from

any chosen place, the company can kill

two birds with one stone: operating costs

(for buildings etc.) are reduced, while

open job positions can be fi lled easier

with better qualifi ed staff. The effects of

the developing shortage of skilled work-

ers can be compensated – at least to a

certain degree.

“Home offi ces can com-pensate for the effects of a

skills shortage“


20

Less Pollution Due to Less Commuter

Traffic and More Effective Usage of

Resources

If it is not necessary to drive to work, traf-

fic – mainly in cities and most of all during

rush-hour – is lightened a great deal.

Current studies show that in Germany

increasingly more and more employees

(have to) commute and the time and way

to get to the office increasing. The results

of this survey are depicted in the Diagram

7. Therefore, it is important to reduce pol-

lution with the help of innovative concepts

like telecommuting/home offices. These

concepts go easy on the environment

and reduce the carbon footprint of a

company due to the smaller CO2 output.

A CO2-calculator of the initiative “Home

Office Day Deutschland“ provides infor-

mation about what amount of CO2 can

actually be saved.

“The co2 calculator of the Home Office Day Germa-ny Initiative shows how much co2 can be saved“


21

International Competitiveness

Companies are, on one hand, able to

reduce costs while, on the other hand,

allowing flexibility and a fast reaction to

customer requests, changes in the mar-

ket and similar happenings. Therefore,

international competitiveness of

companies is strengthened by telecom-

muting/home offices.

Figure 7:How Many Kilometers Does a Commuter Have to Cover on a Daily Basis While Driving to Work


22

III.

Flexible and Secure Remote

Access to Central Company

Resources via VPN


23

Challenges

For the implemantation of telecommuting/

home offices to be successful, one

should take some time to think about

various aspects in advance. Primarily,

the technical implementation of home

offices, the resulting (greater) effort,

troubleshooting, as well as the security

aspect (data safety and data security)

is critical for many IT specialists. The

following section of this eBook uses

the secure remote access solution

HOB RD VPN (HOB Remote

Desktop Virtual Private Network) to

describe how home offices can be easily

implemented and practical – without

having to compromise administration,

usability or security.

“Before realizing telework places one should think

about the technical realization“


24

Basics of Remote Access on

Central Company Resources

Basically, there are two important options

to choose from when considering re-

motely accessing a company’s resourc-

es: a VPN solution on an SSL basis or

IPsec. Various experts have foreseen

a falling interest in IPsec VPNs. Current

studies depict, however, the complete

opposite. That is no supprise, since both

solutions do have their benefits. Which

solution is more suitable, is clearly depen-

dent on the intent and purpose of the

integration. Due to different challenges,

SSL VPNs are predestined for remote ac-

cess scenarios like home offices or tele-

commuting. When it comes to site-to-site

connections, for example when connect-

ing whole branch offices, IPsec VPNs are

still showing better results.

“Generally, there are two options for remote access to company resources: a VPN solution on SSL or

IPsec basis“


25

IPsec VPNs for

“Static“ Site-to-Site Connections

Site-to-site connections are established,

when decentralized LANs, for example

brach offices, are connected. The dif-

ference is obvious: site-to-site connec-

tions are by far a more long-term, statical

connection with a defined access point.

Ad-hoc flexibility is therefore not as im-

portant. Security, however, is still of great

importance when accessing data and ap-

plications in the companies’s headquar-

ters from a branch office.

Previous IPsec VPN solutions meant a

higher effort for the IT administrator due

to management and maintenance – also

owed to the combination of hardware

and software. For example, any access-

ing device needed its own client-soft-

ware. The administrator therefore needed

to be able to physically access the device

and was additionally responsible for the

administration of the accessing hardware

(laptops etc.). These “managed cli-

ents” are extremely laborious and com-

plicated to handle. If just a few branch of-

fices are to be managed it would not be

as cumbersome, but to integrate various

other employees into the system is bare-

ly possible due to the complexity of the

network. Additionally, the integration of

customers or business partners is quite

absurd, because who is supposed to do

the on-site visits needed to set up the

software and manage the administration?


26

SSL VPNs for “Dynamic“

Remote Access Connections

In cases where extremely flexible access

to company data and resources is need-

ed temporarily, often SSL VPNs are used.

The compelling argument: a greater inde-

pendence and less effort. And indeed, if

an employee would like to access com-

pany data whilst telecommuting or work-

ing from home, SSL VPNs offer great

benefits: central user administration

and installation, and the client can es-

tablish a secure connection via a simple

browser and a Java applet. Administra-

tion rights or an installation on the client

side is not needed. Therefore, one talks

about “unmanaged clients”. Addition-

ally, the user is (relatively) independent

when choosing a device to use for ac-

cess: laptop, netbook or rather a trendy

smartphone for checking your mails? No

problem for the SSL VPN! This saves the

administrator and the company costs

and effort and makes everything doable

and simple.

“IPsec VPNs are well suited for static

connections while SSL VPNs are most suitable for

dynamic connections“


27Figure 8 Comparison Scenario: Dynamic and Statical VPN Connections in Companies


28

IV.

The Remote Access Solution

HOB RD VPN on SSL Basis for

Securely Connecting Home

Offi ces to the Company Network


29

A Quick Overview

HOB RD VPN was specifically designed

to fulfill the modern expectations of com-

panies. The wish for a secure, but still

flexible remote access to centralized

data and applications is becoming great-

er and greater – not only to be able to

make telecommuting/home offices a real-

ity but even cloud computing.

HOB RD VPN includes many innovative

functions, like for example a solely web-

based SIP client for secure VoIP, a gran-

ular allocation of rights and roles, as

well as true load balancing that perfectly

distributes the server load. Additionally,

you have access with nearly any device

or operating system on different target

systems.

On the client side, neither administra-

tion rights nor an installation is needed

– which ensures great flexibility while it is

being used. As a solely software based

solution, HOB RD VPN is highly scal-

able: new employees or telecommuters

can be connected (or disconnected, for

that matter) fast and easily. Of course, an

SSL encryption as well as various other

authentication methods and an optimized

compliance check ensure the security

of all company data.

HOB RD VPN offers many innova-tive features:- SIP client for VoIP- Granular definition of roles and rights- Real load balancing - Pure software for greatest scalability- Unmanaged clients for best flexibility- From any device to any target system


30

SSL

HOB RD VPN

HOB Remote Desktop Virtual Private Network

Clients with Internet Access

Enterprise Network

Company PC

VirtualizedWindows

Windows Terminal Server

MainframeMidrange

Mail ServerWeb Server

File Server

Unix/LinuxMac

Figure 9: Diverse Fields of Application of HOB RD VPN

Fast Connection from Home

Offi ces to the Company Network

for Companies of Any Size

With HOB RD VPN, it does not matter,

if 5, 50, 500 or even 5000 employees

need to be able to access the com-

panies’ resources: HOB RD VPN is a

solely software based solution and can

be used with any desired hardware (on

the client and server side). Additionally,

HOB RD VPN is extremely scalable.

Therefore, with HOB RD VPN, it is quite

effortless to try out a “home offi ce proj-

ect” at fi rst with just a few employees. If

the concept suits the company well and

is supposed to be extended in the future,

it is easily possible with just a few clicks.

Thanks to the centralized installation of


31

HOB RD VPN which has to take place

only once and to the central administra-

tion, even large installations can be man-

aged without stress. Moreover, nearly

any device can be used for the remote

access – also the target systems can

run on any operating system. Due to the

flexibility and adaptability of the secure

remote access solution HOB RD VPN,

company investments are secured on a

long term basis.

Easy Installation, Configuration

and Administration

HOB RD VPN needs to be installed cen-

trally once within the company network.

Since there is no installation or adminis-

tration needed on the client, any admin-

istration and configuration can also be

done centrally from one place. Due to so-

called “unmanaged clients“, this comes in

quite handy. The unique devices of the

employees, no matter if private or

owned by the company, do not phys-

ically have to be touched. Employees can

access centralized company data and

applications via any desired device, just

using a standard web-browser in a se-

cure and comfortable way.


32

Roll-Out of Standardized Security

Policies in All Home Offices

It’s quite simple with HOB RD VPN: for ev-

ery employee, it can centrally and unique-

ly be determined, which resources he has

access to. HOB RD VPN offers you the

possibility, to assign rules and rights in a

granular manner. Therefore, all possible

security guidelines can be introduced to

all telecommuters/home offices with just

a few, simple clicks.

Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting comes in many different

dimensions. The classic problems when

it comes to telecommuting/home offices:

locally installed on the laptop, company

specific applications (like for example, the

local CRM database) refuse to work, or

even the laptop as a whole has lost its

will to live. In both cases, a fast reaction

is required, because every malfunction

costs money and is hardly efficient. Today

there are many remote access soltions

that allow for remote maintenance. Such

solutions, however, have two downsides:

first, the pc has to be able to be started

and regain a stable internet connection

and second, the employee needs to be

on-site to support the IT administrator

with the remote maintenance. If this

attempt fails, the only possible way to

revive the pc is to mail it to the companies’

headquarters to be repaired. The

following days are therefore extremely

unproductive, because all important data

and applications are miles away.

HOB RD VPN makes everything quite

easy. Let us go back to the example above:

it is just impossible that locally installed

applications cause problems! With HOB

RD VPN, all data and applications

are stored on the server at the

headquarters. If there is a problem with

certain programs, the IT administrator


33

“With HOB RD VPN trou-bleshooting becomes a

child´s play“

can take care of them effectively right

there and then. At the home office of the

telecommuter, only a stable internet

connection is required. But even if

the laptop is damaged, this situation

can be managed with HOB RD VPN –

and without stress. HOB RD VPN does

not require any administration

rights on the client and, moreover, no

installation. For the remote access,

only a web-browser and java is needed.

Therefore, the employee can just switch

to a private device (dektop, laptop, tablet

etc.) to access the company’s server.

Worried about data security? Don’t be!

There are no data stored on the end

device when you are using HOB RD VPN.

Alternatively, the company can send the

employee another device – for example

via courier – or the employee can just

buy a new replacement at a nearby shop.

In any case, the loss of productivity will

be limited. To be able to pick up work

again fast, neither applications have to

be installed, nor does data have to be

downloaded to the device.


34

Comprehensive Protection of

Company Resources

Company resources are, next to employees,

one of the most important treasures of

a company. In your own interest and to

secure your business competitiveness,

sensitive company data should

be secured as good as possible.

The secure remote access solution

HOB RD VPN contains various security

options, for which one usually has to pay

extra when using other solutions.

Various Authentication Methods

With HOB RD VPN, many different sce-

narios concerning user authentication

can be made a reality: a log-in is possi-

ble with username and password. If even

more security is desired, smartcards,

one-time passwords or tokens

(supported on all systems using a radi-

us interface) can be used for authentica-

tion. Moreover, HOB RD VPN supports

Kerberos Single Sign-on. The benefit:

a user only has to sign in once and all oth-

er authentications happen automatically.

Since the user only has to remember one

single password, said password can be

more complex and is therefore more se-

cure. This process ensures that only au-

thorized users are able to access central-

ized company data and applications.


35

Compliance Check

With HOB Compliance Check, the ad-

ministrator is on the safe side: used end

devices can be checked for certain pa-

rameters before access. A compliance

check can be defi ned for different roles

(see paragraph “granular distribution of

roles and rights”). This means: only if the

end device meets certain criteria does the

user acquire his role and can access the

systems of production of the company. If

the criteria are not met, access can be

fully denied. Alternatively, the user would

be assigned a role with fewer rights,

which only allows certain actions. With

the HOB Compliance Check, end devices

can be checked, for example, for exist-

ing anti-virus software, open ports,

Mac-addresses, IP-addresses or

running processes.

Figure 10: Functionality Compliance Check


36

Anti Split Tunneling

For use on the client side, anti-

split tunneling can be configured.

HOB RD VPN also delivers the Anti Split

Tunneling component for the client side.

This function offers extra protection for

the company’s data especially when an

employee is using telecommuting/home

office. Anti-split tunneling prevents the

employee from opening another internet

connection, whilst running a VPN session

connecting to the company network.

Hence, the secure communication via the

VPN tunnel can not be jeopardized by a

parallel connection.

“Thanks to anti-split tunneling no second

Internet connection can be established as long as

there is an active VPN connection“


37

Figure 11: Functionality Anti Split Tunneling


38

Granular Distribution of

Roles and Rights

Every user or group of users can be as-

signed one (or more) role(s). Every role is

a configuration package that defines

the terms and conditions for remote ac-

cess as well as the rights of every user. It

is ensured that every user – when meet-

ing certain conditions – only has access

to parts of the company network relevant

and allowed to them. This is extremely

important when handling sensitive com-

pany data. If they do not meet certain

criteria of a role, they can receive a differ-

ent one with fewer rights, for example. In

combination with the compliance check,

it is easily possible to realize the security

policies of a company – no matter if the

access takes place via a private or com-

pany-owned device.

“Defining roles and rights, who might access which resources under which

conditions“


39

SSL Identifier

Usually, when running a remote access

connection, the IP address of the used

gateway is utilized for communicating

with the target system. The problem: a

user can not uniquely be identified in a

LAN, just according to the IP address.

To better distinguish users in the internal

network, a personal IP address can be

defined for every user. In case of an aris-

ing problem, the user responsible can be

identified quite fast.


40

Secure Data Transmission between

Home Offices and Company Head-

quarters with SSL

With HOB RD VPN, all communication

between the home office and the company

headquarter is transmitted with an SSL

encryption. Also, there is no possibility

for the user to switch off encryption or

bypass it. HOB RD VPN supports all

common encryption methods including

AES with up to 256 Bit key length.

Moreover, there will be no data saved

locally on the end device at any

time – options to remotely delete data

are therefore not necessary. If the device

is lost or even stolen, no illegal outflow of

company data needs to be feared.

“If data are never stored on the end device, there is no need to fear data loss in case the device is lost

or stolen“


41

V.

Details of the Core Function

of HOB RD VPN for a

Successful Home Office

Concept


42

HOB Remote Desktop Computing:

Access to Microsoft Server

HOB RD VPN offers secure access on

Windows server farms (Microsoft

Server 2000, 2003, 2008, 2008

R2) with Remote Desktop Services.

HOB WebSecureProxy, the central

gateway element of HOB RD VPN,

therefore seals off the individual Windows

servers from the direct access via internet.

Additionally, via HOB WebSecureProxy,

access to the individual servers is

dependent on the respective CPU load.

This is also called true load balancing.

Even if many employees try to access

the server at the same time from their

home office, the load is perfectly split

and a great performance is ensured.

The working pace is fast, due to short

response times and highest productivity

is guaranteed.

HOB RD VPN Desktop-on-Demand:

Access to Desktop PCs

With Desktop-on-Demand users can

access internal company working

places, like Windows XP/Vista/7 (no

Home-Edition). Especially for part-time

workers, who might share a desktop and

work from the home office from time to

time, this is an ideal solution. The compa-

ny PCs do not even have to be switched

on, since HOB WebSecureProxy uses the

Wake-on-LAN function already imple-

mented in modern PCs, so it is possible

to just switch them on and off via internet.

This saves costs for enery, supports

green IT concepts and goes easy on the

environment. Optionally, it is possible to

access Mac and Unix/Linux systems.


43

Figure 12: Desktop-on-Demand

“With HOB Desktop-on-Demand you can remotely access your desktop PC –

very easy“


44

HOB VDI Business: Access to

Virtualized Systems

With HOB VDI Business, not only

virtualized Windows servers, but also

virtualized single-position systems

(WinXP, Vista, 7) can be contacted. The

only prerequisite is that RDP is supported.

In case of a virtual desktop infrastructure,

these run on virtual machines that are

centrally held in the data processing

center. This reduces the effort for the

administrator, for example during the roll-

out of new applications and enhances the

security of the data, because they can just

stay at the data center at all given times.

Additionally, new desktops in the form

of virtual machines can be set-up quite

easily with just a few clicks. Hence, even

new employees can access centralized

company data and applications right

away from their home office.

Figure 13: Access to VDI Systems with HOB VDI Business


45

HOBPhone: Telephony Service with

Voice-over-IP (VoIP)

If speach and data is transmitted over the

same network, the phone system can be

changed to VoIP – the costs are reduced

considerably. Moreover, multiple commu-

nication functions become relevant, effi-

cient or possible at all due to voice/data

convergence – for example when integrat-

ing telecommuters or intelligent call-man-

agement. Current studies estimate that

60% of all large scale enterprises have al-

ready rearranged their telephonic system

to VoIP – with a rising tendency. Initially,

VoIP is perceived to have fewer costs

when making calls, especially when hav-

ing to make international phone calls. This

assumption is true, of course, but a good

VoIP solution can do far more for a com-

pany than only reduce costs. With VoIP, it

is possible to always have the same caller

ID, no matter from where the call is

made – a great benefit when connecting

employees working from the home office,

no matter if they are sitting at their desks

in the same country or not. Additionally,

administration is made easy, since instal-

lation, configuration and maintenance

can be taken care of centrally. This further

reduces costs and effort: the IT adminis-

trator can use his time more efficiently.

That’s why there is already a web-based

SIP client implemented in HOB RD VPN.

HOBPhone works without a software

installation on client side. After success-

ful authentication, HOBPhone can be

downloaded in the form of a Java applet.

Figure 14: HOBPhone


46

HOB PPP Tunnel: Full Access to

the Company Network

HOB PPP Tunnel replaces the classical

IPsec VPN client and combines the ben-

efits of IPsec VPNs with the simplicity of

an SSL solution. The method created

by HOB on the basis of the Point-to-

Point-Protocol (PPP) allows for full

access to all resources in the internal net-

work via all protocols like TCP, UDP and

ICMP. This function can be put to use

right away, without any installation, addi-

tional software or drivers needed on the

end device. For even more security when

accessing the network, guidelines can be

defined in the target filter. This way, the

users can be allowed or denied access

to certain network resources. HOB PPP

Tunnel supports client platforms like Win-

dows Vista, Windows 7, Apple Mac OS

X, Linux, FreeBSD and Solaris. Naturally,

HOB PPP Tunnel can also allow the full

network access from the home office, if

this option is desired.

HOB Web File Access: Access to

Data via Web Browser

Using HOB Web File Access, it is possible

to comfortably access file servers

via any client platform. It is possible to

access all unblocked networks. Just a

HTML-capable browser is needed on the

client to enable HOB Web File Access –

ideal for the integration of smartphones

and tablets. As a result, the users at the

home offices are not limited to desktop

PCs and laptops. Especially for mobile

workplaces, the access to company

resources via mobile end devices is

extremely efficient, comfortable and

somehow nearly mandatory.


47

HOB Universal Client: SSL Encryption

of Local Applications

For client software which is not

SSL capable, HOB WSP Universal

Client which can be downloaded via a

web-browser, offers the functionality of

a local client SSL gateway. TCP inquiries

are accepted by a defined TCP port and

are then forwarded to the appropriate tar-

get system over HOB WebSecureProxy.

To do so, the client applications address

their inquiries to “localhost” as the target

system. And again, there are no local ad-

ministration rights needed on the client,

when running HOB WSP Universal Client.


48

VI.

Conclusion


49

even telecommuting and home offices

are now a possible option, without the

risks of slow performance.

With the repeatedly award-winning

secure remote access solution

HOB RD VPN and its various innovative

functions, the IT administrator is able to

create a successful balancing act

between usability and security.

Employees, who work from their home

offices can access centralized company

data and applications fast and easily,

without having to compromise data

security. At the same time, HOB RD VPN

is solely software based, flexible and can

be individually adapted to the business

environment of a company. HOB RD VPN

can be used with any desired hardware

and is highly scalable. Due to its features,

Figure 15: The Benefits of HOB RD VPN


50

Interested?

Would you like to check out the numer-

ous benefits of HOB Software?

Just call us or send us a quick mail!

You are welcome to contact us:

Inside US

HOB Inc.

Headquarters NY

245 Saw Mill River Road

Suite # 106

Hawthrone, NY 10532

Tel: (866) 914 - 9970 (toll free)

(646) 465 - 7650

E-Mail: [email protected]

Website: www.hobsoft.com

Outside US

HOB GmbH & Co. KG

Schwadermuehlstraße 3

90556 Cadolzburg

Germany

Tel: +49 9103 715 0

E-Mail: [email protected]

Website: www.hob.de


51

About HOB

HOB GmbH & Co. KG is a mid-sized

German software enterprise that devel-

ops and markets innovative and multiply

awarded remote access solutions world-

wide. The core competencies of this

successful company, founded in 1964,

comprise server-based computing, se-

cure remote access, VoIP and virtualiza-

tion. HOB products are deployed in small,

mid-sized and large enterprises.

In the HOB headquarters in Cadolz-

burg and in locations throughout the

world, HOB has approximately 120

employees, half of which in the de-

velopment departments. HOB has

branch offices in Malta, the USA and

a partner company in Mexico.


52

Legal Notice

HOB GmbH & CO. KG. KGSchwadermuehlstr. 390556 CadolzburgRepresented by: Klaus Brandstätter, Zoran Adamovic

Contact:Phone: 0049-91037150Fax: 0049-9103715271E-mail: [email protected]

Register of Companies:Entered in the Registry of Companies, Registry Court: Amtsgericht Fürth, Registration Number: HRA 5180Tax ID: Sales Tax Identification Number according to Section 27a Sales Tax Act: DE 132 747 002

Responsible for content according to Section 55 Paragraph 2 Interstate Broadcasting Agreement: Klaus Brandstätter, Zoran Adamovic, Schwadermuehlstr. 3, 90556 Cadolzburg

References for all images and graphics used:Picture Sources


53

Disclaimer:

Liability for contentThe contents of this publication were created with great care and diligence. While we keep it as up-to-date as practicable, we cannot take any responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of the contents of this publication. As a service provider we are responsible for our own content in this publication under the gen-eral laws according to Section 7 paragraph 1 of the TMG. According to Chapters 8 to 10 of the TMG we are not obliged as a service provider to monitor trans-mitted or stored information not created by us, or to investigate circumstances that indicate illegal activity. Obligations to remove or block the use of information under the general laws remain unaffected. Liability is only possible however from the date of a specific infringement being made known to us. Upon notification of such violations, the content will be removed immediately.

Liability for linksThis publication may contain links to external websites over which we have no control. Therefore we can not accept any responsibility for their content. The respective provider or operator of the website pages to which there are links is always responsible for the content of the linked pages. The linked sites were checked at the time of linking for possible violations of the law. At the time the link was created in this publication, no illegal or harmful contents had been iden-tified. A continuous and on-going examination of the linked pages is unreasonable without concrete evidence of a violation. Upon notification of any violations, such links will be removed immediately.

CopyrightThe contents and works on these pages created by the author are subject to German copyright law. Reproducing, copying, modifying, adapting, distributing or any kind of exploiting of this material outside the realms of copyright require the prior written consent of the respective author or creator. The downloading of, and making copies of, these materials is only permitted for private, non-commercial use. Where contents of this publication have not been created by the author, the copyright of the third parties responsible for these contents shall be upheld. In particular any contents created by a third party are marked as such. If you become aware of any copyright infringement within this publication, we kindly ask to be provided with this information. Upon notification of any such violation, the con-cerned content will be removed immediately.


54

Sources

[1] Vgl. Gabler Verlag (Heraus-geber), Gabler Wirtschaftslexikon, Stichwort: Telearbeit, online im Internet: http://wirtschaftslexikon.gabler.de/Ar-chiv/76619/telearbeit-v6.html

[2] Vgl. Institut der deutschen Wirtschaft, Future Foundation (2006)

[3] Vgl. Ipsos Studie, Januar 2012, online im Internet: http://knowl-edgecenter.ipsos.de/docdetail.aspx-?c=1021&sid=67F6B1C4-CC4A-4636-A948-1860CB7A00B1&did=c6bffe27-7078-4b0e-8d42-6f1d49d85957

[4] Vgl. Sage Software GmbH / Smart-Research GmbH, Feb. 2012

[5] Markus Albers, Morgen komm ich später rein, 2006

[6] Statistisches Bundesamt, 2009, online im Internet: https://www.desta-tis.de/DE/Publikationen/STATmagazin/Arbeitsmarkt/2009_10/2009_10PDF.pdf?__blob=publicationFile

Picture Sources

S.1 - Philip Date

S.2 - R. Michael Stuckey

S.4 - dashek, Pavel Pospisil

S.5 - Chris Bernard

S.6 - almagami

S.9 - Igor Skrynnikov, Yuri Arcurs

S.10 - Ingram Publishing, Creatas

S.11 - Jacob Wackerhausen

S.13 - Marina Borodjievs

S.15 - Thinkstock

S.19 - Matthias Pahl

S.21 - V. Kochelaevskiy, A. Slobodkin

S.22 - Thinkstock

S.30 - Lai Leng Yiap

S.31 - pressure UA

S.35 - ktsimage

S.37 - Fuse

S.38 - Andrea Danti, Andy Brown

S.39 - Pei Ling Hoo

S.40 - David Sacks, Jupiterimages

S.46 - Dmitry Rukhlenko

S. 47 - Zoonar RF, Yury Salauyou (alle Thinkstock)

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