On a simple level, you can enable your OS to allow for remote connections from a specified IP address or by way of a unique login, to allow you (or a trusted 3rd party) to have remote access to your desktop. A number of dedicated programs such as GoToMyPC and WebEx allow you to further filter these levels of access, so that you can, for example, provide yourself with complete access to your PC while giving technical support access only to certain functions (or folders.) These programs utilize the same basic technology as screen-sharing, and, in fact, they offer that capability, but also allow for variable interaction. Look for a program that provides a high level of encryption to ensure that any data transmissions are protected as well.

Security concerns should be paramount for those who need remote access, as you’ll have to make sure that nobody can gain unauthorized access to your machine files. In order to properly secure your machine, limit access to certain (approved) IP addresses and use difficult to guess passwords (also, never write down or save your passwords where they can be easily recovered.) Further, you’ll want to disable remote access outside of times when you need to establish a remote connections to limit your PC’s vulnerability.

In general, most Linux-based VPS packages run on Web Host Manager, which is a multi-site version of cPanel server administration software. As a result, managing a series of sites on a WHM-based VPS is not much more difficult than cPanel itself and requires little to no command-line knowledge. Some users may opt for a Windows-based VPS, which provides the same benefits (and drawbacks) as a standard Microsoft server in a shared environment.

From a technical perspective, you are, essentially, operating a partition of a server with a few other users – while shared hosting usually places hundreds of users on the same server, a VPS is generally shared between a smaller number of users who have access to greater amounts of bandwidth, storage and options than a traditional low-cost hosting package. Make sure to look for a VPS package that includes 24/7 support, especially if you lack an internal server administrator, so that you can keep your sites up and running at all times. Many hosting companies allow easy migration from a VPS to a dedication server, allowing you to grow your network over time more easily.

Boot Camp
This Apple-produced software allows you to run Windows on your Macintosh OSX-based computer with a disk restart. The primary advantage of Boot Camp is that your machine will be dedicated to your Windows Apps; however, the software does not allow you to run XP or Vista in conjunction with OSX as the following virtual applications do.

VMWare Fusion
Designed for home and business use, Fusion allows you to run Windows and OSX simultaneously, either on the same monitor or separated across different screens. With integrated support for multi-tasking, you can easily switch between operating systems, and can even utilize built in Windows features such as DirectX graphics support.

Parallels Desktop
The leading Windows virtualization products, Parallels is on its fourth generation product, and is the software of choice for home or enterprise-level users. Designed for optimal speed, the software provides seamless integration along with advanced security features that help protect your virtual installation. With easy installation, energy efficient management, as well as support for a wide variety of hardware formats, include the iPhone, over a million worldwide users rely on Parallels.

Recognizing that the static desktop is part of the past, Live Mesh allows for synchronization of multiple data sources including laptops, mobile phones and web-based accounts. From a technical perspective, Live Mesh centralizes data feeds from a number of devices into a centralized location where you can access and interact with your documents – in this sense, it’s the Windows of the future. Where the product is still fresh, however, is in its breadth: Live Mesh also draws upon various Live services such as News Feeds (a la Facebook) and photo sharing (think Flickr). As a result, the product tries to be everything to everyone, which, in a decentralized world, certainly cannot work.

Where Microsoft has true potential in the product, however, is by taking on Google Gears and Adobe Air directly: Live Mesh can become a delivery mechanism for device apps which actually site in the cloud. An important question remains, however: how will Microsoft’s Silverlight flash-competitor integrate into the product? Based upon existing releases, it should be concerning for consumers that proprietary technology is being used to create a universal OS (in fact, that’s an anathema to the very concept.) The company is undergoing an attempt to redefine itself around the Live brand, which is certainly long overdo but the product, like the larger company, seems to be steadily finding its way in a new era.

Well, this entire argument is about to become obsolete now that the Citrix Receiver allows for virtualization of Windows-based applications on the iPhone. It remains to be seen what Apple’s response to the software will be, but, in reality, there is little to nothing they can actually do about it (developers can certainly find a work around to any attempt to block or patch it.) The main reason the system will hold up is that’s it’s not a native iPhone App, but, rather, utilizes a connection to the Xen App framework, which means that web connections are possible (so, unless Apple wants to censor browsing, Windows apps are on the way.)

Many users have been worried about the potential conflicting operating systems as mobile and desktop products converge; while many PC users opted for an iPhone, they found it difficult to transmit many of their data sources (Excel spreadsheets for example) to their mobile storage. If Citrix succeeds in creating a virtual Windows platform, which surely can be extended to Android and other platforms, then consumers may end up having an open choice between competing mobile platforms.

As pure hardware solutions become a commodity business, HP recognizes that its primary advantage is in providing implementation consulting, especially for firms who are looking to scale large systems. HP has developed a number of business automation tools which run directly on server platforms, enabling them to compete with the likes of SAP, as well. While the company had traditionally been at a cost disadvantage to more focused firms such as IBM (at least since IBM shed their hardware division earlier this decade by way of Lenovo), their foray into virtual computing has enabled them to work with open-source vendors to create cost-effective solutions for corporate environments.

Just a few months ago, the company announced an entire suite of enterprise level server solutions that are directly aimed at the growing virtual IT market. As part of these efforts, the company has launched a series of thin client desktops which are designed as virtual terminals, lowering hardware costs, as well as allowing for improved licensing rates with software vendors (since contracts can be configured on demand.) While a number of firms continue to compete for ground in the space, HP has entered into a long-term alliance with VMWare to provide integrated solutions to corporate clients, leaving Citrix and Microsoft to pair up in what should be the next big growth phase for IT.

As a result, Dell has customized its Power Edge servers to provide data sharing by way of either VMWare or Cirtix hypervisors: with a modular setup, companies can easily scale their systems and store data completely in a secure cloud, limiting the need for server rooms or licenses for expensive in-house firewall technology. Many companies rely upon data to adjust forecasts and prices in real-time; integrating a complete Dell data-sharing solution that doesn’t rely on a chain of isolated physical machines will help improve uptime as well as speed. A few years out, it looks like Dell is finally beginning to turn the corner, much as its founder had envisioned.

Many people still see Dell as a consumer-driven company, which has been unable to keep up with the likes of HP and Apple. As a result, their stock price has been in decline, while Dell himself has been working on a “redo” of his original corporate re-organization strategy. The CEO realizes, however, that improving their core enterprise offerings is a much more sustainable business than chasing a fickle consumer market from trend to trend.

Earlier this decade, IBM made a shift away from the hardware business by selling its ThinkPad division to Lenovo; the recent shift away from traditional IT consulting toward cloud-based computing marks the next era in the company’s evolution. Today, IBM shows little resemblance to iconic hardware company which once pioneered PC sales, nor does it have much in common with the early-stage IT consulting firm that it became just a few years ago; instead, IBM is designed to attack new markets and remains one of the most active research and development departments in the world, resulting in record numbers of patent applications.

For dedicated technology companies, as well as traditional companies looking to improve their infrastructure, IBM has partnered with Canonical to introduce a virtual Linux desktop which is entirely free of Microsoft licensing restrictions. Running a customized version of Ubuntu, complete with Lotus software, the machines are priced under $99 per user, allowing companies to reliably scale at a much lower cost basis. Additional configurations planned include versions of Novell and Red Hat Linux, giving adopters more flexibility on the OS they choose, and further raising the bar of Microsoft.

Hackers have created a number of dedicated attacks on virtual desktops, including direct attacks on the OS Kernel or hiding Trojan horses in device drivers where security software traditionally hasn’t checked. At this point, it’s an arms race between security vendors and hackers to safeguard virtual PCs. Look for major vendors such as Symantec, McAfee and Trend Micro to release new software suites dedicated to protecting VMWare-based machines. The notion of installing a basic program (even with real time updates) and ensuring the safety of your machine is out-dated, and VMWare recognizes that. Part of the concern is that anti-virus and computer security programs lag behind early adopters, allowing hackers and criminals fertile ground to explore new techniques. If you are using a virtual OS, make sure that you make every effort to protect your computer, as well as safeguarding your data through both hardware and software-based firewalls.

From a technical perspective, the system utilizes Xen virtualization across a number of virtual private servers. Simply, Xen is a virtual machine software released under General Public License (from Cambridge University) which allows multiple virtual guests on a single hardware machine. In practice, this means (in theory) you can have the power of an entire data center on demand and will only pay for the data transfer you utilize; thus, ensuring that you have little or no fixed costs traditionally associated with data centers. The rates for EC2 vary, based on your use, but start as low as 20c per GB of transfer, along with a baseline instance charge for simultaneous users. For companies that offer streaming media or real-time data transfer, EC2 is a highly cost effective route.

A number of compatible solutions allow you easy to run Rails on the Cloud, and there are companies which specialize in helping you setup your software through Amazon. The key question to ask is: will EC2 be a more cost effective route for my web app? The simple answer depends on your bandwidth use, as well as how easily your software can be ported onto the service; a cloud consulting firm should be able to give you an estimate of the startup and marginal costs to help you make an informed decision.