Remote Office Solutions

Information Services provides three secure methods for remote connectivity to computing resources on the Emory Healthcare (EHC) network: Virtual Desktop, SecuRemote, and NFuse. These methods can provide a complete "remote office" with access to nearly every application needed to perform work activities. In addition, some applications are configured with secure web (SSL) connectivity and therefore don't require a remote office solution. Examples of applications that use SSL are GroupWise WebAccess and PACS.

Virtual Desktop (or VDT) Virtual Desktop uses Citrix servers and distributed file server storage to provide desktop applications to any PC that can and is running Internet Explorer. Application icons are presented on a web page...click the icon to start that application. Why are we calling it Virtual Desktop? Because what you see on your desktop is no longer tied to one particular PC...your virtual desktop follows you wherever you go! With VDT, your desktop looks the same to you -- you have access to the same applications, same data and same files -- regardless of where you are when you access it. Printing to locally-connected printers is supported in some applications. All you need to get to your Virtual Desktop is a PC that has Internet Explorer on it.

SecuRemote creates a virtual private network (VPN) between your Microsoft Windows-based personal computer and the Emory Healthcare network. SecuRemote is not available on other platforms such as Mac or Linux. With SecuRemote, whatever client software is required to access the Emory Healthcare data and/or application you need must be installed on the personal computer you are using. Access to shared network directories and your home directory is not available via SecuRemote.

NFuse is the original-generation Citrix server environment that is being phased out and replaced by the Virtual Desktop. NFuse allows secure access to certain standard enterprise-wide applications, to shared network directories and to your home directory (known to most users as their "G" and "H" drives). It does this by displaying a desktop window through a web browser using SSL. The desktop displayed is a standard EHC desktop. Not all applications are available via NFuse and you can't add applications yourself. Also, local printing is not supported.