The host software is a mere 20MB download and, for use over LAN, is very easy to configure. Importantly, there is no need to take a powerful workstation with you and you don’t have to waste time transferring large BIM datasets and (sometimes) software licences from machine to machine.

Designers can work from home, of an evening or weekend, or show clients the latest revisions in a fully accelerated 3D environment - even make changes to the design on the fly. It is over WAN, however, where things get most interesting. This means no more moving workstations from design office to meeting room for 3D presentations or design review. Over LAN, it gives firms the flexibility of being able to access a workstation from any machine in the building, even over WiFi. Teracici’s Workstation Access software can be used over LAN or WAN. You can also use a PCoIP zero client, if you prefer dedicated hardware. The software client is available for Windows, Mac OSX, ChromeOS, iOS and Android, so you can use pretty much any device to connect and still get that same interactive 3D experience you would on your local workstation. The software consists of two components: a $199 ‘host’ application, that runs on the workstation as a background Windows service, and the free PCoIP software client, which runs on the remote device. The big target for Teradici’s Workstation Access software is the small and medium enterprise (SME) - design, engineering, and architecture firms with less than 100 desktop workstations that do not want to jump head first into a data centre solution.

But rather than sticking a Teradici PCoIP host card inside a workstation tower, Teradici has developed a software only solution that uses the workstation’s CPU to compress, encrypt and send the IP packets over a network. Last year the company brought its data centre technology to the desktop. Its host cards are typically found in rack workstations and remain popular with firms that want the dedicated performance of a one-to-one connection between workstation and zero client. Teradici is a pioneer of remote workstation technology, best known for its PCoIP (PC-over-IP) protocol, which is optimised for 3D CAD, rather than static office applications. Use your powerful desktop workstation from anywhere.

Teradici pcoip workstation cards