Information exists throughout your organization; on servers, laptops, desktops, removable devices, in e-mails, etc. Users need to be able to access this information from anywhere, share it where appropriate, and achieve maximum productivity with the assets they have.

Remote Access, formerly known as DirectAccess, in Windows Server 2012 helps IT offer users seamless and secure access to this corporate data from virtually any internet connection. With Remote Access enabled, requests for corporate resources (such as e-mail servers, shared folders, or intranet web sites) are securely directed to the corporate network, without requiring users to connect to a virtual private network (VPN). Remote Access provides increased productivity for a mobile workforce by offering the same connectivity experience both in and outside of the office.

Remote Access in Windows Server 2012 has benefits for IT as well. With Remote Access, IT professionals can manage mobile computers by updating Group Policy settings and distributing software updates any time the mobile computer has internet connectivity, even if the user is not logged on. This flexibility allows IT professionals to manage remote computers on a regular basis and ensures that mobile users stay up-to-date with security and system health policies.