GoToMyPC and AW2K work well together. Judy's mentioned in passing using Webex, a similar product, but AFAIK there's been no post specifically about this kind of thing. If you travel (and even if you don't, see below) you might want to use GoToMyPC.

GoToMyPC is a subscription service that helps you set up a secure connection over the internet between one computer (the client) and another (the host computer). During a session, the computer you're using displays the same screen as the host, and passes the keystrokes you type to the host. It's as if the host screen and keyboard have really long cables. You can connect to your host from anywhere in the world. I'm describing a scenario where the host is your usual office computer, and the client is perhaps a traveling laptop or even a borrowed PC.

If your host has AW2K, you can run it from the client. You are not violating your AW2K license, because you're not running it on the client--the client is just letting you see and manipulate the host computer. GoToMyPC does not make the host into a multi-user system. And you're not trying to to synchronize copies of the AW2K database--you're using the database on the host.

AW2K works well in this situation, but there are other benefits as well. You can check your email on the road by using your usual email program on the host. So if you file received messages, they're back at the office in your usual filing system. Again, no synchronization problems, no "oops, that's on the other machine."

Your AW2K machine is probably safer at home than if you traveled with it.

What if you don't travel? My main PC is up in the office. The photo studio and "warehouse" are in the basement. When I'm doing the photography, the laptop I use to control the camera also has a GoToMyPC session going with the office computer upstairs, so I can create new inventory records and use their numbers to name the images as I shoot them.

Cost: There's a 30-day free trial available. After that, it's $19.95/month billed monthly, or something like 15 bucks/month if you pay once a year. I just realized that if you really never travel, you'd be better off paying the AW2K license fee for your client and setting up AW2K as multi-user (even if it's just you). But that'll work only within your own LAN. GoToMyPC works at Starbuck's, or at a friend's house. If your friend has high speed internet. Dialup would likely be pretty painful.

Offsetting the cost is the fact that all you need on your client laptop is a browser and an internet connection. You don't have to go for a top-of-the-line machine. And perhaps you won't need to buy some software for the laptop.

MAC and Linux folks: GoToMyPC hosts have to be Windows machines. GoToMyPC clients can be anything that runs a browser and Java, I think. Check this out yourself, though.

Ned