It allows multiple users to log into a single computer running Mac OS X using the RDP, VNC or X11 protocols.
Their aim was to effectively create a "BioSLAX CLOUD" where students and staff may instantiate any number BioSLAX servers dynamically for research and education (conduct bioinformatics practical labs by having students connect to the servers via suitable X Window clients such as X-Win32, VNC, Exceed and NoMachine NX) or deployed in such a manner which when used in conjunction with the UD Grid mpagent may be used to form a cluster for processing large jobs.
This is desirable when one is using VNC for a customer service or training tool, or where special graphics hardware (such as OpenGL) is being used so that a normal vncserver would not work.
It is also possible to use systems such as X Window System and VNC combined with virtual display drivers allow remote connections to headless machines through ordinary Graphical user interfaces, often running over network protocols like the internet's TCP/IP.
RealVNC Ltd. was founded by Andy Harter (CEO) and other members of the original VNC team at AT&T.
Because Screen Sharing is a VNC client, it may also be used to control any computer running a VNC server if the IP address of the target computer is known and accessible.
After the September 11 attacks of 2001, authorities found out that three of the 9/11 terrorists, Mohamed Atta, Marwan al-Shehhi, and Ziad Jarrah, had all enrolled at the now defunct Huffman Aviation flight training school at the VNC for aviation lessons.
VideoOverIP is similar in many ways to traditional remoting protocols, such as RDP or VNC, but provides a number of additional features which benefit users in Desktop Virtualization or VDI environments.
"WD Anywhere Access" additionally offers premium subscription services such as "remote desktop" similar to VNC, and "Remote PC Drive" similar to FTP.