Earlier this week remote management specialist LogMeIn updated its flagship Free and Pro remote access software with wake-on-LAN and remote diagnostic capabilities. For many years users of remote management software have asked for a way to power-on a PC using remote control software over the Internet, but until now this feature has been virtually unheard of.

LogMeIn’s updated remote access tools now include this capability for all remote PCs that include Intel’s vPro remote management capability. Also, LogMeIn Pro now gains a wealth of other remote management capabilities that were previously included in LogMeIn IT Reach, which until now was LogMeIn’s premiere remote management offering.

Excellent remote diagnostics are new in LogMeIn Pro 2

Andrew Burton, LogMeIn vice-president, told The Hypervisor, “Now we have two remote control offerings. The Free product, and Pro 2. The ‘2’ signifies the next generation of services from us. We continue to support IT Reach, but going forward you can’t buy new copies. Effectively IT Reach is replaced by LogMeIn Pro 2.”

This simplifies the LogMeIn price list but doesn’t change much from a purchaser’s perspective. IT Reach and LogMeIn Pro both cost about the same – $69.95 per user per year.

“As well as remote control, LogMeIn Pro 2 enables a technician to remotely connect to a PC and check system health and status without interrupting the end users.  It also provides the ability to securely transfer files, again, without interrupting someone else using LogMeIn’s remote control,” Burton added. Pro 2 has all the features of IT Reach.