News

LogMeIn Acquires Applied Networking

• By Ed Scannell
• August 07, 2006

The deal, terms of which were not disclosed, adds Applied Networking’s Hamachi VPN service -- which allows users to set up as well as take down a secure network of computers that share information in one minute -- to LogMeIn’s lineup, according to officials from both companies. Computers connected using Hamachi can communicate over the Internet as if they were on the same local network, thereby expanding the capabilities of those computers to carry out remote access, remote control and file management.

“We like this product because it installs quickly and easily, it does not require administrators to reconfigure firewalls or do any port forwarding. (Hamachi) is completely complimentary to our lineup in that it is a machine-to-machine technology good for automated tasks, whereas LogMeIn is more person-to-person technology,” said Michael Simon, CEO of LogMeIn.

LogMeIn’s IT Reach product offers remote access, support and management, and reporting tools designed for both small and large companies. The product has a Web-based interface that can quickly “snap” into existing networks and infrastructures while avoiding conflicts with existing applications. The company’s LogMeIn Rescue product is a Web-based remote support tool that lets administrators connect to remote PCs in seconds without having to pre-install any software.

“We see Hamachi as a natural fit for our services, given LogMeIn Rescue enables instant temporary access to remote computers for helpdesk support and LogMeIn IT Reach provides complete remote administration capabilities. Hamachi can then give IT professionals a LAN-like always-on access to those machines they can’t afford to be disconnected from,” said Marton Anka, LogMeIn’s founder and CTO.

Simon feels Hamachi further opens up LogMeIn’s core platform because its network adapter can work with any product that also works with a LAN.

“Hamachi opens up our connectivity solution to any third party, so you cold run say Hewlett-Packard’s OpenView in a normal corporate secure environment and have it work when your salespeople are in a hotel where VPNs often do not work,” Simon said.

Hamachi might prove to be an easier way for larger corporations to communicate with their network of business partners and consultants, Simon added, because it gives their partners some measure of access without having to go through the typical rigors of setting them up on the corporate LAN or VPN.

The deal is scheduled to be formally announced on Tuesday.