iTwin has added Mac OS X (10.7 and higher) compatibility to iTwin Connect, a combination of Private VPN and Public VPN services, built around a plug and play USB device for enhanced security and ease of use.

The iTwin Connect device consists of two identical halves. To create a Private VPN to access a home/office network, plug the device with both its halves joined together into a USB port on any computer in your home/office network to initialize the device. Detach one half of the device and plug it into your Internet-connected laptop. A secure VPN tunnel is instantly created to the home/office computer. iTwin Connect enables you to setup a VPN server and access your home/office network remotely.

To use the Public VPN to tunnel out of a restricted network or to browse privately, simply plug one half of the device into your computer and select one of the public servers deployed by iTwin. Public VPN is especially useful during travel to regions with internet restrictions or at times when users are unable to leave a server running at home/office.

Other benefits include:

° Remote desktop: Launch the “remote desktop” on both Macs and PCs with a single click, to access applications (and their data) on the home/office computer;

° Remote file access: Access all shared files on the home/office computer via the standard file interface and from within the applications on the laptop;

° Hardware grade security: All data transmitted is encrypted using industrial strength AES 256 bit encryption. Every time the two halves are paired, they generate a unique crypto key that is used to generate a session key which protects all data transmitted over the Internet. iTwin Connect also provides an optional password for 2-factor authentication. Only you possess the hardware “key” required for remote access.

There are no subscription fees. You just make the one-time payment for lifetime use of the device.

The iTwin Connect is priced at US$199 and is available at iTwin.com and Amazon.com.