OC Anywhere gives students access to impressive computing power in the cloud

Have you ever tried to install a resource-intensive software application on your computer, but it didn’t run well because your computer was too old and slow?

OC Anywhere removes that barrier, giving students access to powerful software via the cloud thanks to virtual desktops.

You can use almost any device with a web browser to access OC Anywhere, which can run intensive programs without being constrained by the specs of your computer. When you run powerful programs like Adobe Premiere or Photoshop, or the architectural drafting application AutoCAD, they’re running on a computer in the cloud that has enough horsepower to handle them.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s a 10-year-old device that you’re on,” said Lynne Kieser, Chief Information Officer of the college’s Information Technology department. “It’s almost like if you’re sitting down at a computer and click the button to log in, only it’s stored in the cloud.”

There are a few different virtual desktop versions to choose from, and which one you log into determines which software applications will be available, said Daniel Vetters, who helped implement the virtual desktop system.

“You’ll be able to use those pieces of software anywhere you have internet access… so you don’t need to worry about installing them on your own computer if you need them for classwork,” he said.

The virtual desktops save the college money on equipment costs. Students can borrow a $200 laptop from the college instead of a $2,000 laptop, and they still get the same performance.

“Every year, there’s roughly over half a million dollars’ worth of equipment that needs to be replaced,” Kieser said. “We won’t have to do that anymore.”

It also makes updates easier, said Vetters.

“We can update the ‘image’ that the virtual desktop uses. We make one update with the new software, and it's updated everywhere. We don’t have to go to a hundred or so different machines and update every single one of them.”

The virtual desktops also help make technology access more equitable because students with older equipment get the same performance as students with newer machines.

“That was the main driver of this, was to give access to technology to students who wouldn’t otherwise have it,” Kieser said.

"If you use accessibility applications such as screen readers, you’ll find that all the tools you'd find on a Windows device are available on the virtual desktop," she added.

There are a few quirks to be aware of when first logging into a virtual desktop. Vetters cautioned that although it feels like you’re using the computer you’re interacting with, you’re actually interacting with a computer in the cloud, so some functionality might not work how you’d expect.

“For example, if they’re at home using virtual desktop and they tell the computer to print, well, that computer is not connected to your printers; it’s in the cloud somewhere,” he said. 

Instead, you can print to PDF. The PDF will open in a browser window on the local computer and can then be printed.

Transferring files is another consideration. IT recommends you use OneDrive to store and transfer files. Every student automatically has access to OneDrive as part of their OC student account.

“It’s a new system for everyone, so there are probably going to be issues and we’re going to find weird little things here and there, and we’ll make adjustments as we go along and figure things out,” Vetters said.

There’s a QR code on the virtual desktop background that you can use to submit feedback. If you ever need technical assistance using virtual desktops, you can submit a ticket to the IT Helpdesk by emailing @email.

Getting started with OC Anywhere

To get started with OC Anywhere virtual desktops, log into Canvas and click “Help,” and then “IT Information Hub.” Under “Services,” click “Software Applications,” and then click on “Virtual Desktops” to get instructions on accessing virtual desktops.