Communication technologies connect an ever increasing number of people using various communication networks and supports real-time collaborative environments for multiple users, regardless of geographic location.
One type of real-time collaborative environment includes shared desktop applications or programs that allow a remote user access to a local desktop session running on a local network device, using a remote network device. That is, a remote user, using, for example, a home computer, can access a corresponding work computer, including applications, files, and network resources from the work computer, as though the remote user were in front of the work computer. Typically, such desktop sharing applications grant one user—here, the remote user—full access to the work computer.
Another type of a real-time collaborative environment includes web conferencing applications or programs that allow multiple parties, each having their own computer or network device, to connect and access to one or more other parties' network device(s) over a communication network. For example, some web conferencing applications enable multiple attendees access to a shared network device from presenter or local owner (e.g., a desktop owner), which is particularly useful for technical troubleshooting sessions. During a technical troubleshooting session, a technical support engineer—e.g., a remote user—accesses the shared network device to assist the user—e.g., a local user—troubleshoot issues with programs, network connections, and the like. Typically, for these web conferencing applications, the remote user accesses and displays (from a remote device) the local network device similar to the shared desktop programs, discussed above—with full access and as though the remote user were in front of the local network device.
However, conventional real-time collaborative environments, such as those discussed above, typically result in a loss of productivity for the local user(s) by limiting access by the local user to resources on their own local network device when the remote user controls the collaborative session (e.g., a collaborative session can only be controlled by one user at a time).
Unless otherwise specified herein, a component or a feature that is common to more than one drawing is indicated with the same reference number in each of the drawings.