Parallels has finally arrived on Android with Parallels Access

After launching on the iPad nearly a year ago, Parallels is today launching Parallels Access on Android tablets and smartphones running version 4.0 or newer. Parallels Access is a remote desktop client that allows you to access your Mac or PC via the touchscreen of your Android device. The software is also launching today on the iPhone and bringing new enhancements to the iPad. The software makes accessing and using a computer via the iPad’s touchscreen a breeze, and it provides a huge convenience factor for those times when you need to access something on your home computer but do not have the machine with you.

Parallels has made a name for itself by running apps in unexpected places. Its virtualization software first brought Windows apps to the Mac, then it went a big step further last year with Parallels Access, which brought both Mac and Windows apps to the iPad. For an encore, the 14-year-old company is bringing all those desktop apps to any Android phone or tablet, as well as the iPhone. Parallels Access 2.0, available Tuesday in the iOS App Store and Google Play, will turn your mobile device into a virtual window to your PC or Mac, letting you run apps as if they were native. Say you’re curling up in bed when an urgent email comes in, and to deal with it, you need to log into your company’s proprietary desktop app, which happens to be on your computer at the office. Instead of getting in your car and mentally prepping for a long night, you log in right from your phone. Parallels adjusts the app for your device’s screen, and it even incorporates native functions, such as the iOS magnifying glass and cut-and-paste menus.