A remote Mac workspace for macOS-only applications
For businesses whose staff work on Windows, Linux or at different locations, but occasionally or regularly need a macOS application. They connect to a dedicated Mac mini in the datacenter and find their files and apps exactly as they left them.
- 01
Windows or Linux client
VNC viewer
- 02
Encrypted connection
VNC over SSH
- 03
Dedicated Mac workspace
macOS desktop and apps
What this solves
One macOS app in a Windows company
Buying and managing Macs for a single application is expensive. A hosted Mac gives access without new laptops.
Distributed or temporary staff
Contractors and remote employees get a Mac they can reach from anywhere, and access can be removed again in one step.
Work that should not leave the company
Files stay on a Mac in your account in a Dutch datacenter instead of on personal devices.
Example workflow
A designer on Windows uses a Mac-only tool
- 1
The company VPN connects the designer's laptop to the Mac's network.
- 2
The designer opens a VNC client and logs in to the Mac with their own macOS account.
- 3
The macOS application and project files are already there from the previous session.
- 4
Finished files are exported to the company file share.
- 5
At the end of the day the designer disconnects; the session and files stay on the Mac.
Connecting from your own device
Users connect with a standard VNC client. Route the connection through your VPN or an SSH tunnel instead of exposing VNC to the internet.
| Your device | Typical client | Suitable for |
|---|---|---|
| Windows | Typical clientA VNC viewer such as RealVNC Viewer or TigerVNC | Suitable forDaily work |
| Linux | Typical clientTigerVNC or Remmina | Suitable forDaily work |
| Mac | Typical clientThe built-in Screen Sharing app | Suitable forDaily work |
| iPad or tablet | Typical clientA VNC app from the app store | Suitable forQuick checks, not full working days |
Plan one Mac per regular user. Video, audio and fast animations do not stream smoothly over VNC.
How to set it up and run it
- 1
Choose a configuration based on the applications you will run, then choose the macOS version they support.
- 2
Create one macOS account per person and enable Screen Sharing
Reach it through a VPN or SSH tunnel, not over the open internet.
- 3
Install and license your applications
Check each vendor's licence terms for use on a remotely accessed or hosted Mac.
- 4
Decide how files move in and out
A file share, cloud storage, or SFTP.
- 5
Add the optional daily off-box backup or your own backup tool for files that only exist on the Mac.
Which configuration fits
Who does what
vBoxx provides
- A dedicated Mac per workspace, not shared with other customers
- Hosting in a Tier III datacenter in the Netherlands (Schiphol-Rijk or Naaldwijk)
- Optional daily off-box backup of the workspace
- Remote APC power control and optional JetKVM console, included
You manage
- User accounts, passwords and removing access when people leave
- VPN or secure remote access
- Application installs, updates and licences
- Data protection obligations for the data you process on the Mac
Before you choose this setup
- This is not a managed virtual-desktop service. There is no connection broker, user portal or session management included.
- Video, audio and fast animations do not stream as smoothly as on a local Mac.
- If many people need a Mac every day, local Macs or a managed desktop provider may be more practical.