Devolutions backs ControlR with Remote Desktop tie-up

Devolutions has signed a two-year sponsorship agreement with ControlR, an open-source remote control platform, and plans a native integration of the software inside its Remote Desktop Manager product.

The Montreal-based secure access and IT management supplier described the sponsorship as a strategic partnership that includes product integration work rather than funding alone. Devolutions said it will integrate ControlR directly within Remote Desktop Manager, which it also calls RDM.

RDM acts as a central tool for remote connections, credential management and access workflows. Devolutions said the ControlR work will extend its remote assistance feature set within the platform.

"Our customers rely on RDM as a central platform for access, credential management, and remote connections, not a collection of disconnected tools," said David Hervieux, CEO, Devolutions. "Partnering directly with ControlR allows us to deliver a more tightly integrated remote assistance experience inside RDM that responds more quickly to customer feedback and evolves alongside real operational needs. This is exactly the kind of collaboration that enables us to build software that feels native, dependable, and aligned with how IT teams work."

ControlR project

Jared Goodwin created and maintains ControlR. The project originated from Goodwin's earlier work as the original author of Remotely, according to Devolutions.

Devolutions said ControlR targets IT teams and support organisations that want full ownership of their infrastructure. The platform uses an MIT open-source licence.

Devolutions said the sponsorship will allow Goodwin to work on ControlR full time. The company also said ControlR will remain independent, with Goodwin retaining control over the project's technical direction.

How it works

ControlR provides remote access to Windows, macOS and Linux devices. It uses a browser-based interface, supported by a centralised web server and lightweight agents installed on managed endpoints.

The platform uses a self-hosted architecture. Devolutions said this model avoids reliance on third-party cloud services. The company linked the approach to security, compliance and data residency requirements.

Devolutions has not detailed how the integration will appear inside RDM, or whether it will change pricing or packaging for existing customers. It also did not state when the integrated experience will be available to users.

Open-source links

Devolutions positioned the ControlR sponsorship as part of a wider programme of engagement with open-source projects. The company cited Avalonia UI as an example of a project it supports under what it described as a sustainable open-source collaboration philosophy.

The company said it sees value in investing in permissive platforms designed for collaboration. Devolutions said it views these projects as software foundations that benefit commercial products and the broader community.

Devolutions said it serves more than one million users across more than 140 countries. The company, founded in 2010 in Quebec, sells software for remote desktop management, password management, privileged access management and cybersecurity use cases.

The sponsorship sets out a development and maintenance framework for ControlR over the next two years, while Devolutions works on direct integration into Remote Desktop Manager.