The HMDC Research Computing Environment (RCE) offers a full, graphical desktop environment using a combination of open source and commercial software. This environment feels very familiar to most Windows users, with its Application menus and windowing features. However, unlike your normal workstation, the RCE is equipped with statistical software that runs on powerful servers capable of handling large data analysis jobs.

The RCE offers many benefits over traditional computer environments:

• This environment is customized extensively to meet the needs of quantitative social science faculty, but could be used by anyone.
• The RCE connection protocol is a cross-platform application that enables you to access your desktop environment from almost any computer that has an internet connection. You can access your RCE desktop working on Windows, Mac, or Linux platforms.
• Sessions are persistent. When you disconnect from your office, go home, and reconnect to your environment,  which is exactly as you left it earlier down to the position of your cursor. Your applications and files also are just as you left them. You never need to worry about where the files you want to work on are stored; all your files are available to you from any computer with internet access.
• Large analysis jobs are offloaded to high-powered servers tuned to increase performance, leaving your desktop computer available for your day-to-day tasks.
• Research files are backed up regularly and can be accessed via standard, secure protocols from anywhere in the world.
• The RCE offers an ideal environment for collaborative research projects with researchers from various institutions.
• HMDC has full-time staff dedicated to support of our Linux servers, who ensure that software is up-to-date and support is avilable to address any issues you encounter.

Statistical applications available in the RCE include: