Hi Mel:

I presume that the clients will be running a Fat VFP application as opposed to a browser interface. If so, then you would probably develop VFP web services that run on the hosted server and can be contacted across the internet by the client laptops. I would probably do this with AFP3 (as opposed to a web service) running on the hosted server. AFP3 provides an easy to use HTTP client .dll that can be instantiated, an AFP page hit on the server and a result returned. Either way, something like one of these two options would be onee way to achieve it.

As to drawbacks, I can't think of too many if this is what the client wants. Its probably a lower cost solution to using Windows TS/Citrix but, using a more web based approach (as specified above) you are developing your client application differently than you may be used to (more of a client/server approach) whereas Windows TS/Citrix would run pretty much like any other VFP app you are used to writing. I suppose that there are thing like the server being out of your direct control which depending on how mission critical the application/data is may be or become an issue.

Just a few thoughts that spring to mind.