Microsoft Remote Desktop Services and Horizon 8 both compete in the remote access solutions category. While Horizon 8 has the upper hand due to its advanced virtualization features and centralized management, RDS offers simplicity and cost-effectiveness.
Features: Microsoft Remote Desktop Services provides robust security, easy integration with Microsoft environments, and cross-platform accessibility. Horizon 8 is noted for desktop virtualization capabilities, centralized management, and a seamless user experience.
Room for Improvement: Microsoft Remote Desktop Services could improve integration with diverse operating systems and performance on slower networks. Horizon 8 needs to enhance application delivery and multi-factor authentication. Both solutions would benefit from increased stability and better third-party integrations.
Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Both RDS and Horizon 8 offer flexibility in deployment across on-premises, hybrid, and cloud environments. Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is straightforward to set up but has varying customer service quality. Horizon 8's central management is strong but technical support can be inefficient.
Pricing and ROI: Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is often bundled within Windows products, making it cost-effective, though additional licensing can complicate pricing. Horizon 8, while more expensive, offers justified value for its virtualization features, especially for larger enterprises.
By unlocking a locked situation, I mean we couldn't connect to a server in any other way, so we had to use RDP.
Microsoft Remote Desktop Services has helped us to be efficient; we are a team of five serving the entire region of Africa and the Middle East, and it has truly improved our overall efficiency as a team.
Microsoft Remote Desktop Services has saved us considerable time because we don't have to be on-site for support and have more accessibility to the machines.
Resolving issues is often complicated due to it being a complex product.
The main areas needing improvement are response speed and quality of answers.
Based on my experience and feedback from customers, I would rate Omniser's technical support an eight.
I would rate the customer support of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services a 10.
Interacting with Amazon's customer support seems to route the request to the correct team almost immediately, resulting in quicker responses.
If I have any issues related to the installation or initial setup, they have been great and a helping hand.
A key challenge for these customers is finding an easier solution with single management that alleviates these complexities.
The scalability of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is 10 out of 10.
Microsoft Remote Desktop Services scales very well; I could scale it to however many users I would want.
The scalability of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is high, as it is already providing me with the flexibility to access my system from anywhere.
Especially with the integration of NVIDIA, we experience multiple problems including crashing applications, crashing desktops, spontaneous logoffs, black screens, and systems that no longer respond or cannot reconnect.
We can scale by adding additional servers and connection servers.
When they switched to Omniser, these issues disappeared, leading them to choose it over cheaper and seemingly easier options.
I have never faced any issues related to its working or its availability.
Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is stable, and I can confirm this.
I would like to see improvements in Horizon 8, specifically integration with NVIDIA for graphical performance upgrades because it creates many issues such as crashing and black screen systems, causing users to lose access to their current desktop and work.
The integration with Workspace ONE to make it more simple and easy for customers to adopt is another aspect.
Many customers are actively seeking alternatives to VMware due to recent licensing changes after Broadcom's acquisition.
I also understand that this tool is in an end-of-life state now, with Microsoft actively pushing people towards Azure Virtual Desktop or Windows 365.
On macOS, we sometimes experience keyboard connectivity issues.
Microsoft Remote Desktop Services can be improved by better integrating it within Teams or providing a Teams integration to connect to customer support teams or other systems' accesses using Remote Desktop internally, rather than as a separate individual tool.
I rate the cost-effectiveness of GenApp of Citrix equal to our CMS; it is quite cost-effective.
After VMware was bought by Broadcom, the pricing was ridiculous, but now that Onmises has VMware Horizon 8, the pricing is back to an acceptable level.
These licenses are not cheap, as they add up in cost.
I understand it can get quite expensive and also complex to manage these different licenses.
I don't think there was any cost, as this was built into our experience with Windows and Azure.
Implementing more AI features, such as automation and optimization via platforms like Ansible or Terraform, would enhance operational efficiency significantly.
The solution has data leak prevention features that ensure data is not copied from the base machine to VDI.
From a security point of view, security in Horizon 8 is one of the main points in keeping the system resources from the company away from bad actors. You can keep the desktops completely isolated, and you don't need to share your file shares or database with the end-user system.
The main benefits that Microsoft Remote Desktop Services provide to me include streamlining my working process, ensuring security, and offering flexibility to connect to virtual desktops and apps from multiple devices.
Using Microsoft Remote Desktop Services has helped my team save time and improve productivity because we had Microsoft servers that were impossible to connect from our MacBook Pro laptops, and once we started using RDP, we could connect and move forward to deliver the project.
The best features Microsoft Remote Desktop Services offers include providing me administrator access, certain inbuilt client tools, and the ability to remotely access enterprise applications, as well as helping me validate whether certificates exist or are missing, or near to expiry.
| Product | Mindshare (%) |
|---|---|
| Microsoft Remote Desktop Services | 6.4% |
| Horizon 8 | 6.8% |
| Other | 86.8% |
| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 62 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 23 |
| Large Enterprise | 45 |
| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 45 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 16 |
| Large Enterprise | 36 |
Horizon 8 offers centralized management and robust security with ease of deployment and scalability. It provides virtualization and remote access to devices across platforms, ensuring improved performance and reliable remote desktop experiences.
Horizon 8 integrates instant clone technology, a security gateway, and supports USB redirection while minimizing bandwidth consumption for efficient resource utilization. Featuring a powerful administrative console, it simplifies backend control with a user-friendly interface. While effective, it can improve in areas like audio redirection, app volume configuration, and Azure integration. Enhanced connectivity, performance, and monitoring capabilities could elevate user experience alongside clearer licensing terms.
What are Horizon 8's key features?Horizon 8 is widely implemented in industries like education, healthcare, and finance where it enhances remote work by securing virtual desktops and applications. It supports virtual desktop infrastructure enabling secure connection to internal resources, data center consolidation, and application delivery meeting specific industry needs.
Microsoft Remote Desktop Services provides secure, seamless access to remote applications with cross-platform compatibility and centralized management, enhancing productivity and resource sharing in Windows environments.
The robust security features of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services enable efficient data handling and user support across devices. With a focus on remote application access, scalability, and ease of use, this solution integrates effortlessly with Windows environments. It offers centralized management, facilitating smooth IT operations. However, there is potential for improving interface intuitiveness and setup simplicity. Addressing keyboard compatibility with macOS, network connectivity challenges, and security vulnerabilities could enhance the user experience. Optimization for performance on slower networks and clearer license management would further benefit users.
What are the key features of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services?In numerous industries, Microsoft Remote Desktop Services supports remote server management, virtual desktops, and application virtualization. Organizations use it for collaboration, secure data handling, and accessing critical resources across different locations. It aids in troubleshooting, ensuring secure connections to client applications and facilitating testing and support for multiple users in diverse environments.
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