CEO at iSolute Ltd
MSP
Top 5
Affordable solution and has an easy installation process
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution performs well and is easy to use."
  • "It could be more user-friendly."

What is our primary use case?

The solution helps users to access desktops remotely.

What is most valuable?

The solution performs well and is easy to use.

What needs improvement?

Microsoft's desktop versions have a limit of only one concurrent session. It needs to be improved. Also, they should enhance the solution's user interface. It could be more intuitive compared to TeamViewer and AnyDesk. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I rate the solution's stability as a nine.

Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Remote Desktop Services
April 2024
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Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We have used VNC Viewer, UltraVNC, and TeamViewer before.

How was the initial setup?

The solution is easy to install.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The solution's license is affordable.

What other advice do I have?

I recommend the solution to others and rate it as a nine.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
IT consultant at Secoptrial
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
Stable, easy to set up, and lets you control your computer
Pros and Cons
  • "What I found most valuable in Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is accessibility because the solution lets you take control of your computer remotely."
  • "I want to connect easily from an external network even when I'm not in my enterprise or company. It should be easy to connect or integrate Microsoft Teams, for example, with Microsoft Remote Desktop Services."

What is our primary use case?

I was exploring a different feature, particularly trying to deploy active directory domain services. Hence, as an IT administrator, I needed to enable a Remote Desktop Service feature that allows me to connect remotely to the server in just a matter of seconds, so that was my use case for Microsoft Remote Desktop Services.

I was trying to install Microsoft Office on the computer remotely, which means connecting to the server through Microsoft Remote Desktop Services to see if the server has access to the internet or whenever an update needs to be installed.

What is most valuable?

What I found most valuable in Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is accessibility because the solution lets you take control of your computer remotely, and that's a good feature.

What needs improvement?

What needs improvement in Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is the connection when I'm outside the network. It should be more accessible. For example, if I use a public network, I want to connect remotely more effortlessly, from my internal network, without much requirement.

I want to connect easily from an external network even when I'm not in my enterprise or company. It should be easy to connect or integrate Microsoft Teams, for example, with Microsoft Remote Desktop Services.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've used Microsoft Remote Desktop Services twice, and if it's an emergency, I can use it immediately. From time to time, I use the solution.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I found Microsoft Remote Desktop Services stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

For me, Microsoft Remote Desktop Services doesn't require scaling compared to other services. It works fine, so you won't need to scale it.

How are customer service and support?

I have yet to contact Microsoft Remote Desktop Services technical support.

How was the initial setup?

I found it easy to set up Microsoft Remote Desktop Services. It takes a few seconds to enable your options on your computer, particularly for on-premise deployment. However, it takes about two minutes to deploy if you'd like to deploy the solution for a managed server in the cloud.

What about the implementation team?

I deployed Microsoft Remote Desktop Services with the help of a consultant because when I was trying to deploy on the cloud, there was a pop-up telling me to wait ten minutes to complete the setup. Then I could get assistance if I had a question, which I did.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

I recall that you don't need to pay for Microsoft Remote Desktop Services because that's included in Windows.

What other advice do I have?

The version of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services that I use depends on the environment I'm in. For example, if it's Windows 10, I'll have a different version than Windows Server 2022 or Windows 11. It depends on the system version I want to run the solution on.

Most of the time, the deployment model for Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is on-premises. Still, you can also do a hybrid deployment if you want to connect to a server in another region.

The IT team uses Microsoft Remote Desktop Services.

I recommend the service to others.

My rating for Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Hybrid Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Remote Desktop Services
April 2024
Learn what your peers think about Microsoft Remote Desktop Services. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: April 2024.
768,740 professionals have used our research since 2012.
it_user125988 - PeerSpot reviewer
Client Technologies Manager at a government with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
The most valuable features are resilience and thin provisioning.

What is most valuable?

  • Resilience: Has alllowed our 24/7 acute hospital to run electronic prescribing on the wards with limited downtime or post-setup configuration.
  • Thin provisioning: Our core applications mean that our WiFi connected devices can drop-off the network without causing patient record locks.

How has it helped my organization?

It has enabled our clinical staff to get real-time medicine prescribing information at the patients' bedside with a near 100% service uptime.

What needs improvement?

I think that the Single Sign-On (SSO) could be improved.

At release time, there was not a lot of information around. We invested some long hours researching. The documentation from Microsoft was difficult to find. Now there are plenty of step-by-step guides around.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have used it for four years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Initially, the configuration I setup used DNS round-robin. This was changed to a NLB setup on our session hosts.

This has improved the stability of the clients' Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) connectivity. It has given us granular control over stopping connections for downtime/maintenance windows.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We did not encounter any scalability issues.

How are customer service and technical support?

We actioned this with a limited budget. We completed it all in-house with no external technical support other than searching on the internet and testing.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We run Citrix alongside this solution for our internet connected clients. Microsoft Remote Desktop Services (RDS) was used primarily over our LAN/WAN.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was a little complex. Like any thin client setup, some applications are trickier than others.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

I could not see the benefits of using Citrix as you require RDS CALs regardless. We see this solution as a very good value.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We evaluated Citrix.

What other advice do I have?

  • We have found this to be very stable with a quite straightforward setup. However, Single Sign-On (SSO) certificates are a little fiddly.
  • Ensure that the underlying infrastructure is fully tested, robust, and scalable.
  • Our early problems stemmed from our hypervisor issues. Because clients only heard it was the RDS farm, I took a lot of heat on issues that were out of my control.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Consultant at NatWest Group
Real User
Top 5
The graphical user interface enables users to connect to servers easily
Pros and Cons
  • "Since the tool has a graphical user interface, it's easier for us to access the server."
  • "We face frequent disconnections."

What is our primary use case?

We have a lot of Microsoft services configured for different applications. We use the solution to access them.

What is most valuable?

Since the tool has a graphical user interface, it's easier for us to access the server. It's easier to connect to someone and explain it to them. It is easy to share and explain the features of the solution.

What needs improvement?

We face frequent disconnections.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the solution for the past 4 years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The product is stable enough. I rate the stability an 8 out of 10.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We are quite a large organization with 14,000 employees. Almost everyone uses the product on a daily basis.

How are customer service and support?

The support team takes a long time to get back to us. The team takes almost 2 days to respond to us. The wait time is longer than that of Azure and AWS’s support teams.

What other advice do I have?

The tool is the only way for us to connect to the servers. I will recommend the tool to others. If an organization has a Microsoft ecosystem, Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is the only out-of-the-box solution available. Installing anything else would be a hassle. Overall, I rate the solution an 8 out of 10.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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Neeraj Tiwari - PeerSpot reviewer
Student at Queens University Belfast
Real User
Top 10
Saves time and is convenient to use, but the stability must be improved
Pros and Cons
  • "The product saves time."
  • "The stability must be improved."

What is our primary use case?

I use the tool to switch to my company’s Windows desktop from my personal system.

What is most valuable?

The product saves time. It is convenient to use. It is a smart solution. The security is good.

What needs improvement?

The stability must be improved.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I rate the product’s stability a six out of ten.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We have a bunch of users.

How was the initial setup?

The installation is easy. It took five to seven minutes. The solution is cloud-based.

What about the implementation team?

We can do the deployment ourselves. We install an application and connect to the server. We must provide our credentials to connect to the tool.

What other advice do I have?

People who want to use the product must do a bit of research before making a decision. We faced compatibility issues since some users were using different operating systems. So, our organization asked us to use Microsoft Remote Desktop Services. Windows is a very common operating system used all over the world. Overall, I rate the solution a six out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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Ahmed Nagm - PeerSpot reviewer
IT Solution Consultant at PCS
Real User
Top 10
Manages the remote desktop end user and easily transfers files between your desktop and the remote site
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable feature of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is managing the remote desktop end user or remote server."
  • "The solution should introduce a chat feature for end users."

What is our primary use case?

We use the solution for remote access. I use Microsoft Remote Desktop Services to troubleshoot or reboot the service of my mobile or tablet applications.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is managing the remote desktop end user or remote server. It is much easier to transfer a file between your desktop and remote site using Microsoft Remote Desktop Services.

What needs improvement?

The solution should introduce a chat feature for end users.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been working with Microsoft Remote Desktop Services for more than ten years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I rate Microsoft Remote Desktop Services an eight out of ten for stability.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

More than 30 people use Microsoft Remote Desktop Services in our company.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is straightforward.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The solution has a pretty comparable pricing.

What other advice do I have?

I do recommend Microsoft Remote Desktop Services for my clients. It would be good if we could manage client-server applications through the remote interface.

Overall, I rate Microsoft Remote Desktop Services an eight out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Senior Software Analyst at a university with 201-500 employees
Real User
Great screen draw feature; option of using two monitors is very useful
Pros and Cons
  • "Good screen draw feature and ability to use two monitors."
  • "Lacks a notification feature when internet is down."

What is our primary use case?

When I'm in the office I use the solution to connect to another server to look at files or services that are running, things like that. When working from home I use it to connect to our VPN and then to my work computer and pretty much do everything that way. I'm a senior software analyst at an educational institution and I believe we have a partnership with Microsoft. 

How has it helped my organization?

Because of Covid, the solution has given those stuck at home the ability to continue working.

What is most valuable?

I think the price of this product is great. The solution allows me the option of using two monitors. I like the screen draw in Remote Desktop, it's better than GoToMyPC, which I've used previously although the improvement could also be related to a better internet connection over the past six months. 

What needs improvement?

It would be helpful if there was a feature that notifies you when the internet is down so you're not working for nothing, it should be something that pops right up where you can see it. The internet is always going to go down and the product seems to notice that it's down before my VPN notifies me that it's gone down. You're working and nothing's happening and it takes time to get the notification. 

For an additional feature, I'd like to see Remote Desktop specify which computer Zoom meetings will run on. I've joined a couple of sessions from home, and when I turn on my video, all you see is my empty desk chair at the office.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using this solution for six months. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is stable. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Scalability is not really relevant but the solution is used by a fair number of the IT staff. 

How are customer service and technical support?

I've never needed to use technical support. 

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I previously used GoToMyPC because I used to do upgrades from home at night. We were paying for that solution which wasn't necessary with the free Microsoft option. I used both of them for a short time and realized Remote Desktop really seemed to draw the screen better and also everybody else was using it. 

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is straightforward. You've got to have the IP address of the computer you're connecting to - in our organization it's managed by our network manager.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend this solution. 

I rate this product an eight out of 10. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
OğuzKalaycı - PeerSpot reviewer
System engineer at Yaşar Holding
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
Shares computer resources perfectly and provides the necessary security options
Pros and Cons
  • "The tool shares computer resources perfectly."
  • "Sometimes, the updates break the system."

What is our primary use case?

The users connect to a central server and share the physical or visual server resources. They use the remote desktop environment for office documents, operations, and company-specific programs.

What is most valuable?

The solution works perfectly. The tool shares computer resources perfectly. It provides the necessary security options.

What needs improvement?

When we update the environment, we face problems sometimes, and the users cannot use the system.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the solution for about 10 years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The tool is stable. Sometimes, the updates break the system.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The tool is very scalable. We can add and delete objects from the environment easily. We have approximately 500 users.

How was the initial setup?

The setup is straightforward. It is easy to deploy. Microsoft provides the necessary documentation, including detailed steps to install and configure the servers. The deployment process can be improved. It can be made more easier.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The tool must be cheaper. It should provide an option to pay the license fee once in a year or once in two years.

What other advice do I have?

We don't use any support because we can easily find online documents to solve our issues. I recommend that everybody use the product. If any company wants to share one computer’s resources with many users, they can choose Microsoft Remote Desktop Services. Overall, I rate the product an eight out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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Buyer's Guide
Download our free Microsoft Remote Desktop Services Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: April 2024
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Microsoft Remote Desktop Services Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.