Microsoft Remote Desktop Services Reviews

My main use case for Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is when data is highly secure and country sensitive, so it needs to stay within one data center and only individuals who have access to that country-only data can use it. Rather than having the data locally on my laptop, which could be insecure, only specific users have the ability to connect to these servers to view the data, so the data can be seen on my local laptop, but it never actually exists on the laptop. It is just the pixels being transmitted to me. I have used it for security reasons.

To view customer data and validate that it was sent correctly to a server, I have used Microsoft Remote Desktop Services, so rather than the data existing on my laptop, I would connect to that server to then validate the data.

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services offers several best features, including the security aspect because sensitive data stays within the server in the data center. It is only really the UI; the pixels are transmitted to myself and other users, making it brilliant for data residency because the data never exists and is never sent to my laptop. I am just viewing it from connecting to the server within a specific place, which is great for data sovereignty.

It is also advantageous for managing lots of users because I can have one massive, powerful server with loads of different users connecting to the same server to share resources, and from a scalability perspective, the IT team managing the application can keep it up to date and maintain it on one server, which is then transmitted to everyone connecting to it, rather than having the application exist on everyone's machines with all of those needing updates.

From the security perspective of using Microsoft Remote Desktop Services, the fact that the data never exists on my laptop and is always centralized in just one place on that one server is great because it means there is a much lower chance of data being leaked, especially if it needs to stay within the country. It highly reduces the risk of the data being sent accidentally to individuals outside of the country, which could break compliance.

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services has positively impacted my organization by increasing our security.

I have noticed the increase in security from using Microsoft Remote Desktop Services through improved compliance, as we are able to confirm 100 percent that data which needs to stay within the country does so because it only exists on the server. Then we connect to the server to view the data, but it never leaves the server, allowing us to hit 100 percent compliance very easily without worrying if someone can accidentally send the data somewhere else.

From the compliance perspective, Microsoft Remote Desktop Services has provided a massive compliance benefit, as we are able to ascertain 100 percent that data stays within the country because it stays on the server.

I understand from the IT team managing Microsoft Remote Desktop Services that it is complex to set up the multiple roles, certificates, and networks required. Networking is quite complicated. Even though on the data center side it is quite simple, maintaining the farm of other connections that connect to that server is the complex piece. I understand there are more modern systems replicating what this solution does, which are easier to use, such as Azure Virtual Desktop within Microsoft Azure Cloud or Amazon WorkSpaces, which I have used before. Rather than having to manage all the complex networking, you could abstract it away a little further in the cloud for easier use. 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.

I do not believe further features will be rolled out due to its end-of-life state, making it a legacy solution now.

I have used Microsoft Remote Desktop Services for around one year.

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is stable, as I have never had any instability issues.

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services scales very well; I could scale it to however many users I would want. From the functionality perspective, it is fine, but from the cost and operations perspective, it gets quite difficult because I have to purchase numerous licenses and track them. So while it is possible to scale very easily, it is complex to manage that scaling.

I have interacted with Microsoft customer support before; their support is fine, but I would not say it is the best in the industry. I have noticed, along with other team members, that when trying to reach Microsoft for customer support, it has to go through many different teams to reach the right place, leading to delays. In contrast, interacting with Amazon's customer support seems to route the request to the correct team almost immediately, resulting in quicker responses.

In a different organization, I have used Amazon WorkSpaces, which is a good tool that makes it easier to manage because it is within the cloud, with much of the networking and overall management abstracted away. However, I found that there was a big latency issue with WorkSpaces, and if there was a connection error, I could not access my desktop environment, causing significant problems. Therefore, I feel that Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is a bit more reliable.

I did not evaluate other options before choosing Microsoft Remote Desktop Services.

I was not involved in the pricing and licensing perspective, so I cannot speak too much on that. However, I know that two license types are needed: the Windows Server license and another client license. I understand it can get quite expensive and also complex to manage these different licenses.

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is a good tool that does what it is meant to do, and from a security perspective, it is brilliant. However, there is a lot of overhead with managing it, which modern tools do not have, especially tools that exist in the cloud. Also, it is in an end-of-life state right now, so there probably will not be any new features rolled out, and one issue is that you have to have Windows server licenses to use it, as well as an additional license type for every user or device that connects to the server. This can be expensive and complex to track from the licensing perspective.

I would advise others looking into using Microsoft Remote Desktop Services that it is a good tool to use, but I would not recommend starting to use it nowadays because it is in end-of-life support. Azure Virtual Desktop or Windows 365 is probably the better way to go since they are more modern tools. For what it is, it is a good tool; it is just being phased out as a legacy piece now.

I rate Microsoft Remote Desktop Services an 8 out of 10.

My main use case for Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is to connect Windows Server with my system to gain access to Windows Server and Windows PC and complete tasks. I have some Azure services and Azure Server running on the cloud. When I need to make any changes to the server, I connect through Microsoft Remote Desktop Services. I also use it to access colleagues on the same network through RDP. My users, typically four to five people, use Microsoft Remote Desktop Services in my office. I have set up this entire configuration for Microsoft Remote Desktop Services.

My main use case with Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is taking access of the Windows OS, whether it is a server or user desktop. When I want to take remote access, I do it. My main concern is taking remote access.

The best features Microsoft Remote Desktop Services offers are the performance, which is excellent. There is no lag. I can work in my window on my laptop, and it will appear as if I am working on the server. It will never feel as though I am using a remote desktop.

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services has impacted my organization positively in several ways. First, it will save costs. Since I need to access other systems and servers, it saves a lot of time by allowing me to work from my seat. Instead of going to the server room, I take access and complete all operations from my desk. With Azure, I only need to click the RDP file to get access. Instead of relying on the browser, I download the RDP file, double-click it, and enter the password to connect. This saves a lot of time compared to opening the Azure portal and navigating through other steps.

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services can be improved by providing a button for Control + Alt + Delete, as it is not currently working. If this option were available, it would be very helpful.

I do not think anything else is needed regarding improvements. I need only the Control + Alt + Delete option.

I have been using Microsoft Remote Desktop Services for more than three years.

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is stable, and I can confirm this.

The scalability of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is very good.

I have not required customer support for Microsoft Remote Desktop Services yet, so I cannot speak to that because it is a feature of Windows, and I am the engineer responsible for it.

I did not use any previous solution for the same network. I use UltraViewer for taking access outside the network, but for the same network, I am not using anything else because it is a free service and it is very good.

I have not seen a return on investment because it is free. Employee savings are not possible because if I need to take access, I still need to go to the seat and complete all tasks, so it does not save anything in that regard, but it is helpful.

My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing is that Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is free. I received the free version with Windows Server. I am using the free one with Windows Server. No additional license is currently required. Some limitations exist, but I am using the free version only.

I did not evaluate other options before choosing Microsoft Remote Desktop Services. I have been using it since I started my career.

My advice to others looking into using Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is that it is a free feature that you can use. If you want some advanced features, then you have to purchase the CAL license, which you can do. The performance will be very good. I would rate Microsoft Remote Desktop Services overall as ten out of ten.

One of the main use cases for Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is to access my own system from home, as we have a work-from-home policy for my organization, and I need to work on my remote desktop, which is in the office. I can utilize Microsoft Remote Desktop Services to log in to my personal system in the office.

I use Microsoft Remote Desktop Services on a day-to-day basis to access my system in the office, and without it, it would have been impossible to have a work-from-home culture. This is how it has helped me in terms of being at home and accessing my system.

This is the primary use case for Microsoft Remote Desktop Services, but I have also accessed systems from the client location. For instance, I am currently in India and need to access a system from the US for my project-related work, so that remote system access is something I have also used it for.

My favorite part of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is that I can access my system from anywhere and work smoothly, making it stable and good for daily remote work or day-to-day VDI access to the client system. From that perspective, it is one of the best systems available.

When using Microsoft Remote Desktop Services, once set up, the interface is simple, the speed is good, and I can access my remote system the same way I access my local system. There is minimal lag in terms of accessing, and it provides entire system access, so there is no issue or difference in terms of how I use my local system and how I use a remote system.

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is simple, reliable, and trustworthy. I can open it from anywhere, which makes it a super helpful tool to utilize.

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services has positively impacted my organization by giving us the freedom to work from any location remotely and at any time. If I am at home and it is late in the evening but I have some critical office-related work, I do not need to go to the office. I can simply log in to my remote system and deliver the work.

The initial setup of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services could be a bit simpler, as it is kind of tricky sometimes and there is not much good documentation mentioning all use cases or errors, which would be great if provided.

The user interface of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services could be more enhanced, and while the app is already fast and reliable, better use case FAQs would be helpful so that I could fix my local or initial starting setup issues.

I have been using Microsoft Remote Desktop Services for three years.

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is highly stable. I have never faced any issues related to its working or its availability, as it is always available and an amazing tool to work with.

The scalability of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is high, as it is already providing me with the flexibility to access my system from anywhere. We are a big organization with a large number of people, and everybody is utilizing it and has a good experience using it.

Customer support for Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is good. If I have any issues related to the installation or initial setup, they have been great and a helping hand.

We have not used any other solution and have been using Microsoft Remote Desktop Services only, which has been working great.

The initial setup of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services could be a bit simpler, as it is kind of tricky sometimes and there is not much good documentation mentioning all use cases or errors, which would be great if provided.

There are not many great options available before choosing Microsoft Remote Desktop Services. Microsoft is a trusted brand and a great label, and since I was already using other products from Microsoft, I went with utilizing the same, as it is reliable, fast, and provides a great user experience.

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is an amazing tool and has given us so much freedom in terms of making my day-to-day life simpler and providing me with a better work-life balance. I give this product a rating of 9 out of 10.

My main use case for Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is to log in remotely into a different environment. I have an appliance that we can log in to and be able to get onto different servers and navigate, and we get there through Microsoft Remote Desktop Services.

The best features Microsoft Remote Desktop Services offers include being able to log in and being able to control other machines.

Controlling other machines helps me in my role as it improves our workflow, allowing us to get in rapidly and do our work.

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services has positively impacted my organization by allowing us to remote in rapidly and securely. The secure aspect of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services helps my team stay secure by supporting MFA, which allows us to secure who logs in.

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services helps my team collaborate and work together by allowing us to put everything in one ecosystem with the integration, and it works very well with Windows Server, Active Directory, and Azure.

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services handles updates and maintenance in my environment easily, as it is easy to manage. Microsoft Remote Desktop Services performs very well in terms of reliability and uptime for my organization, and I appreciate this feature.

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services integrates with my existing security tools and policies and is compatible with our security stack, as we are a Microsoft shop, and it works well with us.

When multiple users are logged in at the same time, we have not noticed any issues with Microsoft Remote Desktop Services. The user experience for my team with Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is intuitive and easy to use.

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services can be improved by addressing the single session limitations and also clarifying the licensing, which can be confusing.

I have been using Microsoft Remote Desktop Services for five years.

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is stable.

The scalability of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services performs well.

Microsoft has good customer support. I would rate the customer support of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services a 10.

Positive

I cannot share any metrics on return on investment, but I appreciate the features and the use of it.

My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing for Microsoft Remote Desktop Services was that the licensing was acceptable, but I think the cost was fair.

Before choosing Microsoft Remote Desktop Services, I evaluated other options, particularly Citrix.

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is a good product and I recommend using it. I would rate this product a 9 out of 10.

My main use case for Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is taking remote access to servers, debugging issues on other desktops, and conducting file sharing or collaboration activities via SharePoint.

As part of my job, I typically use Microsoft Remote Desktop Services to take remote access to machines of users in different domains who are plugged into Bank of America's infrastructure, requiring me to install certain tools for security checkups and validate whether certain certificates are in place or not.

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services has positively impacted my organization by leading to an overall productivity increase because it has simplified what used to be a physical task of going to certain users' machines for validation, allowing for remote management from geographically distributed locations.

Since I started using Microsoft Remote Desktop Services, a specific outcome is that the number of tickets logged on ServiceNow has decreased significantly, particularly for remote access or certificate management, which are the primary metrics to be monitored.

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. The product also allows for multiple session virtualizations even if users are based in remote locations and offers support for legacy applications that need to be upgraded.

Out of those features, the one I rely on the most is certificate validation and plugin installation or removal in certain IDEs which developers or coders generally use. Being able to do this remotely makes my job significantly easier than going to everyone's desk in the office.

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 suggest some improvements for Microsoft Remote Desktop Services, such as introducing redundant gateways or better bandwidth access to reduce the frequency of remote connection breaks, especially during larger sessions with clients where I often need three or four remote sessions.

I have been using Microsoft Remote Desktop Services for almost three years.

My advice for others looking into using Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is that there are not many alternatives to the product. Whatever alternatives exist do not really allow you to access enterprise applications because of the centralized Microsoft login, so you should make the best use of this product. I would rate my overall experience with Microsoft Remote Desktop Services a 9 out of 10.

A specific example of how I use it day-to-day is through Microsoft 365, for example.

I find RDS valuable because it works on any hardware and supports any USB devices, printers, and other peripherals.

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is very secure, and I trust it.

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services has positively impacted my organization by being a very sustainable solution and improving our time to market.

I believe Microsoft Remote Desktop Services improved our time to market because Microsoft is a veteran of the platform.

I would like to see more clarity in the difference between user CALs and device CALs and VDA licenses. Additionally, the technical debt needs to be addressed.

Before choosing Microsoft Remote Desktop Services, there were no other options on the table.

My main use case for Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is to access the server infrastructure of our Customer, which I support in my role as a technical support personnel.

A specific example of how I used Microsoft Remote Desktop Services in that role is that we have some applications running on servers which I need to restart regularly, and I normally use remote desktop to access it and then restart the services on those servers.

The best feature that Microsoft Remote Desktop Services offers is the ability to connect to server infrastructure from anywhere I am; no matter the country I am in, as long as I have an internet connection, I am able to log in to our servers and then carry out my duties.

I appreciate the security features of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services where it ensures that anyone connecting to the server infrastructure is an authenticated individual from a device that is trusted by our systems.

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services has positively impacted my organization by enabling us to work on multiple projects at once; all we need to do is have the login credentials for the different customers we are serving and then we are able to support them remotely.

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services has led to measurable improvements in faster response times and increased productivity for my team as I work in a team that is spread across different time zones, and having access to remote desktop enables us to collaborate across those time zones.

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services helps my team collaborate across projects or locations as we are across multiple time zones; I can pick off where one of my colleagues leaves off, and it enables us to work efficiently across those time zones.

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services could be improved because when I am connected to a larger screen like an external monitor, the window for remote desktop is not able to fill the screen entirely but remains at a section of the screen; I am unsure if it is a setting on my system or a remote desktop-specific issue.

If there were an easier way to save logins so that I do not need to keep entering passwords for different servers every time I need to access a specific server, that would be beneficial.

Regarding the interface, I would rate it a nine mainly because it still looks like an old application, and if it could be modernized, that would be appreciated.

I have been using Microsoft Remote Desktop Services for about fourteen months.

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is stable.

I cannot provide metrics on the scalability of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services.

I have not had to raise any form of customer support request, so I cannot provide input on that regarding Microsoft Remote Desktop Services.

Negative

I have only used Microsoft Remote Desktop Services and did not previously use a different solution.

Before choosing Microsoft Remote Desktop Services, we evaluated other options, but it was a standardized application for us to use in my organization.

We use Microsoft Remote Desktop Services as a standalone application and not integrated into any workflow at the moment.

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.

I do not have a view into the financials as the cost was handled externally regarding Microsoft Remote Desktop Services' pricing, setup cost, and licensing.

My company has a global partnership with Microsoft, and we utilize most of our business systems as Microsoft Enterprise systems, so my company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.

I would advise others looking into using Microsoft Remote Desktop Services to make sure they have a good network connection and to take security seriously, especially for the local device with which they will connect to servers, because if someone has access to that device without any authentication or security processes, it could lead to a huge security event.

I would give Microsoft Remote Desktop Services a rating of nine out of ten.

My main use case for Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is remoting into computers that I don't have physical access to in order to assist or perform configurations, or remoting into our servers to do day-to-day work.

The best features Microsoft Remote Desktop Services offers include easy connection to the devices on the same network and easy connection to the devices over VPN.

The easy connection over VPN in Microsoft Remote Desktop Services helps my team significantly, especially when they are working from home and need to remote connect to our servers. Using remote desktop services and connecting to a VPN allows us to connect without having to use third-party tools.

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services has positively impacted my organization by helping us function efficiently when we're not physically at certain machines.

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services could be improved by providing a way to make it configurable without using VPN from the actual service itself.

I have been using Microsoft Remote Desktop Services for ten years.

In my experience, Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is stable.

The scalability of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services for my organization is fine. It is used more so for back-end machines and for very specific support, so as we grow, we still use it the same amount.

I previously used TeamViewer before switching to Microsoft Remote Desktop Services.

My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing for Microsoft Remote Desktop Services has been easy. I don't think there was any cost, as this was built into our experience with Windows and Azure.

I have seen a return on investment with Microsoft Remote Desktop Services, as it has sped up a lot of our support.

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.

My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing for Microsoft Remote Desktop Services has been easy. I don't think there was any cost, as this was built into our experience with Windows and Azure.

I switched from TeamViewer to Microsoft Remote Desktop Services because Microsoft's integrated products are easier to use and support.

My advice to others looking into using Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is that it's an easy piece of software that's integrated with Windows and other services offered by Microsoft, making the cost of entry and support straightforward. I would rate this product an eight out of ten.

In a way, we have some virtual solutions, at least RDS from Microsoft Hyper V. That's what we're using today, but not for everyone. Some people do use it. It's more like remote desktop. It's been a long time, at least since Windows Services 2008 or around 2010. 

Today, most of our users, among three or four companies sharing software like the ERP system, work on individual workstations or laptops. That's really the main use across the companies today, however, it would sometimes make sense to look at remote Desktop or VDI. My impression is that most solutions, especially today, make sense for large corporations with two thousand seats or more. 

So far, we have not used anything besides remote Desktop for, for example, accountants working from various locations or not based in our offices. That's really how we do it today.

The main benefit, is that it's easy for us to get the same desktop and do things in the same way regardless of our location. However, it would sometimes make sense to look at remote Desktop or VDI. My impression is that most of the solutions, especially today, make sense for large corporations with 2000 seats or more. So far, we have not used anything besides remote Desktop.

We would like configuration to be automatic and the price to be close to zero, however, that's not realistic. Everyone wants to join some kind of cloud service today. We have decided to keep our ERP software on our own servers. For users, it should be easier to create a template and duplicate users. We have done it in an old-fashioned way. 

It would be easier to set up, and upgrades should be easier.

The cost we have today is quite low, to be honest. However, if we want to hire a lot of people, it would require quite a lot of work. As long as we have a small number of installations and users, it's manageable.

It would sometimes make sense to look at remote Desktop or VDI. My impression is that most of the solutions, especially today, make sense for large corporations with 2000 seats or more. So far, we have not used anything besides remote Desktop, mainly for accountants or those working from different locations or not based in our offices.

We have not used a different solution for a long time, to be honest. We have used Microsoft. Whenever I looked at competing solutions like Citrix or VMware, the benefit is great if we have many users, however, the cost would be too high for a few users. That's been my conclusion so far. We have not worked with other solutions in this configuration of companies.

When it comes to users, it should be easier to create a template and duplicate users. We have done it in an old-fashioned way. If setting up a new user, it usually takes about two or three hours, not days.

With Citrix or VMware, the benefit is great if we have many users, however, the cost would be too high for a few users. We have not worked with other solutions in this configuration of companies. 

Mostly we are quite happy with it. However, some of us want a more powerful desktop. When not present, we use a remote tool called Splashtop, which is a good solution for some users. We have about ten licenses for those who need a powerful workstation at the office. 

We have not used many different tools. We are never in contact with Microsoft. These are quite basic configurations, to be honest. It's not complicated. AI is coming to or is already in some applications we are using. Not system-wise, however, it might be good. 

I'd rate the solution seven out of ten. It's quite good, yet certainly not perfect. 

My current use case for Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is connecting to services which are specific to a remote location because I am working from India. There are times that I need to connect to those services, so via Microsoft Remote Desktop Services, I access that system because I need to connect to VPN. Some services are specific to a particular location and shouldn't be accessed here, so I connect to that Remote Desktop to use it. It's mainly for support and management activities.

I find the ease of use of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services most valuable, as it allows me to have remote access and connect securely. Another valuable feature is file transfers, as it enables me to move files between local and remote machines efficiently.

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.

The only problem I see is that when I am connected, there is a certain lag because of the network.

I have been working with Microsoft Remote Desktop Services for five, six years.

For stability, I would rate the product an eight.

I would rate the scalability, or ability to expand, a seven.

Technical support from Microsoft is something I have never used, but I would give them a seven or eight.

Positive

I am not working with products such as Intune, Remote Desktop, or storage solutions such as Azure. Currently, I am using all the Microsoft tools that are available such as Office and Power BI. I have completed some certifications for Azure, but I am not an avid user of Azure. I am not sure if I bought Microsoft Remote Desktop Services on AWS Marketplace or directly from Microsoft because it is provided through my organization. I have experience with virtualization, but I haven't used the session virtualization feature of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services. I do not use the centralized application management function of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services or the centralized dashboard. The solution is cloud-based. I am using multi-factor authentication through Microsoft Remote Desktop Services, and I would rate it a nine. Overall, I rate Microsoft Remote Desktop Services an eight out of ten.