The first use case was related to the development and testing environment. Before COVID, it was also for remote connections for work from home, to have access to a protected environment.
Southern Europe Customer Success Manager at Nexthink
Reliable, simple to set up and easy to deploy
Pros and Cons
- "It's simple to set up."
- "The solution isn't as good as the Citrix option."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
The solution has improved a lot.
It's simple to set up.
It is stable.
The solution can scale according to the hardware available.
What needs improvement?
The solution isn't as good as the Citrix option.
For how long have I used the solution?
I used the solution for ten years.
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It's a stable, reliable product. There are no bugs or glitches and it doesn't crash or freeze.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
There are some limitations in terms of the the ability to expand. It's scalable according to the hardware limitation or the virtual environment limitation.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I've also used Citrix. I prefer Citrix to Remote Desktop connections. The management and flow are better.
Hyper-V is also challenging Citrix. However, Citrix has a strong reputation still.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was not complex at all. It was very straightforward.
The connection for the client is embedded in the system. You just need to configure the servers and credentials.
What was our ROI?
We did not calculate an ROI, however, it does offer more features than we needed and therefore offers great value for money.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I'm not sure about the licensing. The licensing policies are changing in the Microsoft environment, so I'm not sure how it's licensed at this time.
My understanding is that it is expensive. Even if we negotiate, it depends on the business you have and the volumes you run an issue for.
With the rules changing, the licensing can be complex.
What other advice do I have?
I was a reseller and partner.
I'm not sure which version of the solution I used.
We started using the solution on-premises and then deployed it to the Azure cloud.
I'd rate the solution eight out of ten. It's simple to deploy. Users just need to negotiate a price and handle tasks around their server license.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Microsoft Azure
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner and reseller
Head of Infrastructure at a financial services firm with 11-50 employees
Issue free and allows for remote access to machines, but is not scalable
Pros and Cons
- "It works fine, and it is largely issue-free."
- "It works fine, and it is largely issue-free."
- "The product is not very scalable."
- "If you are deploying it as a VDI solution, then it is very limited; the product is not very scalable."
What is our primary use case?
We primarily use the solution for remote desktop services. It can be used locally or on the cloud. It's on every single Windows machine.
If you need a remote desktop for Windows 10, or Windows 2016, you use RDP, which is Remote Desktop Services.
What is most valuable?
The solution is great for remote into machines.
It works fine, and it is largely issue-free.
The product is stable.
What needs improvement?
If you are deploying it, as a VDI solution, then it is very limited.
The product is not very scalable.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've used the solution for 15 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It's quite stable and reliable. There are no bugs or glitches, and it doesn't crash or freeze.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution scales minimally. It's not meant for scaling.
Everyone uses the product to some extent. We do not have plans to decrease usage at this time.
How are customer service and support?
I try not to contact technical support.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We were using Citrix, which I found to be much better.
How was the initial setup?
The solution comes with the Windows Server. You simply enable the feature and begin using it.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The solution is bundled within Microsoft products.
What other advice do I have?
I wouldn't necessarily recommend the solution to others unless they had no other choices.
I'd rate the solution five out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
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Head, Technical Operation at mynic
Good features, fair pricing, and helpful support
Pros and Cons
- "I like the way it can assess our system."
- "The initial setup is great; it's very simple and straightforward."
- "We'd like them to continue to improve on security."
- "We'd like them to continue to improve on security."
What is our primary use case?
The product helps assess our system.
What is most valuable?
I like the way it can assess our system.
The features it has already serves or needs.
The initial setup is very simple.
It is quite stable.
The product offers good pricing.
Technical support has been helpful.
What needs improvement?
I don't need any other new features. It works well as it is.
We'd like them to continue to improve on security.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for quite some time. It's been around ten years or so.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
This is a stable product. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. It is reliable.
I'd rate the stability seven out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Our system is on Windows, and we need to scale very little. As far as we're concerned, it scales enough for us. We have about 20 users on the solution currently.
How are customer service and support?
We use Microsoft 365, and if we have any issues, we contact support that covers that. We've been satisfied overall with the level of support we get. I have no complaints.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We are also using TeamViewer. It targets different areas from Remote Desktop. For example, it allows others to access your system - not you. They each serve different purposes.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is great it's very simple and straightforward. I do not find it to be complex at all.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing is good. I'd rate it five out of five in terms of affordability.
What other advice do I have?
I'm a customer and end-user.
I seldom use the product; however, for me, it works exactly as I need it to.
I'd rate the solution eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Private Cloud
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Independent Consultant at Business Connexion Namibia
Helps us connect to the legacy system with a straightforward setup
Pros and Cons
- "We use it to connect to the legacy system."
- "We chose this solution because it's a Microsoft Cloud and end-to-end all solution, Cloud 365, and it's all Microsoft, so it made sense to stay with the same VDI solution."
- "There is a limitation on the number of concurrent users."
- "There is a limitation on the number of concurrent users. The limitation is 20, and you have to spin up more than one server, which is not needed at this stage because of customers."
What is our primary use case?
We use it to connect to the legacy system.
What is most valuable?
It is still in the early stages, and the features are purely for connectivity.
What needs improvement?
There is a limitation on the number of concurrent users. The limitation is 20, and you have to spin up more than one server, which is not needed at this stage because of customers. So they reduced it to 12 active users. So if you want to deploy more than 12, you should assess other solutions.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using this solution for three months, and it is the latest version. It is deployed on cloud.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
We had issues with stability in the beginning, but it is good now. The stability depends on connectivity in terms of the latency of the internet link.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We have not tried to scale it. We have 40 users using this solution.
How are customer service and support?
I rate the technical support a six out of ten. It took them a while to understand the technology.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We chose this solution because it's a Microsoft Cloud and end-to-end all solution, Cloud 365. In addition, it's all Microsoft, so it made sense to stay with the same VDI solution.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was straightforward. The deployment was done with BCX, and it took one week.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The licensing came with the product, and the solution had no additional costs.
What other advice do I have?
I rate this solution an eight out of ten. Regarding advice, it depends on the requirements and what you need. In this case, it's just for one legacy system. So if you assess more functionality and scalability, we would look at different products because the customers would be prepared to pay for those products.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner
Senior IT Lead at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees
Convenient and secure solution
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable part of RDS is that it allows you to work from any location and check the server through a VPN connection."
- "The most valuable part of RDS is that it allows you to work from any location and check the server through a VPN connection."
- "Users have to re-enter their ID and password every time they log on, which is tedious and repetitive."
- "Users have to re-enter their ID and password every time they log on, which is tedious and repetitive."
What is our primary use case?
I use RDS to connect our servers.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable part of RDS is that it allows you to work from any location and check the server through a VPN connection.
What needs improvement?
Users have to re-enter their ID and password every time they log on, which is tedious and repetitive. It would be better if the system could save users' passwords between sessions.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using RDS for around ten years.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The cloud version's scalability is better than on-prem.
How are customer service and support?
Microsoft's technical support is helpful, but its speed could be better.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is very simple.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate RDS eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner
System Analyst at a security firm with 11-50 employees
Easy to set up, bundled for cost-savings, and easy to expand
Pros and Cons
- "The product is stable."
- "The most valuable aspect is it is handy."
- "The performance depends on connectivity."
- "The performance depends on connectivity."
What is most valuable?
The most valuable aspect is it is handy. We just start up the servers, and we can call the remote desktop, and it's connected. And that's it.
The product is stable.
It is easy to set up.
The solution is highly scalable.
What needs improvement?
The performance depends on connectivity. The refreshing screen rate is based on the internet and the bandwidth. It can therefore be unstable.
It would be nice if they had a portable version. This would make it much better. Sometimes we cannot install it on some machines. We just want to use it once and don't need to actually install it anyway, yet we can't.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for 20 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability depends on the connectivity. If there is terrible connectivity, it will be unstable. In general, if the connectivity is there, I would rate it four out of five in terms of stability.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability has been very good.
We have about 20 licensed users on the solution right now.
How are customer service and support?
I've never called technical support. I can't speak to how helpful or responsive they are.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I'm familiar with TeamViewer and Desktop Anywhere. They are good, however, we are concerned they have issues surrounding security. That's why we prefer this product.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is simple. It's not a complex process.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The solution comes in a bundle, which offers a cost-savings to customers.
I'm not sure of the exact price. I don't deal with that directly.
What other advice do I have?
I'm just an end-user.
It's on-prem and we have a server or a cluster to form a group of servers to provide. We are our access from other countries as we have some colleagues working in Britain.
I'd rate the solution eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
IT consultant at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees
Easy to use and implement with the ability to scale up
Pros and Cons
- "It's pretty stable."
- "The product is very easy to use, the solution's implementation process is simple, it's pretty stable, and it can scale well."
- "We had some instability during the implementation process. This has since been resolved."
- "We had some instability during the implementation process."
What is our primary use case?
The solution is primarily for remote desktop services. It's used to start up a desktop service, and we can use a password and a user name to work remotely on other servers.
What is most valuable?
The product is very easy to use.
The solution's implementation process is simple.
It's pretty stable.
It can scale well.
What needs improvement?
I can't think of an area that is lacking currently.
We had some instability during the implementation process. This has since been resolved.
For how long have I used the solution?
We've used the product for two years now. It was implemented at the beginning of COVID.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability is okay in most cases. Sometimes, especially in the beginning, we had some problems. However, that was due to the implementation of this solution. At this moment it's very stable. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability, as far as I know, is not an issue. We moved all employees to this solution. We started with a few, and now almost a thousand colleagues are using this solution. Therefore, for us, in our experience, the solution looks very good if you need to scale.
How are customer service and support?
I've never been in contact with Microsoft technical support.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Before this solution, we used Citrix.
How was the initial setup?
The solution has a straightforward setup. It's not very complex at all.
Its deployment took a few weeks.
The organization, during the start of COVID, had a lot of colleagues started working from home, and it seemed that the Citrix solution was not capable of doing that, so the ICT offices switched to Remote Desktop Services to accommodate people working from home. Our strategy was to have that capability.
The deployment and maintenance are handled by a third party. They aren't necessarily dedicated, however, they are they if something needs to be done.
What about the implementation team?
We had a third-party integrator that assisted with the implementation.
What was our ROI?
I haven't witnessed an ROI.
What other advice do I have?
We use the solution. We're customers.
We're using the latest version of the solution.
We use Microsoft Authenticator to log on, which is straightforward.
I would recommend the solution to others. I suggest they just go for it. It's a very good solution.
I'd rate the solution eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Microsoft Azure
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Head of Systems Analysis at a financial services firm with 5,001-10,000 employees
Reliable, works well, and is quick to deploy
Pros and Cons
- "The solution is now stable."
- "I’d recommend the solution to others; it’s solved problems for us and worked well."
- "Sometimes the server stops working, and we don’t know why. Occasionally we’ll get a message to the effect of "There is no remote license.""
- "Sometimes the server stops working, and we don’t know why."
What is our primary use case?
We use it in our bank.
We have some servers, and more than two users go remotely with them. We prepare with the Microsoft engineer servers that take them and the license for the users when they need them.
How has it helped my organization?
It has generally improved how our organization functions.
What is most valuable?
The solution is now stable.
The initial setup is simple. It's quick to deploy.
It works well and does what we need it to do.
What needs improvement?
Sometimes the server stops working, and we don’t know why. Occasionally we’ll get a message to the effect of "There is no remote license."
For how long have I used the solution?
I’ve been using the solution for about one year.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
While we had a problem before, now everything is stable. It’s reliable now. We’ve dealt with our issues and no longer have troubles.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I can’t speak to the scalability. I’ve never attempted to scale. That’s handled by someone else in the company.
Right now, we have 50 licenses available to us. We use the solution quite extensively.
How are customer service and support?
I’ve never dealt with technical support for issues related to the stability problem. I can’t speak to how helpful or responsive they would be. Other team members deal with them. We do have a support contract with Microsoft.
I have dealt with them on Teams on Active Directory and found them to be helpful. I found their help to be excellent.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We already had a license with Microsoft, and therefore, it was natural to use this product as well.
How was the initial setup?
It’s not difficult to set up. It’s pretty straightforward.
The deployment is pretty fast. It only takes about an hour and a half. We only needed to have three people handle the deployment and maintenance.
What about the implementation team?
An engineer worked with us to set up the servers. We have machines joining the domain, and we have workgroup machines.
We handled everything in-house. We didn’t need the help of consultants.
What was our ROI?
I’m not sure if we have seen an ROI.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I cannot speak to how much the solution costs. My understanding is that it is moderately priced in that it is not cheap or expensive. We ended up getting it when we renewed our license. It’s an extra feature with the broader Microsoft license.
What other advice do I have?
I’m not sure which version of the solution we’re using.
I’d recommend the solution to others. It’s solved problems for us and worked well.
I’d rate the solution nine out of ten.
We have a partnership with Microsoft.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. partners
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