Group Cyber Security Manager at Tod's SpA
Real User
Top 20
A stable solution with good customer support, however similar products are available for free
Pros and Cons
  • "I've had good experiences with Microsoft customer support."
  • "I would say it's expensive as there similar products available for free."

What is our primary use case?

It allows me to remotely take control of a desktop if my wife or son has a problem.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the solution for one or two years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It doesn't need to be scalable in my case as I only implement the solution on a few desktops at home. 

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.
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How are customer service and support?

I've had good experiences with Microsoft customer support. 

How was the initial setup?

It was easy for me, but I have experience working in this field.

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

I would say it's expensive as there similar products available for free. 

What other advice do I have?

I rate this solution a seven out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Process Control and Automation Engineer - PCD Administrator at a energy/utilities company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Stable and easy to use product, could be made simple from the perspective of the end user
Pros and Cons
  • "The technical support is good."
  • "From the perspective of an IT professional, Microsoft Remote Desktop is very easy to use. However, it could be made easier to use for the end user, especially when it comes to activating it."

What is our primary use case?

We use Microsoft Remote Desktop if we want, for example, to help a user that has a problem. We can also use it to take the control of a computer on a remote location.

What is most valuable?

The simplicity of the product has been most valuable to me. This is especially true if you use a Microsoft product to connect to Microsoft Remote Desktop. There is no broker in between. Microsoft Remote Desktop is something that comes with Windows at no cost unless you use a Microsoft server.

For me, it boils down to simplicity. There is no cost and the setup is easy. 

What needs improvement?

From the perspective of an IT professional, Microsoft Remote Desktop is very easy to use. However, it could be made easier to use for the end user, especially when it comes to activating it.

Microsoft could also improve the sustainability of this product, especially in terms of account redundancy. They could also add something like a log to make more easy to use so that they can easily prevent some of the failures. I think Microsoft can do better.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Microsoft servers for more than 20 years. My first Microsoft server was NT 3.5.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Microsoft Remote Desktop is quite stable product now, particularly if you compare it to previous version.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Microsoft Remote Desktop is scalable. 

How are customer service and support?

The technical support is good. I have had some issues with them, but most of time the technical support is good. Phone support is difficult for me to use but the Microsoft Knowledge Base has been helpful. It is easy to find solutions to problems in the knowledge base. You can also get email support, which is useful. 

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.
769,065 professionals have used our research since 2012.
ICT Manager at a transportation company with 201-500 employees
Real User
Top 5
Scalable, stable, and initial setup simple
Pros and Cons
  • "Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is scalable."
  • "Microsoft Remote Desktop Services could improve by allowing the sharing of the office application. For example, the ability to replace a PC when something is wrong."

What is our primary use case?

We have deployed Microsoft Remote Desktop Services for logistics, CNC, and machine shop areas. I think that is very flexible in order to provide the correct maintenance and deploy the services.

What needs improvement?

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services could improve by allowing the sharing of the office application. For example, the ability to replace a PC when something is wrong.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Microsoft Remote Desktop Services for approximately four years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is stable. However, the first stage was a bit unstable because you need to spend time in order to set up all the settings in a proper way based on the organization. The system is stable and functional when set up the correct way.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is scalable.

You have to set up an additional remote desktop server in order to leverage the resource in terms of elaboration RAM et cetera.

We have approximately 40 people using this solution in my company.

How are customer service and support?

We work with a partner for our support.

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

We have used Citrix previously and it is more stable but it's a more expensive platform. 

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is easy.

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

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is less expensive than some other solutions on the market.

I rate the price of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services a three out of five.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend this solution to others.

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

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
System Organizer at a translation and localization position with 1-10 employees
Real User
Top 5
Helps to connect with remote workers but needs to improve security
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution works on Microsoft servers."
  • "Microsoft Remote Desktop Services needs to improve its security."

What is our primary use case?

We have a group of users who work remotely for us, as well as others who connect to our computers from various locations.

What is most valuable?

The solution works on Microsoft servers. 

What needs improvement?

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services needs to improve its security. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the product for 20 years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I rate Microsoft Remote Desktop Services' stability a nine out of ten. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I rate the tool's scalability a nine out of ten. My company has 80 users. 

How are customer service and support?

We don't use technical support from Microsoft. We have outsourced it to another company. 

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

We chose Microsoft because it was cheaper. 

How was the initial setup?

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services' deployment is easy. 

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

The tool's pricing is high in the Slovenian market. I rate it a nine out of ten. 

What other advice do I have?

I rate Microsoft Remote Desktop Services a nine out of ten. 

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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Sr. Manager of Software and Controls at a manufacturing company with 51-200 employees
Real User
Top 10
Simple remote system access, reliable, and uncomplicated setup
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable feature of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is the ability to remote into a system that is not on-premises."
  • "Microsoft Remote Desktop Services could improve by having a better application for managing multiple sessions. There used to be one but they stopped supporting it."

What is our primary use case?

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is used to connect to other systems.

How has it helped my organization?

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services has helped our organization because it provides easier access to desktops without having to be physically on-site.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is the ability to remote into a system that is not on-premises.

What needs improvement?

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services could improve by having a better application for managing multiple sessions. There used to be one but they stopped supporting it.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have used Microsoft Remote Desktop Services within the last 12 months.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is very good.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability could improve by having a multi-session manager.

Our IT department uses Microsoft Remote Desktop Services.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is simple, it is not complex.

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

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services comes free as part of Microsoft Windows.

What other advice do I have?

I rate Microsoft Remote Desktop Services a nine out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Project Manager at SOLUZIONE SRL
Real User
Top 5
A platform of choice for building virtualization solutions for every end customer need
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution is user-friendly and has a good user experience."
  • "Microsoft should be more compatible with other operating system."

What is most valuable?

The solution is user-friendly and has a good user experience. 

What needs improvement?

Microsoft should be more compatible with other operating system. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Microsoft Remote Desktop Services for a few years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Microsoft is a stable solution. I rate the stability a ten out of ten. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Only one user using the solution. 

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

Previously we used VMware but Microsoft is easy to deploy. 

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is straightforward. The deployment takes a few seconds. 

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

There is a licensing cost. 

What other advice do I have?

Overall, I rate the solution a ten out of ten. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Private Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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Loredana Ababei - PeerSpot reviewer
3rd Level Support Engineer at Valeo IT
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
A fast and stable solution that any company can use
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution is really fast."
  • "The performance of Remote Desktop Services could be better."

What is our primary use case?

I use the solution to connect to different servers.

What is most valuable?

The solution is really fast. Every company can use it.

What needs improvement?

When a change is made in Box, it affects all the services, which is annoying.

The performance of Remote Desktop Services could be better.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the solution for three years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability of the solution is good. I rate the stability a ten out of ten.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I rate the scalability of the solution a ten out of ten. About 1000 employees are using the solution in our organization.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is straightforward. We can find the necessary information on the Internet.

What about the implementation team?

We need five employees, including managers, administrators, and engineers, to deploy and maintain the solution.

What other advice do I have?

It is a cloud-based solution. We can use the solution on a local server or the cloud, depending on our organization's needs. I would recommend the solution to others. It is useful and straightforward. Overall, I rate the solution a ten out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
PAM Architect at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
MSP
Top 20
Light, built into the operating system, and requires no implementation
Pros and Cons
  • "It's built into the operating system and has a command line interface capability to insert credentials, IDs, a password, et cetera."
  • "The only problems that you're going to have with the remote desktop are going to be firewall ports, security, and NLA, which is a net network level access control, or TLS transfer layer security or some other SSL-type of security."

What is our primary use case?

I use Remote Desktop to do a credential swap where it goes from being the explicit user accessing the endpoint to a privileged credential.

What I do is, in the connection process with RDP, the user logs into the PAM tool as first name.last name, which is his normal domain account. However, BeyondTrust, with the remote desktop connection, substitutes the user's first name.last name with a privileged credential that looks like his name. It would be like A-first.last. This is so that we can also perform session recording and keystroke logging, as well as keep a detailed log of who is connected to which desktop and which account.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable suite feature for us is that it's light. It's built into the operating system and has a command line interface capability to insert credentials, IDs, a password, et cetera.

What needs improvement?

If anybody who's going to be using this, I’d warn that some of the dependencies that are very helpful when the window servers are running it would be best if they have network-level access enabled. It can speed up authentication. However, it really it also works well with TLS security as well as others on the certificate level. That said, I really don't know if I would start swinging in the dark after that.

Usually, during a privileged session, you don't want the privileged credential password being visible, nor maybe would you want keystrokes or screen scrapes to take place.

One of our first problems was the only time RDP ever gave me a problem was when an organization would build a new server. They would automatically build it. They would name it. They would put the connection settings on it. And then they would also put a certificate on it. Then the engineering team that ordered the server would then rename the server, which would nullify the certificate. That's the only time that RDP or remote desktop ever gave me a problem. And that was not the remote desktop's problem. It was a process flaw.

The only problems that you're going to have with the remote desktop are going to be firewall ports, security, and NLA, which is a net network level access control, or TLS transfer layer security or some other SSL-type of security. Those are the only times you get into any issues. And that's only due to the fact that the originating site is not compatible with the target site. However, that's rare. That said, even then, that's more on the rare side. I'm a PAM architect, a privileged access management architect. I usually knock down those problems before we get to them since I ran it all a hundred times.

For how long have I used the solution?

I’ve used the solution for 20 to 25 years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is rock solid. It’s 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 sky is the limit in terms of scalability. It’s not a problem at all if you need to expand. The only limiting factor is the budget. Obviously, the more you grow, the more you pay.

Tens of thousands of people use the solution. The primary use is to segregate a user from a direct login to a desktop.

How was the initial setup?

The solution is actually built into the larger product. We pretty much just have to secure the connection.

It's actually maintained as part of the standard windows update tools and also could be updated manually with specific patches that might be something more specific to your organization. I've only experienced that once and that was years ago.

What about the implementation team?

I’m implementing the remote desktop for customers.

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

It’s built-in. It’s free. It doesn’t cost extra.

What other advice do I have?

We are Microsoft partners.

The deployment is both on-prem and cloud. If I was working with an organization that is a monster and they're distributed or maybe even a multinational or multi-state, I would use Azure Cloud and do use the Azure remote desktop solution.

There are so many different types of uses. In my use case, it is so painfully specific for connection brokering. We use it as part of the built-in connection process with our PAM tool. You can actually just sit down at your desktop and then do a start run, and then run MSTSC, which means micro soft terminal services client, which is a remote desktop. You can connect to one of your own computers at home, or you could connect to a server. However, you have to know the ID and password to connect. I circumvent that by doing a command line connection where I insert the credentials and the users connect, not even knowing what ID or password they're using to connect with.

I’d rate the solution ten out of ten. It’s a meat and potatoes product.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
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.