LogMeIn Pro is very well suited for small-to-medium sized organisations. The pricing is affordable and the implementation is easier. There are some concerns related to data privacy and security, hence I would not advise this to be used when your session handles PHI and PII kind of data, just to be compliant.
Remote Desktop Services provides access to work environments from any device. This allows us to ensure business continuity in case of disaster. It provides admins more control over access and security. Remote Desktop Services simplifies software updates and compliance management by reducing the need to act on end users devices.
LogMeIn Pro by GoTo offers unattended remote access that’s reliable and always available. You can securely log in to a client’s device (Windows or macOS) from anywhere, even without them present.....as long as their machine is on.
You can transfer files during a session without disrupting work. I've also transferred some pretty large files at times without issues.
I like the dashboard as it makes it easy to manage and organize multiple devices across our client base. You can see online/offline status, access machines instantly, and share access with your team all in one easy to view place
Relative ease of setup: in comparison to some of the other solutions on the market (Citrix, etc.), Remote Desktop Services is rather easy to set up and get configured in your environment.
Feature set: Microsoft offers a good deal of the same features many competitors offer in the same space including a mobile app and the ability to have a "native" app feel for a remote application.
Inexpensive Licensing: in comparison to other solutions on the market Remote Desktop Services is inexpensive.
Move LOB applications closer to their server counterparts: this goes for all remote solutions, but if you have a line of business application that makes a great deal of calls across the network to your data center, your remote office users will likely benefit from the performance and stability side by moving those client side applications into the data center.
LogMeIn Pro allows only one user to control the remote destination at a time. If more than one user needs to access/control the same destination, they can share the session (visibility to both parties), or will need to wait till the prior user is logged out for a more secure session. Being able to log in and use the same destination at the same time, initiating unique sessions would be ideal. (Similar to VPN.)
Ability to override or default session settings for security, for example blanking the remote monitor (or not), recording a session, or changing access while the user is in-session. This would allow an administrator or manager to more closely audit activity.
Provide a one-click logout+disconnect. Right now, users must disconnect their session before exiting LogMeIn Pro. If their session is not first disconnected and the user simply exits or logs out of LogMeIn Pro, the session may remain active, without disconnecting. This would show as an active session, even if the user is technically no longer using the remote destination.
More detailed audit information. What application did the user access while connected to the remote destination? Was the session shared with anyone else?
I will give a Rating of 10 for LogMeIn Pro by GoTo's overall usability because it has a centralized Dashboard to access all machines and servers and a very user-friendly User Interface. Also, the remote connectivity is very smooth and reliable as if you are working on your local desktop or laptop.
Once set up it works well and is extremely easy for users. Getting it right can be difficult, it is easy to setup insecurely. Maintenance can be difficult with only a single broker and with manual switchover required for redundant gateways. Troubleshooting access issues can also be difficult
My calls and e-mails to tech support have been few and far between, but those rare interactions were always pleasant and handled professionally. Most support can be accessed electronically, but when the need arises to actually speak to a human being, LogMeIn's customer service reps are clearly well-trained and knowledgeable. Another plus: there isn't the language barrier that I've experienced with other technology companies' support centers.
As with any Microsoft Server product, support for Remote Desktop Services requires a paid support package. These are license-based and very costly, on top of the already costly product licensing. Microsoft's licensing is complicated to begin with, so setting up licensing alone essentially requires a licensing expert's counsel. There is community documentation and support available on Microsoft websites, as well as community websites.
LogMeIn has U.S. servers for connectivity which is super important for us. We are constantly re-evaluating our licensing with these other products. The licenses are renewed simply because management and the technology support staff have not pushed for a detailed review and there have been no significant problems in its use. The licensing cost is considered an annual sunk cost.
We used RDS on-site primarily because of how easy it is for users to transition from their own desktop to a remote desktop. However, from off-site, there are VPN and other security considerations to take into account, and the process gets a little more complex. In this situation, especially if you're trying to support a user who is outside the local network, it can be easier to use something like Chrome Remote Desktop or TeamViewer. However, the Windows functionality of RDS is totally unmatched.
not sure on a measurable ROI, but LogMeIn has definitely been a useful tool for our one satellite office where there are two devices that require unattended remote access
only negative I can think of, cost-wise, is that the cost of ALL remote access software jumped a number of years back where suddenly there were no longer any free options
Remote Desktop Services has had a major positive ROI impact at our firm. There were a number of times when our staff was traveling abroad to business meetings with a laptop that had missing presentations. But once they had internet access, a Remote Desktop Services connection is established, and presentation data can now be shown directly from their laptops as if theyr'e sitting in our office.
Remote Desktop Services has made it possible for Mac staff users to use their computing devices to access our network system to run Windows applications and access all our network data.
Remote Desktop Services has made it possible for our staff to successfully work remotely from outside the office. There were many occasions when emergencies came up which prevented staff from coming into the office to work. But as long as they have a computer with an internet connection, they used Remote Desktop Services to connect to our terminal server and successfully ran the programs to modify data files on the network without losing a beat.
