Remote Desktop Services vs. Parallels Secure Workspace

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Remote Desktop Services
Score 8.8 out of 10
N/A
Remote Desktop Services from Microsoft is virtual desktop and remote user session technology.N/A
Parallels Secure Workspace
Score 9.9 out of 10
N/A
Parallels Secure Workspace (formerly Awingu) is a unified workspace that offers secure and audited access to company files and legacy, web and SaaS applications in a browser-based workspace, accessible via any browser, on any device. The solution is described by the vendor as non-intrusive, and it builds on top of the user's current architecture. It is deployed as a virtual appliance on all common hypervisors and will connect with standard protocols to your existing IT assets (e.g.…
$90
per year per user
Pricing
Remote Desktop ServicesParallels Secure Workspace
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
Named users subscription
$90
per year per user
Concurrent users subscription
$120
per year per user
Concurrent users perpetual
$250
one-time fee per user
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Remote Desktop ServicesParallels Secure Workspace
Free Trial
NoYes
Free/Freemium Version
NoYes
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeOptional
Additional DetailsAwingu can be deployed in your cloud of choice (on-prem, cloud or hybrid). Minimum order for named users is 50. Minimum order for concurrent users is 20. We have unique licensing models for M/CSPs!
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Remote Desktop ServicesParallels Secure Workspace
Features
Remote Desktop ServicesParallels Secure Workspace
Remote Administration
Comparison of Remote Administration features of Product A and Product B
Remote Desktop Services
8.9
Ratings
9% above category average
Parallels Secure Workspace
7.8
Ratings
4% below category average
Screen sharing9.30 Ratings00 Ratings
File transfer9.30 Ratings6.00 Ratings
Secure remote access with Smart Card authentication8.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Access to sleeping/powered-off computers8.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Over-the-Internet remote session8.60 Ratings9.00 Ratings
Initiate remote control from mobile10.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Remote management of servers & workstations9.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Remote Active Directory® management9.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Centralized management dashboard9.00 Ratings9.00 Ratings
Session record9.50 Ratings7.00 Ratings
Monitoring and Alerts8.00 Ratings00 Ratings
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User Ratings
Remote Desktop ServicesParallels Secure Workspace
Likelihood to Recommend
9.3
(0 ratings)
8.0
(0 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
6.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Usability
6.6
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Performance
5.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
3.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Ease of integration
5.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
Remote Desktop ServicesParallels Secure Workspace
Likelihood to Recommend
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.
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In situations where we didn't need to pass through local disks, we found Awingu to be a good fit. Especially the multiscreen options in an HTML5 browser are pretty unique to them. The extensive options to do MFA are also very user-friendly.
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Pros
  • 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.
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  • The most fully featured HTML "remote app" experience
  • Very extensive SSO / MFA support (for example : Azure AD)
  • Multitenant capability
  • Multiscreen capability
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Cons
  • Advanced configuration is required.
  • Off-site access from a different network is very insecure unless a VPN can be used.
  • It's complicated and relatively costly for multi-user environments, as each user or device requires a CAL on top of the server licensing.
  • Incredibly complicated licensing strategy from Microsoft.
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  • Being only/mainly an HTML5 solution some resources can't be passed through (file shares)
  • Publishing apps to local desktops would be nicer if there was a "add to desktop" shortcut.
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Usability
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
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No answers on this topic
Performance
There are some third party tools available that allow you to manage multiple connections.
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No answers on this topic
Support Rating
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.
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No answers on this topic
Alternatives Considered
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.
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Awingu has more features in its HTML5 offering, which is the main advantage it has. Parallels RAS also has a local application which gives it some additional features (passing through drives)
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Return on Investment
  • 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.
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  • Users picked up the new way of using the CRM right away, no long process to migrate to the new system
  • Almost no support cases when switching to Awingu
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ScreenShots

Parallels Secure Workspace Screenshots

Screenshot of workspaceScreenshot of architectureScreenshot of filesScreenshot of applicationsScreenshot of Full remote desktopScreenshot of Legacy application AS400