Windows Server 2008 has a lot of new features but terminal services is one of the areas I am interested the most in this new coming OS. While keeping wondering why Citrix is still alive I am also very curious what Microsoft brings us can really make us to just stay and get rid of Citrix when coming down to use Terminal Services. Tony Soper's top 5 reasons why using or upgrading to Windows Server 2008 Terminal Services answered some questions.
1. Terminal Services RemoteApp applications appear no different than local applications, tightly integrated with the task bar and new Windows Vista features like 3-D flip. Terminal Services RemoteApp helps improve the end user experience and reduce training requirements.
2. Terminal Services Gateway provides a highly secure connection between internal applications and data to users outside the firewall. It delivers critical applications and data to mobile employees without additional VPN infrastructure.
3. Terminal Services Web Access helps simplify application deployment by making applications available from a web page or a SharePoint portal without installing them on the local PC. Speed application deployment by quickly connecting users with the applications they need.
4. Terminal Services Session Broker delivers session-based load-balancing to a Terminal Services Farm. Terminal Services Session Broker helps bring better uptime and performance to your Terminal Services environment.
5. Terminal Services Easy Print leverages the client-side print driver (no server side driver needed) to enable fast and reliable printing to a local or network-attached printer. End users can more productively work from remote locations.
Very good improvements for sure! Except the No. 1 which is still a significant improvement when mostly using it internally, the others are definitely dead important, in terms of both security and usability.