Aragorn B.V. Enhances Microsoft RDS with Parallels RAS
About Aragorn B.V.
Since 1990, Aragorn has positioned itself as a leader in information and communication technologies (ICT). They have applied their knowledge and technology to the delivery, production, and management of workplaces, servers, and industrial computers.
Aragorn focuses on security, cloud, and online backup. Over the years, the company has managed to distinguish itself by offering independent advice, high-quality solutions and fair, market-based prices. Knowledge of the market, flexibility and affordability are the core values of the organization.
The Challenge
Aragorn had previously implemented remote desktop and application delivery through Microsoft Remote Desktop Services (RDS) as a standalone solution. Although Microsoft RDS delivered a solid performance, it struggled in scalability, load balancing, printing redirection and web and mobile access.
Aragorn found that when the RDS server reached full capacity, no further users could log in. To increase capacity, a new server had to be spooled, configured and patched, which was very time-consuming. While network load balancing (NLB) was used to balance network traffic, it did not track the health of the gateway service, reducing the reliability of the access to published applications and desktops.
Even with Easy Print, Microsoft RDS was cumbersome and unable to provide a seamless printing experience to users. Recurring tasks such as re-configuring the client group policy, adding missing printer drivers and updating client software increased the workload of the company’s IT staff.
Microsoft RDS enabled web and mobile access to published applications and desktops, but the performance was still not at the standard the organization required to provide a seamless experience to its users. As a leader in the ICT field, Aragorn needed customers and employees to securely access their applications and desktops without limits on location or device. In order to address these limitations, the organization needed an all-in-one solution that could enhance Microsoft RDS performance at an affordable price.
The Solution
Aragorn teamed up with Parallels, a global leader in cross-platform solutions, to use Parallels® Remote Application Server (RAS). By using Microsoft RDS and Parallels RAS in tandem, Aragorn reduced expenses and provided proper support for users across all devices.
Parallels RAS was chosen by Aragorn after thorough research of industry-leading options for virtual application and remote desktop delivery. Compared to more costly, complex virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) options such as Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops, Parallels RAS lowered costs and enabled Aragorn to reduce hardware investment. Aragorn also eliminated the need for expensive consultations and third-party add-ons with Parallels RAS.
Parallels RAS offers an excellent, all-in-one VDI solution that includes simple patching and updates to clones, load balancing, automatic configuration of clients and ready-to-go shadowing features that make technical support easy for administrators as well as end users.
As a full-featured virtual desktop and application delivery solution, Parallels RAS offered an outstanding experience for remote desktop delivery and application virtualization on web and mobile devices. The out-of-the-box technical features of Parallels RAS, along with choose your own device (CYOD) support, bring your own device (BYOD) support, and cost-effective licensing made it a simple and practical solution for Aragorn.
“The upgrade to Parallels RAS was quick and easy with a very fast migration, allowing our office to focus on supporting our customers, not our IT.”
The Results
After improving Microsoft RDS with Parallels RAS capabilities, Aragorn was immediately impressed by the facility and pace of the delivery of applications and desktops. Their IT team was very happy about the quick and simple setup, with lightning-fast performance improvements—all without complex configuration, third-party add-ons or expensive professional services.
Parallels RAS is straightforward to deploy, configure and maintain, enabling users to migrate to and access applications quicker and more efficiently than expected. After upgrading to Parallels RAS, Aragorn reduced the total cost of ownership (TCO) with straightforward licensing, increases in load balancing efficiency and a reduced need for support and external consulting. Their clients welcome the full mobile functionality and improved assistance options.
The Parallels RAS comprehensive remote application environment provided Aragorn with a level of performance and efficiency previously unattainable. This alone would have been a significant improvement, but combined with reductions in TCO, Aragorn is very pleased with their decision to enhance Microsoft RDS with Parallels RAS. Reduced user-support demand has enabled Aragorn to focus efforts on further expanding its market leadership position in providing innovative IT solutions.
About Parallels
Parallels is a global leader in cross-platform solutions, enabling businesses and individuals to access and use the applications and files they need on any device or operating system. Parallels helps customers leverage the best technology available, whether it’s Windows, Linux, macOS, iOS, Android or the cloud.
The company’s solution portfolio includes the award-winning Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS), an all-in-one application delivery and virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) solution that enables users to work remotely from anywhere, on any device, at any time.
