Remotely Accessing Applications

• Two technologies should be considered to allow remote users to access applications running on-premises.
• Depending on the scenario, organizations should consider providing users with a VPN or access to the Azure Active Directory application proxy.
• Microsoft 365 E3 provides adequate licensing for both remote access approaches.
• A range of Microsoft remote access technologies are now deprecated or dead and should be retired.

Two primary technologies should be the starting point to help users access on-premises applications when users are working remotely. Organizations should ensure they have moved away from now-retired Forefront technologies, as well as the Windows DirectAccess component, which Microsoft now discourages, and which has not been updated since the release of Windows Server 2016.

Ideal Remote App Solution Depends on Requirements

Remote application access technology enables users to access applications that the organization has not moved to Internet-facing hosted services, such as Azure or Microsoft 365 services. For such applications, users will typically require some form of remote access to connect back to the organization’s network premises.