Terminal Services Moves into the Mainstream

An upgrade to Terminal Services included in Windows 2000 Server may bring thin-client computing to a broader audience. Terminal Services (TS) lets an application run on a Windows 2000 server while receiving its input and displaying its output on separate client machines or Windows terminals. Such a system can provide an exceptionally cost-effective solution for telecommuting and dedicated line-of-business applications, such as inventory control or data entry. In addition, administrators can use the upgraded TS to remotely manage network servers. This and other new features—including remote control of user desktops, remote printing support, and cut-and-paste between local and remote applications—were previously available only through third-party add-on software.

Strategic Background

Windows NT was originally designed as a single user operating system. About five years ago, Citrix Systems of Fort Lauderdale, FL, developed a multi-user kernel for Windows NT 3.x. Marketed by Citrix as WinFrame, multi-user NT proved to be very popular. In 1998, Microsoft licensed Citrix technology for Windows NT 4.0. Citrix opened an engineering facility in Redmond, WA, and staffed it with a team of engineers to help Microsoft develop terminal services. This collaboration initially produced a specialized version of NT 4.0 Server called Terminal Server Edition (TSE) and later helped move the TS technology into Windows 2000. Under the terms of the licensing agreement, Citrix is not allowed to produce a version of WinFrame for NT 4.0 or Windows 2000. If users want multi-user capability on NT 4.0 or its successor, they must buy either TSE or Windows 2000 Server.