Updates Coming to Remote Desktop Services

• A new architecture Remote Desktop Services is slated for preview in early 2018.
• It could offer simpler configuration, management, and scaling in Azure-hosted scenarios.
• Organizations might hold off on new investments in Remote Desktop Services until more information is available.

Remote Desktop Modern Infrastructure is a new architecture for Remote Desktop Services (RDS) announced in late 2017. RDS is a Windows Server role that allows users to interact with applications hosted on remote servers rather than locally on users’ PCs and is commonly used by task workers and employees using personal devices. The new architecture will allow RDS to be deployed in Azure using Platform as a Service (PaaS) hosting for infrastructure roles, and it leverages Azure Active Directory (AAD) for authentication and capabilities such as multifactor authentication. However, many questions have been left unanswered, particularly for on-premises customers.

Remote Desktop Service Overview

RDS is often used to provide desktop sessions for task workers, such as in a call center, in a hospital, or on a factory floor, where multiple workers share a common PC or use a PC for different shifts or rooms. It is also used to provide access to secured or standardized applications and data for employees working remotely or in a bring-your-own-device (BYOD) environment.