Comparing the Remote Desktop Service with VPS-RDS Solutions

Price shouldn’t be the only factor when comparing remote desktop environments with VPS-RDS solutions. It’s also important to take into consideration other factors such as the time dedicated to managing the service, licencing, printer integration, security and admin tasks.

The time and effort required by your IT team and systems administrator is a direct cost to your business. In fact, it’s probably the biggest cost for many companies. That’s why it’s important to consider any ways to simplify the way that any system is deployed and managed.

The question that you really need to ask is: How much is your IT team’s time worth?

Comparison between Remote Desktop and VPS-RDS Solutions

On the functional level, the Remote Desktop service and VPS-RDS pretty much cover the same basic needs. However, on the technical level, they are quite different. So, how do these solutions really compare?

Here are the main ways that these two solutions differ:

• The BIG difference – the time dedicated to setup and maintenance.

When talking about setup and configuration, automation is everything. It’s clear that setting up an RDS environment on a server and ensuring that it functions correctly requires time and expertise. There are numerous services to deploy and configure not to mention integration tasks before the service is up and running. And even then it’s quite likely that there will be some fine-tuning and maintenance left to do before all users are satisfied.

But what if all this could be reduced to 40 minutes of setup time and 30 minutes of monthly maintenance?

This is exactly what you get with the Remote Desktop service. By automating all key tasks, time spent on configuration, maintenance and integration tasks is greatly reduced, by more than 80%, in fact. Furthermore, everything is simplified (wizards, management dashboard, alerts and notifications, etc.) to the extent that you won’t need specialists with specific expertise to configure, integrate and maintain all your new infrastructure and software.

Comparison between Remote Desktop and VPS-RDS solutions [hours required]

• The age-old problem – printer integration.

We all know that printing on RDP always throws up problems when it comes to compatibility and functionality. In fact, trying to achieve true and reliable integration with local printers has historically always been one of the biggest headaches when setting up RDS solutions.

The Remote Desktop service is different. It includes a Universal Printer licence that is installed automatically when the service is deployed and guarantees compatibility between the remote environment and any local printer. Process automation and the use of this technology/software avoids many of the problems and frustrations associated with printing.

• Security – a necessary investment.

These days, security is pretty much a standard requirement for any cloud environment. This involves time, dedication and expertise when using VPS-RDS solutions. The IT team needs to secure the server and access points, set up security copies and ensure availability of the service each time a new environment is configured, and normally, these services (virtual machine and remote connection) don’t include any default security measures.

None of this is the case with the Remote Desktop service. The service itself includes different backup options (both default and custom), a firewall for access management, IDS/IPS perimeter security to control traffic, high-availability data centres and even the option of setting up VPN tunnels. These security measures are all configured automatically during the deployment process so that the environment is well-protected and needs no time, expertise or dedication to ensure that data and service availability is secure. 

• Billing, contracts, quotes and other admin processes.

In most IT companies, it is generally underappreciated just how much time is spent on admin and bureaucracy. It might seem trivial, but the time dedicated to things like invoicing, sending quotes and managing contracts shouldn’t be underestimated. With most traditional models, services and providers (particularly with VPS-RDS environments), the admin and sales processes need dedicated staff. But what if you could reduce this time and effort by 90%?

Easily Generate Invoices Quotes and Tailor-made Contracts

Remote Desktop, just like other services available on the Jotelulu platform, allows you to automate many of these processes, thereby significantly reducing the time and effort required for:

• Generating quotes: The platform features a section where you can generate completely customised quotes and commercial presentations by simply modifying a few specific variables.
• Billing: Unlike traditional providers, the platform allows you to separate invoices by customer, which saves a lot of time for admin staff.
• Generating and sending contracts: Service contracts and GDPR agreements are fundamental for any commercial relationship. The Jotelulu platform allows you to automatically generate tailored contracts, drastically reducing the time usually dedicated to these tasks.

Ultimately, the time, effort and expertise required to set up VPS-RDS solutions represent a significant yet underappreciated indirect cost for many IT companies. Let’s not fool ourselves. It’s important to take all these factors into consideration when deciding which solution is best for you.