‍The Top 5 Reasons Why Windows ISVs Should Replace RDS

Most of the Windows® ISVs that have reached out to us have done so because they are looking for a replacement for Microsoft® Windows Remote Desktop Services (RDS). After hundreds of these conversations, we’ve come up with a definitive Top Five list of reasons why Windows ISVs want to replace RDS to deliver their applications as SaaS.

Reason 1: RDS is Expensive and Reduces ISV Profit Margins

Microsoft’s licensing model doesn’t align with modern software subscription models and cuts into ISV profitability. When using RDS, ISVs pay Microsoft an annual license fee for every named user, i.e. every user that has a login name and password, no matter how often (or seldom) they use the application.

In contrast, Windows ISVs using RDS to deliver their application using a SaaS model charge customers a monthly subscription fee based on the number of concurrent users, i.e., the total number of users simultaneously accessing the application. While there are some pricing variations in subscription models, for example, tiered pricing based on number of features per tier, charging by the number of concurrent users per month always holds true.

As an ISV using RDS grows, so does their Microsoft annual named user license cost. Eventually, RDS’s named user number grows significantly out of proportion with the number of customers using the ISV’s application at any given time. One of GO-Global’s recently onboarded ISVs delivers 6,000 concurrent user sessions—but was paying for 18,000 named users, a huge disparity and a significant drag on profitability.

Reason 2: RDS makes Inefficient use of Computing Resources

RDS’ inefficient use of computing resources, especially memory, is a critical issue for Windows ISVs, who must add application servers to their infrastructure to support even incremental growth, and hire administrators to manage those new servers—another way that RDS chips away at profit margins.

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Reason 3:  RDS Escalates Helpdesk Calls

RDS runs on Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP), Microsoft’s communications protocol. RDS-powered connections using RDP can consume significant network bandwidth, especially with graphical applications or when transmitting multimedia content. Long-distance and low-bandwidth connections also cause issues when using RDP, as can running high-bandwidth apps (for instance Netflix) on the same network as the RDP client (which happens much more than you think when the customer works from home). These factors can result in user issues ranging from session freeze or dropped connections to slow application performance.

When customers using applications delivered via RDS experience slow logins, slow application performance and frequent disconnects due to RDP bandwidth consumption, many will call the ISV’s helpdesk for help with the issue, not realizing that the application itself is not the cause. This puts a huge and dispiriting burden on helpdesk personnel because they can’t accurately explain the issue—and worse, they can’t provide the customer with a fix. 

RDS further burdens the helpdesk because RDS does not allow users to reset their own passwords, driving even more calls—which, according to Gartner Group, typically take from 2 to 30 minutes apiece to resolve.

Helpdesk call escalation can put an ISV in between a rock and a hard place. Should the ISV increase helpdesk headcount and cut further into their profit margins? Or should the ISV make customers wait for hours or even days for a callback from the helpdesk?

Also unfortunate for the ISV, in customers’ eyes, problems caused by RDS and RDP shortcomings are unfairly blamed by the customer on the ISV’s application and may even drive some customers to switch to a web-native ISV competitor.

Reason 4: RDS Compromises System Security

As noted above, RDS runs on RDP which, in addition to delivering a poor user experience due to its high bandwidth consumption, is inherently insecure because it is open-source. According to Sophos, a U.K.-based cyber security company, in 77% of the 2023 attacks covered by their helpdesk, RDP was used to leverage compromised credentials to enable attackers’ internal access and lateral movement within the corporate system, with the primary goal of locating and encrypting corporate data for ransom.

Sophos’ advice to companies using RDP/RDS is to limit use of RDP and to implement MFA. However, Microsoft charges ISVs a per-user license fee for Microsoft Authenticator, which (again!) cuts into an ISV’s profit margin.

Without MFA, Windows ISVs can reduce RDP-caused risk by ensuring that customers using Windows 11 have not disabled Account Lockout Policy and that customers using Windows 10 and 8.1 enable Account Lockout Policy on their machines. Alternatively, Windows ISVs can request that their customers disable RDP between remote desktop sessions.

Unfortunately, Windows ISVs using RDS to deliver their application to customers are not in a position to dictate the Windows settings on their customers’ machines.

Reason 5: RDS Compromises Customers’ Security

From a customer security perspective, RDS is not doing ISVs any favors, either. In addition to the MFA adoption barriers described above, ISVs using RDS that want to implement SSO are out of luck because RDS doesn’t support single sign-on solutions.

These barriers to MFA and SSO create a significant barrier for ISVs that need to comply with industry regulations concerning security—or ISVs that simply want to provide an extra layer of protection to their customers. In some cases, this inability to add additional layers of security can have serious business consequences for ISVs using RDS/RDP.

Are You a Windows ISV that Wants to Replace RDS?

If one or more (or all) of the reasons above resonate with you, there is an alternative to RDS that eliminates all 5 reasons to replace it—GO-Global.

Reason 1: GO-Global Subscriptions are Priced by Concurrent User

GO-Global prices its subscriptions based on concurrent users to align with Windows ISVs’ most prevalent subscription pricing model. And, despite its low cost, GO-Global delivers enterprise-level scalability but is easy to install, configure, and use, which helps you save on development and administrative costs, too.

Reason 2: GO-Global Makes Highly Efficient Use of Server Computing Resources

In lab tests conducted by a third party, two identical Windows servers were performance-tested for server utilization when running 50 connected sessions launching Microsoft PowerPoint® and creating a new slide. The server using RDS utilized 60% of its CPU and 82% of its memory; the server using GO-Global utilized only 29% of its CPU and 59% of its memory.

For many GO-Global customers, switching from RDS to GO-Global enabled them to support double the number of customers they supported when using RDS without buying a single additional server, and reducing the amount of admin time needed to manage the environment in half.

Reason 3:  GO-Global Minimizes Helpdesk Calls

Unlike RDS, GO-Global runs on RapidX Protocol (RXP), GO-Global’s proprietary communications protocol, which is adaptive, uses multiple layers of compression, and is optimized to ensure the lowest possible bandwidth utilization. With RXP, ISV customers get a great user experience, even over low-bandwidth connections, including fast logins, responsive application performance, and minimal disconnects.

And, if there is a network outage on the user side, GO-Global’s Session Reconnect will maintain the user’s session without a client connection, and allow users to return to their GO-Global session in the exact state they left it after authenticating using the normal login procedure.

GO-Global removes another huge helpdesk challenge by enabling customers to reset their own passwords. For one GO-Global customer, this feature eliminated over 7800 helpdesk calls per year.

Reason 4: GO-Global provides defense against attackers to corporate systems

As noted above, GO-Global uses RXP, its proprietary communications protocol, rather than RDP. Because RXP is closed source, it offers additional defense against attackers, compared to RDP’s open-source protocol, where security weaknesses have been found and exploited for decades.

ISVs that want stronger security will be pleased to learn that GO-Global provides 2FA as part of its solution at no additional charge.

Reason 5: GO-Global Enhances Customers’ Security

‍GO-Global is the only remote access solution for Windows applications that enables single sign on directly into Windows applications using virtually any identity management solution—at a price point that works for any ISV.

Are you still using RDS to deliver your Windows application to customers?

Are you ready to replace RDS?

To download a free 30-day trial, click here. To schedule a GO-Global demo, click here.