The primary use case of Parallels is to offer it to customers as a hosted service. I help them to migrate from other solutions like VMware to Parallels RAS. I recommend it to companies that prefer cost-effective, easy-to-setup solutions for remote workforce or branch office setups.
Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS)
Parallels | Parallels RAS - v20.2.1Windows, Windows Server 2016 Base win2019 - 64-bit Amazon Machine Image (AMI)
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Secure access across devices with cost-effective seamless integration
What is our primary use case?
How has it helped my organization?
Parallels Desktop allows me to run both Mac and Windows operating systems on a single machine, eliminating the need for separate Windows hardware. This saves both time and money.
What is most valuable?
One valuable feature is the ability to securely use a wide range of devices to access the company's infrastructure. The inclusion of all necessary components, such as load balancer and gateways, in a monthly fee is also beneficial. In terms of Parallels Desktop, the coherence mode that allows Mac and Windows applications to run seamlessly side by side is highly regarded.
What needs improvement?
A potential improvement could be reducing the dependency on Microsoft solutions for Parallels RAS. As for Parallels Desktop, there is nothing specific that needs improvement.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Parallels RAS for maybe about five years. Similarly, I might have been using Parallels Desktop for five years or possibly even more.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Parallels Desktop works very well, and there are no issues with stability.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Parallels RAS is quite scalable. I can start from fifteen users and scale it to nearly any size. I am unsure what scalability means for Parallels Desktop, but as long as the Mac has enough memory, it works smoothly.
How are customer service and support?
The technical support by Parallels is quite good. For Parallels RAS, the support is rated eight out of ten. However, I haven't needed technical support for Parallels Desktop.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I was using VMware before but migrated to Parallels years ago because it is more cost-effective and easier to set up.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup of Parallels RAS is straightforward. The initial setup for Parallels Desktop is also straightforward.
What was our ROI?
It's hard to determine the return on investment for Parallels RAS as it depends on comparative gains from competitors' products. For Parallels Desktop, I haven't calculated ROI as the investment is not significant.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing for Parallels RAS is straightforward with a monthly fee for a minimum of 15 licenses. For Parallels Desktop, it is a yearly cost of a couple of hundred euros. No additional fees for maintenance or support are required.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I used VMware and sometimes recommend migrating from VMware and Citrix to Parallels RAS.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend Parallels Desktop to others with similar needs. Also, if any improvements are needed, it might be to lessen the dependency on Microsoft.
I'd rate the solution nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Fast and easy way to test drive Parallels RAS on AWS
This preview allows Parallels RAS to be tested quickly and efficiently. It deploys a VM, installs the latest version of Parallels RAS, and automatically activates it with a trial license.
Stable platform with a simple setup process
What is our primary use case?
We use the product as a VDI to share a desktop for the client portal. It helps employees and the client to access it simultaneously.
What is most valuable?
We can provision the servers without the need for another third-party solution.
What needs improvement?
The product does not utilize SQL for reporting purposes. Also, it does not support some hypervisors similar to Citrix. These particular areas need improvement.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) for one and a half years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is a stable platform.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is a scalable platform.
How are customer service and support?
The technical support services need improvement.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Citrix is suitable for big companies. It is difficult to set up and requires a certified technician with two Citrix certifications for easier deployment. They charge around $ 4,000 to $ 5,000 for training programs. In contrast, Parallels provides free training and can provision servers without integrating with third-party vendors.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is simple. I rate the process a nine out of ten.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The product is not expensive. I rate its pricing a three or four out of ten.
What other advice do I have?
I rate Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) an eight out of ten.
The solution has good speed and performance, but its pricing and stability could be improved
What is our primary use case?
The solution can be used for remote applications and remote desktop.
What is most valuable?
The solution is powerful, and it has good speed and performance.
What needs improvement?
Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) is an expensive solution, and its pricing could be improved.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) for a few years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Parallels Remote Application Server is not a stable solution.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution’s scalability is great.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I previously used Citrix and Microsoft RDP.
How was the initial setup?
The solution's initial setup is easy.
What about the implementation team?
We implemented the solution through an in-house team. Parallels Remote Application Server can be deployed in 15 minutes.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend the solution to other users. Just one technical staff member is required for the solution's deployment and maintenance.
Overall, I rate the solution a seven out of ten.
Provides good scalability and a secure environment
What is our primary use case?
We use the solution to access remote desktop applications. It helps us to have all our business applications in one place. We can also deploy as many desktops as required within hours.
What is most valuable?
The solution has the best security features in terms of data access control. It is highly reliable.
What needs improvement?
The solution's application virtualization feature needs improvement. They could incorporate additional applications that are not available on the platform. Along with that, it should also support a few legacy systems. It will allow customers to access necessary information securely.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using the solution for three years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is a stable solution.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is a scalable solution. I rate its scalability a nine out of ten.
How are customer service and support?
We contact the solution's technical support team when we require to test new applications for initial setup.
How was the initial setup?
The solution's initial setup process is easier and faster than Citrix. It takes two to three hours to complete.
What was our ROI?
The solution is worth the investment.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The solution costs $100 per user per annum at present. It is inexpensive compared to Citrix.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
Compared with other vendors, the solution has the best price, ease of implementation, and rapid deployment of resources.
What other advice do I have?
I advise others to make the purchase decision for the solution depending on the requirements of their business applications. The solution provides ease of use and a secure environment. Also, it has integration with different types of OS like Mac, Windows, and Linux. In addition, it has good scalability of usage and reliability for uptime.
I rate it a nine out of ten.
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Amazon Web Services (AWS)
RAS is a Great Alternative to the competition
What do you like best about the product?
RAS allows easy management of multiple Virtual desktops and Remote apps in one convenient location.
What do you dislike about the product?
RAS doesn't have an easy way to share a physical client with multiple Virtual desktops.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
RAS is our connection broker for our Scale hypervisor.
Parallels Remote Application Application is a descent and Secure software for Remote Access
What do you like best about the product?
I use Parallels to remotely access some of our client's servers hosted in the cloud. So far I have not had major issues with it. It works as expected and most importantly it is more secure than other applications for remote access like the windows remote desktop application.
I like that Pararells allows for the creation of different user rights. You can create a username and limit the access rights as needed. One of our major clients uses this feature since all the users access the server but with limited rights.
I like that Pararells allows for the creation of different user rights. You can create a username and limit the access rights as needed. One of our major clients uses this feature since all the users access the server but with limited rights.
What do you dislike about the product?
Sometimes the application hangs and you are forced to close it up and open it up again. This can lead to wastage of time.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
With Parallels, you can have one server that is hosted remotely in the cloud and have everyone access the server directly using parallels. This can lead to proper utilization of resources since you don't need to invest a lot of money in having powerful individual user machines. As long as the server is powerful and high-end, you are good to go.
I work online
What do you like best about the product?
Simultaneous work in different places, perfect for saving time and consulting pre-configured applications.
What do you dislike about the product?
I have no problems with my current system.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
Use applications remotely, perfect for using remote devices.
Parallels RAS for simple solutions
What do you like best about the product?
The RAS system from Parallels (originally was 2x) is extremely easy to get up and running quickly and has a very nice interface. Especially if you compare it to the more involved solutions. I am not using this currently but the pricing structure was also very reasonable at the time.
What do you dislike about the product?
It has its limitations, for example if you have a lot of applications and limitations on who it's published to, it can be very cranky. In the case I was most recently involved in the applications were published to multiple organiations with specialized differences for each organization using it. That ended up with a significant number of published applications with 4-8 being shared per client. At a point the application stopped properly serving clients and would start denying incoming connections. After a significant number of attempts at correcting the issue we ended up needing to use another solution. I don't mean 10-15, this was a significant number of applications published which is probably a very rare situation for non-hosting companies.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
Our original reason for using RAS was its simplicity and easy pricing. There is very little to touch once its up and running and the interface was the easiest to use. It can definitely be scaled up and can do some pretty complex things now but at its core its a really nice product and doesn't need tons of consulting hours to get off the ground.
Cannot use it
The EC2 instance that this AMI require does not exist anymore .... so not possible to create. IT based on t2 and no possibility to select an existing one.
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