Remote Desktop Services

Because it is a built-in, free solution for a small set of managed computers. No extra licenses required. No budget. Setup and configuration is instanteneous.

Same functionality but RDP is already installed on Windows so no client to install and it's cheaper.

All remote desktop or desktop virtualization services are quite costly and very complicated to set up. Microsoft's Remote Desktop Services has the advantage of being very available for many years, meaning practically any device can be used as a workstation. Tablets, smartphones, even Raspberry Pi devices can be used.
Remote Desktop Services has the benefit of being built into all versions of Windows for decades, so it doesn't require third-party software in most cases.

Remote Desktop is great for onsite or point-to-point connections without having to have a mediator type server.

We used RDS on-site primarily because of how easy it is for users to transition from their own desktop to a remote desktop. However, from off-site, there are VPN and other security considerations to take into account, and the process gets a little more complex. In this situation, especially if you're trying to support a user who is outside the local network, it can be easier to use something like Chrome Remote Desktop or TeamViewer. However, the Windows functionality of RDS is totally unmatched.

Solutions can be expensive and often offer more options than you need/want. Paying those extra dollars is tough when you have a budget. RDS in many cases works well and is cost effective.

I use Remote Desktop Services only and have never used other services to replace it.

Since Remote Desktop Services comes with the Windows OS, there's no need to install any additional software or agent for it to function. Even on the Mac, there's a client that can be installed for this to run properly. Unfortunately, unlike TeamViewer or Ultra VNC, Remote Desktop Services does not provide any send keystroke features or screen resolution adjustments after a connection has been established.

Among all the reasons I've previously listed the main reason for choosing RDS is for the reliability and fast connection.

RDS is built into Windows and does not require as much extra setup and licensing fees.

Remote Desktop Services is an initiation from Microsoft in my view. The rest all are adapters for this and have a considerably inovated feature base.

We have reviewed Citrix Xen Desktop and VMware's VDI solutions. For the cost, when compared to what Remote Desktop Services can provide us there was no contest. Remote Desktop Services can provide us all the features we require with little to no cost since we are an EA customer with grandfathered eCALs! If we were going greenfield and having to buy licensing from scratch, we would look at the Citrix Xen product. Just remember that Microsoft's Remote Desktop Service is licensed from Citrix and if you can wait a few years for a current Xen feature, you can have it for free in Remote Desktop Services.

I also used 2x Client and Citrix in the past. Both worked nice. Citrix is a little more complex and once with Windows updates damaged a Citrix installation causing all ICA traffic to not accept connections. 2x Client was simple and free for 3 connections (or used to be). Both products required additional software installed on the endpoint device. With Microsoft Windows, it's already installed. I like because it is more integrated.

We selected Remote Desktop Services based upon price alone. Other solutions on the market are significantly more expensive, but if your company can foot the bill you should seriously consider products that have been on the market for longer. The lack of an ability to easily upgrade farm servers has been a challenge for us - although it is still faster than updating an application on 2000+ machines. The lack of a centralized management console in 2008 R2 is also challenging, but you get by with the tools available to you. If you don't have the money to spend on Citrix or VMWare Horizon, Remote Desktop Services is a decent replacement.