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Parallels RAS

Parallels RAS

Overview

What is Parallels RAS?

Parallels Remote Application Server (Parallels RAS, formerly 2X RAS), is application virtualization technology, billed as a solution to extend the life of legacy OS (like Windows XP) with its virtual desktop for any device. Maltese company 2X Software developed the technology,…

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Recent Reviews
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Awards

Products that are considered exceptional by their customers based on a variety of criteria win TrustRadius awards. Learn more about the types of TrustRadius awards to make the best purchase decision. More about TrustRadius Awards

Reviewer Pros & Cons

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Pricing

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Entry-level set up fee?

  • No setup fee
For the latest information on pricing, visithttps://www.parallels.com/products/ras/…

Offerings

  • Free Trial
  • Free/Freemium Version
  • Premium Consulting/Integration Services

Starting price (does not include set up fee)

  • $120 per year per user
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Product Details

What is Parallels RAS?

Parallels® Remote Application Server (RAS) is a remote work solution that provides secure virtual access to business applications and desktops on any device or OS—from anywhere. The platform offers an agile, cloud-ready foundation and end-to-end security fueled by a centralized management console with granular policies. Companies can leverage on-premises, hybrid, or public cloud deployments and integrate with existing technology like Microsoft Azure and AWS. Parallels RAS aims to give organizations the flexibility, scalability, and IT agility to adapt to changing business needs. Parallels RAS offers a single, full-featured licensing model that includes 24/7 support and access to product training. The vendor states its key benefits include:

  • User experience—work from anywhere, on any device.
  • Enhanced data security and compliance—centralized management console with granular policies.
  • IT agility and business readiness—flexible hosting solutions to scale and adapt.
  • Total cost of ownership—supports BYOD and includes a simple licensing model.
  • Always-on support—access to 24/7 support and training at no additional cost.

Parallels RAS Features

  • Supported: Advanced access controls: Secures corporate data with a client group policy in the Parallels RAS Console. Centrally manages and controls access by user, group, or device.
  • Supported: Multifactor authentication: Requires users to authentication access via two-factor or smart card authentication. Parallels RAS also integrates with third-party security solutions.
  • Supported: Encryption protocols: Parallels RAS Secure Gateway supports SSL and FIPS 140-2 encryption, helping organizations adhere to data compliance policies such as PCI DSS, HIPAA, and GDPR.
  • Supported: Centralized monitoring: Transforms raw data into custom visual reports to show traffic and resource usage from network infrastructure. Centrally monitors day-to-day user activities.

Parallels RAS Screenshots

Screenshot of Parallels RAS supports on-premises, private and public cloud providers, including Azure and AWS, from a single console.Screenshot of The Parallels Web Client is accessible from any HTML5 browser or choose one of the many local clients.Screenshot of Parallels RAS integrates MSIX app attach for modern, dynamic app delivery.Screenshot of Parallels RAS supports multiple MFAs for security and flexibility.Screenshot of Integrated Let's Encrypt security certificates, to issue and manage certificates in Parallels RAS.Screenshot of Expression-based filtering makes it easier to set policies in the Parallels RAS.Screenshot of Visual reporting in the Parallels RAS Management Console is used to monitor and troubleshoot issues.

Parallels RAS Videos

This video shows how to deploy virtual apps and desktops via Parallels RAS in Azure by using Parallels RAS in the Azure Marketplace. This is a fast way to create a proof of concept (POC) or test environment.
This video demonstrates the steps an administrator takes within the Parallels RAS Console to successfully deliver services to end users via Amazon EC2.
Parallels RAS themes allow an organization to transform what the user sees when they access resources delivered via Parallels RAS. For example, custom branding (white labeling) can be applied, a custom URL can be set for the end user, and access can be locked down to specific ...
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MSIX app attach is an Azure Virtual Desktop feature. It provides application modernization, improves application lifecycle management, and reduces hardware footprint and IT management overhead by using fewer templates. Parallels RAS brings MSIX app attach technology to RDSH,...
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Automated certificate management with Let's Encrypt integration.
Parallels RAS includes cloud cost-reduction capabilities, including autoscaling, power management, and automated image optimization. Parallels RAS adds more cost-reduction measures by extending cost-saving capabilities to storage. When the virtual machine (VM) is not running...
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Parallels RAS Technical Details

Deployment TypesOn-premise, Software as a Service (SaaS), Cloud, or Web-Based
Operating SystemsWindows, Linux, Mac, Windows Server 2008R2, 2012/R2, 2016, 2022, Windows 7, 8/8.1, 10, 11
Mobile ApplicationAndroid, Mobile Web, iPadOS
Supported LanguagesEnglish, German, Japanese, Russian, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Korean

Frequently Asked Questions

Parallels Remote Application Server (Parallels RAS, formerly 2X RAS), is application virtualization technology, billed as a solution to extend the life of legacy OS (like Windows XP) with its virtual desktop for any device. Maltese company 2X Software developed the technology, but was acquired by Parallels (in Seattle, WA) in February, 2015 to extend their cross-platform support solutions.

Parallels RAS starts at $120.

Citrix DaaS, VMware Horizon, and VMware Horizon Cloud Service on Microsoft Azure are common alternatives for Parallels RAS.

Reviewers rate Availability highest, with a score of 9.6.

The most common users of Parallels RAS are from Mid-sized Companies (51-1,000 employees).
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Comparisons

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Reviews and Ratings

(242)

Attribute Ratings

Reviews

(1-25 of 139)
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Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
ResellerIncentivized
  • Easy of adding and taking away users when they are employed and when they move on from a project to their next assignment
  • Protect organisation information
  • Ease of scaling infrastructure
  • Multifactor Authentication
  • Integration with other applications
  • Alludo's acquisition of Awingu will enable a lot more features and fucntionality that has been missing
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • secure connection
  • multiscreen
  • connect policies for different departments
  • configuring multi factor authentication for third party products was a little bit difficult
  • teams integration
  • redirection of camera and microphone from applications
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
ResellerIncentivized
  • ease of deployment
  • ease of management
  • simple client/install for users
  • responsive
  • We had one instance of the Parallels Remote Application Server server corrupting without any clear indication as to why, but a simple restore of the RAS server resolved the issue
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Ease of application publishing
  • Secure remote gateway and integrations
  • Robust and redundancy can be built in
  • Wide range of platform support and use cases
  • Product support has been good when needed
  • Licensing, our perpetual license was forcefully removed from us after 8 years without warning, causing a doubling of the price, after providing a signed sales quote for renewal through our VAR. Parallels sales team did not seem to care, and was willing to throw away a customer who used their services for nearly a decade, and throw our VAR under the bus.
  • continued addition of new features for existing platforms, not just a focus on the hot new cloud offerings.
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Streamlines connectivity to published apps
  • Simple setup
  • Simple licensing
  • Integration with Okta for SSO
  • Wish it didn't require the use of Active Directory for certain features
  • Lower the minimum user count for licensing
Score 6 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • SAML Integration
  • Customization
  • High Availability
  • We had a bug present for many months before a fix was implemented
  • Better integration with Azure functionality would be a plus
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Practical data encryption, which increases safety.
  • Speedy customer help, which brings progress and more satisfaction.
  • The productivity of every employee, whether they work in any location through remote system access.
  • Parallels Remote has an aggressive systems request and this calls for extra machines.
  • Parallels Remote has a price challenge, which demands some businesses to invest heavily.
  • Other features from Parallels Remote are perfect and useful.
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Parallels Remote provides an extensive and resourceful user experience.
  • Parallels Remote increases the support offered by the customer desk.
  • The data support, compliance and consolidation are managed by Parallels Remote.
  • Parallels Remote is quite stable, but it also calls for extra machines and systems.
  • Parallels Remote is fruitful to different companies, but small enterprises are slightly ignored.
  • However, Parallels Remote has perfected the remote access procedure or act.
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Parallels Remote has absolute data compliance and security.
  • Besides, Parallels Remote has virtual work system, which gives more collaboration.
  • The tool is IT prepared, where credible integration is well enhanced.
  • The price demands that Parallels Remote requires is hefty.
  • The new users experience may take a while.
  • However, Parallels Remote is quality in its performance and there is the free training.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Host applications in the cloud
  • Allow access to applications regardless of platform (Windows/Mac/Linux)
  • Excellent security & access filtering
  • Difficult setup for single sign on
  • IP filtering for customers using Parallels client has some issues (with workarounds)
September 15, 2022

Does what it needs to do.

Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • The printing driver is quite excellent, both in the Parallels Client and on the HTML5 client.
  • Setup is incredibly easy; the default setup is very functional, and adding features is a breeze.
  • Speed is very acceptable in general for end-users, the clients adapt quite well to the amount of bandwidth available, and features are available to adjust further.
  • Automation through PowerShell is great.
  • Support is usually quite fast and efficient.
  • Lots of undocumented error codes, and documentation, in general, is often lacking and often very outdated for RAS specifically.
  • Upgrades between versions are sometimes flaky; lots of testing is needed to ensure you have a functional gateway after an upgrade.
  • The Parallels console is generally quite good, but some changes are applied instantly, but others are applied after confirmation with no real feedback to the administrator.
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Remote access to the cloud service.
  • Simplified implementation with detailed documentation.
  • Parallels RAS technical support.
  • Ease of access and installation to the end-users.
  • Enable multi-device access, controlling the concurrent access by users.
  • Enable users' access to their personal computer drives when accessing the cloud services through Parallels RAS.
  • Limiting and controlling the access to server resources for the users.
  • Need improvement in managing the resolution of service accessed via RAS Client (works well via RAS Browser, though).
  • Improve access to personal and organizational print and scanning devices from the cloud service.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Support is Top Notch!
  • Easy to configure policies
  • Easy Sync with AD
  • UI, could be better. Specially for HTML clients.
  • Interaction with end-user file system is very combursome and does not allow easy access.
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