Microsoft Remote Desktop Services and F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) are compared based on user reviews in key areas including features, room for improvement, ease of deployment and customer service, and pricing and ROI. Microsoft's services seem more user-friendly, but F5's comprehensive features make it a strong contender.
Features: Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is praised for its ease of access, simple setup, and high efficiency for remote desktop needs. F5 BIG-IP APM is valued for its robust security features, extensive policy management capabilities, and enhanced security which some users find crucial.
Room for Improvement: Users suggest that Microsoft Remote Desktop Services could improve in scalability, advanced security options, and interface design. F5 BIG-IP APM users indicate a need for a more intuitive interface, easier configuration processes, and reduced deployment complexity.
Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is favored for its straightforward deployment and reliable customer service. F5 BIG-IP APM has a steeper learning curve for deployment, but the customer service is well-regarded by those who navigate its complexities.
Pricing and ROI: Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is often highlighted for its cost-effectiveness and quick ROI, making it a budget-friendly option for remote desktop solutions. F5 BIG-IP APM, albeit pricier, is considered worth the investment due to its advanced features and long-term value.
In the last couple of years, support has not been very good, even with Premier and Premium support.
We have an Azure engineer on staff who handles troubleshooting.
Microsoft's service and technical support for Intune have been good.
Enhancing app deployment, enabling user-targeted device application deployment, and improving the web interface, particularly for MDM-enrolled devices, by providing comprehensive device information and customizable columns, would significantly streamline Intune's usability.
Workspace ONE operates in real-time, whereas Intune has a noticeable delay when deploying policies or apps.
You have to use something like Power BI and Graph to get better reporting.
Ideally, we want to automatically segregate devices based on user properties like primary use, but currently, dynamic groups seem limited to device properties.
It supports organizations with 200 endpoints and those with more than 15,000 endpoints.
The scalability of Microsoft Intune is ten out of ten.
I know what's included in 365 Premium offering, and it's a good deal.
It's cost-effective because Intune is included in the E3 and E5 licenses.
The alternative to Intune, sending out replacements for every issue, is prohibitively expensive.
We've encountered problems with other services like Exchange, Intune has remained unaffected.
If Intune is not available, the 365 environment might not be available, causing a major ordeal.
Windows Autopatch is the most valuable because it removes the burden of patch management.
Dynamic groups allow us to set conditions for automatic membership, eliminating the need for user intervention or manual review and ensuring a seamless workflow.
Intune has improved our asset management from a security standpoint and has consolidated vendors, enhancing our security posture.
Microsoft Intune is a comprehensive cloud-based service that allows you to remotely manage mobile devices and mobile applications without worrying about the security of your organization’s data. Device and app management can be used on company-owned devices as well as personal devices.
In an increasingly mobile workforce, Microsoft Intune keeps your sensitive data safe while on the move. Microsoft Intune makes it possible for your team members to work anywhere using their mobile devices. Microsoft Intune provides both the flexibility and the control needed for securing all your data on the cloud, no matter where the device with the data is located.
Microsoft Intune Device Management Key Features
With Microsoft Intune Device Management you can:
Mobile Application Management
Mobile application management in Intune is designed to protect your organization’s data at the application level.
With Microsoft Intune Application Management you can:
As part of Microsoft's Enterprise Mobility + Security (EMS) suite, Intune integrates with Microsoft Entra ID for access control and with Azure Information Protection for data protection. It also integrates with Microsoft 365 Applications.
Reviews from Real Users
Microsoft Intune stands out among its competitors for a number of reasons. Two major ones are its ability to secure all devices under its management and the flexibility that the solution offers its users.
A computing services manager notes, "Its security is most valuable. It gives us a way to secure devices, not only those that are steady. We do have a few tablets and other devices, and it is a way for us to secure these devices and manage them. We know they're out there and what's their status. We can manage their life cycle and verify that they're updated properly."
The head of IT engineering at a financial services company writes, "The one feature we find most useful is the Mobile Application Manager. There are two types: we have the complete MDM and the Mobile Application Manager (MAM). We don't give our users phones, it is their own personal phone, and we need to allow them to have access to the company details on their phone. We need to create a balance between their own personal data and the company data. We deploy the Mobile Application Manager for them so that we won't be able to interfere with their own personal data."
F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) is an access management proxy solution for managing global access to the enterprise networks, cloud providers, applications, and application programming interfaces (APIs). Through a single management interface, BIG-IP APM consolidates remote, mobile, network, virtual, and web access.
BIG-IP APM can also serve as a bridge between modern and classic authentication and authorization protocols and methods. For applications which are unable to support modern authentication and authorization protocols, like SAML and OAuth with OIDC, but which do support classic authentication methods, BIG-IP APM converts user credentials to the appropriate authentication standard supported by the application.
BIG-IP APM Benefits:
BIG-IP APM Features:
Reviews from Real Users
Below are some reviews and helpful feedback written by BIG-IP APM users.
Mahmmoud Rabie, Senior Site Reliability Engineer, writes that BIG-IP APM is "A highly stable solution for load balancing, but the initial setup is complex."
Clyde Livingston, Senior Process Specialist at Telstra, says that BIG-IP APM is "Easy to use, useful access remotely, but lacking stability."
Chris Lam, Senior Solution Consultant at Macroview Telecom Limited, states that BIG-IP APM is "Useful for remote access VPN and VPI integration with VMware.
Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is a highly regarded remote access tool in addition to being a top-ranked Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) solution in the marketplace today.
Microsoft Remote Desktop Services (RDS) is a suite of valuable elements of the Windows operating system (OS) that serve specific desired objectives. Microsoft RDS integrates various features that allow approved users to gain access to graphical desktops and Windows applications remotely. Approved users are able to deploy applications or even a complete desktop without having to install anything on their devices. Everything remains in the cloud. This ensures that there are never any compatibility issues and keeps the organization's original network secure at all times. Administrators are also able to ensure that data cannot be stored in any unapproved location, such as the local device, unapproved drives, or any other location.
Microsoft RDS makes it easy for business organizations to access Windows Desktops and other Windows applications remotely to ensure today’s busy enterprise organizations are able to maintain the highest levels of productivity at all times. There are two basic ways organizations can effectively utilize RDS.
Microsoft Remote Desktop Services Benefits
Microsoft Remote Desktop Services has many benefits. Some of its most valuable benefits include:
Microsoft Remote Desktop Services makes it easy for busy enterprise organizations to stay productive and remain competitive in today’s aggressive marketplace. An organization's end-users can be given access to their own specific desktops from any location, anytime, using any approved device. Additionally, users can access Microsoft applications without having an effect on their device's resource capacity or performance.
Reviews from Real Users
“What I found most valuable in Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is accessibility because the solution lets you take control of your computer remotely, and that's a good feature.” Pascal B., IT consultant at Secoptrial
“The most valuable features of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services are unification, central management, and accessibility.” Jan S. Solution Architect at a tech services company
“The most valuable features are that it is fast and cost-effective. I am not aware of a replacement currently on the market.” Ramon H. Director at Empaco
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