Every few years, a business faces the same bill: a round of new PCs, each one to be set up, patched, secured and eventually replaced. For some offices, there is another way. Instead of a full computer at every desk, staff use a small, simple device, a thin client, that connects to a Windows desktop running on a central server.
It is not right for everyone. But when it fits, it can simplify IT considerably.
How it works
Remote Desktop Services (RDS) is built into Windows Server. According to Microsoft’s RDS overview, it runs desktops and applications on central servers and sends only the screen image to the user’s device. Keystrokes and mouse clicks travel back to the server. The data and the processing stay on the server.
A thin client is a small, low-power device with just enough built in to make that connection. Users can also connect from ordinary PCs or laptops. You can publish a full desktop or just individual applications (Microsoft calls these RemoteApp programs) that look and behave like software installed locally.
The advantages
Lower hardware cost at the desk. Because the server does the work, thin clients are generally less expensive to buy and tend to stay in service longer.
Manage once instead of many times. Microsoft’s overview makes this point directly: instead of installing and patching applications on many individual computers, you manage them once on the central servers. New staff can be productive the day they start.
Less support time. A thin client that fails can be swapped in minutes, because nothing important lives on it.
Data stays central. A lost or stolen thin client does not carry your data away with it. Central data is also easier to back up and to control access to.
Lower power use and easy scaling. Thin clients draw much less power than a typical desktop PC. (If you are keeping PCs, see our tips on powering down workstations.) Adding a seat usually means adding a device and a license, not building another full PC.
The disadvantages
The network is everything. If the connection to the server is slow or down, users cannot work. That matters for remote Alaska offices on limited or high-latency links. A thin-client setup needs a reliable local network and, for remote sites or hosted servers, an Internet connection good enough to carry a responsive desktop, ideally with a backup link.
Little or no offline work. Thin clients do not work without the server. Staff who travel or work where connections are unreliable are usually better served by a laptop.
The server side costs money. The savings at the desk move to the server. You need capacity sized for everyone’s workload, with redundancy so one failure does not stop the whole office. Microsoft also requires a Remote Desktop Services client access license (CAL) for each user or device that connects, per its licensing documentation. When the server goes down, everyone goes down, so good backup and monitoring are essential.
Not every application fits. Graphics-heavy software, video work and some specialized devices (certain scanners, card readers or USB equipment) can struggle over a remote session. Test your key applications before committing.
Where the server can live
The desktops have to run somewhere, and you have more choices than a few years ago:
- On your own server, on site. Full control and no dependence on the Internet for office staff. You also own the hardware, the power, the cooling and the replacement cycle. See our notes on keeping an equipment room cool.
- On a hosted virtual server. The RDS server runs as a virtual machine in a secure hosting environment instead of your closet. No server hardware to buy or house; the trade-off is that everyone depends on your Internet link.
- On Microsoft’s cloud desktops. Azure Virtual Desktop and Windows 365 deliver Windows desktops as a subscription. Microsoft now also sells its own thin client, Windows 365 Link, which connects only to Windows 365 Cloud PCs and requires Windows 365 licenses and Microsoft Intune management.
The right answer depends on your connection, your applications and how you prefer to pay.
Check the dates on what you already have
If you already run thin clients or an RDS server, a few support deadlines are close, as of September 2026:
- Windows Server 2012 and 2012 R2: the third and final year of paid Extended Security Updates ends October 13, 2026, according to Microsoft’s ESU FAQ.
- Windows Server 2016: extended support ends January 12, 2027, per its lifecycle page.
- Licenses when you upgrade: RDS CALs only work with the same or older server versions. Microsoft’s licensing page states that a Windows Server 2025 session host needs Windows Server 2025 CALs, so budget for new CALs with a new server.
- The thin clients themselves: many run a specialized Windows (LTSC or IoT editions) or the maker’s own operating system, each with its own dates. For example, Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2021 reaches end of support on January 12, 2027, and Microsoft notes LTSC editions are not covered by the Windows 10 ESU program. See still on Windows 10? for the full picture.
How to decide
- Good fit: staff who work at a fixed desk on standard business applications, such as front offices, call centers and shared workstations.
- Poor fit: mobile staff, graphics-heavy roles, or sites with an unreliable connection.
- Often best: a mix. Thin clients where they fit, PCs or laptops where they do not.
Start with a small pilot on real work; it also helps staff get used to losing “their” computer.
How FTI helps
We design, build and support RDS environments as part of our managed IT service, on your own hardware or on virtual servers we host for you. Our virtual server hosting is not commodity hosting: it runs in the same specialized, highly secure environment we built for our secure web hosting, and every environment is onboarded by our team. Call us for a quote. We size the servers, set up licensing, and add the backup and monitoring a central system depends on. Our AI-assisted operations watch the servers, sessions and security logs around the clock and bring anything unusual to an engineer, who decides what to do. We will also tell you plainly when thin clients are not the right answer.
