When people talk about Parallels Remote Application Server, you often hear the same remark: “oh right, that’s the solution that came along to compete with Citrix.” The reality is quite different. RAS is built on over twenty years of continuous evolution — and that completely changes the way you read the product.
Before Parallels: the 2X era (from 2006)
Long before it was called Parallels RAS, the solution already existed under the name 2X ApplicationServer, developed by 2X Software, a Maltese company. From the late 2000s, 2X was already offering what many considered exclusive to Citrix: remote application publishing, RDS desktop access, SSL secure gateway, integrated load balancing, multi-platform clients (Windows, Mac, Linux, mobile). At a time when Citrix dominated the market, 2X positioned itself as a simpler, more integrated and far less expensive alternative. Already all-in-one.
2012: the first real turning point — VDI
As mass virtualization arrived, 2X didn’t stay locked to the Terminal Server model. From 2012, under the name 2X ApplicationServer XG (Next Generation), the solution integrated hypervisor support (VMware, Hyper-V), virtual machine provisioning and VDI management. This was a key moment: RAS moved from an RDS publishing tool to a full virtualization platform.
2015: the acquisition by Parallels
In February 2015, Parallels acquired 2X Software. This wasn’t a product creation. It was a strategic transformation. Parallels brought a stronger enterprise vision, increased development resources and industrialization of the solution. From that point on, the product took the name Parallels RAS.
2015: RAS v15 — the real renaissance
That same year, version 15 marked a genuine turning point. A new interface appeared, along with a PowerShell API, improved high availability management, RDP over UDP (DTLS) support and a much more modern workspace approach. RAS was no longer just an economical alternative. It became a credible production platform.
2017: RAS v16 — the confirmation
Version 16 drove the point home. It was the first version to be widely covered by the international specialist press as a direct Citrix competitor. The architecture consolidated, performance improved, and RAS began appearing in serious enterprise tenders.
2019–2020: industrialization and scale-up
Versions 17 and 18 consolidated the platform in the field: Nutanix AHV support, template auto-provisioning, HALB load balancing improvements, performance optimization. And above all, native FSLogix integration from v18 onwards — made possible by Microsoft’s acquisition of FSLogix in late 2018, which turned it into a free component included in Microsoft 365 licences. This is when RAS became genuinely deployable at scale with robust profile management.
2021: v19 LTS — the cloud and identity pivot
With version 19 LTS, RAS reached a new milestone: Azure AD and SAML integration, enhanced MFA, Azure Virtual Desktop compatibility, HALB v2. The datacenter-only model was definitively left behind. RAS entered a cloud-hybrid and modern identity logic.
2023–2026: API, automation and enterprise
Versions 20 and 21 continued this evolution: full REST API, Enrollment Server for certificate management and smartcard authentication, adoption of modern stacks (.NET 8, OpenSSL 3), SecNumCloud environment support. RAS is now a solution capable of integrating into modern, automated and hybrid architectures, including high security requirement contexts.
Timeline
2006 — 2X Software
Birth of 2X ApplicationServer in Malta. RDS application publishing, SSL gateway, multi-platform clients — already all-in-one, long before it was fashionable.
2012 — The VDI pivot
2X ApplicationServer XG integrates VMware, Hyper-V and VDI provisioning. The platform moves from the Terminal Server model to full virtualization.
Feb. 2015 — Acquired by Parallels
Parallels acquires 2X Software. Not a creation — an industrialization. The product officially becomes Parallels RAS.
2015 — RAS v15
New interface, PowerShell API, enhanced high availability, RDP over UDP (DTLS). RAS stops being an economical alternative — it becomes a credible production platform.
2017 — RAS v16
First version appearing in serious enterprise tenders. Architecture consolidates, international specialist press starts covering it as a direct competitor.
2019–2020 — v17 / v18
Nutanix AHV support, auto-provisioning, HALB, and above all native FSLogix integration — made possible by Microsoft’s FSLogix acquisition (2018). RAS becomes deployable at scale.
2021 — v19 LTS
Azure AD, SAML, enhanced MFA, Azure Virtual Desktop, HALB v2. RAS enters a cloud-hybrid and modern identity logic.
2023–2026 — v20 / v21
Full REST API, Enrollment Server, smartcard logon, .NET 8, OpenSSL 3, SecNumCloud support. RAS integrates into modern, automated, high-security architectures.
2026 — RAS v22
Device Posture, File Access, session recording, SAML MFA, hybrid AVD and support for VMware vSphere 9. RAS continues its move toward security, hybrid infrastructure and practical automation.
The takeaway
Twenty years is rare in this sector. Most products that emerged alongside 2X ApplicationServer no longer exist, were acquired and absorbed, or became empty shells after years of publisher neglect. RAS took the opposite trajectory: each evolution phase added a real layer — VDI, cloud, modern identity, automation — without ever starting from scratch.
It’s no coincidence that the platform is now found in projects involving thousands of users, on complex hybrid infrastructures, in high security requirement contexts. It has had time to be tested against real-world conditions. And it shows.
When you evaluate RAS today, you’re not evaluating a promise. You’re evaluating twenty years of field experience condensed into a product that has learned to fail, correct itself, and move forward. That’s probably still its greatest strength — and what explains why it keeps progressing where others have stalled.
