Software installation, patching, and data backups were consolidated into the data center. Instead of dispatching technicians to update an accounting app on 500 separate workstations, an administrator could update the software once on the Terminal Server.
: Recognizing the threat and opportunity, Microsoft licensed Citrix’s MultiWin technology in 1997. Microsoft integrated these multi-user extensions directly into the Windows NT 4.0 kernel, while Citrix shifted focus to building advanced management tools (such as MetaFrame) on top of Microsoft's new platform. Technical Architecture windows nt 4.0 terminal server edition
Administrators could update software in one place instead of on every desktop. starting with Windows 2000
The success of the Hydra project convinced Microsoft that multi-user terminal capabilities should not be a separate operating system flavor. Consequently, starting with Windows 2000, Terminal Services was integrated directly into the main server distribution as an optional role. Today, cloud-based virtualization systems like Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop trace their lineage directly back to the architectural innovations introduced in Windows NT 4.0 Terminal Server Edition. windows nt 4.0 terminal server edition
Terminal Server Edition quickly became a staple in enterprise data centers due to several key benefits:
Windows NT 4.0 Terminal Server Edition's main advantage was its compatibility. It offered official clients for a wide range of operating systems and hardware, from modern (at the time) Windows 95 and NT to older 16-bit environments. The client software itself was extremely lightweight and could be installed via floppy disks or across a network, making deployment easy even on older machines.
Memory leaks in user applications could quickly bring down an entire server. If one user ran an unstable program that consumed 100% CPU or leaked RAM, it degraded performance for all other users logged into the same server. 6. The Blueprint for Modern Computing