According to a Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP), Terminal Services was first introduced around Windows NT 4.0 (Terminal Server Edition). A products Windows 2000 Server, Windows 2000 Advanced Server, Windows 2000 Datacenter Server and Windows Server 2003 have introduced several improvements & recently features. Microsoft utilized Terminal Services around Windows XP for the Remote Assistance feature. Windows XP (Broker Edition exclusively) includes one-user Terminal License using the Remote Desktop feature.

Microsoft will bring a client software system Remote Desktop Connection (at one time known as Terminal Services Client), available for virtually all 32-bit versions of their Windows operating systems and Apple's Mac OS X, that allows the user to attach to a server heading Terminal Services. Third-person developers keep close at hand created client computer software for more platforms, including a open source rdesktop client for common Unix platforms. There are too good deal older computer terminal systems that were in utilise swell prior to Terminal Servicies. Terminal Services is good one of the numbers of ways where clients might access a central server's resources.

Citrix
Microsoft has the longstanding agreement by having Citrix to facilitate sharing of technologies & patent licensing between Microsoft Terminal Services and Citrix MetaFrame. Therein arrangement, Citrix has access to key source code for the Windows platform enabling their developers to improve the security & performance of the Terminal Services platform. Inside late December, 2004 a two corporations announced the 5-season renewal of this arrangement to handle the coming release of Windows Vista.