Like I said, it's an entirely new product, packing a lot of new features. They have truly taken the remote desktop manager to the next level! One of the features I especially like (finally) is the possibility to import a bunch of servers, be it from an CSV or from Active Directory. I know for a fact that VisionApp has listened to every piece of feedback they got and used it to improve the product.  One of the biggest changes is that vRD 2008 uses a database to store all configuration data, so including the connection entries.  So even though vRd 2008 is not free anymore, it's still very worth while checking out. Pricing starts at €49 / $69. In regards to freeware versions: VisionApp will continue to provide vRD 1.5 on their website. Additionally they plan to release an updated/new freeware version this year. Consequently their plan is to provide both a freeware and a commercial version but the freeware will of course have less functionality compared to the commercial version.

Here's the entire impressive new feature list and some screenshots:

Connections

• Direct link connection
  Use the "Quick Connect" key to establish a connection to a server - without having to first create a server object.
• Improved Start/Stop of all connections within one folder
  Connect or disconnect all servers within one area.
• Copying connections
  Copy connections easily from the context menu.
• Access to Remote Management Boards
  Directly access a server's Remote Management Board - even when multiple people are accessing the settings!
• Server availability check
  vRD 2008 automatically reconnects to rebooted servers - no manual reconnect needed.
• Configure default settings
  The administrator may configure individual default settings that are to be applied to all new connections.
• Save current settings
  Current connection settings and credentials may be saved to an xml file or to a database.

Usability

• Improved shortcut keys
  Quickly rename objects, enable connections, and perform other common tasks with vRD 2008's improved shortcut keys.
• Improved context menu
  Choose from a wider variety of functions through the context menu. For example, change a connection's display mode - independent of the configured connection settings, without changing the saved settings.
• Search feature
  Never get lost in a large enterprise environment again: use vRD?s new search function to find specific servers.
• Server name as connection name
  By default, a name assigned to a connection is also used as the name of the server.
• Improved tab display
  For better overview the tab that has the focus will be highlighted.
• Save view settings
  If vRD 2008 is linked to a database, all view settings are saved when the program is closed. The next time vRD is started, this view is displayed again.

Display

• New display modes
  • Toggle between tab view, single window, and full screen modes on the fly.
  • Double-click or drag-and-drop to display the active connection in a single window
  • Maximize the separate window to change to full screen mode. Minimize to return.
  • Provide a "live" overview by arranging windows individually in the work area.
• Supported screen resolutions
  vRD 2008 supports all RDP screen resolutions.
• Customizable thumbnails
  Thumbnails can now be set to three different sizes.

Reporting

• History Menu
  View and activate recent connections using the History Menu.
• Sorting functionality
  Sort servers in a variety of ways, which makes it easier to identify them in large environments.

Multi-user support

• Multiple simultaneous administrators
  Settings for connections and credentials can be used by several administrators at the same time in database mode. Multiple administration consoles allow for distributed server management.
• Connection information
  The currently active users are displayed directly beneath the server object. Even for inactive connections, information is displayed via RDP.

Import and Remote Features

• Importing servers
  Import a set of servers from a CSV file or Active Directory. Quickly set up a large number of servers with uniform settings.
• Enhanced remote features
  Initiate remote features such as reboot, shutdown, or Wake-on-LAN directly from the contextual menu.

Read more at the vRD 2008 home.

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