Q: What's the difference between presentation virtualization and Remote Desktop Services?

A: You've likely heard the term presentation virtualization used by vendors and in the IT media. This term is most often related to Microsoft Remote Desktop Services or Citrix XenApp. Presentation virtualization represents a category of virtualization technology that abstracts an application's processing from the delivery of its graphics and I/O. With an application installed in a single location, presentation virtualization enables its use by multiple, simultaneous users. Each user connects to an individual session atop a server supporting presentation virtualization. Within that session are the applications that have been provisioned for the user.

Both RDS and XenApp are products that follow the presentation virtualization approach.