“Parallels RAS allowed us to bridge the digital divide in technical education. Today, our students can perform complex lab work remotely with the same quality as in-person experiences.”
ICT systems manager
Provide engineering students with remote learning by virtualizing the physical laboratory experience
The Universidad Estatal a Distancia (UNED) faced a unique challenge: delivering high-quality, hands-on telecommunications engineering training entirely through distance education.
The institution serves more than 45 thousand students per term in subjects including education, administration, and engineering, and needed a way to replicate physical laboratory experiences virtually, providing students and faculty with seamless, secure, and scalable access to specialized lab environments and simulation tools such as EMONA TIMS, LabVIEW, and GNS3.
Traditional distance learning platforms could not replicate the tactile experience of engineering labs. The IT team also required a solution that could:
- Support 24/7 access for thousands of students across multiple programs.
- Integrate seamlessly with existing academic systems like Moodle and the IT Shop portal.
- Simplify identity and access management across users and departments.
- Deliver high availability, scalability, and centralized control while maintaining cost efficiency for a public university.
Parallels RAS was compared favorably against VMware and others
UNED’s Telecommunications Engineering Program initiated a public bidding process (SICOP) to find a comprehensive remote access platform capable of managing up to 100 concurrent users while meeting academic and operational standards.
During the proof-of-concept phase, the technical partner evaluated Parallels RAS against competing technologies, including VMware. Parallels RAS was selected due to its:
- Seamless integration with Active Directory, One Identity, and Active Roles.
- Ability to automate provisioning and enforce role-based policies.
- HTML5 client support for secure, browser-based access from any device.
- Support for hybrid environments and multiple hypervisors, providing future scalability and flexibility.
The turnkey deployment was completed in just 30 days, delivering an operational platform that combined desktop and application publishing, centralized administration, and 24/7 monitoring via the vendor’s Network Operations Center (NOC).
UNED's Telecommunications Portal is now easily and securely accessible from anywhere, anytime
"The automation and scalability Parallels RAS offers have transformed how we manage our virtual labs—reducing administrative effort, increasing uptime, and ensuring every student has equal access" says Sánchez.
Parallels RAS became the core delivery platform of UNED's Telecommunications Portal. Through Parallels RAS, students can securely access virtual Windows desktops and lab-specific applications directly from their Moodle courses or IT Shop requests.
Once approved, Parallels RAS automatically provisions a virtual environment, sends credentials via email, and notifies the support team for traceability. Students can then connect through the Parallels Client or an HTML5 browser session anytime, from anywhere.
For administrators, a centralized management console simplifies operations—enabling user provisioning, session monitoring, resource allocation, and template-based VDI creation. The system integrates tightly with:
- One Identity and Active Roles for automated account lifecycle management.
- Veeam and vRanger for backup and recovery.
- Foglight for infrastructure monitoring.
- SonicWall security appliances for perimeter protection.
This infrastructure now powers not just the Telecommunications Engineering program, but also Computer Engineering and Industrial Engineering, broadening the impact across three academic disciplines.
UNED now has a modern, scalable, and secure virtual learning platform, delivered by Parallels RAS
By implementing Parallels RAS, UNED achieved a modern, scalable, and secure virtual learning ecosystem. Key results include:
- 24/7 accessibility: Students can complete lab work anytime, reducing time pressure and aligning with UNED's mission of flexible distance education.
- Administrative efficiency: Automated credential management saved approximately 12.5 hours per week during peak periods.
- Scalability and control: Templates and policies standardize environments, allowing easy expansion across departments.
- Cost optimization: Dynamic resource allocation and license reuse reduce hardware and software expenditure.
- Enhanced security: Integration with OneLogin and two-factor authentication ensures strong access controls.
- Improved user experience: Seamless integration with Moodle allows direct, one-click access to lab environments.
UNED's IT team also benefits from real-time monitoring and centralized visibility, ensuring operational stability and proactive problem resolution.
“Since 2020, Parallels RAS remains the backbone of our distance engineering programs, enabling the growth and modernization of technical education at UNED.”
ICT systems manager
Summary
With Parallels RAS, UNED redefined what's possible for distance-based technical education, delivering an innovative virtual lab ecosystem that combines accessibility, scalability, and operational excellence. The platform empowers thousands of students to gain practical experience anytime, anywhere—proving that advanced engineering education can thrive in a virtual format.
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