RDP and Thin Client Operation in Shared Workstation Mode

Setting up the PASCOM App for shared workstations (e.g., DATEV) in terminal server environments.

App Management

23.09.2026

PUBLIC

In modern terminal server environments (such as DATEV workstations), multiple employees often share physical thin clients with an automatic login. To enable seamless telephony and app control, the PASCOM App supports the Shared Workstation Mode.

In this setup, a local instance of the PASCOM App runs on the thin client in the background (waiting mode) and is automatically taken over by the PASCOM App within the user’s RDP (Remote Desktop) session.

Advantages of this solution:

  • Licensing: Local thin clients in waiting mode do not consume Concurrent User (CU) licenses.
  • Data Privacy: After ending the RDP session, the local PASCOM App automatically returns to the locked waiting mode. This prevents other users from accidentally viewing chats or call lists.

Prerequisites

  1. Technical PASCOM User: A user account on the PASCOM phone system is required for the Shared Workstation Mode, which the local PASCOM App on the thin client uses to log in.
    • Although you can use any regular user for this, it is recommended to create a special technical user (e.g., thinclient).
    • Tip: You can hide this technical user from contact lists for other users via Roles and Permissions.
  2. Local Installation: Install the PASCOM Desktop App Preview on the thin client. - Download here
  3. Remote-Desktop Installation: Install the PASCOM Desktop App on the terminal server. - Download here

Configure and Start the Local Thin Client

To start the local PASCOM Desktop App Preview on the thin client in waiting mode, perform the following steps:

Do not install the regular PASCOM Desktop App on the local machine, instead use the PASCOM Desktop App Preview.
Start the PASCOM Desktop App on the thin client using the --thinclient parameter or by setting the Windows system environment variable PC_THINCLIENT_WORKSTATION=1.
Log in to the local app using the previously created thinclient user.
After a successful login, the PASCOM Desktop App Preview switches to waiting mode (a corresponding waiting message is displayed).

Start the Remote Desktop Session (RDP) and Control the App

As soon as the local thin client is ready in waiting mode, the end user can log in to the terminal server:

Start the RDP session to the terminal server.
Start the PASCOM Desktop App within the RDP session on the terminal server.
Log in with your personal PASCOM user account (e.g., jsmith).
The local thin client on your physical machine detects the connection and automatically takes over your personal user’s identity and interface.

The PASCOM Desktop App on the terminal server now runs in an RDP mode and automatically synchronizes with the local thin client in real time. You can now use telephony, chat, and all other PASCOM functions as usual, both within the RDP session and via the local headset/phone of the thin client.

The RDP mode is enabled by default when the PASCOM Desktop App detects a terminal session. Therefore, no complex configuration is required on a server environment. However, it can be enabled or disabled using environment variables if needed.

RDP SPLIT MODE

What does the RDP mode do?

  • Better audio quality, as audio does not have to be transmitted into the RDP session.
  • Headset control (e.g., answering via a button on the headset) works seamlessly.
  • Integrations with software running on a terminal server (e.g., Outlook, DATEV) continue to work.
  • Reduced CPU load on terminal servers, as audio and video are encoded and decoded via the app on the respective end device.
  • Call control is fully available through either app.

The feature works across platforms (Windows, macOS, Linux) and is not limited to terminal server RDP sessions.

End the Session

When you finish your workday or log out of the terminal server:

Close the PASCOM Desktop App in your RDP session or log out of the terminal server.
The local thin client with the PASCOM Desktop App Preview on the physical workstation immediately switches back to the locked waiting mode and waits for the next connection.

Hostname Matching for Automatic Assignment

To allow the PASCOM Desktop App in the RDP session to automatically find and control the local thin client, the hostnames must match. The assignment occurs in the background using the computer name (hostname) of the local machine, which the terminal server reads as the client name.

If the connection is not established automatically, please check the following values:

  1. In the RDP session (terminal server): Open the command prompt (CMD) or PowerShell and enter the following command:

    Command Prompt (CMD):

    echo %CLIENTNAME%

    Example output: MM-THINKPAD22

    PowerShell:

    Write-Output $env:CLIENTNAME

    Example output: MM-THINKPAD22

  2. On the local thin client: Open the command prompt (CMD) on the local machine and enter the following command:

    hostname

    Example output: mm-thinkpad22

Case sensitivity is automatically ignored during the comparison. However, it is important that the retrieved names match exactly.