The desktop cloud computing offering, Desktop as a Service (DaaS), has been steadily gaining traction in the last few years and has rapidly become one of the top IT solutions today.
Suppose you’re considering DaaS but don’t know how it works or how it might help your organization.
In that case, this article will give you an overview of what DaaS solutions entail and how they can benefit your business, large or small.
What Is DaaS (Desktop as a Service)?
 |
| DaaS (Desktop as a Service) |
Desktop as a Service (DaaS) is essentially cloud computing that focuses
on end-user computing. When an organization chooses DaaS, it can outsource some or all of its
desktop infrastructure requirements to one of many providers.
Instead of managing its desktops, an organization can use DaaS to focus
on running its business while paying only for what it uses.
Whether you’re trying to cut IT costs or ease management tasks, you may
find that DaaS is suitable for your company and employees.
Why Use DaaS?
There are many reasons why organizations choose to use Desktop as a
Service.
- First, if you don’t
have your own data center, you probably don’t have access to high-end
workstations with state-of-the-art hardware. If you want to give your employees powerful computers without purchasing
them yourself, DaaS is a good option.
- Second, most
companies already subscribe to other services from service providers like
Google and Amazon Web Services (AWS). Using these same providers for their virtual desktops can easily manage their
entire infrastructure in one place.
- Third, you get
better control over your budget when you pay for resources by subscription
instead of buying everything upfront. You also avoid capital expenditures (CAPEX), expenses incurred by buying
new equipment and software.
- Finally, when you need
more capacity or capabilities than your current plan offers, it’s easy to
upgrade—just sign up for a new plan!
The Benefits of
DaaS
In addition to other benefits, such as cost savings and bandwidth
reduction, which can be realized with cloud computing, DaaS also offers some
specific advantages in terms of end-user experience.
Users can log in to their Desktop from any location with an Internet
connection and personalize it to match their own needs.
If they work on multiple projects simultaneously, they can quickly move
between applications without worrying about saving data or reconfiguring
settings.
And because everything is stored online, there’s no need to worry about
backing up files or losing work if something goes wrong with their computer.
Overall, when implemented correctly, DaaS provides a simple and
efficient way to ensure that employees have access to all of their necessary
software tools regardless of where they are located.
How It Works
Like Amazon’s Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2), cloud computing like DaaS
abstracts hardware away from end-users, allowing anyone to run programs and
store data in an off-site location.
In doing so, it reduces IT costs and frees up resources on-site. While
services like EC2 are designed for developers, DaaS is more geared toward
end-users.
For example, employees can be assigned a virtual Desktop that they can
access from any computer with Internet access—no matter where they are—and use
applications just as if they were using local software.
It makes it easier to work remotely without sacrificing functionality or
security and provides businesses with another option for remote workers with
secure desktops.
Security and Compliance
The underlying network, both public and private, is constantly monitored for intrusions, patches are regularly applied to endpoints, and firewalls are used to prevent unauthorized access from external networks.
Additionally, IT departments that use DaaS can control which apps users can download onto their virtual desktops.
It ensures they’re only using approved software and aren’t opening themselves up to malware or other vulnerabilities.
DaaS vs. Cloud
Computing
DaaS (Desktop as a Service) and cloud computing are sometimes confused
with one another. While Desktop as a Service is cloud computing, cloud computing isn’t
necessarily DaaS. To understand how they differ, think of it like airline travel versus
flying.
If you want to get from New York to Los Angeles, you could either fly
yourself or purchase a plane ticket that allows you to sit back and relax until
your destination appears in front of your eyes.
That plane ticket is cloud computing; it gives you access to all
services—from entertainment (in-flight movies) to communication (Skype)—but
doesn’t involve piloting an aircraft.
On the other hand, if you want to take an active role in getting from
point A to point B, renting a private jet would be more appropriate—that would
be Desktop as a Service.
Next Steps
Desktop as a Service applications, like all SaaS offerings, are
delivered from servers. While some services rely on centralized mega-servers to handle their
load (like Amazon with its Web Services),
DaaS requires many more servers
scattered across multiple locations and data centers around an enterprise.
Each user needs their server to run their desktop environment, which
means that no two users can ever be hosted on the same physical machine.
This kind of delivery model requires significant computing power—but it
also makes it possible for DaaS providers to deliver desktops at a meager cost
per user because they’re leveraging economies of scale in hardware acquisition
and maintenance costs.
