Hybrid and remote work aren’t going anywhere. As of 2024, more than half (52%) of U.S. remote-capable employees are working in hybrid environments, with another 29% fully remote (Gallup, 2023). These aren’t just convenience-based decisions—they’re tied to retention, flexibility, and performance. In fact, 84% of employees say they’re more productive working remotely or in a hybrid setup (Owl Labs, 2023).
For IT leaders, supporting this shift means moving toward cloud-delivered infrastructure—and Desktop as a Service (DaaS) is quickly becoming the preferred approach. According to market research, the DaaS market is valued at $17.38 billion in 2024, it is projected to soar to $76.80 billion by 2030 (Verified Market Reports).
But there’s a catch: even the best DaaS platform is only as strong as the network that connects users to it. Poor bandwidth planning, unexpected latency spikes, or jittery connections can quietly erode user satisfaction and derail adoption. The good news? These risks are almost always predictable and fixable—with the right prep.
Let’s walk through the key areas you should assess before rollout, based on real customer experience and industry benchmarks.
Every user needs bandwidth—but what really matters is how many need it at once, and when. For light to moderate usage, plan on 1.5 to 5 Mbps per user. But during login spikes, file syncs, or software updates, demand can double or triple—especially in centralized environments.
Pro Tip: Run bandwidth tests during your peak periods (e.g., shift changes, 9 AM logins) to model real-world needs. This helps prevent congestion that can lead to sluggish session loads or degraded app performance.
You’ve probably heard that latency should stay under 100ms. That’s a good benchmark—but consistency is even more important. Sudden jumps in delay, or “jitter,” are more likely to frustrate users than a slightly high average.
According to AWS, latency over 150ms can affect user perception of responsiveness in virtual environments, especially when working with graphics-rich or real-time apps (AWS WorkSpaces Best Practices).
Pro Tip: Test latency from multiple user locations—not just HQ—to the region where your desktops will live (e.g., Azure, AWS, private cloud). Keep an eye out for variation, not just raw speed.
Even low percentages of packet loss (1%) or jitter above 30ms can disrupt session quality, cause typing lags, or make video conferencing feel glitchy.
Cisco confirms jitter above 30 ms and packet loss over 1% significantly affect performance in remote desktop scenarios (Cisco Meraki Documentation).
Pro Tip: Use tools like iPerf or StarTrinity to simulate load and monitor packet behavior under real usage conditions. This helps you find problems before users do.
In our work with mid-sized enterprises across retail, healthcare, and finance, we’ve seen a few common lessons surface:
A distributed retail chain ran tests in every branch and discovered one rural location with higher-than-expected jitter due to outdated routing equipment.
A healthcare provider prepping for DaaS added QoS policies to prioritize desktop traffic during patient intake windows—and saw session reliability improve 35%.
A financial services firm adjusted its firewall rules to support Blast and PCoIP protocols, preventing previously unexplained disconnects during peak usage.
None of these required massive overhauls—but they made a world of difference in day-one user experience.
Want a smoother DaaS rollout? Here’s what to assess:
You don’t have to be a network engineer to launch a successful DaaS environment—but you do need visibility. Testing tools are freely available, and network assessments don’t have to be complex.
The best DaaS projects we’ve seen take this approach:
If you’re not sure where to start, or you want a fresh perspective, we’re happy to help. You can leverage our analyst-recognized DaaS team with over a decade of global experience to ensure you’re getting quality insights.
