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Desktop as a Service is a model of deploying VDI (Virtual Desktop Infrastructure) technology hosted in the cloud. It enables businesses to provide employees with cloud-hosted desktops so they can access company data and apps from any device, anywhere, at any time.
Gartner defines Desktop as a service (DaaS) as an offering that provides users with an on-demand, virtualized desktop experience delivered from a remotely hosted location. It includes provisioning, patching and maintenance of the management plane and resources to host workloads.
In DaaS, a cloud service provider actively hosts network resources, storage, and additional supporting infrastructure. Employees can access their work PC with simply their username and password, negating the requirement for a powerful machine. As all files, apps, and the desktop environment are hosted remotely on the servers of DaaS (Desktop-as-a-Service) provider, this is made possible. Then, using a direct application or even a web browser, the supplier safely transfers this virtual desktop to the worker’s device (laptop, tablet, etc.).
DaaS usage accelerated due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Companies required a safe solution to allow employees to access their work computers because a lot of them are now working remotely. DaaS offered the ideal solution, enabling workers to collaborate from any device. According to Gartner, revenue from desktop-as-a-service (DaaS) increased by a staggering 98% in 2020 compared to 2019. This pattern is anticipated to persist.
DaaS (Desktop-as-a-Service) enables enterprises to work remotely with affordability and reliability. It offers workers a long-term, safe way to access corporate apps from any location and on any device.
Figure 1: DaaS architecture
Desktop as a Service (DaaS) provides organizations access to enterprise applications and workloads hosted on public or private cloud. Using a web browser or a specialized software, employees can safely access their work computers from any device with an internet connection.
DaaS is mostly available as a pay as you go subscription model where organizations pay only for what they consume. To render the desktop environment on user devices, a cloud-based virtual desktop infrastructure makes use of thin or zero clients.
While managed desktop as a service (DaaS) providers handle the complete setup and management of the virtual environment, standard DaaS suppliers supply the virtualization technology.
Businesses that choose a managed DaaS provider like Anunta can avoid the hassles associated with setting up and maintaining virtual desktops. Everything is handled by them, including procuring, configuring, and integrating you into the system as well as providing regular maintenance (bug fixes, updates, and security patches). The IT team can now focus on more important tasks as a result.
Figure 2: VDI vs DaaS
Unlike VDI, which confines workloads to an organization’s own data center, Desktop as a Service (DaaS) reverses the VDI script by hosting desktops and applications on a public or private cloud.
Purchasing servers, physical places, resources, etc. up front is not necessary with DaaS, making it an affordable alternative for adopting virtual desktops. Compared to VDI, which requires user proximity to the data center, it is easier to implement and accommodates end users that are spread geographically. DaaS can be scaled up at any time without much hassle.
By implementing Desktop as a Service (DaaS) across cloud providers (Microsoft Azure, VMware’s Horizon cloud on Azure, VMC on AWS, Amazon Web Services, and private cloud), Anunta collaborates with top businesses worldwide to allow workplace transformation.
Workforce dynamics can be altered, and applications and workloads accessed at any time by enterprises with the aid of DaaS. Employee performance and productivity can also be enhanced by using DaaS since it allows employees to securely access data on any device.
Some of the key benefits of DaaS are as follows:
No matter where they work, employees can stay productive since they can access their desktops, apps, and data online from any PC, laptop, tablet, or smartphone.
You can quickly and simply modify your hosted desktops with this solution. You can effortlessly add or remove PCs and applications when your business needs change, whether you’re creating new offices, recruiting seasonal personnel, bringing on contractors, or merging with another company. By only paying for what you use, you can save money and ensure that your team always has the tools they need to be productive.
When combined with centralized data storage and backup, desktop availability allows businesses to continue operating even in the case of a natural disaster or other unanticipated occurrence.
Pay for only what you use through monthly or yearly subscription models. By forgoing the purchase of desktop hardware, servers, and licenses, this lowers capital expenses and frees up money for other value-added projects. Adopting DaaS can also help businesses enjoy more predictable operational expenses.
Data is held and regularly backed up in a secure hosted environment and so it is secure. DaaS provides users with a secure access point and simplifies desktop and app management processes and procedures.
The future of work has changed as the workplace shifts to home. Businesses and their IT teams are being forced to reevaluate End-User Computing (EUC) technologies like VDI & DaaS due to the necessity to increase remote work solutions.
DaaS is helping organizations to overcome remote work challenges such as data security, accessibility, and operational issues. Adopting DaaS is one approach to meet the organization’s long-term scalability and flexible pricing needs, as remote work is quickly becoming the new standard.
According to Gartner, DaaS adoption is expected to grow at 44% by 2023, contributing to more than 50% of annual spending on Remote Client Computing by 2023.
Desktop as a Service (DaaS) provides most organizations the flexibility to migrate their physical desktops to cloud securely. A few of the common use cases of DaaS which organizations can use include
Figure 3: Use cases of Desktop as a Service
Companies can run virtual desktops with the computers and software provided by a conventional DaaS solution, along with some basic support. Nonetheless, the responsibility of configuring and overseeing those virtual desktops remains with the company’s IT department. This includes provisioning, configuration, integration, migration, and management which require specialized expertise often not available in-house.
Anunta’s Managed DaaS eliminates all the hassle of administering the new environment and offers end-to-end desktop delivery on the cloud with full 24×7 support.
Everything is taken care of for you with Anunta’s Managed DaaS. Depending on whatever cloud platform is appropriate for your company, they provide virtual desktops on Azure, Horizon Cloud, or Amazon. You won’t have to bother about maintaining or setting them up. Provide your workforce with the power of cloud desktops as a secure, sustainable, and scalable solution for remote working.
Anunta Managed DaaS is available for both enterprises and small-medium businesses (SMBs). Anunta’s DesktopReady is a fully managed virtual desktop solution built on the inherently secure and high-performing Azure® cloud. DesktopReady requires no upfront capital expenditure or separate setup costs. Request a demo for DesktopReady.
Of the several DaaS providers listed in Gartner’s list, Anunta is the only managed DaaS provider to be featured as a representative vendor in the DaaS market guide.
The Market Guide provides an overview of the DaaS market and shares a list of representative vendors, including Anunta.
Anunta is a recognized specialist and a leading managed DaaS provider focused on managed desktops and digital workspaces. Anunta offers end-to-end design, implementation, and management of cloud hosted desktops for clients globally.
Anunta’s Managed DaaS services include:
1. Managed Windows Virtual Desktop (WVD): Provisioning, configuring, and managing the freshly virtualized environment to resolve teething problems for customer-specific Azure VMs (multi-session, single-session, or Server OS-RDS)
2. Managed Horizon Desktop: Virtual desktop deployment and management from start to finish on VMware’s Horizon platforms, including VMware Cloud on AWS, Horizon Cloud on Azure, and Horizon Cloud on IBM SoftLayer.
3. Managed Citrix Desktop: Implementation and management of secure managed desktop solution on Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops.
Girish Srinivas is Sr. Vice President - Technical Design & Service Delivery Head at Anunta. He has over two decades of experience in the IT Design & Operations. His expertise lies in Cloud Computing, Application Delivery Specialization, Server Virtualization, Data Center and Network Landscape.