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Desktop as a service or DaaS is a cloud-based desktop service where vendors stream desktops, operating systems, and application images remotely to users devices and look after provisioning, maintenance, upgrades, and other routine tasks, all through a one-stop-shop subscription offering.

DaaS Providing Full Abstraction for Virtual Desktops

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The modern-day workforce needs to respond to emails and interact with coworkers from anywhere and on any device. The pandemic showed that remote teams can succeed regardless of location or distance. However, many businesses still strive to meet the technological requirements of their hybrid and remote employees. Here, desktop-as-a-service, also known as DaaS, can be immensely beneficial.

Desktop-as-a-service is a comprehensive cloud-based virtual desktop solution. It provides multiple user services, including operating systems, apps, data storage, and user preferences, all in a single bundle. It is an efficient, secure, and cost-effective desktop virtualization strategy.

DaaS liberates businesses from dependence on physical hardware for their operating systems and productivity software. Instead, enterprises can utilize DaaS to connect to virtual desktops from a cloud service provider over the internet. Cloud providers can provide this service by distributing and administering virtual desktops through their own data centers.

Three key traits define DaaS solutions, which are:

IT administrators deploy operating systems and apps on every employees device in a typical desktop deployment approach. Here, administrators frequently invest excessive time and resources in mundane tasks such as installing software, managing enhancements and updates, and trying to safeguard devices.

This traditional terminal deployment model is also unsuitable for an increasingly mobile and remote workforce. Many employees now work at home or while traveling, using various devices such as desktops, laptops, and/or mobile phones.

Organizations must, therefore, provide a robust and standardized user experience across all these devices to help these employees work efficiently. DaaS allows individuals to enjoy access to the same data and apps, irrespective of the device they use. As such, desktop as a service is the perfect fit for large organizations trying to cut down on IT costs and resources. This model is also suitable for companies with a mid-sized to large remote or mobile workforce.

The answer is no; virtualization is a part of DaaS, but desktop as a service includes several other cloud-delivered services priced on a subscription model.

Virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) solutions such as DaaS offerings deliver desktops to devices from a consolidated data center. This is why the two terms are commonly confused. However, the infrastructure underpinning the VDI solution is typically on-premise and controlled by the IT department.

A cloud provider administers the storage, computation, and network infrastructure in the DaaS model. The organization offering desktops to its staff can oversee the desktop operating system, apps, anti-virus software, and any other desktop-related tasks or even partner with a managed desktop service provider.

DaaS eliminates the substantial upfront costs that come with establishing VDI on-premise. Typically, DaaS offerings come with a subscription-based plan that requires no upfront payment. Additionally, you can delegate all the administrative tasks necessary to support, repair, adapt, or update the VDI.

See More: How Citrix Is Powering IT Teams With Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS): Q&A With Adam Lotz

If we were to describe the working of DaaS in one sentence, it is simply when a service provider distributes virtual desktops on a per-user model and delivers them to end users through the internet. The provider then offers support services for these virtual desktops. They administer the backend for companies that find it prohibitively costly or resource-intensive to create their individualized virtual desktop infrastructure.

DaaS enables a company to function with a smaller IT department as the vendor handles implementation, connectivity challenges, and various end-user concerns. That is essentially how desktop as a service or DaaS works.

Lets look at some of the key features that support the functioning of DaaS.

1. Flexible licensing

This allows businesses to transfer their existing licenses and permits, if available, or to seamlessly incorporate licensing into the DaaS solution. The latter eliminates the inconvenience of configuring individual license credentials.

2. Low-latency connection

A complete user experience that replicates using an actual office desktop is one of the most crucial aspects of DaaS. Employees want seamless application access, high-quality audio, and a video interface without jitters or delays. This may depend on server configuration or the geographic location of data centers and mainframes.

3. Multi-user access

A company can avoid wasting resources on different workstations for every user through the DaaS model. DaaS enables individuals to perform tasks on the exact same workstation at different times while still storing their data and apps independently.

4. Local integration

A cloud-based workstation does not eliminate the need for users to have access to localized devices such as printers and credit card readers. As a result, a DaaS platform would facilitate the automatic and seamless integration of the desktop with these local devices.

5. Unified management consoles

While DaaS is administered completely by the vendor, the organizations IT team will require visibility and control. A central management console will facilitate large-scale DaaS deployments. By consolidating where apps and desktops are managed, the company can save the time and effort of its IT personnel.

6. Resource optimization

DaaS can execute a resource optimization program to help a company save money when machines are inactive. For instance, it can autonomously shut down a workstation after the user has been inactive for a predetermined time, particularly after regular business hours. This disconnection of inactive desktops also compels users to initiate new sessions as and when required. This reduces the likelihood of malicious conduct or security threats.

7. Various access options

DaaS platforms offer numerous login options to accommodate the preferences of diverse employees and consumers. Some users like to access their workstations via a web browser, while others appreciate downloadable or independent versions. Most DaaS solutions can accommodate all of these requirements.

An important part of understanding how DaaS works is also knowing the challenges that it can throw up. When implementing desktop-as-a-service, the following aspects should be kept in mind.

1. Risk of high costs in the long term

In terms of initial investment, DaaS is less expensive than VDI. However, as time passes, the subscription fees may become prohibitively high. In addition, DaaS license fees can be higher than the time and effort of running virtual desktops. DaaS pricing is still more consistent and predictable than VDI pricing but isnt fundamentally cheaper over the long run.

2. Challenges around customizability

Another thing to consider is that a one-size-fits-all strategy may not be optimal for all businesses. Some DaaS products lack features an organization may require. Compliance and security regulations differ from one organization to another, making it hard to find a DaaS product that perfectly meets your needs.

3. Limited control

Desktop as a service allows limited control over system upgrades and safety in general, resulting in issues that IT teams cannot resolve. For instance, if the public cloud hosting an organizations virtual desktops is disrupted, the company faces an efficiency blockade. If theres a connectivity challenge, the IT team would have far less visibility into the networks functioning and would have to wait for the service provider to fix the issue.

See More: Top Five Remote PC Management Solutions for the Hybrid Work Era

Desktop as a service of DaaS is fast becoming an important component in the IT stack of organizations. This is because it:

The proliferation of remote and hybrid work settings has mandated a new method to access apps and data. IT teams can simply move data between platforms using DaaS. Users can access the information they need from various devices, regardless of location.

The vendor streamlines the complex systems underpinning DaaS. You do not need to build internal IT competencies or recruit skilled virtual desktop specialists. Instead, you can work together with your users to meet their expectations. IT teams are not required to oversee every endpoint, reducing their overall workload.

Subscription-based DaaS enhances the predictability of operational expenses and lowers IT costs. You are not required to invest in setting up and running a data center. CIOs and finance departments have recognized the importance of DaaS since it removes unnecessary hardware and software expenditures from their balance sheets.

DaaS can free employees from having to work exclusively on company-issued devices. They dont even have to restrict themselves to a single device. With DaaS, IT teams can readily facilitate bring your own device or BYOD policies, allowing employees to work on their own smartphones, tablets, or laptops. It makes it easier to switch between devices and still access the same apps and processes.

Data is located in the cloud providers data center and not on the devices that employees use. It is simple to disconnect a lost or stolen machine/gadget from the cloud-based service, simplifying endpoint security.

Numerous resources would be required to replace all obsolete equipment and legacy devices. In such cases, one can use DaaS to update their operating system. Running the latest operating system from the cloud is more cost-effective than changing a fleet of on-premise hardware.

Various cloud providers offer DaaS backup and recovery options. This prevents any disruption if a workstation crashes, no matter the size of your IT department. To enhance business continuity, you can back up desktop files and layouts per predefined SLAs.

In virtualized environments, network latency significantly impacts the general user experience. Through the network, users transmit keystrokes or mouse clicks to a remote computer. Desktop performance depends heavily on network connectivity strength.

Traditional VDI did not achieve widespread adoption because it was frequently sluggish due to inherent network problems. 5G connectivity is now tackling network latency issues as they happen. This will generate an effortless user experience for individuals using workstations driven by DaaS.

The hardware component is already configured in a DaaS implementation. It only requires a connection to a fresh device. IT departments can set it up without any configuration requirements. DaaS can thus save seasonal businesses (with cyclical fluctuations in demand or personnel) a massive amount of time and money.

Some DaaS vendors offer browser support. This is a safe and straightforward way for consumers to access DaaS. Instead of deploying a virtual desktop, users can opt for a browser-friendly virtualized desktop using a browser approved by the DaaS vendor.

The Web Access feature of Amazon WorkSpaces and the Azure Virtual Desktop web client are two instances of this possibility. This further reduces IT effort and supports niche use cases, such as testing within a sandbox environment.

These three use cases further illustrate the importance of DaaS.

See More: Top Five Remote PC Management Solutions for the Hybrid Work Era

Desktop as a service (DaaS) enables simplified administration, more versatility, and reduced overall cost of ownership compared to legacy models. Companies that want to offer options for remote work and device flexibility can set up a digital workspace quickly and effortlessly with DaaS. Users can sign in to their virtual desktops from wherever they are and from various machines, and their desktops will appear identical to the last time they checked in from a different location.

Since the data resides in a centralized, remote location, it is continually backed up. This means that internal IT teams do not need to manage backups themselves. They also need not be concerned about files residing on a machine at the workplace but not at home.

Given these overwhelming benefits, companies are increasingly turning to DaaS for their employees IT needs. Despite its challenges, desktop as a service can add significant value to an organizations IT infrastructure.

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