Desktop in the Cloud – It’s Here to Stay

It’s no wonder traditional desktop/laptop/PC sales are on the decline. With the proliferation of mobile devices and 24X7 connectivity readily available, more and more business is done on the go. As a result, the traditional corporate desktop environment is shifting to a new paradigm.

Regardless of company size, end users are now more remote than ever before, yet still need to access inside-the-firewall corporate resources. Much of this access is coming from a variety of non-Windows devices, yet these devices still need to access traditional Windows applications. Enterprise IT is under immense pressure to enable this new mobile workforce while ensuring that corporate data and applications are secure and also controlling the costs associated with the management of a proliferation of end user devices.

Fortunately, solutions are available today to enable solution providers to address new mobile users and meet their needs while at the same time enabling a company’s IT environment to stay secure and control cost. How can a solution provider differentiate in this changing market? By partnering with a provider who can deliver desktop as a service (DaaS). DaaS enables enterprise IT to purchase Windows desktops and applications as a subscription without the overhead of deploying and maintaining virtual desktop infrastructure.

What can DaaS do for your customers? With a primary focus on delivering Windows desktops and applications as a cloud service to any user, anywhere on any device the benefits of DaaS are extensive and include:

• Single management console for provisioning and delivering Windows desktops and applications from the cloud
• Multi-tenant cloud desktop virtualization platform to ensure security
• A great end user experience across any device
• Self-service desktop provisioning and built in automation with unified management
• Unlimited scalability with a grid-based architecture ensuring high availability
• Leading cloud desktop partners – choose from a network of leading vendors to achieve best-in-class monitoring, security and global data center availability

Traditionally delivered via a subscription model, DaaS has unique requirements that cannot be met by simply employing traditional desktop virtualization technology. VMware’s Horizon DaaS platform was purpose-built for service providers with a robust, secure, scalable and cost-effective platform for delivering cloud-hosted virtual desktops.

The challenges that DaaS can address for a company are significant and include:

• Reduced or eliminated upfront CAPEX: DaaS is an OPEX model based on utility pricing and provides companies with a more predictable expense
• Flexibility: very easy to enable new users (or reduce users)
• Minimal internal expertise required: Service providers delivering services can lead that aspect of a company’s IT strategy
• Support for remote locations where a company has minimal or no presence nor the resources to build a remote IT infrastructure

DaaS offers many beneficial use cases, which eliminate CapEx, require minimal operational skills and provide a low risk, highly scalable entry point:

• BYOD: access to desktop applications and data across locations and devices without data residing on the endpoint
• Contract/Temporary Employees: secure access to compute for offshore or outsourced employees
• Branch Office Desktop: central image management for remote, branch offices and call centers
• Seasonality: Flexibility to increase or decrease workforce based on seasonal needs

DaaS can open new and recurring revenue streams for providers by:

1. Extending infrastructure-as-a-service offerings to include workspaces as a service
2. Adding value added services to the hosted desktop such as  hosted applications, help desk, storage, backup and many more.

How does a solution provider get started with DaaS? It’s a relatively simple and painless process. VMware maintains partnerships with leading DaaS providers globally. Visit VMware's DaaS providers to view partners and learn more about their channel programs. As for end customers, moving to a DaaS environment is seamless and customer responsibility can include access devices, line of business applications, antivirus/security, operation system licenses and image deployment and creation. The rest is left up to the service provider, who manages the bulk of the environment including:

• DaaS software, patching, maintenance, support and administration
• Facilities:  Server/storage HW, networking, power, cooling and security
• Support:  24X7X365 desktop admin support via certified support personnel
• Dedicated Resources:  Each client has its own dedicated hardware resources for compliance and security reasons. Client tenants have their own dedicated compute, memory, management databases, vFiler, virtual network and access gateway. Enforcing this separation adds an additional layer of isolation and protection for each customer.

Desktop as a service is clearly ready for you. Are you ready for DaaS? Click here to learn more and get started today.

Best Regards,
 
Jay Workman
Director, Cloud Partner Marketing
VMware

Guest blogs such as this one are published monthly, and are part of Talkin' Cloud's annual platinum sponsorship.