Virtual desktop technology has now reached that point where every business can adopt this technology without any difficulties. The difference between the on-screen experience of a hosted desktop and a traditional one is negligible. The end users as well as IT administrators can access the cloud desktop services with most browsers or remote data protocol (RDP) clients; and on a variety of devices such as PCs, Macs, Linux
There’s no debate that the personal computer industry is undergoing its most dramatic upheaval in history. Sales of traditional desktops and notebooks have declined precipitously during the past two years, seemingly part of an irreversible trend. Still, organizations need to upgrade their users’ client systems for a variety of reasons, including dramatically aging PC inventories and requirements for more computing horsepower to run modern operating systems replacing Windows XP.
IT organizations, however, have been dealing with the harsh economic reality of tighter IT budgets and financial executives’ commitment to lower capital expenses for end-user computing infrastructure. As a result, many organizations turned to virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) as a way to deliver enhanced desktop functionality without making big investments in money, time, deployment and support. The move to VDI, however, can be tricky for some companies: VDI does require specialized IT skills that not every company has in-house, and there is an up-front capital investment that companies need for deployment.
According to the 451 Research Group, “Interest in third-party DaaS is at a fever pitch”. IT Consumerization, BYOD initiatives, increase in mobile workers, Windows 7 migrations and security/IP concerns are driving organizations to reevaluate their desktop strategy. Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) was supposed to address many of these challenges, but has instead created many new issues. Until now, large upfront capital expenses (CAPEX) and complexity have created barriers to virtual desktop adoption. Desktone adds cloud scale to VDI and changes the way desktops are deployed and managed through the marriage of VDI and as a service to deliver DaaS.
Desktop virtualization implementations are classed on if the virtual desktop runs remotely or locally, on whether the access is required to be constant or is designed to be intermittent, and on whether or not the virtual desktop persists between sessions. Typically, software products that deliver desktop virtualization solutions can combine local and remote implementations into a single product to provide the most appropriate support specific to requirements. The degree of independent functionality of the client device is necessarily interdependent with the server location and access strategy. And virtualization is not strictly required for remote control to exist. Virtualization is employed to present independent instances to multiple users, and requires a strategic segmentation of the host server and presentation at some layer of the host’s architecture. The enabling layer—usually application software—is called a hypervisor.
DaaS Vs VDI
Remote desktop virtualization implementations operate as a client/server computing environment. Application execution takes place on a remote operating system which is linked to the local client device over a network using a remote display protocol through which the user interacts with applications. All applications and data used remain on the remote system with only display, keyboard, and mouse information communicated with the local client device, which may be a conventional PC/laptop, a thin client device, a tablet, or even a smartphone. A common implementation of this approach is to host multiple desktop operating system instances on a server hardware platform running a hypervisor. This is generally referred to as “Virtual Desktop Infrastructure” or “VDI”. It should be noted that VDI is often used incorrectly to refer to any desktop virtualization implementation.
Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) has had a slow start over the past few years. Many enterprises tried and failed to implement VDI or didn’t see the utility, cost savings or productivity they hoped for. Problems with latency issues and performance proved major setbacks.
However, as cloud technologies improve, customers are giving hosted desktops a second look, but this time turning to third-party hosted desktop service providers to help them access their documents, apps, and programs virtually, from any device, anytime, anywhere via the cloud.
Even several industry giants have jumped on the Desktop as a Service (DaaS) bandwagon due to a growing demand for cloud services. These new efforts and significant investments in research and development are heating up the DaaS market.
Because of the prior hype and angst over VDI, 2014 will see DaaS become the dominant player simply because you can’t divorce your desktops from servers that have already made the jump to the cloud. 2016 and beyond will be about cloning those virtual environments so that they can existing in multiple geographic datacenters worldwide in real-time so that the most local copy may be used from anywhere.
Advantages of DaaS
DaaS benefits from the latest trends in IT – the expectation of anytime anywhere access to business applications through a variety of smart devices, hardware virtualization, cloud hosted services, and outsourcing to specialized lower cost vendors. For business owners, IT staff members, and managers, your time is best spent on your pursuing business goals rather than in managing employee desktops and associated software applications.
But moving away from physical to virtual desktops has too many benefits to ignore, and organizations are exploring new options to make the transition. One approach that’s gaining a lot of traction is desktops as a service (DaaS), which enables the move of virtual desktops—and their related applications and infrastructure—to the cloud. DaaS is picking up a lot of support from industry experts, one of which declared that market entries by industry leaders like VMware would make 2014 “The Year of DaaS.”
While there are many compelling benefits to DaaS when compared with both physical desktops and too early iterations of VDI.
One of the biggest challenges IT organizations face today is finishing—or, in some cases, even starting—migrating away from Windows XP in favor of Windows 7 and 8. However, the newest versions of Windows almost always require major upgrades in client hardware. As a result, many organizations are moving to DaaS to save potentially large capital expenditures. Removing or reducing a CapEx category like PC hardware costs from the financial ledger and replacing it with operating expenses like cloud-based subscription services is extremely attractive to business executives. At the same time, DaaS provides the additional incentive of helping to control operating costs by reducing the need for IT deployment resources and in-house technical support, as well as having predictable subscription costs that are less likely to throw a wrench into corporate financial planning.
Organizations can no longer tolerate days- or months-long time frames for bringing new employees or “as-needed” personnel up to speed with desktops. The quest for organizational agility and flexibility is a key driver in such trends as hiring temporary workers or consultants for short-term opportunities, and DaaS gives organizations the ability to provide all necessary desktops rights and resources in a matter of hours. Another problem area that DaaS helps to circumvent is the inevitable upheaval in managing disparate infrastructure resulting from mergers and acquisitions; DaaS deployment can eliminate a major headache for strapped IT organizations, which often struggle with integrating new employees into corporate systems extremely quickly without having to overhaul IT infrastructure. DaaS can also help software development teams set up temporary test beds for development and testing. But one of the most significant areas where DaaS can mitigate deployment challenges is in disaster recovery and business continuity (DR/BC),
The bring-your-own-desktop movement is now a tidal wave throughout organizations, with users clamoring for mobile access to applications, data and services via their own familiar consumer devices. DaaS helps ensure a consistent user experience, regardless of device format or brand, while standardizing deployment, security and support. In an era where telecommuting and remote-office computing are increasingly the norm, DaaS is an ideal solution for geographically dispersed workforces. This is particularly the case in “always-on” global industries like financial services, retail, and hospitality.
Even in the face of improved threat detection, intrusion prevention and security breach resolution, IT organizations still have nightmares that their organization may be the next to suffer high-profile problems around theft of identities, customer data or intellectual property. Since security breaches often take place at the edge of the network, DaaS is an attractive security option because data and applications reside in the cloud, not on end-user devices that are ripe targets because of weaker security tools and more lax security practices of the end users themselves. Cloud-based DaaS also helps alleviate another challenge associated with BYOD by enabling a consistent set of security protocols across users’ own mobile devices, regardless of mobile operating system or hardware brand. Finally, tactical security steps increasingly become the purview of cloud service providers rather than in-house IT, which is a huge advantage because of the service providers’ ability to generally devote more resources and utilize a greater body of experience on security matters than most resource-strapped in-house IT organizations can deliver.
Few IT organizations can claim they have bigger and more specialized staff today than they did even a few years ago, and that trend isn’t likely to change. This puts a premium on the IT department’s ability to onboard new users faster and more easily, as well as in making the move to virtual desktop deployment at less cost and with a smaller IT footprint. VDI, of course, was the first step in that direction and it has been a real plus for many organizations. But VDI does require some specialized expertise from IT organizations (or mandates that organizations hire outside help to make the move). DaaS, by contrast, doesn’t require the same level of expertise and experience that VDI deployment requires, which cuts down on deployment and support requirements for in-house staff, and obviates the need to spend money to hire external VDI specialists. Time, money and talent otherwise spent on transitions to virtual desktops can instead be allocated to transformative applications and other sources of IT-enabled innovation.
Finally
Desktop virtualization is emerging as a key priority for today’s CIOs, as they are looking for TCO reduction in their enterprise desktops strategy to become increasingly agile. Desktop Virtualization enables employees to connect to their desktops anytime, anywhere, on any device, as a secure, high-definition service without sacrificing IT control or security. It optimizes the delivery of desktops, applications and data to users. The operating system, apps and data are decoupled from the underlying PC hardware and moved to the data centre, where they can be centrally managed and secured. Instead of juggling thousands of static desktop images, IT can manage and update the OS and apps once, from one location, then deliver desktops and apps that are customized to meet the performance, security and mobility requirements of each individual user.
“Dell always believe in customer’s views and depending on the type of solutions”
What is your Desktop as a Service (DaaS) solution strategy today?
We believe that Dell is the only company in the world that can provide an entire DaaS program comprehensively. Starting with the deployment itself, Dell can offer DaaS sourced entirely by one company from cloud-based management, to Microsoft licenses, to the end user devices. This also means you get a single point of service for the entire DaaS system, not to mention that Dell also has the financial structure to offer a simple and affordable monthly price. Our multi-faceted DaaS offers a simple, customizable and cost-effective way for organizations to deploy and manage complete desktop virtualization systems by offering complete, end-to-end DaaS “bundles”. Think of it as end-to-end desktop virtualization your way. You can quickly and easily configure, purchase and deliver virtual desktops to your company with no hidden costs, minimal CAPEX, and no additional hardware or software to buy or configure – ever. The solution is also built to last and scale. We at Dell have always believed in our customer’s views and depending on the type of solutions required in the industry, we try to provide the best of everything to them.
How important is Indian market when it comes to DaaS Solution deployments?
According to Gartner Research, from two percent in 2012 nearly 40 percent of worldwide corporate desktops will be virtualized by 2015. Another report from Gartner also says that the existing Desktop Outsourcing market is nearly US$30 billion. Even a 1% shift of this market would translate into a DaaS market of US$300 million. It is predicted by AMI Partners that in India, the SMB segment alone desktop virtualization will see growth in excess of 30 percent YoY for the next three years which also means it is one of the fastest growing markets globally and we at Dell are completely focused in being equipped with the best solutions & services to offer.
What are some of the key market verticals for Daas today?
IT/ITES, BFSI – broking firms, Education
What are some of the market needs that are being met by Daas?
Today’s business climate often demands that companies be nimble, geographically dispersed and mobile in order to manage competitive pressures and grow. Desktop virtualization offers advantages when it comes to security, mobility and scalability, and there are even more benefits to be had if you outsource your Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) and turn to a Desktop as a Service (DaaS) model. DaaS frees IT from VDI build-out and maintenance tasks and enables them to reinvest resources into value-added priorities because VDI maintenance, infrastructure, applications and licensing are managed by service providers such as Dell.
What are the challenges that could hinder the growth of Daas solution in India?
However, it’s understandable why, despite the benefits, even the most intrepid IT leaders of small and medium businesses might shy away from desktop virtualization and DaaS. They might assume that the cost will be outside their budget, and that the implications of deploying, securing, licensing and managing a virtual desktop system will be complex and daunting. Consequently, organizations stick to legacy systems which are familiar but may not be optimal for their growing workforce and dynamic business models, potentially compromising their competitive edge. The truth is that desktop virtualization doesn’t need to be complicated or costly, and it certainly doesn’t need to be out of reach for small and mid-size companies. With our commitment to empowering our customers through the absolute best technology and services in mind, Dell has Dell Desktop as a Service Made Easier, an addition to its existing Dell DVS Simplified DaaS. TAs mentioned earlier, this multi-faceted DaaS offers a simple, customizable and cost-effective way for organizations to deploy and manage complete desktop virtualization systems by offering complete, end-to-end DaaS bundles.
“VMware Horizon DaaS takes desktop applications to next gen level”
What is your Desktop as a Service (DaaS) solution strategy today?
The legacy desktop is going through significant change. End users are more remote than ever before, often working from home, on the road, or via branch offices. And they are accessing corporate resources from a variety of non-Windows devices including iOS, Android, and Macs. End-user applications are evolving as well, with traditional and cloud applications being delivered from private and public clouds. IT is also under immense pressure to enable this new mobile workforce without sacrificing security and control. IT must ensure that corporate data and applications are secure and they also must control the costs associated with the management of end user devices. Companies are re-evaluating their desktop strategy to cope with these changes. They need a robust, secure and affordable solution that will accommodate shrinking IT budgets and varied end-user demands, while enabling them to evolve end-user computing in a seamless way. With the cloud now being a viable business option, the time is right for companies to take advantage of cloud-hosted desktops and apps to transform end-user computing into next-generation workspaces. VMware Horizon DaaS, built on vCloud Air, simplifies the delivery of Windows desktops and applications as a cloud service. IT can save time and money, without sacrificing enterprise requirements for security and control. End users are more productive, with a complete workspace they can access from any device, anywhere.
How big would be the Daas opportunity and how are you targeting this market?
According to a December 2012 market analysis report by research firm, IDC, the hosted Workspace‐as‐a‐Service market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 84.6% from $30.9million in 2011 to $661.1 million in 2016.
What are some of the market needs that are being met by Daas?
As IT organizations increasingly move away from physical PCs in favor of virtual desktops, the idea of desktop as a service is becoming more and more attractive. At the heart of this attraction is DaaS’ ability to make deployment and management of the desktop environment far less difficult for IT, while giving users maximum flexibility and a better, customizable user experience.
VMware Horizon DaaS Benefits for End-Users like VMware Horizon DaaS delivers a superior end-user experience, with an interface that adapts to the device and is optimized to ensure the best possible user experience across the WAN and LAN. Users get Windows desktops and hosted apps from the cloud on any device, including tablets, smartphones, laptops, PCs, thin clients, and zero clients. Every user can have their own virtual desktop, customizable to their application, and look and feel needs, just like their physical desktop or laptop. VMware Horizon DaaS desktops can be tailored to meet the simplest or most demanding workloads, from call center software to CAD and 3D Graphics packages.
Cloud-hosted desktops don’t need to be turned off, so users can leave the office with their document in midsentence, and log back into their desktop or app from home to finish writing without powering up or down. VMware Horizon DaaS Benefits for IT like Consuming desktops and apps as a cloud service offers lower entry costs for virtualization and reduced ongoing expenses. Buy what you need, when you need it, at a predictable monthly price. VMware technology, which provides every tenant with their own Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN), is designed to make it easy for IT to integrate cloud-hosted desktops and hosted apps into their own corporate environment, leveraging corporate Active Directory and corporate application and file services. This is achieved without requiring domain trust between the corporate datacenter and VMware. IT can easily manage cloud-hosted virtual desktops and RDS-hosted shared desktops and apps from a single console. This includes desktop images, virtual machines, user assignments, applications and multiple desktop models—i.e., 1:1 persistent virtual desktops and shared, non-persistent desktops— from a single console. Optionally IT can manage their cloud-hosted desktops and apps with existing enterprise tools. IT can manage virtual desktop security just like they manage their existing infrastructure today, with the same credentials and permissions. With built-in security capabilities such as secure point-to-point network connectivity, dedicated compute, and network isolation, IT can have the confidence that their corporate data and applications are secure.
With VMware Horizon DaaS you gain access to the proven expertise of specialists that know how to run cloud-hosted desktops and apps at scale. Offload the support and management of the underlying infrastructure and receive best in class SLAs, service and support.
NComputing launches DaaS solution for SMBs
Client virtualization solutions provider, NComputing has launched a Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS) solution designed for service providers enabling them to quickly roll-out hosted desktops as a service to small and medium businesses (SMBs) with lower cost and complexity than other approaches to DaaS.
Desktop virtualization is playing an increasingly important role for SMBs who are looking for more efficient delivery and management of the corporate desktop. DaaS takes this to the next level by simplifying the delivery of desktops as a service, eliminating the need for IT to build and manage a desktop virtualization infrastructure, while enabling rapid provisioning, simple scaling and easy management of end user desktops. Furthermore, a Server Based Computing (SBC) model is increasingly becoming the ideal DaaS approach for SMBs, where simplicity and affordability are imperative. By enabling Service Providers to build DaaS solutions based on a SBC model such as the NComputing vSpace platform.