The way people work has changed. Hybrid or fully remote working is far more usual an occurrence than it was in the pre-COVID world. The pandemic accelerated trends toward increased remote working. In the 10 years proceeding 2009, the number of Americans working primarily from home increased by 2%, from 4% to 6%. By December 2020, 24% of all employed Americans worked remotely.
The Future of Work
Businesses should consider that many employees would like to continue working remotely—at least some of the time. A 2020 PwC survey found that 83% of those who can work from home would like to do so at least one day a week after the pandemic, and 32% of those surveyed would prefer working from home full-time.
Implementing such arrangements presents several challenges. IT teams must ensure that employees can access work systems reliably and securely. There are many tech tools for working from home that can be utilized. One such solution is Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS).
What Is DaaS?
DaaS allows employees to access a virtual desktop through a browser. It is a cloud-based subscription service. As such, DaaS frees businesses from the responsibility of building and maintaining their own Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI). There’ll be more detail on the difference between DaaS and VDI later.
Benefits of DaaS
- No need to develop VDI in-house
- No upfront capital expenditure
- Saves IT team from onerous maintenance tasks
- Reduces operational disruption
- Consistent end-user experience
How Does DaaS Work?
DaaS services operate from multi-tenant servers, allowing multiple clients to share resources. The end-user can gain access through a variety of devices. Virtual machines stream the desktop to the end user’s device. It enables users to access work products anytime and anywhere.
The business using DaaS can utilize whatever applications it sees fit—meaning that if they wish to use business instant messaging apps, they are free to do so. DaaS offers flexibility. Providers take care of the back-end, while clients can make the user experience whatever they want.
DaaS providers are responsible for updates, maintenance, back-ups, storage, and computing resources. It allows the client to concentrate on maintaining applications and managing machine images. The client gets a centrally managed platform that enables appropriate security measures.
Top DaaS Providers
- Amazon (AWS)
- Citrix
- Azure Virtual Desktop
- Microsoft
- Vmware Horizon Cloud
DaaS is generally provided as a pay-as-you-go subscription. Organizations only pay for what they use. It is a cost-effective way for companies to deliver a VDI-like experience to their employees.
DaaS Vs. VDI
Another way to implement a capacity for remote working is by building a virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI). This, however, can be an expensive and time-consuming endeavor. A significant difference between VDI and DaaS is that VDI requires in-house servers. DaaS, on the other hand, is cloud-based. Some advantages of this model are lower upfront investment and maintenance must be undertaken by the provider.
Using DaaS instead of VDI allows businesses more flexibility. If a company suddenly needs to scale up its operations, DaaS allows that. It’s ideal for an enterprise that needs to be nimble in an ever-changing business environment.
How to Choose a Provider
A business must choose a DaaS provider that meets its particular needs. Thus, they should do their homework and evaluate the most compatible options. Some of the things that to consider are as follows:
- Security: It is very secure but can still be open to vulnerabilities. Providers will update the OS and applications. It’s wise for companies to choose a provider with more security features. Encryption services, DDoS protection, and permissions management are helpful tools for increased security.
- Backup: Being a cloud-based service, DaaS is built with backup and recovery. Businesses need to ensure their provider has suitable data backup and recovery options. It may be that not everything needs backing up automatically.
- Working with current VDI: Some businesses use DaaS combined with a VDI. This hybrid approach means it is vital that the DaaS provider’s platform is compatible with current virtualizations. It’s possible to update and rebuild systems to make them compatible with a DaaS. However, this would take up much of an IT team’s time, so it’s better to use an already well-suited provider.
- Monitoring: DaaS gives clients access to monitoring and management of virtual desktops. To do so, existing platforms require cloud monitoring to be integrated with them. The provider should allow companies complete visibility.
- Flexibility: It is available as a fully managed service or platform that can be shaped to a business’s unique needs. Perhaps a company would like to implement a conversational AI bot into their desktop. It is vital, therefore, that the terms they have with the provider will allow that.
DaaS It Folks!
As the demand for remote working solutions increases, it’s great to know DaaS is available to businesses. It offers the flexibility and consistency that companies require without the expenditure associated with VDI.
