2013: The year the business case for Desktop-as-a-Service is realised

In recent months NaviSite has seen a rise in the global uptake of hosted VDI or Desktop-as-a-service (DaaS) solutions. Verticals such as higher education and healthcare have been particularly receptive to DaaS, where it has found solid use cases based on the high mobility of end-users and greater security concerns.

There are a number of reasons why this shift is taking place now. The growing need to satisfy the demands of BYOD, flexible working, concerns around security; all combined with the emergence of cloud technologies and flexible commercial terms; mean that the perfect storm has emerged for the growth of DaaS and it is now becoming the technology of choice for IT departments.

Flexible secure working
Mobile devices have had a fundamental impact on the way we work. With the proliferation of laptops, smartphones and tablets people are increasingly using technology to fit their work around their lifestyles. Home working in the UK is on the increase and 24% of Americans now work from home. This means that businesses have to find technology solutions that will give their workers access to all of the corporate applications and information they may need outside of the office.

DaaS is a relatively simple way of deploying critical business tools via the cloud making them accessible from anywhere and on a variety of devices. By providing a secure window into an organisation’s applications, DaaS facilitates working from any location, via almost any device that can support a browser. The option to deploy DaaS on flexible, rolling contracts makes this option especially appealing for situations where staff will be temporarily away from the office , (e.g. for building maintenance) or where staff may work part time for a business such as private consultants in the healthcare sector.

What if some of your staff aren’t only not in the office, but not even on the same continent and not part of your organisation? Many companies now rely on contract workers based overseas for software development, or outsourced functions like payroll and client care. For many of these organisations their intellectual property is the lifeblood of their operations so they are hesitant to give people who may only be with their organisation for a short time unfettered access to confidential company assets.

DaaS presents contract workers with a virtual desktop that provides them with only the tools and data they need to do their job and the company is able to pull the connection as soon as the contract is finished. They can also disable USB ports, CD-ROM drives, clipboards, and even the ability to print ability to prevent removal of any data that may make its way into the wrong hands.

Cut costs and complexity
The simplicity and cost benefits of DaaS are another big selling point. Businesses can avoid large up-front capital expenses required to refresh hardware and instead replace expensive laptops with thin-client devices. In addition, DaaS can also be used to extend the life of existing devices as much of the processing is moved from the device to a centralised server farm.

Despite the many advantages of virtual desktops, many organisations have been put off by the complexities of in-house VDI deployments. From the purchase of hardware to run the platform, through to set up and deployment of server farms, ongoing management of the VDI platform and any necessary network upgrades.

Being cloud-based, DaaS avoids many of these issues. Additional desktops can be easily spun up when required with minimal set up and organisations do not have to purchase the infrastructure and software to run virtual desktops or commit themselves to long-term contracts.
Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)

For companies looking to address the challenges of BYOD in the workplace DaaS offers an ideal solution.

Allowing workers to access the network via their own devices can be a headache for IT managers and trying to manage an ever increasing number and variety of mobile devices is probably a losing battle. DaaS alleviates many of these concerns because it offers a way to secure the organisations assets, controlling use of data and applications, whilst also facilitating access by almost any device that can support a browser. It also means the IT department can worry less about the end-point devices and narrow their focus for security onto the centralised server farms.

This high level of security makes DaaS particularly suitable for healthcare environments. Doctors and nurses can be given restricted access to patient records from their own tablets, smartphones, and home computers without any concern that sensitive patient information will be downloaded, lost or misused. If the device is lost or stolen; no data breach has to be declared because no data is stored on the actual device.

The education sector is also turning to DaaS because of the benefits it can offer to students. DaaS allows universities to rapidly provision a standard desktop for any user on any device, providing students with secure access to university resources including; conferencing, online information stores, and university e-mail – from wherever they want to work, and at any time. In addition, DaaS means that students needn’t invest in expensive laptops and desktops to access the tools they need, as the user experience is identical, irrespective of the device used to access the information. Desktop images can also be updated centrally with the latest software, meaning students are always getting the best possible academic experience and one that is uniform regardless of the student’s location or device.

A simple choice
On-premise traditional VDI solution requires building out the installation for a specific number of desktops, which means the company has to maintain and pay for unused capacity; and not only does this require upfront capital expenditures, it also requires on-going maintenance for the platform and the infrastructure. Because DaaS leverages the infrastructure and elasticity of the cloud, there is no need to plan for new capacity. IT admin simply access the service provider’s DaaS portal, and configures more desktops as they’re needed. It takes minutes and is far more cost effective than traditional on-premise virtual desktops. And because contracts can be flexible, organisations can marry cost to usage.

With all of these benefits, DaaS is finally beginning to emerge as the VDI solution of choice for IT departments. Not only is it justifying itself in terms of cost but also for operational efficiency and flexibility. For these reasons 2013 will be remembered as the year when the business case for DaaS was finally realised.