What is Desktop as a Service?
Desktop as a Service (DaaS) enables users to access their files, data and applications from any device, anywhere in the world, without needing to rely on the office network. Utilising cloud infrastructure, DaaS can run accounts systems, Microsoft Office, proprietary applications, legacy client-server applications, and more to suit your needs. Users can connect to their office PC remotely in a simple and secure way and interact with their workplace PC as if they were using it locally.
As an ‘as-a-service’ or ‘XaaS’ model, the solution runs on a subscription basis, where companies are typically charged on a monthly basis for the number of virtual desktops that are required. Read more on how this model works in our insight ‘What is an XaaS model?’.
How does Desktop-as-a-Service work?
With high numbers of people trying to access their office PCs during the working day, connecting to a remote solution through a normal office network could cause performance problems. As office networks are not designed for hundreds of users trying to connect from outside, the network wouldn’t be able to cope with the number of connections and could fail under the pressure.
With DaaS, the office server is essentially moved onto cloud infrastructure, providing far better performance, flexibility and security. Users connect to the solution from their home with every user having an individual network in the cloud.
Our DaaS solution at Hyve provides users with a cloud-hosted virtual desktop, where all systems are hosted on a high-performance cloud platform in one of our secure data centres across the world.
What are the benefits of Desktop-as-a-Service?
Flexible working is a requirement for many job seekers in today’s market, and supporting this is crucial for employers. DaaS provides a simple solution for organisations providing any level of flexible working, including fully-remote workforces, ‘work-from-anywhere’ policies, or primarily office-based workforces with occasional days working from home.
The ‘as-a-service’ model is flexible and budget-friendly, with the option to change the numbers of users, and the cost accordingly as business needs change. This means it is a budget-friendly way for many employers to support flexible working.
For companies working with sensitive data, DaaS brings an assurance that remote working will not pose a security risk. There are heightened security features with DaaS due to the fact that files and data are stored on secure servers.
DaaS provides a high level of control for employers, as you can manage all desktops centrally. This removes the need to set up every employee’s computer/laptop individually, and ensures consistency across all devices.
Who should use Desktop-as-a-Service?
As DaaS solutions have a low initial setup cost, they are well suited to small to medium businesses with employees working remotely full or part time. As they are run through the cloud, DaaS solutions are scalable, meaning the number of users can be increased as the business grows.
For companies with strict security and compliance requirements, you need assurance that remote working does not pose a risk. DaaS provides a secure, compliant solution. Additional security and compliance measures can be combined with your solution as required.
Our DaaS solutions are best suited for businesses requiring less than 20 desktops. If you have a larger requirement, Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) may be a more suitable option. Similarly to DaaS, VDI allows employees to remotely access their files, data and applications, through a cloud server. The main difference is that VDI does not need to run on an ‘as-a-service’ model, and can be run in-house or through a hosting provider. VDI can support anywhere from 20 to 10,000 users. Find out more in our insight ‘VDI vs DaaS: What’s the difference?‘.
Could your business benefit from a DaaS solution? Fill out our contact form and one of our cloud experts will be in touch.
