I have been getting clients interested in Virtual Desktop but are unsure whether to go unmanaged versus Desktop as a Service through providers like RapidScale or Evolve IP. Virtual desktops are one of the cloud solutions that have become very popular recently thanks to improved bandwidth and improved technology. Windows 10 Virtual Desktop for example has seen significant growth in 2020.

With this article we are going to answer these questions:

• What is a Virtual Desktop?
• What is Desktop as a Service? Why go with a managed solution?

What is a Virtual Desktop (VDI)?

A virtual desktop is a desktop that is not being housed on your current device. In other words, the virtual desktops are warehoused on an external server and the users accesses them remotely. Users always have virtual access to their info and their desktop with any device.

IT managers are freed from the need to “touch” each Windows virtual desktop when adding or removing users or to fix problems and deliver new applications, saving staff time and keeping employees productive.

Platform as a service is also known as a virtual desktop.

Benefits of a Virtual Desktop?

• Cybersecurity - Data in Cloud environments can be more secure than data on hard drives. Virtual Desktops can’t be left on an airplane or damaged with spilled coffee.
• Device Agnostic - The battle for users having to use one device is over. Users can use the device they love or even bring their own device!
• Less Time Updating/Patching - whether you have 5 or 5,000 desktops updating and maintaining machines is no longer an expensive and time intensive process.
• Scalability -  Remove or add users in minutes. You can adjust for seasonality, fluctuations, and project- based work teams.
  

WHhat is DaaS (Desktop as a Service)?

Desktop as a service offers a fully managed solution that eliminates time, effort and worry about patches, upgrades, end-user device troubleshooting, application integrations and testing, and security. Desktop as a service providers utilize products from Microsoft Azure, VMWare, Google Desktop, and Citrix DaaS protocols, giving you the flexibility to create hybrid implementations that enable you to effectively manage on-premises and distributed workloads.

DaaS provides an untethered “virtual” workspace that can be accessed from anywhere, at any time, on nearly any device, all for a predictable monthly fee.

Desktop as a service for law firms, for example, have provided exceptional value to IT professionals in the legal space managing desktops spread across the country.

Benefits of DaaS? Why Go With a Managed Solution?

• Simplicity – Lock down your old PCs, point them to the providers Virtual Desktop and they take care of the support, routine upgrades, backups, and virus protection for you.
• Economics – Reduce the total cost of desktop ownership by almost 70% through remote troubleshooting, ease of deployment, and extended life of older equipment. Meet new requirements by adding additional resources to the “virtual” PC rather than upgrading expensive equipment.
• Stability – Services from providers are delivered from diverse technology centers over multiple carriers ensuring that services are available regardless of conditions at the customer location.
• Scalability – Rather than upgrading, virtualize desktops to the provider’s cloud where resources can be added to a desktop with a simple mouse click.

A cost/benefit analysis is beneficial to determine which solution is right for your business. You will want to take your Desktop as a service pricing and compare it to Microsoft Azure Desktop as a Service or Google Desktop as a Service.

Deciding whether your IT Team has the capacity to deal with the day to day of managing your virtual environment versus outsourcing to a provider, is an important step.

IT consultants like Opkalla can help with this analysis and provide pricing for both options. We do the research and leg work (at no cost), so you don’t have to.