Desktop as a Service

DaaS (Desktop as a Service) is a service delivery scheme in the cloud, where each user is provided with their own «turnkey» desktop with a set of necessary applied software.

Working principle

DaaS is not a separate software, rather a whole complex of software which is supplied to a user as a full desktop. The only difference between a regular desktop and DaaS is that the hardware and software are not installed on the user’s actual PC, but are provided to the user in a virtual manner.

The user can access the remote desktop only due to the internet connection. Work in DaaS is available both from a desktop PC and via a tablet, smartphone, laptop. In this case, users will be referred to as «thin». This connection involves the VDI (Virtual Desktop Infrastructure) technology.

VDI allows to run a virtual IT infrastructure and deploy full-fledged desktops based on remote servers. Thin clients have minimal system requirements which will be sufficient only to get an image on the display and send commands to the server that will further process them. Commands imply pressing certain keys on the keyboard, clicking on various mouse buttons, moving the mouse or tapping on the touch screen of the tablet/smartphone.

The user desktop is provided for a specific company or its separate department. In each case, a specific set of software required for specific tasks is provided.

The user, who is given access to a remote server, is shown the results of their actions (typed commands), which are processed by the server power of the provider. The display acts as a «mirror» of the desktop, located in the cloud infrastructure.

A standard DaaS package usually includes a certain operating system, an Internet browser for accessing the network, a text editor, an application for reading certain types of files (e.g., PDF) and an archiver.

Payments for a cloud desktop are due once a month. And the DaaS provider is responsible for deployment, management and service of the remote desktop.

Usage

A virtual desktop is an effective IT infrastructure management tool, which significantly improves the work efficiency of a separate department and the company as a whole. DaaS allows to ensure the most convenient, reliable and smooth interaction of various devices within one network, increasing its mobility, as well as making all these devices independent of their geographic location.

Small and medium-sized companies, which are unwilling or unable to invest large sums of money in the purchase of new or upgrading existing hardware resources, can benefit most from the usage of DaaS. The service helps with the opening of new branches of the company faster and more efficiently, providing them with the necessary amount of workplaces, or quickly recruiting remote workers.

DaaS is a good solution for working with contract companies, office and «mobile» employees, as well as the usual classic workplaces (operators, cashiers, etc.) within any enterprise.

Benefits of DaaS

The benefits of incorporating technology into an enterprise are the following:

• Costs and monthly expenses of maintaining and servicing the IT infrastructure are reduced. The cost of ownership of the infrastructure is reduced, there is no need to solve the problems related to the improvement of hardware resources or purchase of licensed software.
• Aptitude of the newly created workplace is increased. DaaS minimizes the time for deploying a new desktop with the necessary set of software, as well as providing access to it.
• Employees’ efficiency in the enterprise is increased. Each employee spends much less time accessing the software they need to complete their work tasks.
• Important and confidential information of the company is protected. There is only software capable of turning a device into a «thin» client which is installed on employees’ gadgets. All other data (important and confidential) is stored on third-party servers. The usage of DaaS implies application of corporate standards in terms of data protection, which includes not only the protection of this information, but also its backup, as well as ensuring the continued operation of the business in general. Corporate data is protected not only from unauthorized access and theft, but also from various natural disasters
• Access to the desktop is provided from anywhere in the world. For DaaS there are no restrictions in terms of the geographical location of the company employees. The main condition for access to the remote desktop is a stable Internet connection and a mobile gadget or laptop.
• The rate plan is chosen according to the needs of a company. Companies provide remote desktop services to the client, offering them, as a rule, a flexible scale of rates. It is possible to choose exactly what a particular company needs, rather than buying «all inclusive» extra software.