Resources | Types of Virtual Desktop Offerings

Cybersecurity is a growing concern across industries. Reports estimate that a cyber attack occurs every 39 seconds and the World Health Organization (WHO) asserts that cyber attacks have become more prevalent since the COVID-19 pandemic. IT leaders who focus on ensuring network security while promoting productivity often rely on cloud computing providers and solutions to address cyber security threats. A prime example of this is adopting Desktop as a Service (DaaS).

Beyond cybersecurity concerns, with the rise in remote work, IT leaders often struggle to manage employees from different locations. Rather than manually onboarding and offboarding users, leveraging DaaS increases efficiency and cuts down on time.

Taking this a step further, most companies rely on a VPN for remote work, but this presents its own set of problems - downtime and slowdowns. DaaS addresses this by allowing employees to securely access company applications on any device without interruptions. That being said, with the growing number of pain points related to cybersecurity and remote work, it makes sense that there has been a drastic increase in the adoption of DaaS.

Read on to learn more about the three types of DaaS offerings.

Types of DaaS

Gartner’s 2023 DaaS market guide identifies three distinct types of DaaS: Self-Assembled, Vendor-Assembled, and Managed. Each option offers its own benefits and challenges to companies, depending on specific business needs.

Self-Assembled DaaS

For companies that would like to take a do-it-yourself approach to DaaS, a self-assembled option may be ideal. This solution involves purchasing the components of a DaaS solution from a vendor but relying on internal resources to configure the infrastructure, profile management technology, and storage options.

While the DaaS vendor takes care of operating and managing the components that the client selects, ultimately it is up to the client to manage the user's virtual machines. Common examples of this type of DaaS include Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop and Amazon Workspaces.

Core benefits of a self-assembled DaaS include:

Secure access to apps and data - The security benefits of DaaS are not lost with a self-assembled solution. By implementing virtual desktop infrastructure, companies reduce vulnerabilities and remain compliant with security capabilities.
Reduce costs - For smaller companies that might not be ready to invest in a fully managed DaaS, a self-assembled solution offers cost benefits. Specifically, when dealing with Microsoft Azure, businesses can reduce costs by using existing Microsoft licenses.
Simplify deployment - With a self-assembled DaaS, IT leaders have the chance to deploy and scale their infrastructure with ease. As the company grows, the VDI can scale automatically with options like Amazon Workspaces.

While self-assembled DaaS options are still viable, they present several challenges that prove difficult to overcome without dedicated DaaS vendor support.

Technical Knowledge Gaps - For companies without advanced technical knowledge related to VDI, self-assembled DaaS isn’t a viable option. For instance, without extensive knowledge related to Microsoft licensing for virtual desktops, companies can experience complications with their new self-assembled DaaS.
Learning Curve - There is a steep learning curve for understanding VDI and not every company has the resources to dedicate to this feat. Small IT departments often struggle with overcoming the learning curve for self-assembled DaaS solutions.

Unexpected Costs - While the upfront costs of a self-assembled DaaS are minimal, there is a high chance of companies accruing unexpected costs related to their implementation.
Time/Capacity - Without dedicated vendor support, IT departments will have to troubleshoot any problems that arise with their self-assembled DaaS. If the company doesn’t have a dedicated group of experts for managing its DaaS, it will likely take more time to complete tasks that a vendor could do easily.

With the number of challenges that come with a self-assembled DaaS solution, it makes sense to look into other options, like a vendor-assembled or vendor-managed DaaS.

Vendor-Assembled DaaS

A vendor-assembled DaaS cuts down on the upfront configuration work required by the client. Rather, the client focuses on the management of the user's virtual machines, while the vendor defines the DaaS solution.

When working with EvolveIP, clients can choose between Evolve IP’s private cloud or Microsoft Azure public cloud using VMware or Citrix desktop virtualization technologies for their vendor-assembled DaaS.

There are a few important differences between public cloud computing and private cloud computing:

Managed DaaS

For those companies seeking full vendor support for their VDI solutions, a Managed DaaS is the ideal solution. In this situation, the DaaS vendor will manage the virtual machine operating systems and offer user support. Companies looking for an out-of-the-box solution, or those with little to no experience with VDI often choose a vendor-managed DaaS option.

Some of the key advantages of choosing a managed DaaS option include:

High data protection, security, and compliance
Relieving the burden from the internal IT department
Full integration with unified communications, collaboration, and contact center solutions
Seamless scalability

In addition, video conferencing has become a core component of remote work, and choosing a managed DaaS that supports real-time audio and video conferencing (RTAV) is crucial. It’s important to note that not all managed DaaS solutions offer these capabilities. Therefore, finding a vendor with a DaaS solution that includes features like seamless integration with industry-leading solutions such as Microsoft Teams, Cisco WebEx, and Zoom offers companies the opportunity to enhance collaboration and communication.

One major drawback to choosing a vendor-managed DaaS is the higher costs compared to hybrid options.

However, despite the higher price point, vendor-managed DaaS options prove advantageous to clients with limited skills related to VDI or relieve internal IT departments from micro-managing virtual desktops across their organization.

Therefore, according to Gartner, managed DaaS solutions have increased significantly over the previous year and are expected to continue to increase.

Understanding the Right DaaS Solution for an Organization

Before a company chooses a DaaS vendor, it’s important to know which DaaS solution is best suited for the company’s specific needs.

Gartner suggests asking the following questions:

What are the key features of the DaaS solution?

What does the vendor offer in terms of GPU, compliance, and support?

How does the DaaS complement the internal IT skills and commercial terms?
What is your company’s current level of expertise related to VDI environments?

A self-assembled DaaS isn’t right for everyone, just as a vendor-managed solution might not be the best choice for a company. By understanding where your company stands, as well as its short- and long-term goals, IT leaders can make an educated decision about which of the three types of DaaS is the best fit.

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