Where Does DaaS Sit in a Modern End-User Computing Strategy?

In the modern corporate environment, businesses need to be agile, flexible and open to change if they want to keep up with fast-moving trends and deliver a high-quality experience to their customers and employees alike.

As far as the world of work is concerned, it’s become increasingly clear in recent years that people expect to be able to do their jobs from various locations and on a range of devices. The idea that an employee should have to be physically present in the workplace to carry out key tasks is swiftly becoming outdated.

This trend was already evident before the arrival of COVID-19, but the impact of the pandemic has further emphasized the importance of employees being able to access key tools, services and data remotely via the cloud.

If your business is looking into IT solutions to support this transition, one option to consider is desktop as a service (DaaS), which could prove beneficial if it's implemented and managed in the right way.

The growing DaaS market

This is an increasingly significant segment of the end-user computing space. According to Verified Market Research, the DaaS sector could reach a value of just over US$11 billion (£8.8 billion) by 2026, compared to US$2.8 billion in 2018.

Various trends and factors are fueling this expansion, including government investments to improve IT infrastructure around the world, escalating demand for cloud-based virtual computing and the growth of the 'bring your own device' concept.

However, there are also potential hindrances to the accelerating adoption of DaaS, such as concerns around data privacy and compatibility with existing IT infrastructure.

Understanding the various advantages and drawbacks of this approach to end-user computing is crucial if you want to make the right judgment on whether it's a viable option for your organization.

Could your business benefit from DaaS?

There are certainly some attractive benefits that your company could achieve by adopting DaaS, such as:

• More control over cash flow and ongoing costs: DaaS operates on a subscription-based model that means you only pay for the services you want to use over the course of a month or year. This can make it easier to manage your cash flow and stay in control of costs.
• Security assurances: End users access tools and applications in the cloud, which means sensitive data is protected by specialist security measures and not exposed to risks such as device loss or theft.
• Flexibility and scalability: The ability to supply virtual apps and desktops through DaaS gives you more flexibility to collaborate with seasonal workers, project-based staff and contractors located anywhere in the world. These solutions are also scalable, meaning you can increase capacity as you see fit without having to invest in additional infrastructure.
• Reduced reliance on physical hardware: Taking a cloud-first approach to end-user computing protects you from the disadvantages of hardware, such as relying on supply chains to deliver or replace the physical assets you need for employees to do their jobs.

Of course, it's also important to be aware of the potential downsides of this technology. One significant consideration is broadband reliability and bandwidth, since the benefits of DaaS will be lost if end users don't have a strong enough internet connection to receive a good remote desktop experience.

On a related note, it should be remembered that remote workers require some sort of hardware - such as a laptop or PC - to access their cloud-based desktop. IT managers need to be sure these devices are not only of a sufficient standard for people to be able to get on with their work easily, but also fully secure and properly maintained.

From a financial perspective, DaaS may help you avoid some of the upfront costs associated with traditional physical workstations and on-premise data centers, but it does create ongoing expenses and a total cost of ownership that needs to be taken into account. If you become heavily reliant on your DaaS solutions, you'll need to ensure you can cover the regular provider fees to maintain service consistency.

Making DaaS part of your IT strategy

A key success factor in any DaaS adoption is the delivery of information and training to those people within your business who will have the closest involvement with the technology.

It's essential that your team has the necessary knowledge and expertise to manage cloud-based desktop services. DaaS is a relatively new and rapidly evolving segment of the cloud computing space, which means some IT professionals might require additional training to ensure they have the necessary skills to support your rollout.

All employees and end users also need to be kept informed about what's changing, the impact it will have on them and how they can contribute to a successful transition. 

On the supplier side, make sure you're following a clear and rigorous process to ensure you choose the right DaaS provider for your needs.

That will mean asking questions such as:

• Is the solution compatible with your current IT infrastructure and any existing on-premise virtualized environments?
• Can the vendor supply documentation clarifying what services they provide, what they're responsible for doing and which tasks will be left to you?
• What backup and recovery services do they offer, and are they included in your licensing costs?

If you want to get the best out of DaaS, make sure you get satisfactory answers to these questions so you can feel confident in your provider's ability to meet your needs.