What’s New With VDIs and DaaS?
All marketing and messaging for new-age VDIs and DaaS claims to be the fix for the traditional legacy solutions, which have their own, similar if not close, fallbacks. The reason why the virtual desktop industry remains plagued with user sentiments like clunky, obtrusive, and turns expensive despite promises to be Op-Ex friendly, remains a top concern as we shift full gears into our enterprise product.
The companies that need VDIs and DaaS don't opt in for the convenience or the cost, but more for the control levers they get especially in highly data-sensitive and remote/hybrid work. This doesn't mean they relish the thought of an unattractive and laggy workspace, it purely necessitates the need for certain guardrails in place while your work remains undisturbed and as native as your local machines.
This is especially true in the case of software and design led firms where an unhappy end-user experience can possibly eat up the money you save by switching to virtual desktops.
It also made us think a little more about the claims of lack of innovation in the virtual desktop space. And, how that might just not be the case.
Here is a curated list of the few truly useful and helpful features that we have seen coming out of the industry in the last year,
- Citrix's Autoscale for On-Prem Deployments
- Neverinstall's Deployments in Seconds
- Parallel's SMB Specific DaaS Solution
- AVD’s Azure AD Joined VMs
Apart from these, companies in this sector have had their hands busy with improving performance, latencies, and integrating key parts of users' generic workflow with their solutions.
For instance, just in the last year, Citrix introduced the Citrix Universal subscription, while features like HDX Direct (Tech Preview), EDT Lossy (EDT Loss tolerant mode), and dynamic revocation of user access are planned for 2024.
VMWare introduced several improvements in their security and performance angles with features like password policy reminders to help mitigate password reset failures.
Citrix’s Autoscale for On-Prem Deployments
This feature allows organisations to reduce computing costs through smart scaling based on workload and schedules. Using Citrix’s Autoscale technology, it dynamically adjusts resources in both cloud and on-premises settings to meet actual needs, avoiding unnecessary expenses.
The system integrates seamlessly with existing Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops infrastructure, allowing for efficient workload management in your own data centre or with a public cloud provider. It features a centralised management console that simplifies monitoring, gives real-time visibility into resource use, and includes comprehensive reporting tools to aid in decision-making about resource allocation and cost efficiency.
Additionally, the feature promotes environmental sustainability by optimising energy usage and reducing the carbon footprint. Security is bolstered as the automated scaling minimises the exposure of idle resources, enhancing protection against potential threats.
Neverinstall’s VDI Deployment in Seconds
This platform offers instant deployment of Linux and Windows Virtual Desktops, combining convenience with affordability. It's intuitive interface diminishes dependence on IT teams, enabling rapid setup and user onboarding within minutes. Managing resources and user permissions is remarkably straightforward, requiring minimal technical skills, making Neverinstall an ideal solution for businesses seeking efficiency and control over their virtual environments.
With a Zero-Trust deployment mechanism in place, the deployment of virtual machines by Neverinstall for firms and their employees is possible within a few clicks, and barely a few minutes before your firm’s virtual workspaces are up and running.
Note that Neverinstall does not store these credentials after establishing the connection and takes the necessary security precautions along the way.
Parallel’s SMB DaaS Solution
Parallels introduces a new Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS) solution tailored for small and medium-sized businesses. This cloud computing service streamlines setup with rapid onboarding in under 20 minutes, ensuring businesses can quickly gain access to their desktop environments.
It offers a competitive total cost of ownership (TCO), which, combined with integrated data security and the ability to rapidly scale resources up or down, makes it an ideal choice for budget-conscious businesses. The cloud-native architecture enhances management efficiency and eliminates the complexities traditionally associated with IT infrastructure.
Often quoted to be expensive, but of high quality, it’s a great choice for higher end hardware requirements and can be very useful for non-persistent desktop use cases.
Azure Virtual Desktop’s Azure AD Joined VMs
Azure Virtual Desktop has introduced a new feature allowing VMs to join directly to Azure Active Directory (Azure AD), eliminating the need for a domain controller. This simplifies setup, allowing users to access their VMs from any device using basic credentials, which can significantly cut costs and streamline deployments.
The integration with Microsoft Endpoint Manager enhances VM management, reducing the complexity and administrative overhead previously required. This efficiency is critical for large-scale deployments, enabling better control and security over virtual desktops.
Overall, this new feature supports a range of scenarios requiring rapid scaling and improved security, making virtual desktop infrastructure simpler and more cost-effective. This is particularly beneficial for organisations aiming to bolster their remote work capabilities while adhering to strict security and compliance standards.
Conclusion
The focal points for virtual desktops (VDIs) and Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS) solutions in the coming year revolve around three primary themes: convenience, lightweight flexibility, and enhanced security. These elements are increasingly crucial as enterprises are beginning to prioritize end-user experience, especially in environments that traditionally rely heavily on hardware.
Neverinstall is streamlining the VDI and DaaS experience by removing the complexities typically associated with these technologies. It offers instant deployments and simplified management that don’t require deep technical skills to manage. This is coupled with granular controls that enhance usability without compromising operational control. Additionally, Neverinstall adopts an operational expenditure (Op-Ex) model that includes built-in auto-pausing features, ensuring that cloud resources are optimised and not wasted, thus supporting cost-effective scalability and resource management.
This approach not only makes virtual desktop infrastructure more accessible but also more cost-effective and secure, aligning with the current trends and demands of the industry.
Join the conversation.