Windows Blogs
DaaS vs VDI
By Sai Kurada
10mins Read
What is Desktop Virtualization?
Desktop virtualization is a technology that allows multiple virtual desktops to run on a single physical machine. Instead of having individual physical computers for each user, desktop virtualization enables the creation of virtual machines (VMs) that mimic the functionality of a traditional desktop. These virtual desktops can be hosted on a centralized server or in the cloud and accessed remotely by end-users.
By integrating desktops on virtual machines, organizations can avoid a load of technical pains as employees become more distributed. For example, rather than having IT teams manually set up and ship out individual devices, employees can remotely access IT-managed virtual desktops via a web browser or application. So long as each remote employee has internet access, they have access to all of the resources they need to do their job.
What is the difference between DaaS and VDI?
While DaaS is a specific type of VDI, the main difference between the two involves how they are built and managed. A VDI deployment is usually built and managed by an organization's internal IT team on servers that are typically on-premises at their specific location. A DaaS solution, on the other hand, typically offers managed virtual desktops hosted in the cloud—allowing internal IT teams to focus more on other aspects of the business and less on running servers and infrastructure.
Benefits of DaaS:
DaaS provides organizations with many unique benefits, including:
Desktop virtualization is a technology that allows multiple virtual desktops to run on a single physical machine. Instead of having individual physical computers for each user, desktop virtualization enables the creation of virtual machines (VMs) that mimic the functionality of a traditional desktop. These virtual desktops can be hosted on a centralized server or in the cloud and accessed remotely by end-users.
By integrating desktops on virtual machines, organizations can avoid a load of technical pains as employees become more distributed. For example, rather than having IT teams manually set up and ship out individual devices, employees can remotely access IT-managed virtual desktops via a web browser or application. So long as each remote employee has internet access, they have access to all of the resources they need to do their job.
What is the difference between DaaS and VDI?
While DaaS is a specific type of VDI, the main difference between the two involves how they are built and managed. A VDI deployment is usually built and managed by an organization's internal IT team on servers that are typically on-premises at their specific location. A DaaS solution, on the other hand, typically offers managed virtual desktops hosted in the cloud—allowing internal IT teams to focus more on other aspects of the business and less on running servers and infrastructure.
Benefits of DaaS:
DaaS provides organizations with many unique benefits, including:
- 1Increased productivityServer downtime, unexpected events, and power outages are just some of the many disruptions that can put a halt to employee productivity. With DaaS powered by the reliability of the cloud, employees will always have easy access to the tools and information they need to get their work done, from wherever they are working.
- 2Increased IT efficiencyWith DaaS, IT teams are relieved of many infrastructure maintenance tasks, which means they have one less internal project to manage and maintain. Desktop maintenance and patching is streamlined, as a single desktop image that can be deployed to hundreds or thousands of users and managed centrally.
- 3Provides more agility and scalabilityScaling on-premises VDI often requires the purchase and installation of new, rigid hardware, and datacenter refresh and expansion projects can take months to implement. Meanwhile, with DaaS workloads available from cloud providers with a global footprint, it is easily scalable. DaaS offers you the agility to add and remove users as the need arises, so you only pay for what you use.
- 4Provides more control and higher levels of securityYou can control your DaaS-based VDI via apps and software, as well as track usage across your organization, from a cloud-based console. What’s more, you can customize role-based permissions while implementing security features like granular-level policy controls. This ensures that only the right people have access to your company’s valuable data.
Top benefits of DaaS over VDI
Here are some of the most significant benefits of choosing a DaaS solution over an on-premises VDI solution:
Conclusion
While there is no “one-size-fits-all” solution for desktop virtualization, solutions like Citrix DaaS enable organizations to deploy hybrid-cloud environments, bringing together on-premises deployments alongside public-cloud hosting to meet your business needs. Organizations can move at the pace that’s right for them and leverage existing datacenter investments alongside new DaaS workloads.
Here are some of the most significant benefits of choosing a DaaS solution over an on-premises VDI solution:
- Management: Your DaaS provider manages your desktop infrastructure, relieving IT from having to provide seemingly endless support for on-site VDI.
- Costs: Flexible subscriptions require your company to pay just for what it needs. You can also save on costs related to building up your own VDI.
- Agility: VDI deployments are typically static, making scalability difficult. On the other hand, DaaS is agile and ready to grow along with your business.
Conclusion
While there is no “one-size-fits-all” solution for desktop virtualization, solutions like Citrix DaaS enable organizations to deploy hybrid-cloud environments, bringing together on-premises deployments alongside public-cloud hosting to meet your business needs. Organizations can move at the pace that’s right for them and leverage existing datacenter investments alongside new DaaS workloads.