Our way of working has evolved over time. The emergence of the Internet has made profound changes in the workplace. In the beginning, the most used tool was email, which is still very important. However, in recent years we are seeing new ways of working where we share and work with files in the cloud. Thus, companies have had to adapt to have a public, private or hybrid cloud. On the other hand, workers in addition to the face-to-face mode now also work remotely. In this tutorial we are going to talk about DaaS, explaining what this cloud service is and how it differs from remote desktop.
What is DaaS and how does it work
DaaS comes from the acronym in English Desktop as a Service, which translated means "Desktop as a service". Its purpose is to provide secure access to virtual desktops and applications from the cloud to any device or location. Remote desktop virtualization can also be provided by cloud computing, similar to that offered with a software-as-a-service model. This type of approach is generally known as cloud-hosted virtual desktops.
DaaS is characterized by providing a higher level of automation, and also reduces the cost of the technology. In this sense, the DaaS provider is usually in charge of hosting and maintaining that computer, storing the data and controlling its access infrastructure. In addition, you are responsible for providing the applications and software licenses necessary to offer a desktop service for a fixed monthly fee.
Thus, Desktop as Service providers will be responsible for carrying out maintenance, security management, updates, data backups and storage for their customers. Thus, the organizations that hire this service all they have to worry about is managing their data. This means that we will not have to worry about constant updates and complex management.
His way of working is as follows. Employees access this service through an Internet connection. They can then work using one of the following ways:
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Through an html-based web browser.
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With an application or program downloaded for your device. The equipment that we could use would be a desktop computer, a laptop, a smartphone or a tablet.
What advantages does a DaaS offer for an organization
By contracting a DaaS service through a subscription, we can have a complete IT infrastructure at our disposal. SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprises) are the ones that usually get the most benefits from hiring this type of service.
Some companies are often behind in modernizing their infrastructure due to a limited budget. For this reason, quite often they end up using outdated and complex tools and devices that slow down work.
One of its main advantages is the low cost of the equipment. In that sense, we will no longer have to invest in having an expensive server to have a cloud service that, over time, becomes outdated. The only thing we have to worry about is that employees have a computer or device to work properly. With the implementation of Desktop as a Service, we are going to prevent the company from going undercapitalized, as happened in the case of the traditional purchase of equipment for which sometimes you even had to borrow. In this way, companies begin to operate in a more sustainable way.
Another very interesting aspect is that we will not have to worry about maintenance or updates. Thus, not having to carry out these management tasks, updates, backups or security, it will cause us to have more time to work and look for innovations. Without a doubt, another aspect where DaaS stands out the most is the flexibility and customization it offers us. There are times when companies have more or less demand their products. With this type of service we have the possibility of adding or reducing resources depending on the needs of that company.
It also offers us greater information security. Oftentimes, companies have problems with data breaches. Sometimes it is because the devices used in the company are becoming obsolete. If we have a DaaS subscription, the responsibility for keeping your entire technology park up-to-date and protected falls to our cloud computing provider.
Remote desktop
The remote desktop can be defined as a technology that will allow a user to work on a computer through his graphic desktop from another terminal device located elsewhere.
This term in the computer world is used to name the possibility of carrying out certain tasks on a computer without being physically in contact with that computer. This is possible thanks to software that allows us to operate with that computer remotely.
In that sense, they are very popular because they allow you to manage and control a PC from a distance. For example, a widely used task is remote assistance. Thus, thanks to remote desktops we can enter a computer and solve problems that a family member, friend or worker may have. We will do it by taking control of your keyboard, mouse and screen. However, it has an important peculiarity, that the user continues to have control. Therefore, you can retrieve it and you can also see everything we are doing remotely.
Some examples can be TeamViewer, AnyDesk and even Windows 10 has a remote desktop option.
Differences between DaaS and remote desktop
Cloud-hosted virtual desktops can be deployed using DaaS-based systems, as well as remote desktop services that can be deployed through public, private, and hybrid cloud.
In the case of DaaS, we are going to use a public cloud. That means that we are going to share resources with other companies. Thus, we are going to use the storage and hardware in a distributed way depending on the resources that we hire. Thus, depending on the plan or subscription that we contract with our provider, we will have access to more or fewer resources. In addition, we will have an IT team that is in charge of installing the necessary software, that has its corresponding licenses and that will also renew the hardware when necessary.
Desktop as a Service would be the ideal product for small and medium-sized companies since they will be able to make flexible and hire only what they need. Thus, when your business goes better or worse, or for seasonal reasons, your subscription can be adapted to your current situation.
Instead, using a remote desktop the situation is different. We would already be talking about two individual computers or a private cloud even sometimes a hybrid cloud. We find important differences, one of them is that the hardware or equipment belongs to the company. That, as a positive point, implies that we have control of the data at all times because we are the ones who store it. In addition, we control access and we can withdraw it from any user whenever we want. This way of working means that we have to allocate more budget to hardware (renewal, replacement and repair) and to have a security team that keeps everything up to date. In that sense, let's say that this can be profitable for large companies that want to have everything under control.
Finally, both DaaS and remote desktop offer us two very different possibilities of working remotely. The size of the company is usually an important factor in deciding between one or the other.