Desktop-as-a-Service Gaining Ground

Transcription

1 Desktop-as-a-Service Gaining Ground In This Paper A DaaS desktop removes much of the upfront cost and complexity of traditional desktop computing DaaS and VDI are poised for growth: 33 percent of respondents will be investigating DaaS or VDI this year The top reasons to migrate to a DaaS or VDI environment center around data security and BYOD Executive Brief A QuinStreet Excutive Brief. 2014

2 Executive Summary In the past decade, virtualization of all stripes found its way into many enterprises. Server virtualization experienced few growing pains and saw rapid growth, and network and storage virtualization are now a growing presence in many data centers. Desktop virtualization, in contrast, was a tougher sell. Desktop virtualization separates the computer desktop environment from the physical computer. The virtualized desktop (which can be accessed by any end-user device) is stored on a centralized, or remote, server and not on the physical machine being used. While similar to server virtualization, it requires significant capital investment upfront and specialized IT resources for the design and deployment of these systems. It therefore takes longer to achieve a return on the investment than server virtualization. There have also been numerous roadblocks to implementation of desktop virtualization, ranging from integration and end-point issues to user buy-in and acceptance. Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS) removes many of these roadblocks. DaaS eliminates the upfront capital investment and complexity of deploying and managing virtual desktops by shifting the virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) to the cloud, where it can be managed by a service provider whose skill set includes hosted desktop services. DaaS is frequently delivered as a cloud service along with the applications needed for use on the virtual desktop. Based on the service level agreement (SLA), the provider handles storing, securing and backing up data, as well as upgrades for DaaS and supported applications. This has the potential to bring a number of advantages to the enterprise beyond those inherent to the cloud model, such as scalability, reliability and cost savings. A cloud-based model is a safe and cost-effective way of implementing VDI. In a cloud model, desktop resources are available 24/7, which enables flexible work patterns, supporting a more productive workforce. Employees expect to be able to work from anywhere at any time from any device, and DaaS is a key enabler supporting this trend. A DaaS desktop, whether accessed on a traditional computer or a mobile device, removes much of the upfront cost and complexity of traditional desktop computing, making this latest form of desktop virtualization very compatible with the shift toward bring your own device (BYOD). 1

3 But how do enterprises feel about DaaS? A recent survey performed by QuinStreet Enterprise Research found 33 percent of respondents organizations are currently using DaaS or VDI. QuinStreet Enterprise surveyed 218 IT decision makers in organizations with 250 or more employees about their perception of the DaaS marketplace. Respondents came from a wide variety of industries with nearly three quarters citing banking or finance, government, technology, manufacturing/consumer goods, and health care and life sciences. Choosing Desktop Virtualization While one-third of respondents organizations are using some form of client virtualization, VDI (which was available prior to the introduction of DaaS) has slightly higher installs than DaaS, with 18 percent of enterprises having deployed an inhouse VDI solution and 15 percent having rolled out DaaS to groups of users. DaaS and VDI are poised to be a growing presence in enterprises: 33 percent of respondents said they will be investigating DaaS or VDI within the next 12 months, and nearly one-fifth of respondents said they are investigating DaaS or VDI currently. Figure 1 breaks down respondents VDI and DaaS adoption plans. Figure 1: DaaS Adoption 2

4 There are many reasons to migrate to a DaaS or VDI environment. The most popular drivers among respondents center around data security, specifically as it relates to remote workers and contractors, and the increase in employees participating in BYOD (i.e., PCs, tablets and smart phones) programs, whether sanctioned or not. Approximately half of all respondents saw those as drivers. Because desktop virtualization is the cornerstone of a DaaS environment, DaaS offers greater control over data accessibility and with that comes improved data security. Desktop recovery of business data was also a driver for about one-third of respondents. Cost savings are a DaaS migration driver as well. Desktops approaching obsolescence were cited as a reason to consider DaaS or VDI, with 37 percent of respondents considering desktop virtualization to replace their desktops. In addition, onequarter of respondents said they are attempting VDI internally in their search for cost-effective desktop alternatives (see Figure 2). Figure 2: DaaS and VDI Adoption Drivers A big part of DaaS value proposition is that it is cloud-based. When asked to rate the importance of the benefits of cloud-based employee desktop management they receive or plan to receive for their employees, respondents cited enterprise security, cost reduction and employee productivity as the top advantages. Figure 3 illustrates which benefits of cloud-based computing respondents consider extremely important or very important. 3

5 Figure 3: Benefits of Cloud-Based Desktop Management Despite the growing interest in DaaS and the many benefits it brings, 22 percent of respondents said they have no plans to migrate to a virtual desktop environment. As Figure 4 illustrates, nearly half of the enterprises surveyed saw performance or reliability as a top inhibitor to DaaS adoption. Interestingly, security, while cited as both a driver and a top benefit of cloud-based desktop management, was also identified as a top inhibitor. Security concerns around moving data to the cloud are not unfounded, and it is likely that those concerns, and not DaaS itself, are at the heart of the issue. The same argument could also be made around reliability and performance, as those too are frequently cited concerns about cloud. The human factor presents challenges in adoption as well: IT skill sets and user acceptance/experience were both cited as inhibitors by 40 percent of respondents. Figure 4: Inhibitors to DaaS and VDI Adoption 4

6 As our respondents behavior indicates, these inhibitors indeed have an impact on the decision of whether to invest in DaaS. While there s no denying that interest in DaaS continues to grow, many enterprises are not quite ready to take the plunge. Among survey respondents entering the buying phase, 52 percent said they are planning to stick with traditional desktop technology at this time. But they are also not tying themselves to the desktop for the long term 40 percent are investigating the price/ cost comparison of DaaS vs. traditional desktops at this time. Figure 5 breaks down purchase plans for respondents currently in the buying cycle. Figure 5: Desktop Computing Purchase Plans DaaS Decision Makers When it comes to deciding on a desktop solution, our survey respondents carry a great deal of clout. Nearly all are involved in purchasing virtual desktop solutions for their organizations. Almost half are part of a team that purchases virtual desktop solutions, and 15 percent have final approval authority over cloud purchases. The remaining 40 percent are less involved in the purchase process but still play a role. Figure 6 breaks down how involved respondents are in desktop solution purchases at that their respective organizations. 5

7 Figure 6: Involvement in Virtual Desktop Solution Decision Making Process The survey also looked at which teams are driving the need to deploy virtual desktops. For two-thirds of respondents, it is the IT organization. Executive and senior management are driving the other third. Security, legal/compliance and other employees also play a role. Figure 7 breaks down who is driving the DaaS decision making process. Figure 7: Teams Driving Virtual Desktop Deployment 6

8 Information drives decisions, so where enterprises turn for their information about DaaS is critical. The information sources among respondents for seeking information about DaaS are peers and colleagues (67 percent) and technology content sites (66 percent). Figure 8 reveals percentages of the top five information sources rated as extremely or very important by respondents. Figure 8: Information Sources for DaaS Research Conclusion Virtualization and the cloud are radically redesigning how enterprises perceive desktop computing. Because the cloud is the underlying architecture of a DaaS deployment, the benefits and challenges of the cloud have a direct impact. Like other cloud-based offerings, if implemented properly DaaS brings increased scalability, reliability and cost-effectiveness. It also impacts security. While DaaS eliminates the risk endemic to data stored on physical hard drives or mobile devices, it brings with it the security risks that come with a cloud model. Thus, it is critical to choose a DaaS provider that builds security into its offerings. A DaaS provider s Tier 3 data centers can make your data inherently safer. Such a provider will ensure centralized security management, adherence to IT security policies, and provide internal IT with the capacity to allocate assets to users devices, both en masse and on an individualized basis. 7

9 If data sovereignty is an issue (where a company needs to guarantee that corporate or client data will remain within country boundaries), then working with a DaaS provider that has transparency in the underlying infrastructure used for the implementation and can guarantee that data will not be transferred across country boundaries will be a key consideration. Much of a DaaS deployment s success is based on the provider selected. NaviSite s DaaS solutions NaviCloud Desktops and NaviCloud Sessions ensure that end users have the desktop environment they need and administrators have the functionality necessary to manage virtual desktops. Learn more about Navisite s DaaS solutions at navisite.com/cloud-services/desktop-service-daas. Methodology This survey was conducted online in July 2014 on QuinStreet Enterprise business-to-business websites, including eweek, Datamation and CIO Insight. 8