As the demand to support remote workforce demand continues to grow across companies of all sizes, we see action on the DaaS and the Remote Fleet Manageability fronts. This week, IT solutions company Flexential launched a new DaaS solution for users to host virtual desktops on the cloud, while Lenovo launched a suite of tools to help SMBs improve IT efficiency, productivity, and collaboration with end-point devices.
According to Gartner’s latest reportOpens a new window , Desktop-as-a-Service or DaaS has shown the highest growth in 2020, increasing 95.4% to $1.2 billion due to the growing need to support remote workforce during the COVID-19.
Desktop virtualization has played an essential role in growing modern digital workspaces. DaaS is a prominent deployment model for desktop virtualization and has proved to be a practical option for enterprises migrating their hardware from on-premises to cloud. DaaS is a Virtual Desktop InfrastructureOpens a new window (VDI) service hosted and managed by third-party cloud providers that enable users to access virtual desktops from anywhere on any computing device. DaaS solutions typically offer the experience of a physical laptop or desktop virtually, letting companies host their virtual desktops on the cloud while meeting the demands of security and compliance.
DaaS has gained popularity due to its multi-tenancy capability, centralized security control, and consumption-based pricing. With the growing remote workforce, catalyzed by COVID-19 but showing promise to remain a preferred strategy even post-pandemic, there has been a booming adoption of DaaS solutions. According to a surveyOpens a new window by Enterprise Strategy Group (ESG) and Workspot, 58% of organizations believe DaaS will become the primary means of desktop consumption, while 39% of companies prefer DaaS over traditional desktops due to its promise of better security.
Tech News: Microsoft, Intel and Lenovo’s Big Moves in Data, Analytics and AIOpens a new window
DaaS (Desktop-as-a-Service) had picked up momentum when industry heavyweights such as Microsoft and Dell announced the launch of their own DaaS solutions for enterprises. Existing DaaS players include Amazon, Citrix, Evolve IP, VMware, and Cloudalize. Entering the competitive market is hybrid IT solutions company Flexential, with the launch of its own Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS) solution Opens a new window to solve business continuity challenges during these unprecedented times. Built on Nutanix’s HCI, Flexential DaaS promises to deliver a comprehensive end-to-end solution with flexibility and scalability.
Mike Fuhrman, Chief Operating Officer, Cloud and Managed Services at Flexential, says, “As a result of the pandemic, the remote labor force has increased from 10% to an estimated 70%. That means IT departments have had to quickly re-architect their IT infrastructure to enable a distributed workforce, provisioning hardware, and SaaS applications while ensuring security, accessibility, and procurement of tools and equipment.â€
Another area that concerns IT Ops with large distributed workforces is end-point manageability, especially from the security point of viewOpens a new window . They struggle with the dramatically increased firefighting with security patches and device downtime caused by outdated or unupdated PCs. Chip makers such as Intel have been working with OEMs directly to build remote manageability into devices to allow for seamless remote manageability. The problem is even worse for SMBs that do not have full scale IT ops teams, and who’s already stretched IT resources are preoccupied with problem solving rather than value adding work.
This week, PC maker Lenovo introduced Lenovo Managed Services, a suite of tools to support SMBs to manage Microsoft 365 offerings. The SMB-focused solutionOpens a new window includes two offerings: Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) Managed Services and Endpoint Managed Services. These solutions will manage complex, time-consuming IT tasks around Microsoft Office 365, and allow SMBs to focus on employee productivity, connected collaboration, and security.
Jie Yu, Vice President & General Manager, Global IDG Services at Lenovo, says, “There’s no denying the operational benefits companies can reap when incorporating Microsoft 365 into their business. However, SMBs may not have the time, resources, or budget they need to be able to effectively manage these tools. Lenovo Managed Services offers a solution that does the heavy lifting for them so they can affordably maximize the potential of their Microsoft 365 platform and ultimately do more with less.â€
A recent tweet by industry analyst Anurag Agarwal visually sums up how managed services for SMBs will optimize employee time and improve IT efficiency with this graphicOpens a new window .
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