Desktop as a Service (DaaS)
Desktop as a service (DaaS) has been presented as the scalable and secure solution for an increasingly remote workforce. Is DaaS living up to the hype and advancing as needed?
One minute insights:
Tech leaders most commonly use Azure Virtual Desktop as their DaaS tool
Respondents chose DaaS over virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) due to skill gaps on their IT team
Tech leaders are largely satisfied with the scalability of DaaS
Respondents have experienced adoption/deployment challenges involving the security of data in the cloud
Improved end-user experience for remote staff is a key benefit of DaaS
Many tech leaders use DaaS as their sole virtualization tool, and they choose Azure Virtual Desktop over other options
Is DaaS your sole virtualization solution for remote workers? (i.e., not using VDI, VPN or other solutions)
Most (63%) respondents use DaaS as their sole virtualization solution for their remote staff.
n = 200
Which DaaS tool(s) does your organization use?
Azure Virtual Desktop is the most commonly used DaaS tool (62%), followed by Citrix DaaS (46%) and VMware Horizon Cloud (38%).
Accops HyWorks 11%, TruGrid SecureRDP 6%, Other 0%
n = 200
[Desktop as a service] is an interesting & emerging market space.
Tech leaders adopted DaaS over other virtualization solutions due to skill gaps, and they consider company reputation when choosing a vendor
More than half (54%) of respondents adopted DaaS because IT lacked the skills to manage a VDI solution. Supporting remote work as a result of the pandemic (43%) and improving security for remote workers (40%) were also common reasons.
What are the reasons your team decided to adopt DaaS?
Replace our VDI solution 34%, Improve scalability and flexibility of remote work enablement 24%, Accommodate BYOD initiatives 19%, Free up IT resources (i.e., DaaS handles end-user management and support) 11%, Other 1%
n = 200
51% of respondents considered company reputation when choosing their DaaS vendor. They also weighed ongoing management assistance (45%) and costs (41%) as important factors.
What factors are most important to you when considering DaaS vendors?
End-user support 33%, Access on multiple device types (mobile, tablet, etc.) 29%, Security measures 21%, Regulatory compliance 16%, Unified experience on all devices 16%, None of these 1%, Other 0%
n = 200
Communications capabilities strongly determine DaaS success.
Tech leaders are satisfied with the scalability of DaaS but have concerns about costs
Respondents were most satisfied with the scalability of DaaS in their organization (68%). They were most dissatisfied with the costs (24%).
How satisfied are you with the following aspects of DaaS in your organization?
n = 200
DaaS eliminates the need to purchase and maintain physical hardware, while still providing the same user experience. DaaS solutions also reduce IT costs since they don’t require the same level of hardware maintenance and support as traditional desktops.
Tech leaders see the end-user experience for remote workers as a key benefit of DaaS, but potential security issues can be a barrier to adoption and deployment
The most common benefit of DaaS for respondents is the improved end-user experience for remote staff (57%), followed by the reduced burden on IT (56%) and better flexibility for changes in their remote workforce (54%).
What benefits of DaaS have you seen in your organization?
Reduced upfront costs 25%, Better backup and disaster recovery capabilities 23%, None of these 0%, Other 0%
n = 200
The most commonly identified challenge with DaaS adoption and deployment is security issues with data in the cloud (46%). Problems with regulatory compliance (45%) and issues integrating with non-cloud infrastructure and/or data (45%) also present barriers to DaaS.
What challenges have you experienced with DaaS adoption/deployment in your organization?
Lack of customizability 30%, Performance issues 19%, Poor end-user experience 17%, Vendor support 13%, End users not using DaaS 10%, Executive buy-in 7%, None of these 1%, Other 0%
n = 200
[DaaS offers a] better experience as compared to VDI.
If deployed properly, [DaaS] can save so much time and labor.
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Respondent Breakdown
