Is VDI the same as desktop as a service

A recent survey by EY revealed that more than 54% of professionals from across the globe would consider leaving their job roles after the pandemic if they were not offered the required work flexibility.   

VDI or DaaS (Desktop as a Service) can help implement remote working or flexible workplace environments. Let’s see how:  

Do you think it is possible to restrict your working to a desk?  

There are over 34 million employees who can efficiently work from home. Many of these professionals expect some level of flexibility from their employers. However, the rising cyber incidents, backup issues, collaboration, and other similar issues stop businesses from offering work flexibility and feasibility to the employees.  

For this reason, VDI and DaaS implementations are increasing as we speak. These allow users to access their desktops and data via the Internet from any part of the world. However, one question that businesses always ask us is VDI the same as Desktop as a Service?  

This article will explore the answer for the same, and we will also compare Desktop as a Service vs. VDI.  

Is VDI The Same As Desktop as a Service?  

No, VDI and Desktop as a Service are not the same.  

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) is a desktop virtualization model offering virtual machines to users from a centralized server. In VDI, centralized servers and data centers are set up and maintained in-house. With the help of this in-house infrastructure, the IT team sets up the virtual machines. However, the range of these virtual desktops is restricted depending on the type of server setup.  

Desktop as a Service is different from VDI because it is on the cloud. The internal architecture of VDI and DaaS is the same. Hence, in that sense, we can actually say that DaaS and VDI are similar but not the same. Due to cloud-hosted architecture, DaaS inherits a series of benefits. This includes scalability, remote working, multi-device access, low costing, and hassle-free security.    

Desktop as a Service vs. VDI  

In case, you want to implement DaaS or VDI in your business, here’s a detailed overview of Desktop as a Service vs. VDI.   

Deployment   

After evaluating the definition of Desktop as a Service vs. VDI, you may have figured that deployment in the case of DaaS is more straightforward. It is because your cloud service provider takes the responsibility of creating and replicating virtual machines according to your business requirements over the cloud. 

You only need to sign up using the given portal to access virtual desktops. 

For VDI, the deployment of virtual machines and thin clients is executed by the internal IT team. It takes time, money, and you go through many challenges in-house.Costing  

Out of the two, cloud infrastructure is cost-effective. DaaS is provided as a managed solution from cloud service providers to businesses. It is an out-of-the-box pre-designed solution according to your business needs. Therefore, the budget of DaaS can be equal to the monthly charges as per the pricing plan.  

VDI is hectic and cost-intensive. These activities require money from selecting server hardware and software to regularly upgrading, securing, and maintaining the entire infrastructure.   

Hence, the cost of managing VDI is much more than DaaS.  

Security 

Ideally, both DaaS and VDI can have the same security structure. 

For VDI, your IT needs to set up the structure, and for DaaS, we need to rely on the cloud service provider. 

This includes:  

Multi-factor authentication  Access control  Transmitting and resting data encryption  Intrusion Detection and Prevention  Regular security audits  Physical server security  

The only difference is that VDI requires you to manage these security layers, and DaaS requires the CSP to achieve it. 

Further, it is worth mentioning that DaaS is designed with security. When your employees are using cloud instances or thin clients, security is not affected by the activity of these end devices. Even a cyberattack on the endpoint won’t reach your server. Therefore, you get a secure infrastructure.   

Tenancy  

VDI model is a single-tenant model, where only your company uses the resources. It eliminates any disruptions and interferences, but it also increases your burden of managing the entire structure alone.   

DaaS is a multi-tenant model, where multiple businesses use the same cloud server. However, your business instance is isolated from another company. The CSP provides maintenance. 

Scalability  

Lastly, VDI scalability is possible but challenging. Your IT team needs to increase the hardware at some place for scaling. IT is costly, hectic, and time-consuming.  

Since cloud servers are massive and redundant, you can get on-demand storage and resources. Therefore, more storage or scalability on the cloud is a call away. 

Selecting The Right Service for Office  

After evaluating the above distinction for Desktop as a Service vs. VDI, you may think about the right solution for your organization and structure.  

Some key factors that can help you decide between Desktop as a Service vs. VDI:   

Why Would You Choose VDI?  

You have a large employee base with consistent requirements for varied experiences.  You have a large IT support team to maintain and upgrade VDI.  You have resources for desktop management or quick resolution of issues.  Your security structure is optimally designed to keep hackers at bay.  You are willing to spend a considerable amount of money on VDI implementation and maintenance.   

Why Would You Choose DaaS?  

Ideal for businesses with seasonal or dynamic demands. Cloud scalability can help you here.  Your business doesn’t have or want to hire a huge IT team.  You don’t have the right infrastructure to set up security in-house.  It would be best if you had a regulated, managed, and hassle-free working environment.   You are willing to expand without thinking about resources and IT management.  

Conclusion  

The key difference between Desktop as a Service vs. VDI is how both solutions are deployed. DaaS simplifies many workflows, it is comprehensive and adds on features and functionalities to the solution. For example, the cloud automatically equips you with remote support and scalability. We can implement this in VDI as well, but the challenges are just too many.  

Evaluate the features discussed above and find the right type of Desktop as a Service vs. VDI implementation for your business.

For more detail click here: https://www.acecloudhosting.com/blog/best-daas-providers/