Businesses of all sizes are migrating to Desktop as a Service (DaaS) offerings. DaaS is ideal for small businesses that want to deliver their Windows apps and desktops to their users without having the capital to invest in infrastructure. But it’s also suitable for larger organizations looking to provide a simple desktop for a brief period, such as during a merger or acquisition, to accommodate a seasonal workforce or contractors, or as part of their business continuity plan.
Organizations are also starting to look at Desktop as a Service offerings as their first step to the cloud. Industry analysts predict a growing trend of customers moving to DaaS to offload non-essential workloads to the cloud from on-premises infrastructure or provide desktops to frontline workers that only need a simple solution to perform their work.
Verified Market Research predicts the market, valued at $4.2 billion in 2021, will reach $18.7 billion by 2023, an impressive 20.6 percent CAGR.
Essential Desktop as a Service Features and Benefits
As you add DaaS to your portfolio, ensure the solutions you select have these key features:
- Simple deployment: Desktop as a Service enables companies to rapidly deliver apps and desktops to their employees quickly and easily. Citrix Managed Desktops, for example, feature an easy-to-use interface that allows administrators to quickly choose and deploy a desktop that meets the needs of each type of employee.
- Access from any device: Workers can access their apps and desktops from an HTML browser or a simple downloadable application, enabling employees to access their work from a preferred device such as a laptop, tablet, thin client or Chromebook.
- Reduced management: Desktop as a Service providers manage the desktop on behalf of the organization, eliminating the administrative tasks of updating and patching desktops with the latest OS updates – and allowing MSPs to devote their time to providing higher value offerings.
- Cost and scalability: Apps and desktops can be easily deployed or shut down based on need, empowering customers to pay for what they use and helping to manage costs.
- Security: With cloud-based virtual apps and desktops, critical data is stored securely in the cloud rather than on the device, reducing data loss risk for lost or stolen devices.
How Does Desktop as a Service Compare to VDI?
As you review the list of features and benefits, you’ll notice that they are similar to virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI), which also accommodates remote workers, strengthens security, and facilitates desktop management.
Desktop as a Service, however, is much more budget-friendly. VDI requires a capital investment in infrastructure, but Desktop as a Service has no upfront costs, and it’s easily scalable.
Ensure you have both options on your line care so that you can tailor the solution to your clients’ needs. 
