As you might have heard, Amazon recently announced a Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS) offering on AWS called Amazon WorkSpaces. It’s always exciting when new vendors enter into our market since it validates our vision so I’d like to take the opportunity to quickly touch on their announcement and offer my perspective.
VMware’s history with DaaS
VMware has been offering on-premise and hosted virtual desktops using VMware Horizon View for many years while others have struggled to get started. Most recently, we acquired Desktone (now Desktone by VMware), a trusted partner, pioneer and industry leader in offering multi-tenant, DaaS solutions. We did so because we believe virtual desktops are the future of enterprise desktop computing in a mobile-cloud era where users demand anytime, anywhere and anyplace access to corporate desktops, applications and data.
Desktone invented the term and category, DaaS and the Desktone by VMware platform has incredible technology for delivering desktops through the cloud with the most complete and proven blueprint for enabling service providers to deliver DaaS. Through its industry-leading technology, operational expertise and global network of roughly 40 established and highly reputable partners such as Cisco, NetApp, Dell, Time Warner Cable, NEC, Fujitsu and Dimension Data among many others – VMware offers an ecosystem of partners that puts it way ahead of others in the market.
Not all DaaS are created equal
It is important for customers to evaluate a DaaS offering in its entirety and there are several things to consider when comparing new and proven offerings.
Do users want a server-based OS or a client OS
The Desktone by VMware platform supports all current Windows client OS versions (Windows XP, Windows 7, Windows 8) required by any organization with existing desktop investments that needs to ensure consistency of management. In addition, the virtual desktops we deliver through the cloud support touch-screen capability on mobile devices, unified communications and other peripheral capabilities that customers tell us is critical to mobile users but is lacking in server-based desktops.
We have service provider partners such as Dell, Navisite and Quest who are DaaS price leaders offering a full Windows client desktop for equal or less than the price of a server-based desktop that delivers a limited user experience and capabilities better suited to SMBs than the enterprise. A DaaS solution with dependency on the Windows 2008 Server OS will make their virtual desktops incompatible with many enterprise applications and desktop management tools.
What does support look like?
Support for mobile users is critical since problems tend to arise at the most inconvenient times. VMware and its service provider partners offer a full set of wrapper services to fully offload the task of managing the entire enterprise desktop ecosystem such as image management, OS patching and help desk among many other things.
Is public DaaS the right delivery model for the enterprise?
A public DaaS offering offers a limited use case to customers. The customers we have spoken with want a hybrid approach – one that allows them to mix on-premise VDI with DaaS. With VMware’s proven experience and expertise in virtual desktops, we can support all delivery models – public, private or hybrid DaaS.
Conclusion: What this means for customers
At VMware, we welcome Amazon’s entry into the DaaS market since we share a common vision for delivering desktops through the cloud. Their entrance is a strong validation for the DaaS approach and the use of VDI as a cloud services delivery platform. However, we believe customers get a better value, a superior product and a comprehensive, long term strategy with VMware.
VMware continues to be committed to providing innovation, choice and enterprise-ready solutions to meet IT needs and end-user demands. We are excited about the growth opportunities that lie ahead of us for DaaS and we look forward to partnering with new and existing customers to deliver the best DaaS product and service available in the market today.
Erik Frieberg, VP Marketing, End-User Computing, VMware
I’m very interested to see how VMware prices this. I thought Amazon’s entry was extremely expensive. I haven’t quite been able to figure out a use case for a $35/month, no-applications, remote desktop.
For smaller companies it’s an easy, low investment, way to have a high performance, scalable, secure, high available environment. If DaaS can eliminate several (maybe all) physical and/or virtual servers from the local network, you can lower your costs (maintenance, licenses, warranty,…) in those amounts that it’s cheaper to have an all DaaS platform. All responsabilities regarding backup can be offloaded and (if the DaaS provider supplies backup also) again is a lot cheaper than an online backup solution.
It makes it easier to implement BYOD policies as well. A trend that is on the rise as well.
I thought VMware has been doing DaaS since 2010. How come you never shipped it and ended up acquiring Desktone for 100M+?
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How is VMWare getting around the software licensing requirement for Windows 7 in a hosted environment?
Yes, yes, please tell.
It only works of the customer (with enterprise licensing agreement) brings their own Windows desktop licensing.
MS refuses to allow SPs to provide desktop OS as a service. Having removed their nose, MS is now going to lose their face as the world skips Windows DaaS and moves straight to cloud-needs-no-desktop designs.
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