By Dave Grant, Senior Director of Product Marketing for DaaS, End-User Computing, VMware
Today I’m thrilled to announce the availability of VMware Horizon DaaS, built on vCloud Hybrid Service. VMware Horizon DaaS provides Windows desktops and applications as a cloud service, to any device, anywhere, with a predictable monthly subscription.
Why DaaS?
The demand for cloud-hosted virtual desktops has reached a tipping point. We’re seeing a variety of factors contribute to this demand. End users are more diverse than ever before and they want to work from anywhere, on any device. IT is under a ton of pressure to enable this diverse, mobile workforce to get work done and that means being able to access corporate data, applications and resources. It’s now IT’s job to balance these requirements with security, operational simplicity and at the same time control cost.
Virtual desktops have emerged as a great solution as they enable desktops to be centrally located, yet accessed from anywhere on any device. Yet for many customers, on-premise virtual desktop infrastructure does not meet their needs. They may not have the upfront capital to get up and running, or the IT skills to deploy and operate the infrastructure. Or they lack the agility to get from zero to desktop in days versus months.
That’s where Horizon DaaS comes in. Horizon DaaS enables IT to move towards an OPEX model that eliminates capital outlay and enables them to pay only for what they use. Since VMware provides the support and management of the underlying DaaS infrastructure, minimal expertise is required. And with a cloud service, you gain the flexibility to scale up/down as business needs change.
Customer requirements for DaaS
With DaaS garnering so much attention, many providers are trying to stake claim to delivering desktops-as-a-service. Don’t be fooled. Having pioneered the concept of desktop-as-a-service in 2007, we know from customers that to deliver a successful DaaS offering, you need to:
- Deliver a great end user experience on any device
- Provide access to genuine Windows Client desktops
- Build your service from the ground up for the cloud
- Provide enterprise grade service and support
Market-leading DaaS with Horizon DaaS
Only VMware Horizon DaaS delivers on all of these requirements:
- Adaptive end-user experience – Through the power of Horizon View Client and Blast, Horizon DaaS provides a premium experience that adapts to changing network conditions. And we support access from any device, whether it be a zero client, thin client, PC, Mac, tablet, phone or even from a browser or Google Chromebook. And we make it easy to access Windows desktops from a mobile device with features such as gestures and easy access to frequently used files and applications. It’s the reason why Gartner recently recognized Horizon View Client for delivering a great experience from any device, anywhere.
- Full Windows Client virtual desktops – Although Horizon DaaS provides Windows Server hosted desktops like other vendors in the marketplace; our experience has told us that customers prefer full Windows Client virtual desktop. With Windows Client desktops on Horizon DaaS we can provide the end-user experience, application compatibility, and security that enterprises require.
- Built for the cloud from the ground up – While other vendors have tried to stitch their on-premise VDI products together, put them in the cloud and call them DaaS, Horizon DaaS was built for cloud from the get go. It’s built on a multi-tenant grid architecture that was designed for cloud-scale.
- Enterprise-grade service, support, and SLA – Feedback from our customers is clear: they expect enterprise-grade service and they want to know that when they have an issue they can get someone on the phone to help them 24×7. With VMware Horizon DaaS you gain access to the proven expertise of specialists that know how to run cloud-hosted desktops at scale with integrated 24×7 phone support and a 99.9% SLA.
And with VMware, customers get access to the only vendor that can deliver hybrid DaaS: on-premise and cloud-hosted virtual desktops. IT gets greater flexibility to choose the option that works best for them, while providing end users a single client that spans any cloud.
We encourage you to learn more and sign up for a free trial at www.vmware.com/go/daas and join us for a webinar on 3/20 to learn more.
