How to future-proof your IT management with DaaS

When three closely related IT concepts are hidden behind the letters DaaS, there must be something behind it. DaaS stands for service-oriented solutions that help you save costs, reduce the burden on your IT, and motivate and retain your employees. Does that sound like a plan? Then find out here what you need to know about the DaaS variants Desktop as a Service, Data as a Service and Device as a Service and how you can combine them in a meaningful way.

DaaS x 3: Desktop as a Service, Data as a Service and Device as a Service

DaaS is on everyone's lips in the world of IT. But behind the abbreviation are three different concepts that are often confused by the identical abbreviation. What all three forms of XaaS have in common is that they help companies to optimize their IT infrastructure, reduce costs and optimize the employee experience. In this article, you'll learn about the benefits of DaaS in all three flavors: Desktop as a Service, Data as a Service and Device as a Service.

How Desktop as a Service (DaaS) Works

With Desktop as a Service, specialized providers provide you with virtual desktop infrastructures (VDI) via the cloud. Your company can access all desktop environments without having to worry about maintaining, updating or scaling the infrastructure.

These are the key components of Desktop as a Service (DaaS):

• Virtual desktops 

  Here, the user interface is hosted on a remote server and then displayed on the user's end device via the Internet.
• Cloud infrastructure 

  The cloud infrastructure includes all servers, storage systems and networks required to host the virtual desktops and associated applications.
• Management Console
  
This is a web-based dashboard that allows IT administrators to manage, monitor and control virtual desktops.

Your 5 advantages of Desktop as a Service

Whether your company has just a few employees or is a large corporation, Desktop as a Service offers you numerous advantages:

• You save costs 

  When you outsource your desktop infrastructure to the cloud, you significantly reduce your investment in hardware and the associated maintenance costs. In addition, DaaS pricing models are usually usage-based. This means that you only pay for the resources you actually use.
• You can scale 

  Your company is growing fast? Then you can use DaaS to quickly and easily expand or reduce your desktop environments. Just as you need it. This is especially beneficial for organizations with seasonal fluctuations or growth plans.
• Your data is safe 

  If devices such as smartphones, laptops or tablets are stolen or damaged, you are threatened with data loss. But not with Desktop-as-a-Service, because all data is stored centrally in the cloud. In addition, DaaS providers usually offer extensive security measures, such as encryption, regular backups and security updates. Advantage: Your IT is massively relieved.
• You stay flexible 

  Desktop as a Service makes mobile working and collaboration in decentralized teams much easier because your employees can access their work environments easily, securely and regardless of location.
• You manage efficiently and easily 

  All desktop environments can be centrally managed and controlled. The time spent by your IT teams on maintenance and support is also noticeably reduced.

Desktop as a Service (DaaS) is particularly suitable for these industries

Educational institutions such as schools and universities can use DaaS to enable their students to access learning resources and applications over the Internet.

Financial service providers such as banks and other financial institutions can use DaaS to increase their IT security and better control access to sensitive data.

In healthcare, DaaS enables hospitals and clinics to provide their medical staff with access to patient data and medical applications from any location.

In retail, DaaS can help companies simplify the management of their point-of-sale systems and inventory management.

5 tips for choosing the right Desktop as a Service provider

When choosing a DaaS provider that's right for your business, you should consider the following criteria.

• Performance and reliability
  How available is the provider? How quickly does it respond to requests? Only with high availability and fast response times can smooth operation of desktop environments be guaranteed.
• Security
  
Be sure to check how extensive the provider's security measures are. This includes encryption, regular backups, security updates and access controls.
• Scalability

  Rapidly changing market conditions require flexibility in both directions. A professional provider can quickly and easily scale up or down your desktop environments as needed.
• Pricing

  Even though the cost of DaaS services is usually usage-based, before deciding whether or not to use a provider, you should carefully review the respective cost model and compare it with your specific requirements and budgets
• Customer support
  
A good DaaS provider offers you comprehensive customer support. Look for fast response times, technical support and, most importantly, expert advice on setting up and managing your desktop environments.

Desktop as a Service providers and prices

There are numerous providers on the DaaS market, some of which differ considerably in terms of price, performance and range of functions. Well-known providers are:

• Amazon WorkSpaces

  This DaaS service enables easy management and scaling of desktop environments
• Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop:
  This VDI solution is based on the Azure cloud platform and offers integration options with other Microsoft products and services.
• VMware Horizon Cloud

  This solution is based on the vSphere infrastructure and enables both on premise and cloud deployments

Prices for DaaS services vary depending on the provider and the tariff selected. For basic offerings, only a few euros per head and month are due. More extensive tariffs with extended functions and support are correspondingly more expensive, but are usually in the mid-double-digit euro range per head and month.

How Data as a Service Works

In the Data as a Service variant, data is offered to you as a cloud-based service. You can use it to access external data sources without having to worry about obtaining, storing and maintaining the data. DaaS providers collect, cleanse, aggregate and structure data from various sources and make it available to you via APIs or web services.

Your 3 advantages of Data as a Service

Data as a Service offers you essential advantages, regardless of the size of your company.

• You save time and money 

  Since Data as a Service stores and maintains your data centrally, your company saves time and resources that you would otherwise have to spend on data acquisition and maintenance.
• You always have up-to-date data 

  DaaS providers usually provide you with regularly updated data sets. Your business model is therefore always based on the latest information.
• You can always scale up 
or down
  And you don't have to invest in additional infrastructure. So you can respond quickly to unforeseen events based on your data.

How Device as a Service works

Device as a Service is a business model in which your company rents technical hardware such as PCs, laptops, tablets or smartphones instead of buying them. A Device as a Service provider takes care of the provision, maintenance, updating and support of the devices. Your company pays monthly fees for this service and the device rental.

Your 5 advantages of Device as a Service

With Device as a Service, your company benefits from these advantages:

• You save costs 

  For many companies, especially in the start-up phase, massive investments in hardware are a major financial burden. With Device as a Service, you can significantly reduce such investments. This also applies to your maintenance and support costs.
• You can scale your hardware flexibly 

  Your workforce is growing rapidly? With Device as a Service, you can quickly and easily adapt the new hardware - without any acquisition costs. And if you need to reduce staff, you can simply return the surplus devices to the DaaS provider. And with the right inventory software, you'll always have an overview of all your devices.
• You always have the latest hardware in use 

  Since your DaaS provider is responsible for updating the devices, your employees always benefit from modern and powerful hardware.
• You have satisfied employees 

  This results in another advantage. You show your employees your appreciation as an employer by equipping them with modern equipment. And satisfied employees stay longer.
• You don't have to maintain and support your hardware yourself 

  All rented devices are centrally managed by your DaaS provider. This makes your IT's job easier and reduces the time spent on maintenance and support. IT can devote itself to important strategic tasks.

Conclusion: DaaS as a comprehensive approach to optimizing IT management

The XaaS variants Desktop as a Service, Data as a Service and Device as a Service are forward-looking concepts that help companies of all sizes to respond to the increased demands of the modern working world. They are regularely rolled out with the help of Managed Service Providers to help companies to benefit from the macro-trend of servitization.

The combination of these services, some of which are cloud-based, creates comprehensive IT management that lets you face the challenges of digitization with peace of mind.