Desktop as a Service (DaaS) is a way of providing employees with a full Windows or Linux desktop that runs in a provider’s data center or public cloud rather than on their own computer. Users connect over the internet from a laptop, thin client, tablet or browser and see the remote desktop on screen. The provider operates the platform that creates, hosts and connects the desktops, and you pay a recurring fee, usually per user or per desktop. Microsoft Windows 365 and Amazon WorkSpaces are well-known examples, and many managed service providers offer their own.
At a glance
- Desktops run on the provider’s infrastructure; the user’s device mostly displays them.
- The provider runs the underlying platform; who manages the desktops themselves (images, apps, patches) depends on the offering.
- Pricing is typically per user or desktop per month, sometimes plus usage-based compute and storage.
- Company data can stay in the hosted environment instead of on endpoints.
- Performance depends heavily on each user’s network connection and on how close the desktops are to them and to the applications they use.
What problem it solves
Giving every employee a managed, secure computer gets harder as work spreads out. Remote staff need laptops shipped, configured and recovered. Contractors and seasonal workers need access for weeks, not years. Acquired companies arrive with their own devices and standards. And company data on lost or unmanaged devices is a security and compliance risk.
Virtual desktops solve much of this by keeping the desktop and its data in a central environment, but running your own virtual desktop infrastructure is complex: connection brokers, gateways, hypervisors, storage, profiles and capacity planning all need specialist attention. DaaS hands the platform to a provider, so you can add or remove desktops quickly without buying infrastructure.
How it works
The platform. The provider runs the control plane: the services that sign users in, assign them to desktops, broker connections and manage the virtual machines. Desktops run on servers in the provider’s data centers or in a public cloud region.
Desktop types. Desktops can be persistent, where each user keeps the same desktop and their changes, or non-persistent, where users get a fresh desktop from a standard image each session, with their profile reattached. Some services run several users on one shared server session to lower cost. Larger desktops and GPU-backed desktops are available for heavier work, typically at a higher price.
Connecting. Users connect through a client app, a browser or a thin client using a display protocol that streams screen updates and sends keyboard, mouse, audio and sometimes webcam data back. Access is usually tied to your identity provider with single sign-on and multi-factor authentication.
Who manages what. In most DaaS offerings the provider runs the platform and you, or a managed service provider, still manage the desktop images, applications, patches, security tools and user policies. Some providers fully manage the desktops too. Check the split before comparing prices. See our Desktop as a Service solutions page for options.
When it matters for buyers
- During mergers and acquisitions. DaaS can give acquired staff access to your applications on day one without replacing their devices.
- When hiring fast or using contractors. Desktops can be created and removed in hours, and access ends when the account is disabled.
- When data must not live on endpoints. Regulated data, sensitive intellectual property and bring-your-own-device policies are common drivers.
- When a device refresh is due. Some companies extend laptop life or use cheaper devices with DaaS. Model the full cost, since DaaS is a recurring charge rather than a replacement for every device.
- When your current VDI needs a hardware refresh. That is a natural point to compare running VDI yourself with DaaS.
Questions to ask vendors
- Which parts do you manage: the platform only, or also images, apps, patching and security?
- What does a desktop cost per user per month, including compute, storage, licensing and support?
- Which regions host the desktops, and how close are they to our users and to our applications and data?
- How do you handle Teams or Zoom calls, printing, USB devices and multiple monitors?
- Which Windows licenses do we need, and are any included?
- How are user profiles and data backed up, and can a single desktop be restored?
- What is the availability SLA, and what does it cover?
- How do we export our images and data if we leave?
How it differs from virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI)
Virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) is the technology and the self-run model: your team builds and operates the brokers, gateways, hypervisors and storage, usually in your own data center or your own cloud account. DaaS delivers similar virtual desktops, but the provider runs that platform and sells desktops as a service. The boundary isn’t always clean. Some services run the control plane for you while the desktops sit in your own cloud subscription, and some managed service providers operate VDI on your behalf. What matters for buyers is who builds, runs, patches and supports each layer, and how you pay for it.
Problems this helps with
- Shipping, securing and recovering laptops for remote and temporary staff
- Company data sitting on devices we don't control
- Onboarding contractors or acquired teams quickly
- Running our own virtual desktop infrastructure is too much work
