Desktop-as-a-service to ease remote work security fears

Technology leaders are urging organizations to use desktop-as-a-service (DaaS), citing security, manageability, cost efficiency, and speed to market as its advantages.

DaaS, a cloud computing service that offers virtual desktops via the Internet, allows end users to access their data regardless of the device they use or the location they log in from. Data stored securely in the cloud when they log off the system.

“Most of our outsourcers have their own equipment wherever they are in the world. They connect to DaaS, where … everything they do is recorded, so if an incident happens, we are able to see exactly what’s happening,” said Pierre Passin, deputy chief information officer of Asian Development Bank, in a June 21 event organized by Economist Impact and sponsored by Citrix, a cloud computing and visualization technology company out of Florida.

The rise of flexible work arrangements has increased the demand for DaaS. In a survey conducted by Citrix between February and March, 57% of the information technology (IT) leaders said they would consider DaaS as a solution for the facilitation of bring-your-own-device (BYOD) policies, and also for the simplification of IT administration tasks. More than half (55%) also said it was useful for providing system access to contractors or seasonal workers. 

Maintenance overheads are reduced with DaaS, according to Connor Hughes, chief technology officer of Artesian (Alternative Investments), an alternative investment management firm in New South Wales. 

“The cost associated with provisioning PCs [personal computers] for geographically disparate teams is quite big,” he said at the same event. “Security overhead is [also] reduced by having a managed capability which can be patched, tended to, and updated without any user involvement — and all can be done remotely.” 

Over the pandemic, Takeda, a pharmaceutical company in Tokyo, had to purchase laptops and ship the devices to remote places. “With our service now, the outsourced already has laptops we can manage securely … Anything we can manage centrally and have a level of control of is much better from a security and risk perspective,” said Danielle Bateman, head of commercial and digital IT, growth, and emerging markets at Takeda.

The global DaaS market is expected to reach a revenue of $10.7 billion in 2023. — Patricia B. Mirasol