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desktop as a service (DaaS)

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desktop as a service (DaaS)

Desktop as a service (DaaS), also called virtual desktop or hosted desktop services, is the outsourcing of a virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) to a third party service provider.

DaaS has a multi-tenancy architecture and the service is purchased on a subscription basis. In the DaaS delivery model, the service provider manages the back-end responsibilities of data storage, backup, security and upgrades. Typically, the customer's personal data is copied to and from the virtual desktop during logon/logoff and access to the desktop is device, location and network independent.

Desktop as a service is a good alternative for a small or mid-size businesses (SMBs) that want to provide their end users with the advantages a virtual desktop infrastructure offers, but find that deploying a VDI in-house to be cost-prohibitive in terms of budget and staffing.

Related glossary terms: RemoteFX, Windows Remote Desktop, virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI), GPU (graphics processing unit), remote desktop, Citrix XenApp, remote desktop connection broker, host virtual machine (host VM), virtual floppy disk, Windows as a Service (WaaS)

This was last updated in May 2013

Posted by: Margaret Rouse

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