Accessing virtual desktop from a laptop

6 Reasons your business and workforce needs Desktops as a Service

05.24.2024

With around 43% of employees working remotely, remote work has become very common. In this article, we’ll look at how Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops Standard for Azure can help organizations make remote working easier, by delivering on-demand Windows applications and desktops from Microsoft Azure.

Simplify remote working with Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops Standard for Azure

Implementing remote work has been easy for some companies, but easier said than done for many others. Companies already using application and desktop virtualization solutions, including DaaS, found that supporting a flexible remote working model was a relatively natural transition. Those without such solutions had a different experience.
Since 2021, CIOs and IT teams have been focusing on three priorities:

  • Supporting their remote employees
  • Protect employees and corporate intellectual property
  • Ensure that IT departments are not overwhelmed by support requests.

DaaS is ideal for people working remotely

Desktops as a Service (DaaS) delivers virtual applications and desktops as a cloud service, allowing employees to access this service from a browser or secure application on a device. DaaS gives people a familiar way to work from anywhere and IT an efficient way to deploy, manage, and fund the service.

  • 4 out of 10 companies already use DaaS.
  • 27% of companies will adopt DaaS in the coming year.

Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops Standard for Azure is an easy way for IT departments to deliver applications and desktops from the cloud. It’s an all-in-one solution for delivering Windows-based applications and desktops from Microsoft Azure that simplifies IT operations, enhances security, and keeps budgets under control with an à la carte subscription.

Below are a few key things Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops Standard for Azure enables in your organization:

1. Business and IT modernization

IT no longer supports a traditional workplace environment that fits into a 9 to 5 model. Business is 24/7/365, workers are everywhere, and the pressure on IT has never been higher. To meet these demands, business need to look no further than Citrix DaaS Standard for Azure (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops Standard) for a remedy to these demands. With more than 95 percent of Fortune 500 companies using Azure, you gain trust, security, experience, and cost savings with Microsoft.

  • 38% IT efficiency
  • 23% Security and compliance
  • 14% Cost efficiencies
  • 12% Business agility

2. Operating during unplanned adversity

Businesses face the increasing possibility of disruptions of all kinds, from storms to water or power outages, and more. With Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops Standard for Azure it’s easy to deliver remote access to mission-critical apps during any kind of business disruption, planned or unplanned— without compromising security. Employees can work from any HTML-5 browser or device including Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, or Chromebook, staying safe, productive, and engaged so your business keeps on running.

How does DaaS help?

  • 32% Improvement in business continuity and availability
  • 31 % Increase in employee productivity

3. Empowering remote workers

Using DaaS for remote work isn’t only good for business operations, it’s also a great user experience. Employees get a full Windows desktop and app experience without using VPNs, IT setup or installing software. Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops Standard for Azure enables IT to deliver customized app and desktop experiences for everyone.

From a single solution, IT can securely deliver Microsoft 365 services, Office apps, resource intensive graphics apps, data demanding engineering services, and simple task worker Windows desktops, empowering employees to do their best work.

The consensus is out, people like working from home.

  • 60% prefer to stay remote most of the time.
  • 60% report being more productive when working remote.

Citrix DaaS Standard for Azure allows your organization to:

  • Simplify business operations and processes
  • Seamlessly operate during unplanned adversity
  • Support a secure remote workforce
  • Benefit from significant cost savings

4. Managing cash flow and IT spend

Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops Standard for Azure uses a tiered subscription pricing model, available in the Azure Marketplace as a single bill for all Microsoft and third-party solutions. CIOs and finance departments like that they can reduce unnecessary hardware and software CapEx expenses and shift IT expenses to OpEx. As your workforce expands and contracts, subscriptions scale on-demand without costly over/under provisioning.

How does DaaS help the bottom line?

  • DaaS reduces annual hardware CapEx spending by 56%.

5. Embracing an on-demand workforce

COVID-19 shined the light on the gig economy and moved contract-based hiring to the mainstream. Hiring managers are battling for in-demand skills and filling specific gaps with independent contract talent.

IT can use Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops Standard for Azure to securely provision project specific application toolsets and Microsoft 365 apps on-demand to independent professionals for the duration of their contract.

Hiring managers agree, on-demand talent is critical for success.

  • 73% Will increase project engagements with independent professionals.
  • 49% Say skill-gaps are a top driver for hiring independent professionals.

6. Secure everything, trust nothing

With a dispersed workforce, location independence, and personal devices accessing company resources, it goes without saying, security is paramount. With Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops Standard for Azure, all sensitive information—files, data, apps, passwords—is kept off devices because it runs in a secure virtual environment in Azure. It also helps your business achieve GDPR compliance and other data privacy regulations by tapping into more than 90 Azure compliance certifications.

Reduce complexity. Increase compliance.

  • 79% believe alternative desktop OS models like DaaS are more secure than traditional models.
  • 39% say keeping sensitive data off devices is a top benefit of DaaS.

Citrix and Microsoft are powering the future of work with Desktops as a Service.

For over thirty years, Citrix and Microsoft have pioneered virtual application and desktop delivery, leading the market with over 400,000 customers and 100 million users. Since the inception of DaaS, Citrix has been there too, with some 41 percent of Citrix partners actively providing DaaS-style services.13 It’s no wonder that IDC named Citrix a Leader in the IDC MarketScape report for virtual client computing.

Transform…

  • Your Business
  • Your IT
  • Your workforce

With Citrix and Microsoft

Would you like to offer your users a better digital workspace experience with INSIA? Contact us today to find out how we can help you transform your business environment.


This article was written by Citrix and published on their website. You can view the original version here.