Gartner® Critical Capabilities for Desktop as a Service

Amazon Web Services

Amazon Web Services' (AWS') DaaS capability includes a hosted and managed cloud control plane with the following offerings: Amazon Workspaces, Amazon Workspaces Core, Amazon Workspaces Secure Browser, Amazon Workspaces Pools and the related Amazon AppStream 2.0. Amazon WorkSpaces is primarily a dedicated desktop solution, but has recently introduced single-session nonpersistent desktops with Workspaces Pools. Amazon WorkSpaces Core allows vendors such as Citrix, Omnissa and Workspot, as well as customers, to integrate their own solutions in an infrastructure-as-a-service (laaS) manner. Amazon provides self-assembled models with Workspaces Core and vendor-assembled models with WorkSpaces. 

Variations in functionality and available options with the AWS DaaS offerings still cause confusion for customers. Amazon WorkSpaces uses a completely different administration and user interface for desktop virtualization, compared to AppStream 2.0. Additionally, AppStream 2.0 offers features not available in WorkSpaces, including multisession nonpersistent desktops and application virtualization. AppStream 2.0 is not included in the Microsoft 365 licensing changes that allow Microsoft 365 applications to be installed within Amazon Workspaces virtual desktops. 

AWS is ideal for customers that need to deploy large-scale solutions globally, have other dependent workloads deployed in the AWS cloud or require Linux desktops. With high levels of customization available, AWS DaaS is best suited to organizations with the capabilities to understand the design choices and required operational activities. 

Anunta

Anunta's DaaS capability consists of two offerings: Enterprise DaaS and Packaged DaaS 
(formerly called DesktopReady). Enterprise DaaS is a fully vendor-managed solution aimed at larger organizations with complex requirements. Packaged DaaS is a standardized, vendor-assembled solution focused on meeting the needs of small to midmarket clients and managed service providers (MSPs). 

For Enterprise DaaS, Anunta works closely with customers to gather requirements and recommend the best offering to fit user needs. Then, Anunta designs, implements and supports that solution. This can lead to longer deployment times and limit agility, because changes after initial deployment are usually implemented as a new project. For Anunta Packaged DaaS, there is less customization and shorter deployment times. 

Both Anunta offerings leverage OEM DaaS platforms (e.g., AWS, Citrix, Microsoft, Omnissa), which could influence Anunta's pricing and terms, and challenge its ability to deliver its product roadmap. 

Anunta DaaS is ideal for customers with limited VDI skills, and complex requirements and use cases, including hybrid locations, such as on-premises, private cloud and various public clouds.

Apporto

Apporto offers a fully vendor-managed, proprietary DaaS capability, administered via a Saas cloud control plane. 

Apporto is particularly focused on the needs of higher education, and its offering includes integrations with education-centric learning management systems (LMSs) like Blackboard and Moodie. Its solution connects users to the nearest data center for optimal network performance in a multisite configuration. It also offers functionalities that include autoscaling, backups, failover, OS imaging and app deployment. Apporto's offering is configurable, allowing customers and MSPs to select the optimal level of control or service. 

Clients should work with Apporto when planning DaaS deployments, as new points of presence (POPs) for accessing Apporto may be required. Although this is managed by Apporto, it may not always be practical for some centralized applications, because the back-end application dependency may not be located near the offering's virtual desktops. Apporto offers only base functionality, compared to other vendors. 

Apporto is ideal for customers without VDI skills, with virtual labs, decentralized applications, low-cost endpoints, and users with low network latency to the virtual desktop site. 

XTIUM, Formerly ATSG

XTIUM, Formerly ATSG's DaaS provides a full vendor-managed solution built on top of the Citrix platform, with enhancements that include automation, streamlined management and advanced network connectivity.  

XTIUM, Formerly ATSG's offering includes OS imaging, application life cycle support, and endpoint detection and response for VMs, as well as network firewall services, identity and access management (1AM), digital experience monitoring (DEM), and various integrations, such as ServiceNow and remote monitoring and management tools. It supports solutions that reside in the public cloud, on-premises or in the private cloud, using Equinix data centers for customers that need high-performance networking capabilities. Because its offering is built on Citrix, it offers a significant number of virtual desktop capabilities. But its dependency on Citrix could impact future XTIUM, Formerly ATSG pricing, and any significant changes in Citrix strategy could challenge its ability to deliver its product roadmap. XTIUM, Formerly ATSG is primarily focused on North America locations, but is able to provide 24/7 support globally. XTIUM, Formerly ATSG has a wide variety of services, so its DaaS may not have the same sharp focus as other vendors that are solely DaaS providers. 

XTIUM, Formerly ATSG is ideal for customers that have Citrix but no longer wish to manage it, are not ready for the public cloud, require a hybrid, multisite architecture with extensive customization, or wish to exit their data centers. 

Citrix

Citrix's DaaS capability includes a wide variety of features based on its own proprietary technology. It includes hybrid capabilities to support workloads in public cloud offerings with Azure Virtual Desktop, Windows 365, Amazon WorkSpaces, Google laaS and various on-premises hypervisors, including its own offering, XenServer. Gartner considers Citrix offerings to be primarily self-assembled, but Citrix does offer a vendor-assembled model. 

Citrix has the broadest set of features and is strong across all use cases because of additional features. These include advanced analytics and data collection, session recording, adaptive authentication, and secure private access with an embedded enterprise browser. Citrix adjusted its strategy to refocus on maintaining feature parity between both cloud and on-premises workloads, and to combine licenses for NetScaler software features into its new Citrix Universal Hybrid Multi-Cloud and Citrix Platform licensing. Citrix provides the option to host local gateways, storefronts and provisioning servers for a hybrid solution accessible from anywhere, but that adds complexity and requires self-assembly. 

Citrix is ideal for customers with large-scale, complex requirements that span on-premises, public and private clouds, graphic-intensive workloads, and globally distributed users, and it requires skilled staff to manage the environment. 

Dizzion

Dizzion offers self-assembled (Dizzion Flex), vendor-managed (Dizzion Managed), and vendor-managed and hosted (Dizzion Complete) DaaS offerings. It also offers workload compliance services (Dizzion +Compliance) that include hybrid solutions involving private cloud and public cloud options, with a centralized cloud control plane that can support a wide variety of workloads in many different locations. Its offerings are based on its own proprietary DaaS architecture and can also operate on Omnissa Horizon. Last year, Dizzion acquired the Frame platform, which provides a proprietary technology for DaaS, reducing Dizzion's dependence on Omnissa Horizon.  Dizzion provides options for high availability, replication, DR and a variety of integrations, such as 10ZiG, Avaya, AWS, ControlUp, Five9, Google Chrome Enterprise, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), IBM Cloud, IGEL, Liquidware, Microsoft Azure, Nutanix, Stratodesk and Unicon. 

Flexxible 

Flexxible DaaS is a fully vendor-managed offering built on top of other DaaS platforms 
(e.g., Citrix, Microsoft, Omnissa and Parallels). 

Flexxible provides aggregated management of disparate platforms and automation. It integrates with UEM tools and ServiceNow workflows. The offering is primarily private­cloud-hosted, with full redundancy, active/active, backup, DR and self-service provisioning options. The company works closely with customers or partners to gather their requirements and recommend the best offering to fit the users' needs before implementation. It can provide direct support or work through an MSP or systems integrator (SI) partner, but this can lead to longer deployment times and limit agility, as changes after initial deployment are usually implemented in a new project. Typically, Flexxible provides support for services such as OS image management, automation and related VDI tools, but stops short of supporting customer applications. 

Flexxible has a solid combination of leveraging features for other DaaS platforms and using its own set of add-on features. While Flexxible previously focused only on DaaS, it is now also focusing on digital employee experience (DEX), which might concern customers looking to deploy Flexxible's solution, as potential new DEX features may take priority. 

Flexxible is ideal for large customers or MSPs that want to increase automation, and those that have complex requirements, custom use cases, existing VDI implementations or hybrid locations (e.g., on-premises, private cloud, public cloud). Its solution allows customers and MSPs to more easily migrate between desktop virtualization offerings, such as Citrix, Microsoft and Omnissa, because most of the virtual desktop management can be done in the console. 

lronOrbit 

lronOrbit offers a fully vendor-managed offering called INFINITY Workspaces that runs on top of Omnissa Horizon or Microsoft Remote Desktop Services. 

INFINITY Workspaces is primarily private-cloud-hosted. Its streamlined packages and enterprise-class data center design features redundancy, backup and DR options. It specializes in graphics-intensive workloads and offers a control plane platform named 10 Central Resource Center (IOCentral). This enables customers to manage and control IT assets that can manage virtual desktops, local and multicloud resources, and OS settings and policies, as well as optimize performance. 

lronOrbit consistently ranked in the middle third for all use cases due to a below-average feature set with limited differentiation, because of dependencies on other platforms. However, the private-cloud deployment would appeal to customers concerned with possible security issues and limited control with the public cloud.  lronOrbit is aligned for customers, especially in North America, with graphics-intensive workloads with virtual GPUs (vGPUs) or high-security requirements, few VDI skills, and the inability to move to the public cloud for security or proximity reasons. 

Microsoft 

Microsoft's DaaS capability has two main offerings, which are Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) and Windows 365. AVD has options for customization that require specific skills to understand design decisions and support some operational activities, which Gartner classifies as self-assembled. AVD supports Windows 10/11 multisession, which is a popular and highly leveraged feature that allows multiple users on a shared Windows 10/11 VM. For most DaaS solutions, the only multisession option available is Windows Server. 

Windows 365 is a simpler, standardized solution with automation and self-service offered as a vendor-assembled model. Windows 365 has some Cloud PC variations that cater to specific use cases, such as shift workers and developers. Integration for both offerings is optimal, as Microsoft controls the life cycle for Windows, Microsoft Cloud, the AVD platform, Microsoft lntune and the Microsoft 365 productivity suite. 

Microsoft consistently ranked highly across all use cases. Additionally, the majority of its large-scale AVD deployments utilize additional software, such as a DaaS optimization tool or another listed vendor. Many Gartner clients report using additional vendors to enhance AVD operations and user experience for features like application layering, enterprise policies, advanced analytics, provisioning and managing deployments at scale, and cost optimization. Vendors utilized to perform these tasks include Citrix, Hydra, Nerdio, Omnissa and Parallels. 

VD and Windows 365 are limited to the Microsoft cloud. AVD provides an on-premises extension to support internal hosting on Azure Stack HCI, which exited preview earlier in 2024. However, AVD on Azure Stack HCI has fewer features, such as a lack of support for Entra ID, a limit of 16 nodes per cluster and support only for single-room deployments (i.e., no support for stretch clustering). The overall cost per user is typically more expensive than hosting workloads directly in Azure, and the control plane still resides in Azure. 

AVD is ideal for customers with a wide variety of customization needs, whereas Windows 365 is a better fit for customers that want a simplified and standardized solution requiring minimal effort to support. Both Microsoft offerings are best suited for mostly cloud-based DaaS environments, with core virtual desktop capabilities. 

Omnissa 

Omnissa Horizon Cloud Service offers a universal cloud control plane that supports workloads on the public cloud, private cloud or on-premises. Horizon architecture is built on a proprietary stack that integrates well with VMware products. 

Omnissa Horizon Cloud Service has cloud-native options and is not dependent on VMware technology. Omnissa provides automation and uses Kubernetes containers to deploy and scale its edge solution, including a local gateway and cloud connector appliance. The Horizon offerings range from self-assembled to vendor-managed. 

Omnissa Horizon consistently performs well in the DaaS market, but its score is slightly lower because of its fragmented cloud management support. Its universal control plane supports capacity providers on bare-metal pods, native Azure, and Amazon WorkSpaces Core. But it does not support automated pools with Azure Virtual Desktop or Amazon EC2. In addition, instant clones are not available with its cloud-native solutions, due to dependencies on the vSphere hypervisor. Its PC over IP (PColP) support is being deprecated in favor of Blast Extreme. Going forward, PColP will only be supported with additional third-party software. The next-generation cloud control plane is a positive direction for Omnissa, but lacks full integration with cloud providers, namely Azure Virtual Desktop. 

Omnissa Horizon is ideal for customers that have large-scale, custom, demanding, graphics-intensive workloads, and that are deeply invested in the VMware ecosystem, with globally distributed users and skilled staff to manage the environment. 

oneclick 

oneclick is a platform service that is hosted via a highly available and scalable composite of Kubernetes clusters that are globally redundant and public-cloud-agnostic. oneclick uses the Kubernetes clusters to manage its DaaS environment; the virtual desktops are virtual machines, not Kubernetes-based. oneclick is primarily a self-assembled DaaS model, as it requires skills and effort to design and maintain. 

oneclick's limited capabilities would suit organizations looking for only core features; this includes cloud solution providers, managed service providers and some enterprise clients. oneclick offers only a browser client based on a remote desktop protocol, (RDP) or virtual network computing (VNC) protocols that can significantly impact user experience (UX) at higher network latencies. oneclick recommends single- or double-digit network latency for optimal UX, which is relatively stringent. 

oneclick is ideal for telecom providers or Sis that need a customizable platform, and that have VDI skills and users that are located near the virtual desktops, for the lowest latency possible. 

Parallels 

Parallels adapted its on-premises VDI solution to support DaaS and built a new DaaS solution for small and midsize enterprises. The newer solution released in early 2024, Parallels DaaS, offers a fully managed control plane and is a vendor-assembled DaaS model that runs on Microsoft Azure. Its self-assembled DaaS solution, Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS), is primarily an on-premises solution with a management control plane running on-premises, even though it allows access to DaaS solutions like Azure Virtual Desktop and Amazon EC2. 

Parallels has intermediate ranks for all use cases, partly because it is a new offering and still building out its DaaS features. As Parallels continues to expand on DaaS partnerships, especially with Microsoft and Amazon, we expect their offering to mature, but the on­premises dependencies of their Parallels RAS solution for management of these cloud providers may limit adoption. Parallels does offer significant support for on-premises workloads, including Microsoft Hyper-V, Nutanix, Scale Computing and VMware. 

Parallels is ideal for customers looking to reduce and simplify their on-premises virtual desktop footprint while expanding to Azure laaS or Azure Virtual Desktop. While not offering the latest new and innovative features, Parallels offers the core features that DaaS customers require, including the ability to support on-premises and cloud-based virtual desktop workloads. 

Workspot 

Workspot is a proprietary DaaS offering with a central cloud control plane that can deploy and operate DaaS in Azure, Amazon EC2, Amazon WorkSpaces Core, GCP laaS and on­premises private clouds. Its solution has vGPU options, strong redundancy, ransomware recovery options and includes a network operations center (NOC) with real-time incident observability. It integrates with various tools, including Splunk, ServiceNow and NetApp. 

Workspot uses the RDP protocol and recommends a low-latency configuration for optimal UX. One way it optimizes the latency is via public cloud data centers and closest POP routing, which benefits high-performance use cases, such as rich graphics. However, this method is not available for customers who use applications with a central dependency. 

Workspot is ideal for customers with minimal VDI skills, globally dispersed users, multicloud needs, rich-graphics workloads, high business continuity (BC) requirements and a need for ransomware recovery options.