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Myth 1:
Desktop as a service
(DaaS) and WaaS are identical.
Fact:
DaaS suggests a single location at which com-
panies can come in and add their data and applications
themselves. It typically doesn’t include anything except the
desktop/shell. In contrast, WaaS provides a virtual work-
space that models the types of resources that users would
have at their desk within a physical office environment.
DaaS and WaaS are both subcategories of cloud comput-
ing, which involves vendors delivering services on the Web, not
sending software on digital storage media. But unlike DaaS,
WaaS offers a complete turnkey package that includes not only
the desktop, but the applications, data
storage and virtualization across devices.
WaaS is the glue that holds all of IT to-
gether, killing a silo approach to adminis-
tering these functions individually.
When WaaS is implemented, busi-
ness users no longer need to install
applications on their own computers;
instead they can easily access applica-
tions and their computer desktops via
the cloud from any device – whether
desktop, laptop, tablet or smartphone.
WaaS technology replaces the need to
store and operate users’ workspaces
(app, desktop and data) on their
own computers.
Think of WaaS as a way for end
users to log into a vendor’s service and
gain access to a desktop that operates
just like the one in their office. Users
will have the operating system that they
need, all of their files, and the same se-
curity protocols installed on their office
computer – a cloud-based virtual work-
space that clones what their physical
computer can offer. Another advantage
of WaaS is that it centralizes operation-
al IT with one vendor, meaning there
is only one company to call and a single
provider to manage user data.
Myth 2:
WaaS is a
passing fad that won’t
be relevant in five years.
Fact:
The latest market research
from multiple sources suggests quite
the opposite of this theory. A recent
report from IDC predicts growth from
$282 million in 2013 to $1.7 billion by
2018 for the hosted WaaS market. This
represents a five-year compound annual
growth rate (CAGR) of 42.5 percent.
Another study by Transparency Market
Research values the global WaaS market at $7.47 billion
in 2014, with projected growth at a CAGR of more than
12 percent between 2015 and 2022. MarketsandMarkets
forecasts significant growth in this market, expecting it to
essentially double from $4.76 billion in 2014 to $9.41 billion
in 2019, with a CAGR of nearly 15 percent. While these
projections all differ slightly, the common denominator is
that they each provide clear indication that WaaS is here to
stay and will only increase in popularity.
Related research also bodes well for the staying power of
WaaS. The majority of all software applications now are
being developed for the cloud. The benefits of cloud-based
applications versus on-premises solutions are too compelling
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January - February 2016
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Channel
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