Desktop-as-a-Service: A report by Creditreform Magazine

Desk in the cloud

In its current print and online edition, Creditreform Magazine reports on the topic of Desktop-as-a-Service.

Using the example of a tax consultancy firm in the Swabian town of Salach, the reader learns about the benefits of this technology for small and medium-sized companies. This allows employees to choose whether they work from home, in the office or from another location. Tax consultancy clients’ data is always stored in the protected data center and not on employees’ notebooks. Cloud desktops can even be accessed securely from private end devices. Because servers and IT infrastructure no longer need to be maintained, employees can concentrate more on their core business.

Working from home accelerates the cloud

The number of people working from home has risen dramatically since COVID-19. Larger companies in particular offer their employees the option of working from home. Smaller companies, on the other hand, find it more difficult, mainly because they are afraid of the investment. However, experts assume that the hybrid working model (home office and office) will continue to grow even after the pandemic. The ability to work remotely is already a “must have” for many applicants. According to a study commissioned by the network and IT service provider BT, two thirds (67 percent) of European office workers consider the option of flexible and mobile working to be more important than a company car.

Desktops on Demand

DaaS is not only suitable for mobile working by the company’s own employees; freelancers and partners can also access the company’s data without it being stored on their end devices.
he pandemic has given the starting signal for increased innovation in new formats and technical developments. It (the pandemic) is seen as a disruptive factor for continuing education.

What about security?

A major advantage of DaaS solutions is the network separation between the employee’s end device and the company cloud desktop. Data, malware and viruses cannot be transferred from the end device to the company network, nor can data be transferred from the company network to the private network.

Another security issue concerns the Desktop-as-a-Service provider and where it stores the cloud desktops and data. The data location should always be in Germany or the EU. Data protection experts also recommend German providers who operate the data centers themselves.
In the case of US companies and German subsidiaries of US companies, the US government has access to the data without having to inform the owner (keyword “Cloud Act”). This is a clear violation of current European data protection laws.

A checklist shows criteria for the right choice of service provider. Listed are:

• Requirements and use cases
• Simple integration
• Free choice of cloud
• Disaster recovery plan
• Data protection
• Contract term
• Free maintenance and support

You can find the full Creditreform Magazine report here or simply click on the picture below.