Virtualization Technology News and Information
Article
RSS
VMblog Expert Interview: Andrew Miller Talks Cameyo for MSPs, Virtual Application Delivery and Solving VDI Complexity

interview andrew miller cameyo 

Managed Service Providers are looking for ways to deliver managed application services to their customers at scale.  Many of those MSPs find it challenging to do so by way of virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI), finding it costly and too difficult to manage.  This week, a company called Cameyo launched a solution that makes it possible for MSPs to deliver any Windows applications to any device virtually without having to go onsite and install apps, enabling them to more profitably scale these services globally while managing everything from a single dashboard.

To find out more, VMblog spoke with Andrew Miller, Co-Founder & CEO of Cameyo.

VMblog:  Can you start by giving us a general overview of what Cameyo does?

Andrew Miller:  Cameyo is a cloud-native virtual application delivery platform that enables the secure delivery of Windows desktop applications to any device from any browser.  As organizations pursue Digital Transformation, they hit a common roadblock during their shift to the cloud - the inability to deliver their legacy Windows applications from the cloud. 

For organizations moving to the cloud, that's a showstopper. They still need to provide their people with access to the critical legacy Windows applications that they need to stay productive - even if those apps haven't been web-enabled - so that business continues to move forward. Previously, application delivery was done with Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) and Desktop as a Service (DaaS) products, but those approaches are far too costly and complex for most organizations when it comes to providing access to applications on any device. Cameyo solves this issue by providing everyone with seamless access to any Windows applications on any device, from any HTML5 browser. It's also the only built-for-the-cloud platform that runs in any customer environment - cloud, multi-cloud, hybrid, or on-premises.

VMblog:  In addition to helping enterprises deliver Windows apps to their people, you also work with software vendors as well, right?

Miller:  That's right - we also enable independent software vendors (ISVs) to help them web enable their applications without any redevelopment. For the thousands of ISVs who still have desktop-installed software, they know that their customers would prefer to access their software as a SaaS offering. But the time and cost of redevelopment - usually 12-18 months and millions of dollars - simply isn't feasible for many ISVs.

With Cameyo, ISVs can upload their software to Cameyo and within minutes they can provide their customers with access to the full desktop version of the software, all from the browser, with zero redevelopment. In addition to being the easiest way to give customers access to their software from the cloud, Cameyo also helps ISVs automate the sales process by giving customers instant access to free trials from their sites - with no installation required. Cameyo's Automated Trial Service has been proven to increase engagement rates while lowering sales and marketing costs. By not making your customers install your software for a trial, you save them time and reduce friction, while also saving your budget by converting customers more quickly.

VMblog:  This week you announced a new product - Cameyo for MSPs.  Tell us a bit more about that.

Miller:  Cameyo for MSPs is a new version of the Cameyo platform built specifically for the MSP community to help them build more profitable and scalable application delivery practices for their customers. The new platform makes it possible for MSPs to deliver any Windows applications to any device virtually without having to go onsite and install apps, enabling them to more profitably scale these services globally while managing everything from a single dashboard.

VMblog:  And why does this matter to an MSP's business? 

Miller:  Businesses rely on their MSP partners to help them reduce the cost and complexity of running their business. Cameyo for MSPs helps MSPs deliver profitable and scalable virtual application delivery services while eliminating the complexity and security issues of VDI, which helps them deliver more reliable, secure services to their customers at a fraction of the price.

VMblog:  You mentioned issues with VDI when it comes to application delivery.  Can you expand?

Miller:  To successfully compete, MSPs must maximize services while reducing their costs to provide their customers with the best possible solutions at the lowest price. Prior to Cameyo for MSPs, the channel and MSPs had two options if their customers needed access to Windows desktop applications on any device.

The first option was to use expensive and complex VDI or DaaS products. These products are notoriously hard to implement, are expensive, and are overkill if you just need to run Windows applications to any device and don't need a full virtual desktop. The second option was to manage each PC individually, which meant using complex and unreliable scripting or physically going to each device and updating it with the latest version of the Windows application. Both options are untenable from a cost and management perspective, eating into already tight margins the MSPs rely on for profitability. In addition, many of the partner programs offered by the VDI and DaaS vendors are complex and confusing.

VMblog:  Do you have an example of why a customer would select Cameyo over traditional VDI products? 

Miller:  Consider one of our first MSP partners, XPERTEK. Here's what they had to say about why Cameyo is better for their customers than VDI:

"Cameyo lets our clients grow at their own pace. They're able to quickly adapt to changes in their business by increasing and reducing headcount, capacity, and resources without needing to pay the large upfront cost of new infrastructure or be burdened by maintaining hardware they no longer fully utilize," said Daniel Goodpasture of XPERTEK IT. "With Cameyo, our SMB customers can enjoy the benefits of VDI without needing to invest in infrastructure that doesn't make sense for their scale or budgets. It lets them put their money to use in the most efficient way possible."

VMblog:  What is the pricing like, and how does that compare to competing products?

Miller:  With Cameyo for MSPs, we have introduced a new Service Provider License Agreement (SPLA) model for MSPs, which has only a single SKU. Pricing is based on a per-user, per-month basis beginning at $10 per user, per month - but can go as low as $1 per user, per month based on volume discounts. The SPLA pricing model gives MSPs the flexibility they need to quickly add and delete users and to spin up infrastructure only as needed - all while ensuring that they are only billed for the number of users who actually access the service each month. This eliminates the confusion and high cost of VDI licensing issues, enabling MSPs to deliver a better, more secure solution with a significantly lower cost per user - while also getting rid of bill shock forever. 

VMblog:  And if you were to sum up the key benefits of Cameyo for MSPs, what would those be?

Miller:  Cameyo for MSPs helps MSPs differentiate themselves in several ways.

First, it significantly lowers the cost of delivering Windows applications to any device from the browser. This gives MSPs the ability to offer the service at a lower price point to their customers while increasing margins.

Second, Cameyo for MSPs provides MSPs the ability to manage all of their customers from a single Cameyo administrative portal. MSPs can easily manage users and instantly provide updates to applications their customers are using without the need to go on-site to update customer PCs manually.

Third, MSPs can utilize Cameyo for MSPs to help their customers save on infrastructure costs. Because these customers are now running their Windows applications from the browser, they now have the option to purchase less expensive Chromebooks, tablets, Linux devices, etc. if they so choose.

##
Published Friday, March 06, 2020 8:20 AM by David Marshall
Comments
Cameyo Adds Brad Rowland as Board Advisor : @VMblog - (Author's Link) - July 23, 2020 12:35 PM
To post a comment, you must be a registered user. Registration is free and easy! Sign up now!
Calendar
<March 2020>
SuMoTuWeThFrSa
23242526272829
1234567
891011121314
15161718192021
22232425262728
2930311234