A new survey from Enterprise Strategy Group (ESG) and Workspot finds that security and cost concerns are driving rapid adoption of digital workspaces, VDI and Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS). The full results of the survey, which highlight the need and demand for cloud-hosted desktop services, is available from Workspot here: https://bit.ly/3bpX4Wk. 

In the survey, titled "Are Desktops Doomed? Trends in Digital Workspaces, VDI and DaaS," ESG finds that organizations struggle with traditional desktops for a number of reasons, namely software licensing inventory and compliance (36% of respondents) and procurement costs (35%). Additional findings of the survey, which focused on IT decision-makers from midmarket- and enterprise-level organizations in multiple industry verticals, include: 

• Rising interest in alternative endpoint devices: 88% of respondents said they were interested or very interested in accessing VDI/DaaS images via smartphones and non-Windows devices.  
• Confidence in DaaS security: Almost 8 in 10 organizations believe VDI or DaaS is more secure than traditional desktops; 39% of respondents said DaaS improved security by keeping sensitive data off devices. 
• VDI/DaaS usage is expanding: Nearly 40% of respondents use DaaS today, and another 25% are actively engaged in adoption.  
  

The survey also found that 58% of organizations believe DaaS will become the primary means of desktop consumption. As more companies move to remote work, Workspot is observing a dramatic increase in cloud desktop evaluations. Organizations are seeking an affordable, sustainable solution that can meet their requirements for quickly and securely enabling productive remote work. 

Amitabh Sinha, CEO, Workspot, said: "As remote work increases for reasons of both choice and necessity, organizations need an alternative to traditional desktops and legacy VDI solutions that stymie business growth. The results of this survey underscore the need for cloud desktops, which are notable for enabling greater agility for responding to new opportunities and business disruptions. Their outstanding performance and unmatched security prepare organizations well for the future." 

Mark Bowker, senior analyst, Enterprise Strategy Group, said: "Organizations around the world have turned to remote work and many are seeing the benefits VDI and DaaS bring to help facilitate this change. As our survey finds, users of VDI and DaaS are experiencing increased efficiency, security and sustainability, not to mention cost savings. Now is the time to use digital workspace strategies to empower employees for the post COVID-19 future."