MacStadium announced Orka Workspace with
Pulse, a new system for virtual macOS desktop delivery that enables
high-definition audio and visual streaming on Orka Workspace virtual
Mac desktops via any HTML5 supported browser.
Orka's
new Pulse feature is the first application of WebRTC on macOS VDI and
is now available in Preview within the Orka Workspace solution. The new
system for virtual Mac desktop delivery leverages a reimagined
transmission protocol to create low-latency, high-performance macOS
workspaces required by developers worldwide. It also leverages the
industry-leading WebRTC technology, which is backed by Apple, Google,
Microsoft and Mozilla and is used by many leading B2B web applications.
Customers can toggle Orka PulseTM on or off, as needed to experience the
new protocol.
"We
are excited to deliver all Orka Workspace customers with access to the
new Pulse protocol," said Chris Chapman, MacStadium senior vice
president and CTO. "With the new Orka Pulse technology, Orka Workspace
joins the ranks of other B2B web-based applications such as Zoom,
Salesforce and Slack that are using WebRTC technology to drive modern
business communications.
In 2021, Gartner predicted that
demand for desktops as a service would increase by 150 percent from
2020 to 2023. This reinforces the increased demand for remote work and
technology like DaaS, which is required to enable secure and scalable
distributed workforce. As more companies continue to adopt DaaS
applications, MacStadium's Orka Workspace works as an all-encompassing
solution for virtual desktop capabilities.
Many
B2B applications use the foundations of WebRTC to deliver audio and
video communications over the web, but prior to Orka Pulse, packaging
and transferring an entire desktop presents challenges particularly for a
macOS desktop.
"Pulse
provides a foundation for the transmission of real-time audio and video
necessary for macOS virtual desktops to work as they should. But using
WebRTC for macOS presented unique challenges that required our team to
redesign some of the components with integration to macOS APIs to
deliver that uniquely Mac video experience users know and love," Chapman
added. "We even published some of our work on the updated Swift RTP as
open-source code to enable more macOS, WebRTC tools and development."
Orka
Pulse enables faster releases by providing remote developers with
access to more powerful Mac virtual workspaces, allowing them to work at
a faster pace with more flexible resources. Users can interact with a
remote Mac device with the ability to stream 1080p video and no need for
local installs or plugins as Orka Pulse requires only a HTML5 browser.
Additionally, the solution provides end-to-end encrypted user sessions
that are managed by organizations' IT teams and can be terminated
on-demand if risks are identified.
The announcement comes after MacStadium recently made public its Orka Small Teams edition,
a self-service purchase option, giving DevOps teams immediate access to
the industry's leading enterprise-grade macOS virtualization and
orchestration tool. As tech companies look to streamline operations and
maximize their resources, this automation is critical to remain
competitive.