Industry executives and experts share their predictions for 2024. Read them in this 16th annual VMblog.com series exclusive.
DaaS Acceleration and Cloud Management
By Amol Dalvi, Vice President, Product at Nerdio
DaaS adoption will accelerate in 2024
The adoption of cloud-based desktops, otherwise known as Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS) shows no sign of slowing down in 2024. In fact, Gartner estimates that DaaS spending will increase from $3.1 billion in 2023 to $4.6 billion by 2027. While the evolving work landscape is part of the reason why DaaS has seen exponential growth, other demands from IT teams are spotlighting DaaS heading into next year.
With 36.2 million Americans projected to work remotely by 2025, this only underlines why organizations need to ensure their employees have access to the right information, applications and resources no matter where they’re located. Without having adequate VDI setups, companies may not be able to handle the scale and complexity of managing people across dispersed geographical locations. That’s where DaaS can help organizations deploy the necessary technical tools.
Another sign that DaaS adoption is on the rise: more organizations are recognizing its value. From how it supports IT teams to how it helps simplify information-sharing, the benefits of DaaS are garnering deserved recognition. For the first time, Gartner recognized the top industry leaders of DaaS in a Magic Quadrant – showing the maturity of the DaaS management space.
Microsoft was given the top honors, with Gartner calling out Microsoft products Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD), Windows 365 and Microsoft Dev Box as tools that can help organizations ensure connectivity, collaboration, and global reach. On top of this, Microsoft’s strong partner ecosystem helps simplify and streamline application management for its products and services.
Consolidation and cloud management take center stage
Another driver of virtual desktops beyond hybrid work is a need for a more consolidated approach to cloud management. With the availability of applications in the market and complexity of cloud environments, it’s easy for IT teams to get overwhelmed by the options. However, to simplify and reduce cost, many leaders are opting for a single cloud solution in 2024 to more easily support both a cloud-based desktop environment and adjacent applications, all in one platform. For example, partner organizations with a Windows 365 subscription might want to deploy virtual environments in addition to using products like Microsoft Defender, and in doing so, are choosing to maintain their entire cloud environment in Azure. This makes it easier for IT teams to gain full visibility while saving on cost through their one subscription.
While hybrid cloud and multi cloud are popular for larger enterprise organizations, in 2024, the need for simplified application management and optimized cloud costs will put a spotlight back on a single-cloud approach from the major cloud providers and their partners. Now that each cloud provider has its own generative AI offering, the ability to add an enterprise-grade AI chatbot to IT teams’ existing cloud subscription model will also help IT teams better manage all aspects of their cloud environment through one single pane of glass, while giving employees the best solution on the market.
It’s clear that in 2024, the acceleration of DaaS solutions will be driven by IT teams’ needs and cloud adoption. With cloud-based desktops, IT leaders can better manage their complex work environments while ensuring employees have the insights and tools they need to succeed.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Amol Dalvi is the VP of Product at Nerdio. With more than 15 years of experience leading product and engineering teams, he is a seasoned software product executive with rich expertise in Microsoft, Cloud, and SaaS. He oversees both Nerdio Manager for MSP and Nerdio Manager for Enterprise products.
