In today’s fast-paced business world, providing employees with seamless access to all of the applications they need to do their job from anywhere and on any device is critical for a productive workspace. While traditional Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) solutions had been the go-to for remote access in the past, advancements in virtualization over the past five years have introduced more efficient alternatives. In this post, we will explore the differences between Virtual App Delivery and Virtual Desktops, highlighting how Cameyo’s Virtual App Delivery solution on Google Cloud Platform (GCP) eliminates the need for virtual desktops altogether, providing companies with easier app deployment, reduced TCO, enhanced security, and an exceptional end-user experience.
The Difference Between Virtual App Delivery and Virtual Desktops
Cameyo is a Virtual App Delivery platform that grants users direct access to all of their applications – including Windows, Linux, SaaS, and internal web apps – from the cloud without requiring a full Windows virtual desktop environment (like those from Microsoft’s Azure Virtual Desktop, Citrix, VMware, Nutanix, etc.). On the other hand, traditional VDI and Desktop as a Service (DaaS) solutions provide complete virtualized desktop experiences, replicating the entire operating system with applications, files, and settings delivered from virtual machines hosted in the cloud or on-premises servers. Most Virtual Desktops were not designed as native cloud services, which often results in multiple layers of complexity that reduce scalability.
Some VDI providers have begin to re-position their services as “cloud desktops”, but that is often a misnomer, as these are often not natively cloud-based services. Instead, they are the same traditional remote desktops that are complex to manage, have significant security issues, and deal with issues like latency that degrade the end-user experience.
Luckily, for most companies and use cases, virtual desktops have been rendered obsolete by Virtual App Delivery. Your people can use any device and operating system they want, and they can still access all of their apps either in the browser or as PWAs without having to sign into a virtual Windows 10/Windows 11 desktop environment first.
Eliminating the Virtual Desktop
Virtual App Delivery is superior to traditional VDI in several aspects:
1) Enhanced Security: With Virtual App Delivery, applications are delivered independently, reducing the attack surface compared to full virtual desktop environments. IT decision-makers can apply granular security measures to each application, mitigating the risk of data breaches and unauthorized access. And Cameyo’s Virtual App Delivery platform is built with a Zero Trust security model at the core to further reduce the attack surface by eliminating the need to expose firewall and server ports to the open internet.
2) Cost-Effectiveness: Virtual App Delivery eliminates the need for costly virtual desktop infrastructure, resulting in reduced hardware and maintenance expenses. The seamless application delivery model saves valuable IT resources and optimizes budget allocation. And simple, all-inclusive per-user per-month pricing makes Virtual App Delivery solutions like Cameyo more cost-effective by an average of 70% compared to virtual desktops.
3) Flexibility: Cameyo’s Virtual App Delivery provides the flexibility for users to access applications from any device or endpoint with internet connectivity. And while Cameyo’s fully-hosted solution runs in Google Cloud, it also provides the flexibility to self-host Cameyo in any cloud or in your own on-premises datacenter. Cameyo’s flexibility also extends to your existing technology investments – preventing against the vendor lock-in that comes with many virtual desktop solutions.
4) Simplicity: Compared to traditional VDI setups, Virtual App Delivery is less complex to deploy and manage. IT administrators can streamline application delivery, updates, and user permissions, reducing the burden of maintaining full virtual desktop environments.
VAD Instead of VDI on GCP
As a Google Cloud partner, Cameyo leverages the robustness and security of GCP, ensuring a powerful and reliable application delivery experience. With two options available, companies can choose between fully-hosted or self-hosted solutions:
1) Fully-Hosted Service: Cameyo’s fully-hosted service runs on GCP, with all infrastructure expertly managed by the platform. This option offers a hassle-free experience for organizations seeking a turnkey solution without the burden of infrastructure maintenance.
2) Self-Hosted Service: For companies desiring greater control and customization, Cameyo can be self-hosted in their existing GCP instance or in their own on-premises data center. This option caters to specific security and compliance requirements while benefiting from Cameyo’s cutting-edge technology.
Performance and High Availability with GCP and Cloud Orchestration
Cameyo’s integration with Google Compute Engine API ensures optimum performance and high availability for Virtual App Delivery through:
1) Elastic VM Orchestration: Through the Google Cloud Compute Engine API, Cameyo provisions VM instances on-demand, allowing for elastic scaling to meet growing user demands. This flexibility ensures smooth application delivery, even during peak usage periods.
2) Efficient Snapshot Management: Capture, duplicate, and manage VM snapshots effortlessly with Cameyo and the Google Cloud Compute Engine API. Organizations can quickly deploy consistent images worldwide, enhancing the application delivery experience for users across different regions.
Secure Transmission with Google Cloud DNS API
Cameyo prioritizes security in its Virtual App Delivery solution through integration with Google Cloud’s DNS API, including Automatic DNS Name and SSL Certificate Provisioning. This enables the platform to provide DNS names and SSL certificates to orchestrated VM instances, ensuring secure data transmission without the complexity of manual SSL setup and management.
Cloud Tunneling for On-Premises Access
Cameyo’s innovative Cloud Tunneling functionality provides secure remote access to on-premises virtualization backend servers, providing secure access to apps without the need for VPNs. Cloud Tunneling establishes secure connections between end-users and servers without the need for VPNs or firewall adjustments. This streamlined access maintains network integrity while providing a smooth user experience.
Conclusion
Cameyo’s Virtual App Delivery on GCP revolutionizes the way companies access and deploy applications. By eliminating the need for virtual desktops, organizations can provide their workforce with seamless application access from anywhere, reducing TCO. The platform’s integration with Google Cloud Platform ensures enhanced security and flexibility, resulting in the best end-user experience. As validated by the Economic Validation study by Enterprise Strategy Group (ESG), companies can expect a 54% reduction in TCO compared to traditional virtual desktop solutions (download a free copy of the ESG report here). With Cameyo, the future of VDI on GCP is one where you can eliminate the virtual desktop altogether. With Google Cloud and Cameyo you can unlock the true potential of remote and hybrid work while simplifying app deployment, enhancing security, and empowering your workforce. Want to see it for yourself? Start your free trial here, or schedule a consultation call & demo here.