Mohammed NaserAs many companies opted for a remote-working structure, DaaS vs VPN became a major decision for them. Here's a look at both technologies.
Desktop as a Service (DaaS) or Virtual Private Network (VPN)? This was one of the most deliberated questions among company executives last year. As many companies opted for a remote-working structure owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, DaaS vs. VPN became a major decision indeed.
The fact remains that most companies, especially medium to small ones, weren't prepared to face this predicament. Or, at least, they didn't think that the pandemic would change the fabric of work for so long. VPNs were the popular choice, as they were more familiar and, frankly, have been around for decades without significant changes in use.
On the other side, many experts say that this might not have been a smart move in a futuristic sense. Even though comparatively new, DaaS is gaining much popularity these days, providing all the benefits of VPN while saving users from its drawbacks. This article is a brief look at how both technologies fare against each other. Let us start with an overview of both.
Basic Overview of VPN
VPN can be defined as a software-defined networking layer capable of isolating the resources functioning on a private network from the public internet. This private network can be a company's internal network. With a VPN enabled, you can access information and resources using a public network – things that normally can only be accessed through direct connections to a private network.
There are many benefits to a VPN. The most important one is that users with relevant access can get resources over the internet from a remote location. This access doesn't compromise the safety of the private network or expose the network to the public internet connection being used.
Another major benefit of a VPN is its encryption capability. The data transferred through a VPN is encrypted, safeguarding it from security breaches and such. Without using a VPN, anyone using the same network as you could potentially access the data, and that's a risk companies want to avoid at all costs. VPN also provides the advantage of keeping the user identities anonymous, in most cases.
On the contrary, there are some drawbacks to VPN that draw attention too. One of the foremost issues is that companies have to set up a VPN server to run on the local network as well as a VPN client software, which needs to be installed for users to access the VPN. Both of these tasks can be difficult. There are also security concerns often, with expert hackers breaching VPNs. Hence, VPN is not always the most logistically viable option, considering how much the tech industry has advanced. Furthermore, this stimulates the debate of DaaS vs. VPN.
Overview of DaaS and How It Works as A Futuristic Alternative to VPNs
Similar to Software as a Service (SaaS), DaaS is a desktop virtualization technology enabled by cloud computing. They can also be known as cloud-hosted virtual desktops. These virtual environments can be accessed from anywhere without the support of any software requirements, like in the case of VPNs. All the user requires is a web browser to log in.
DaaS provides easy multi-tenancy capabilities for users and a higher level of automation. It also reduces the overall costs of the technology implementation for enterprises since the service provider is responsible for implementing, maintaining, and ensuring security, repairs, upgrades, and related functions. Since all the communication is encrypted at a browser level, the access from a user over the public internet also remains safe.
The takeaway is not that in DaaS vs. VPN, the latter is bad. They are a reliable technology with many advantages. It is just that with DaaS, all the drawbacks have been solved, and enterprises can have all the benefits and enable remote access options for employees and other users, which much ease. Hence, DaaS is the option for the future.
VEXXHOST has always been heralding technology for the future, and it is no different when it comes to DaaS or IaaS. We provide highly secure cloud environments for enterprises, including scalable private cloud for our customers. Contact our team regarding any queries and Check out our dedicated resource page to improve your knowledge of private cloud environments for companies.