The post Preparing your business for the unpredictable: The role of DaaS in disaster recovery appeared first on Server and Cloud Blog.
]]>Businesses must be ready for anything, from hurricanes to floods to wildfires and cyber-attacks. While securing the safety of your company’s employees and physical locations is most important, once that’s in place then the focus shifts to maintaining connectivity and operations.
That’s where disaster recovery (DR) is a crucial process, ensuring the restoration of business operations after a disaster. While traditional DR methods often prioritize servers and networks, the significance of desktops must also be understood in today’s digital landscape. Your employees’ desktops are their hub for data storage and application access. Losing them in a disaster can be a severe setback for your business.
This is where Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS) emerges as a game-changer. Parallels DaaS, a cloud-based service providing users with virtual desktops stored in the cloud, offers several advantages for effective disaster recovery.
Multiple scientific studies, notably by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), reveal a significant increase in hurricanes and extreme weather events. Elevated sea surface temperatures fuel these storms, heightening the vulnerability of physical infrastructure and leading to extended downtime.
Climate-induced changes in precipitation patterns elevate the risk of flooding, and warmer temperatures increase rainfall, posing a direct threat to businesses. Accordingly, robust disaster recovery measures, especially for desktop systems, have become imperative to mitigate downtime and data loss in the event of a flood and associated water damage.
Prolonged droughts and rising temperatures intensify wildfires, impacting businesses in vulnerable regions. Beyond the immediate smoke and fire damage, the possibility of compromised IT infrastructure necessitates effective disaster recovery for desktop systems.
The evolving cyber threat landscape, marked by ransomware attacks, malware, phishing attempts, and more, demands swift recovery measures. Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS) emerges as a solution to ensure business continuity and prompt recovery from cyber-induced disasters.
Whether stemming from natural disasters or cyber-attacks, power outages present an artificial disaster. When integrated into disaster recovery plans, DaaS ensures cloud-hosted desktop accessibility or cloud-based disaster recovery during power disruptions.
The escalating frequency of natural and artificial disasters emphasizes the need for resilient disaster recovery strategies. Scientific research and published reports underscore the urgency of adopting solutions like DaaS to navigate the unpredictable nature of current climate conditions.
Storing your desktops in the cloud makes it significantly easier to back up and restore your data. This streamlined process ensures that your critical information is safeguarded against unforeseen disasters.
In the event of office damage, DaaS allows your staff to access their desktops from anywhere with an internet connection. This remote accessibility ensures business continuity, allowing your team to continue operations even when the physical workspace is compromised.
DaaS aids in compliance with data privacy regulations, such as GDPR and HIPAA. By storing data securely in the cloud, businesses can navigate regulatory requirements more effectively, mitigating the risks of non-compliance.
Selecting a trustworthy DaaS provider is crucial. Seek out a provider such as Parallels with a proven track record in disaster recovery and a robust infrastructure to support your business needs.
Ensure that your network can handle the traffic associated with streaming virtual desktops. A robust and scalable network is essential for the seamless functioning of DaaS during disaster recovery scenarios.
Train your employees on how to use DaaS effectively. Familiarizing your team with the platform ensures a smooth transition during disaster recovery and helps maintain productivity.
Create a thorough disaster recovery plan that encompasses all aspects of your business. Ensure it includes protocols for desktop recovery using DaaS.
Test your disaster recovery plan regularly to verify its effectiveness. Regular testing helps identify potential gaps and ensures your plan is reliable.
Keep your data backed up in a secure location. Implement robust backup strategies to protect your critical information from potential disaster loss.
Train your employees in disaster response protocols. Ensuring your team is well-prepared for emergencies contributes to a swift and coordinated response.
A data-centric approach to disaster recovery is crucial for safeguarding your business from the unexpected. Preparedness is more critical than ever in today’s ever-changing world. By incorporating these tips and embracing solutions like DaaS, your business can weather challenges and storms, emerging on the other side stronger than ever.
To learn more about how DaaS is the ideal solution for a desktop disaster recovery plan, download the full whitepaper here.
To discover more about the Parallels DaaS platform and its role in an effective desktop DR plan, visit www.parallels.com/products/DaaS.
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]]>The post Keep control of your cloud journey appeared first on Server and Cloud Blog.
]]>Even those companies that rushed their customers to the cloud are now offering those same customers more options to take a step back from the cloud; including hybrid and on-premises options for their IT environments. However, these options come at a higher price to the customer.
At Parallels, we have always believed in offering choice and flexibility for customers, as they should be able to take their cloud journey at a pace that best suits their needs. Customers vary in their requirements for public cloud services. For some, it is a fundamental requirement to realize the benefits that public cloud services bring, such as agility and ever-green architecture. For others, it’s not a core part of their IT strategy at all, at least not today. There are many in between, as surveys continue to show.
The options for deploying your IT environment are diverse, ranging from on-premises, single-cloud and multi-cloud configurations and various combinations of these. In July 2023, the Parallels team conducted a survey aimed at gaining deeper insights into businesses’ choices of IT environments, the infrastructure types they employ, and the motivations driving these decisions.
Of the 805 IT professionals we surveyed, 64% were actively using a hybrid cloud approach within 2023. Of the respondents spanning North America and Europe, 38% intended to increase their hybrid approach throughout 2024. This suggests there is a clear understanding of the benefits of making use of both on-premises and cloud deployments. Within the same survey, 89% believed that the public cloud offers significant value for their business.
Furthermore, many of our respondents cited flexibility, security, and cost savings as their primary reasons for choosing the hybrid cloud over 100% public and 100% private clouds. Of this group, 49% chose the hybrid cloud because of increased flexibility, 46% for improved security, 45% for cost savings, 44% for increased reliability, and 40% for more scalability.
For businesses using a hybrid approach, flexibility is important because it offers them the time needed to navigate their cloud journey at their own pace.
The emphasis on security in choosing hybrid cloud solutions is understandable. With cyberattacks on the rise, security concerns weigh heavily on IT leaders, causing significant worry. Sensitive data or information subject to regulations is best-kept on-premises rather than in the cloud, reflecting a cautious approach.
Cost considerations also drive organizations toward hybrid cloud solutions. While cloud adoption promises lower initial costs by eliminating the need for physical infrastructure like data centers, long-term operating expenses (OpEx) must be carefully evaluated.
The study also explored the primary cost benefits expected from a hybrid approach. Among participants, 31% noted that a hybrid strategy helps manage expenses associated with transitioning to the cloud by implementing the shift gradually.
Based on the findings from this survey, it’s clear that the value of the cloud is almost unanimous, offering near-instant access to key resources and the ability to scale up or down depending on the business needs. However, it’s clear that many IT organizations also intend to retain an on-premises environment to combat concerns with data security and cost predictability. Furthermore, the hybrid model offers many businesses flexibility in when and how they transition to the cloud.
Several years back, a plethora of companies advocated for a significant shift among businesses, urging them to abandon their VDI and on-premises setups in favor of embracing a cloud-first strategy. The rationale behind this push was that these advocating companies stood to gain the most from such a transition. By leveraging the vast array of cloud resources and enjoying the flexibility of accessing cutting-edge technologies, businesses were promised a multitude of benefits. However, for many, this migration came at a hefty cost.
Citrix was a keen advocate of this move as well as Microsoft and Amazon Web Services. These companies made significant investments in products and solutions to support businesses moving to the cloud and had reason to encourage them to completely move to a public cloud model.
Many businesses that eagerly embraced the call for a cloud-first approach found themselves grappling with unexpected challenges. The transition unfolded at a pace that often outpaced their accustomed rate of change, causing significant struggles. Some of the hurdles these businesses faced in the transition to a cloud-first approach included effectively managing IT costs, skills, and the organizational culture changes that came with it.
Additionally, some businesses hesitated to fully commit to a single delivery model, recognizing the potential drawbacks of locking themselves into one approach. Nevertheless, they still felt pressured to follow the prevailing trend towards cloud adoption.
Moving towards a public cloud approach at a speed that is not befitting to your competencies can have a significant impact on the performance of your business. Here are some concerns to be aware of:
Embracing the public cloud is often seen as the most financially savvy approach to establishing an IT infrastructure, as it eliminates the need for substantial upfront capital expenditures on hardware such as servers. Instead, it necessitates only lightweight client and endpoint devices to access applications and data from the cloud.
However, over time, the costs associated with configuring, deploying, and managing public cloud instances can escalate compared to the predictable costs of owning and managing servers over a 5–10-year lifecycle. These costs are contingent upon usage, and any usage spikes result in additional expenses. Furthermore, price increases contribute to additional costs. Without meticulous management, automation, and analytics, businesses may find themselves paying for resources that remain underutilized.
Skill shortage emerges as a critical, albeit potentially short-term, concern for numerous businesses transitioning entirely to the public cloud. This shortage often stems from hasty migrations undertaken without adequate preparation. Shifting applications and data across platforms essentially entails a full reset, introducing new processes, software, and systems that demand a heightened level of understanding. This understanding can only be cultivated through extensive training of existing staff.
In instances where businesses rush their migration to the cloud, the existing team may not have sufficient time to undergo training and formulate a comprehensive migration plan. Consequently, companies may resort to recruiting individuals with the requisite skills to expedite the migration process, albeit at inflated costs.
While this skill shortage may self-correct over the next five years, it remains a critical consideration in the present landscape. Organizations must carefully assess their readiness for cloud migration, ensuring adequate preparation and resource allocation to mitigate the impact of skill shortages on their transition to the public cloud.
The public cloud serves to relieve businesses from the burden of configuring and maintaining the infrastructure needed for a virtualized IT environment. However, this transfer of responsibility can lead to a loss of control. Public cloud services often provide standardized configurations and services, which may not fully align with your specific needs. This limitation can hamper your ability to customize the environment to suit your exact requirements and may result in reduced visibility into the underlying infrastructure supporting your applications and data. Consequently, troubleshooting issues, optimizing performance and ensuring compliance with internal policies or regulatory requirements may become more challenging.
Additionally, despite public cloud providers typically offering high availability and reliability, service disruptions can still occur due to factors beyond your control, such as outages or maintenance activities. These disruptions may limit your ability to mitigate their impact on your IT operations.
Transitioning to the public cloud can lead to vendor lock-in, where your applications and data become closely tied to specific cloud provider services or technologies. This entanglement can complicate and raise the cost of switching providers later on, exacerbating the limitations on your control over your IT environment.
Moreover, migrating to the public cloud means relying on the cloud provider for many facets of your IT infrastructure, such as hardware provisioning, network configuration, and software updates. This dependency diminishes your direct control over these crucial components.
Even companies that initially encouraged the move to the wholesale cloud have started to recognize this was not the best course of action for many customers or that these customers want more flexibility in their own cloud journey.
Hyper-Converged Infrastructure (HCI) is a software-defined IT infrastructure framework that integrates compute, storage, networking, and virtualization resources into a single, unified system. In traditional data center architectures, these components are often managed separately, leading to complexity and inefficiency.
Leading companies like Nutanix and Scale Computing have been offering this type of framework to customers for many years, which in essence, offers the advantages of a cloud model but within your own data center. This integrated approach not only simplifies infrastructure management but also provides scalability and agility, helping organizations meet their evolving IT needs with ease.
Microsoft is now following this type of framework with its own HCI offering, which hosts Windows and Linux VMs or containerized workloads and their storage. It’s a hybrid product that connects the on-premises system to Azure for cloud-based services, monitoring, and management. Microsoft Azure Stack HCI offers the security of an on-premises server located within your company’s office walls but is managed through the Azure subscription and based on virtualization principles.
The key difference here is that the business is not purchasing the initial hardware. Microsoft is providing it as part of the service at a monthly cost, which includes the flexibility of both cloud and on-premises, loaning of hardware and cloud resources, and the management and analytics of the environment.
Another example is Citrix and its Universal Licensing model. Before the introduction of Universal Licensing, Citrix offered two main pathways for delivering its digital workspace solutions. Firstly, customers could opt for Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops (CVAD) to run on virtual resources in a location of their choice, traditionally purchased as a perpetual license with annual maintenance, but now available solely through a subscription model for new customers.
Furthermore, customers seeking the flexibility to operate across both public cloud and on-premises environments require Universal Licenses. This newfound flexibility, however, comes at a higher cost for customers and depends on the size of the organization. Therefore, limiting this option to organizations with more than 250 user licenses and to those customers wanting to stay away from the more costly Universal Licensing model and remain on their existing afraid cannot. Learn more in our blog post that asks: “Does Citrix Universal Licensing provide simplicity — or not?”
Many leading cloud-centric companies are acknowledging the importance of allowing customers to transition to the cloud at their own speed, with hybrid solutions emerging as a valuable option for many on this migration journey. However, these companies have also effectively leveraged this gradual transition and customer preference for hybrid environments to develop more profitable business models for themselves. So, what is the solution? Find out how Parallels® RAS can help.
Parallels RAS has always offered a universally licensed approach, with a simple subscription model eliminating complexity for businesses. Parallels RAS grants access to all features, including secure gateway access, across various deployment options such as on-premises, public cloud, or hybrid environments.
This flexibility extends to optimized Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD), VDI desktops in the public cloud or data center, and remote access to physical workstations. Parallels RAS emphasizes avoiding vendor lock-in, prioritizing customer choice, and maintaining simplicity in its offerings.
With a focus on meeting customer needs, Parallels RAS continues to deliver on its promise of simplicity, empowering users to consume resources where they are most effective. Consider evaluating your current or potential virtual apps and desktops vendor to ensure alignment with your requirements and preferences.
A scenario for many customers could involve retaining the current on-premises infrastructure while transitioning away from Citrix to Parallels RAS or adopting a hybrid model. Many organizations have said it is easier to migrate to Parallels RAS rather than moving to the next version of Citrix. With this approach, organizations can utilize Parallels RAS to manage Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) deployments alongside their existing on-premises systems. This strategy offers the flexibility to carefully plan and execute change management strategies at a pace that suits the organization’s needs.
It allows for thorough testing and gradual migration of specific workloads or departments to the cloud while maintaining stability and continuity with the on-premises infrastructure. This method enables organizations to leverage the benefits of cloud technology while mitigating risks and ensuring a smooth transition for users and IT operations.
The cloud presents tangible benefits that many companies can swiftly access. An on-premises infrastructure remains essential for providing security and cost predictability to businesses. By embracing a hybrid approach, companies can leverage the strengths of both environments. Contrary to common belief, achieving a hybrid deployment doesn’t necessitate an increase in costs; instead, it allows organizations to tailor their cloud journey according to their unique pace and requirements.
Parallels champions choice and flexibility through its universally licensed Parallels RAS, empowering organizations to seamlessly manage virtual desktop deployments across on-premises, public cloud, or hybrid environments. This approach ensures a gradual transition to the cloud while preserving stability and control over IT operations.
Ready to try Parallels RAS yourself? Get started today!
The post Keep control of your cloud journey appeared first on Server and Cloud Blog.
]]>The post How-to: Providing secure access to Microsoft Azure with Parallels Browser Isolation appeared first on Server and Cloud Blog.
]]>Parallels Browser Isolation (PBI) is a comprehensive, cloud-native solution that offers highly secure access to web applications and SaaS via a preferred web browser. It is a remote browser isolation solution that offers Zero Trust protection from cybersecurity threats and aligns with industry security standards for safety, protection, and compliance.
Parallels Browser Isolation is a fully hosted remote browser isolation service, with a control plane and containerized browser instances. It’s scalable, flexible, and agentless, offering a highly adaptable and secure solution for all users within an organization.
Learn more about Parallels Browser Isolation!
Like many SaaS applications, users have access to Microsoft Azure from any device and any location by default.
Conditional access in Microsoft Entra Identity (Azure AD) enables you to impose restrictions on managed devices or specific network ranges. However, it’s important to understand that these restrictions are applicable only to managed devices.
What if you want to enforce restrictions without the use of VPN agents? Or suppose you aim to apply access controls to bring-your-own-device (BYOD) policies or non-windows-based devices?
Adding to these challenges, it’s crucial to note that conditional access focuses solely on securing entry points. It does not extend to controlling actions within Microsoft Azure (or any other SaaS application) once access is granted.
What if your security needs include stopping users from downloading data while permitting uploads? Or suppose you need to disable copy/paste functions, prevent screenshot capture, and block printing capabilities? These requirements align with a Zero Trust security model, yet such specific restrictions cannot be achieved through traditional conditional access or role-based access controls alone.
Parallels Browser Isolation enables you to route all Microsoft Azure access through a remote browser. This setup allows for geo-blocking, restricting access exclusively to locations associated with PBI IP addresses.
Following this configuration, only users who adhere to the PBI policies and belong to the designated access groups will be granted the ability to connect to Azure. Furthermore, the policy engine empowers you to specify permissible actions within Azure, such as copy/paste, upload, download, print, and others, offering a tailored and secure user experience.
For the first step, you must set up Microsoft Azure to exclusively permit access from PBI IP addresses. You can do this by setting up conditional access within Microsoft Entra ID (formerly known as Azure AD). It’s important to highlight that activating this conditional access feature requires a Microsoft Entra Identity P1 license. The process starts with establishing a Named Location that encompasses the IP addresses associated with Parallels Browser Isolation.
As an admin, go to “Microsoft Entra ID” —> “Security,” —> “Named Locations” Click on “+ IP ranges location” and give this location a unique name. In my case, I called this location “Parallels Browser Isolation”. Add all IP addresses used by Parallels Browser Isolation. The list can be found online in this KB article: https://kb.parallels.com/en/130095.
When adding the different IP addresses, add a /32 to the end to identify that these are single IPs and not ranges.
Once this is done, go to “Microsoft Entra ID” —> “Security” —>“Conditional Access”
Click on “+ Create new policy” and give it a unique name. In my case, I called it “PBI Only Policy”.
In configuring the policy, the initial step involves selecting the ‘Users’ to whom the policy will apply. It’s advisable to begin with a small user group for testing purposes before expanding the policy to include a broader audience.
Important: Make sure you exclude at least a few users from this policy, as you might need to get back into your Microsoft Azure if there are configuration or other issues with your conditional access configuration. If you include everyone and you have an issue, you can’t log in to Microsoft Azure anymore and, therefore can’t make any changes to the conditional access settings in the “Microsoft Entra ID”.
Next, we need to select the “Target Resources” and select “Include”.
If you want to protect your Azure portal only, then choose the “Select apps” option and “Select” only “Microsoft Admin Portals”. This application covers access to Microsoft Azure and some other management portals.
Important: If you choose the “All cloud apps” option, take into account that you might have configured your Parallels Browser Isolation (PBI) solution to be federated with “Microsoft Entra ID,” and therefore, you need to make sure you exclude the application that was created in “Microsoft Entra ID” for PBI from this policy. If not, you won’t be able to log in on PBI.
On the “Conditions” settings, we now have to enable the “Locations” filter. We want to have this policy enabled for all locations except for the “Parallels Browser Isolation” location created in the first step of this procedure.
To do this, under “Include”, select “Any Network,” and under “Exclude,” select “Select Locations” and select the “Named Location” you created earlier, in my case, “Parallels Browser Isolation” location.
The other conditions like “User risk”, “Sign-in risk”, “Device platforms”, “Client apps,” and “Filter for devices” can remain in the default configuration and don’t need to be modified.
The final steps are to set the “Access Controls” to “Block access”, set “Enable policy” to “On,” and save it.
Now that the conditional access is configured, your next step is to make sure the users can access Microsoft Azure via Parallels Browser Isolation (PBI).
To do this, log in and go to the PBI admin portal. Click on “Applications” —> “Add Application” —> “Secure Web Application”.
Start by setting the “Name“and the “Icon”. Set “https://portal.azure.com” as a start URL.
Under “Domains,” you have now to specify all URLs that are used by Azure.
For some SaaS applications, this is a single domain, but for Microsoft Azure, the list is pretty long (this is the full list of all domain names used by Microsoft Azure).
You can add the individual subdomains or only the main domains. In the example below we simplified the list of domains to include only the main domains, but not the individual subdomains. Also, we added all possible domains, not just the ones linked to the Microsoft Azure login but all the individual services.
The following domains have been added:
aadrm.com
azconfig.io azure.com azure.net azureedge.net azuresynapse.net loganalytics.io |
login.live.com microsoft.com
microsoftonline-p.com microsoftonline.com msauth.net msauthimages.net msftauth.net |
msftauthimages.net
office.com status.microsoft trafficmanager.net windows.net |
Under the “Access for secure web applications,” select the users or groups in PBI that must have access to Microsoft Azure. Optionally, select an extra policy you want to apply to this application. If the policy doesn’t exist yet, you must first save the application, create a new policy, and then edit the app and assign the newly created policy.
Before creating the policy, don’t forget to save the configuration. You do this by clicking on the bottom of the screen on “Add”.
Once that is done you will see the app in the list of published apps.
In this example, I want extra security on top of Microsoft Azure and, therefore, will create an extra policy to block “copy/paste”, “download”, and “printing” and have a watermark on the screen to make it more difficult to take screenshots.
To create a new policy in the right menu bar, click on “Policies” —>“Add”
Again, we start with setting a “Name”. My policy will be called “Microsoft Apps Policy”, and the idea is that I can apply this same policy to other published Microsoft applications I may want to publish in PBI later.
I want to apply the policy to all users, so I will set the filter for “Users and Groups” to disabled.
Same for the “Active Hours”, I keep it set to disabled.
For the “Location,” I can implement the geo-restriction. As we have restricted access to Azure to only PBIIP addresses with conditional access, we can’t set country-based geo-restrictions at that level.
In my example, I have geo-restricted Microsoft Azure access to “Belgium”, “France”, “Germany”, “Italy”, “Netherlands”, “Portugal” and “Spain”.
On the “Security controls/Policy Features,” I enabled the “Disable printing”, “Disabled downloads,” and “Disable Clipboard” features.
Under “Security controls/End-user experience,” I enabled the following features:
The “Restrict URLs” options don’t need to change here — they can stay on the default values.
Finish creating the policy by clicking on “Save”. Now that the policy has been created, go back to the “Azure Portal” application and add the “Microsoft Apps Policy” to the application.
Now that we have published the “Azure Portal” application on PBI and configured the conditional access on Microsoft Entra ID, we can test if the setup works: First, we try to open it directly from the web browser.
This should not work as the conditional access only allows connections from the Parallels Brower Isolation IP addresses.
If we do the same thing but via Parallels Browser Isolation, it works. Also, note the watermark and the blue bar around the screen.
Now you have set up secure access to Microsoft Azure via Parallels Browser Isolation!
Learn more and sign up for a free trial of Parallels Browser Isolation.
The post How-to: Providing secure access to Microsoft Azure with Parallels Browser Isolation appeared first on Server and Cloud Blog.
]]>The post Announcing Parallels Browser Isolation: Your gateway to safer web access with enhanced policy control appeared first on Server and Cloud Blog.
]]>Traditional security methods can’t fully protect you from advanced attacks targeting web browsing.
Today, Parallels introduces its latest, unique cloud-native and secure web access service, Parallels Browser Isolation. This solution allows organizations to confidently and securely access SaaS apps and more, better enabling global collaboration and remote working.
It’s your gateway to safer web access with enhanced policy control.
Bid goodbye to the hassles of securing web access, managing browser vulnerabilities, and worrying about online threats.
Welcome to a new era of effortless, robust, and efficient browser isolation that ensures a safe, scalable, and seamless browsing experience for your entire organization. PBI provides secure web access for remote workers, contractors, and compliance-focused industries.
Ready to try Parallels Browser Isolation now? Sign up for your free trial!
Parallels Browser Isolation provides a secure way to access web applications, including Software as a Service (SaaS) and other cloud-based applications, right from your favorite web browser on your laptop or desktop.
It provides top-notch security against web-based threats by running web applications in a separate, secure browser environment in the cloud. This creates an “air gap” between the user’s web browsing and your company’s network.
Parallels Browser Isolation streamlines onboarding and management with an intuitive web-based admin portal with granular policy control and real-time plus historical insights.
Parallels Browser Isolation Isolates web browsing to protect users and the organization from web-based attacks, ensuring secure access across all locations and devices.
Ensures the safety of users and organizational assets by securely rendering websites in a remote browser container, effectively preventing any malicious content from reaching the user’s device.
Parallels Browser Isolation offers a streamlined and detailed policy engine for easy management.
It enables content filtering by geography or category and customization of access policies for clipboard, printing, and file transfers, alongside the ability to allow trusted domains and block specific URLs.
This granular approach significantly reduces risks, ensuring secure web browsing and SaaS application use with enhanced control, aligning operational flexibility with stringent security needs efficiently.
Parallels Browser Isolation provides comprehensive, real-time insights into the actions and activities of both users and administrators, alongside detailed historical data for in-depth analysis. This dual focus on real-time and historical insights offers a nuanced understanding of user behavior and administrative actions, enabling more informed decision-making and enhanced security protocols.
With Parallels Browser Isolation, organizations can monitor and review user and admin activities with unprecedented clarity and detail, facilitating a deeper understanding of their digital environment’s dynamics.
This powerful feature ensures that businesses have the necessary tools to analyze trends, identify potential security threats, and make data-driven decisions to bolster their cybersecurity posture.
Parallels Browser Isolation offers a predictable and transparent pricing structure, ensuring that businesses have clear expectations of costs.
With predictable pricing, Parallels Browser Isolation presents businesses with straightforward cost forecasts, eliminating financial surprises and allowing for effective budget planning.
PBI is expandable throughout the Parallels ecosystem, offering a full workspace solution for accessing apps and desktops from on-premises or cloud. Plus, it is compatible with external identity providers (IdPs), including Microsoft Entra ID, Okta, and Ping.
Adding Parallels Browser Isolation is beneficial for existing Parallels customers using Parallels Secure Workspace, Parallels RAS, and Parallels DaaS who want to enhance the security of their SaaS apps and enable secure web browsing as well as organizations in need of a stand-alone remote browser isolation solution.
It’s designed for organizations seeking a comprehensive secure workspace solution that want to enhance the security of their SaaS apps and enable secure web browsing.
Parallels Browser Isolation supports legacy apps, desktops, SaaS, and web applications, catering to a wide range of business needs and types of IT environments.
Setting up Parallels Browser Isolation is straightforward; in just four easy steps, administrators can launch a secure browsing session, ensuring users can safely access SaaS apps.
Fast setup — with no IT overhead, get a secure, efficient web browsing experience set up in less than 10 minutes, with no learning curve. You can launch a secure session for users in under five minutes!
Register an account and access Parallels Browser Isolation.
Configure security policies and publish your applications.
Invite users to access published applications.
Users launch a secure session for access to applications.
This is Parallels Browser Isolation admin portal, where admins can configure policies. Adding SaaS apps and secure browsers is as simple as a few clicks. The intuitive dashboard is designed for clarity and efficiency.
Within this admin portal, admins can manage users with ease, gaining valuable insights through live reports and audits.
The dashboard supplies you with an instant snapshot, including active users, applications, and policies, along with a 30-day overview of user sessions, browser activities, and policy compliance.
This is how the Parallels Browser Isolation portal appears to an end user, and below that, you can see how a secure browsing session is experienced from the end user’s perspective.
“Browser isolation is getting the attention and investment that is due in the market. Strategically, Zero Trust requires that we don’t trust the internet, and we don’t trust our users not to interact with malicious content. Using Parallels Browser Isolation aligns with that requirement and can help a business enable this critical strategy. And it does so without negatively impacting the user experience”
-Chase Cunningham, Dr. Zero Trust and cybersecurity expert
Discover secure web access with Parallels Browser Isolation.
Sign up now for a free trial and join our webinar to learn more about how PBI can safeguard your digital interactions. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to enhance your organization’s security and efficiency.
Parallels Browser Isolation is secure browsing, simplified — it’s your gateway to safer web access with enhanced policy control.
The post Announcing Parallels Browser Isolation: Your gateway to safer web access with enhanced policy control appeared first on Server and Cloud Blog.
]]>The post Marching ahead with the Parallels platform appeared first on Server and Cloud Blog.
]]>In this post, I’d like to emphasize the importance of Parallels Browser Isolation and how it seamlessly integrates into our strategic Parallels platform, empowering our customers and partners to navigate the changing end-user computing and security landscape with confidence.
Cybersecurity threats are multiplying at an alarming pace, fueled by the rise of remote work, BYOD, and the widespread adoption of SaaS applications. A recent survey paints a stark picture — a staggering 41% of organizations from different sectors experienced security breaches in the past year, highlighting the severity and prevalence of these threats.
With a growing need to protect their organization’s data from inadvertent compromises caused by cybersecurity incidents, administrators are looking for simple solutions to secure their data and applications.
Parallels has unified remote access as a single vendor capable of providing access to legacy applications – with Parallels RAS and Parallels Secure Workspace through VDI, as well as Parallels DaaS in the cloud. And now, with the addition of Parallels Browser Isolation securing remote access to SaaS applications. The need for secure access to apps and data has never been more pressing for organizations of all sizes.
By consolidating access under a single vendor, Parallels provides partners and customers with a one-stop shop for all their security access needs. There’s no need to juggle expensive secure access alternatives—Parallels Browser Isolation provides a way for partners and customers to use Parallels to access important tools that were previously only offered by CASB or DLP solutions.
With the launch of Parallels Browser Isolation, the Parallels team is not just enhancing security, but evolving the way customers and partners solve their application delivery and access challenges.
By implementing a hub and spoke model, we’ve centralized control through a robust control plane (the hub) that is architected to connect all Parallels products between endpoint, server, and cloud (the spokes). Parallels DaaS and Parallels Browser Isolation are the first two services in this hub and spoke model.
This milestone represents a significant step towards achieving our vision of a centralized hub for all Parallels products, streamlining operations for administrators, and ensuring a cohesive user experience.
Now, customers and partners can confidently rely on Parallels to securely access a wide range of applications, including legacy, cloud, desktop, and SaaS, all within our holistic platform of secure workspace solutions.
One of the first principles for Parallels has been to keep it simple for customers (administrators and end-users).
Moreover, Parallels offers a unified administrator experience that makes it easy for admins to deploy and manage desktops and applications. With our cloud services, we are building a centralized control plane that allows the management of various services via a common management interface.
The Parallels Browser Isolation release plays a vital role in realizing our central hub and spoke model. By addressing critical security perimeters, Parallels Browser Isolation becomes the cornerstone of building a seamless and comprehensive experience that encompasses remote access to all applications used by an organization.
We have a pipeline brimming with exciting innovations, all ensuring that Parallels remains at the forefront of technological advancement.
We assure our users that Parallels is and will be committed to innovation and user-centric solutions in the intersection of cybersecurity and end-user-computing (EUC) areas.
Access your Parallels Browser Isolation trial now.
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]]>The post Empowering Businesses: The role of MSPs in delivering Desktop as a Service (DaaS) appeared first on Server and Cloud Blog.
]]>As organizations strive to maintain operational continuity, optimize their resources, and secure sensitive data, Desktop as a Service (DaaS) has emerged as a pivotal solution for MSPs.
The DaaS market is expected to be worth 18.7 Billion USD by 2032 at a 21% CAGR, meaning MSPs can play a crucial role in providing organizations with a comprehensive and tailored approach that surpasses the benefits of organizations implementing solutions independently.
DaaS solutions provide an ideal transition for MSPs already overseeing client endpoints that are hosted on-premises or in private data center environments, facilitating a seamless shift to the cloud. The transition to DaaS presents a strategic move and offers a range of advantages.
Among these advantages is the advanced security functionality that is inherent in DaaS environments.
These solutions often come equipped with robust security measures, including encryption, multi-factor authentication (MFA), and centralized management tools.
MSPs can leverage these features to deliver their clients’ data and applications, while ensuring a higher level of protection in the cloud than may be feasible in on-premises environments.
DaaS emerges as an ideal solution for MSPs seeking to deliver VDI for their customers.
Offering a straightforward approach that mitigates the need for specialized talent well-versed in VDI or EUC technology, the ease of use and simplicity of management of DaaS through a singular console allows MSPs to establish proof of concept (PoC) environments swiftly, providing customers with access to operational desktop solutions in almost no time.
The meteoric rise of the remote work culture necessitates technologies that enable seamless connectivity regardless of physical location. DaaS solutions empower MSPs to provide their customers access to virtual desktops and applications from anywhere with an internet connection.
One of the fundamental advantages of DaaS is its inherent scalability. Organizations can dynamically adjust their desktop infrastructure in response to fluctuating workloads and evolving needs. MSPs can help them scale, ensuring their customers can seamlessly expand or streamline their resources without operational disruptions, optimizing efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
The pervasive adoption of cloud services has substantially bolstered the DaaS market. Cloud infrastructure has matured into a reliable, secure, and cost-effective option, making DaaS an appealing choice for businesses seeking to streamline their desktop environments. MSPs can leverage their expertise to navigate the intricate landscape of cloud services, ensuring optimal performance, scalability, and security within the DaaS framework.
Amid the transition to DaaS, data security emerges as a paramount concern. The storage of sensitive data in the cloud necessitates robust security measures to fortify against potential data breaches and unauthorized access. MSPs specializing in DaaS offer comprehensive security protocols, including encryption, multi-factor authentication, and proactive threat monitoring, thereby assuaging organizations’ security apprehensions.
While some organizations might contemplate implementing DaaS solutions independently, the expertise and comprehensive support provided by MSPs present a compelling case for collaboration.
MSPs offer specialized knowledge, round-the-clock support, proactive monitoring, and strategic guidance, ensuring that businesses leverage DaaS to its fullest potential while mitigating risks and maximizing benefits.
By taking charge of the complex billing and licensing processes, MSPs can streamline the financial aspects for their clients. They can provide simplified, consolidated invoices and optimize their clients’ budgets through strategic cost management techniques.
As organizations navigate the complexities of remote work integration, cloud adoption, data security, scalability, and technological advancements, MSPs emerge as indispensable partners. Their specialized expertise, coupled with a holistic approach to managing and optimizing DaaS solutions, positions MSPs as facilitators of transformative and resilient business environments in an increasingly digital landscape.
Parallels DaaS stands out as a cutting-edge solution tailored for MSPs aiming to elevate their service offerings. The platform revolutionizes the delivery of desktop services to clients by optimizing manageability, scalability, and security.
Its core strength lies in its cloud-native architecture, which simplifies deployment and maintenance while ensuring exceptional user experiences across devices via a modern HTML5-based web-browser interface.
Parallels DaaS excels in several key areas:
Built in the cloud, Parallels DaaS capitalizes on agility, cost-effectiveness, and resilience. Its architecture strategically places access points closer to both data and users, enhancing MSP performance and reducing latency.
The ability to swiftly scale desktop infrastructure according to fluctuating demands allows MSPs to optimize costs without compromising on performance or accessibility.
Leveraging a web-based management portal, Parallels DaaS empowers MSPs to provide their customers with access to applications and desktops. The management portal streamlines administrative tasks, making it simpler to configure and manage various aspects of the DaaS environment.
Parallels DaaS sets a high bar for security by isolating the control and data layers. The gateway service operates within the client’s environment, ensuring that access control is managed by Parallels while keeping the sensitive data securely within the client’s domain. This innovative approach enhances data security and compliance measures.
MSPs can elevate their DaaS offering by replacing on-premises, private data centers or outdated DaaS environments. The platform’s flexibility enables MSPs to optimize costs providing a more predictable cost structure, empowering MSPs to manage expenses effectively and enhance profitability.
Parallels DaaS reduces the barrier to entry for MSPs transitioning into this space. This ease of deployment and management without the requirement of highly skilled specialized technical staff allows MSPs to focus more on service delivery and client satisfaction rather than grappling with complex technical requirements.
Parallels DaaS optimizes cloud spending by efficiently managing resources, leading to lower overall costs for MSPs and ultimately increasing profits through a more streamlined and cost-effective service delivery.
By leveraging Parallels DaaS, MSPs can gain a competitive edge. The solution’s unique architecture not only streamlines operations but also fortifies security measures. It ensures a seamless and secure desktop experience for end users while simplifying management tasks for service providers.
Ready to try it? Sign up for your free trial and learn more about Parallels DaaS!
The post Empowering Businesses: The role of MSPs in delivering Desktop as a Service (DaaS) appeared first on Server and Cloud Blog.
]]>The post Unpacking Desktop as a Service (DaaS): A powerful tool for modern workforces appeared first on Server and Cloud Blog.
]]>Leading providers like Parallels offer convenient access to virtual desktops, eliminating the need for upfront investments in hardware and software.
DaaS leverages private or public cloud services, enabling multiple users to access virtual desktops over the Internet. The cloud provider takes care of everything, from infrastructure management to security, ensuring seamless and reliable access to virtual desktops. With an internet connection, users can access their desktops from any device, anywhere, using an endpoint application or web browser.
DaaS offers numerous benefits for organizations, including:
While DaaS offers several advantages, it is essential to compare it with traditional VDI to understand its suitability for your organization:
In summary, the choice between DaaS and VDI depends on your organization’s specific needs and resources. DaaS is ideal for organizations that:
VDI, on the other hand, is better suited for organizations that:
Many companies are increasingly transitioning to the DaaS model due to its benefits. Some of the organizations that can benefit from a shift to DaaS offerings include:
Before choosing an appropriate DaaS provider, you must first determine if DaaS or Desktop as a Service is the right approach for your organizational needs.
For example, you could have a scenario where employees are used to accessing resources through local PCs in an on-premises IT infrastructure. In this type of environment, it makes business sense to determine if a transition to cloud-based VDI can save costs and free up more resources.
Start by weighing the merits and demerits of VDI versus DaaS. For instance, do you have the necessary virtualization expertise, time, and other tools to manage on-premises IT infrastructure in-house, or would transitioning to DaaS make more business sense?
DaaS represents a significant advancement in desktop solutions, enabling organizations to embrace a more agile and efficient work environment. Its inherent benefits, like increased productivity, cost savings, and enhanced security, make DaaS a compelling choice for businesses of all sizes.
As DaaS offerings continue to evolve, these solutions are poised to become an essential tool for the modern workforce. As businesses seek to embrace modern work practices, understanding the benefits and challenges of DaaS is crucial.
By making informed decisions about their desktop infrastructure, organizations can unlock new levels of efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and security to thrive in the competitive landscape.
Parallels DaaS stands as a testament to the power of desktop as a service, offering organizations a comprehensive and secure solution tailored to their unique needs.
Our platform empowers businesses to enhance employee productivity, optimize costs, and achieve greater flexibility in a rapidly changing world.
Check out Parallels DaaS today.
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]]>The post Parallels celebrates the VIPP Class of 2024! appeared first on Server and Cloud Blog.
]]>Our VIPP Program honors outstanding IT community professionals, technical wizards, and contributors in the end-user computing (EUC) realm. Join me in welcoming this year’s members!
Their invaluable insights and feedback play a pivotal role in shaping the future of the Parallels® Portfolio, including Parallels RAS (Remote Application Server), Parallels Secure Workspace, Parallels DaaS, Parallels Browser Isolation (PBI) and Parallels Desktop, as well as community tools for remote work and cloud computing.
The VIPP Program recognizes the exceptional contributions and dedication of each member in acquiring and sharing their expert knowledge across diverse EUC technologies.
Our VIPP members wield substantial influence, guiding product strategy through their wealth of experience and deep understanding of industry trends and market needs.
Whether they’re publishing insightful blog posts and articles, organizing virtual and in-person community gatherings, sharing technical resources and documentation, presenting at IT conferences and user groups, or actively engaging in online discussions, their unwavering support for Parallels and the EUC community is truly invaluable.
These remarkable individuals consistently demonstrate their real-world expertise in EUC, and we’re incredibly proud to honor and reward their substantial contributions to the community.
Please join us in congratulating our esteemed 2024 VIPP awardees and current members:
Interested in learning about the Parallels VIPP Program? Discover how to become a member or email VIPP@parallels.com to learn more.
The post Parallels celebrates the VIPP Class of 2024! appeared first on Server and Cloud Blog.
]]>The post Potential disruptions for MSPs in the wake of VMware’s acquisition by Broadcom appeared first on Server and Cloud Blog.
]]>This encompasses vendor partnerships and continuity in delivering managed services to customers.
As the bridge connecting organizations to solutions that deliver reliable technical services, the success of the MSP model hinges on the dependability and reliability of their chosen vendors and platforms.
In other words, building a profitable managed services portfolio depends on forging strong partnerships with vendors like Parallels RAS, who can provide long-term stability, support, and innovation.
These partnerships ensure the delivery of seamless services and contribute to the financial stability crucial for the MSP model to operate successfully.
Equally vital is the cultivation of trust with vendor partnerships — a trust rooted in their partner programs’ reliability.
The recent disruptions sparked by Broadcom’s acquisition of VMware have left some MSPs facing a significant hurdle. It’s been reported that their ability to transact as Cloud Services Providers under the VMware Partner Connect Program ends in April.
This shift requires MSPs delivering VMware solutions to sign up for a new Partner Program. This adds uncertainty and potential changes to their existing partner terms and agreements.
This shift could cause disruption of services for MSPs or, even worse, their customers opting to switch providers, resulting in the loss of long-term customers.
Are you an MSP looking to shift from VMWare? Sign up for our Parallels RAS Partner Program!
MSPs are entrusted with delivering seamless services to their customers.
They rely heavily on vendors to provide stable solutions across infrastructure, platforms, and software to ensure business continuity for everyone involved.
Broadcom’s acquisition of VMware introduces an element of unpredictability, emphasizing the need for MSPs to swiftly adapt and maintain the reliability their clients depend on.
For MSPs, service disruptions (regardless of the cause) can be devastating.
This is true for their operations but, more importantly, for their customers who rely on uninterrupted access to critical applications and resources.
Changes to the business ecosystem may pose challenges, threatening the smooth delivery of services that MSPs build their reputations upon.
The business model of MSPs is intricately tied to a steady and recurring income stream, often generated through monthly billing and long-term contracts.
The turbulence caused by changes to vendor partnerships raises concerns about potential disruptions impacting financial stability.
Amidst this turbulence, MSPs must have a strategic mindset. Some key considerations include:
MSPs must swiftly adapt to the new changes in Partner Programs, ensuring a seamless transition for both their internal operations and customer services.
Clear and transparent communication with customers is essential. MSPs need to inform customers about potential changes in services and reassure them of their commitment to continued excellence.
Exploring additional partnerships and service offerings can provide MSPs with a diversified portfolio, mitigating risks associated with a single vendor reliance.
As MSPs try to adapt to the shifts brought on by the Broadcom acquisition of VMware, a silver lining emerges – the seamless and comprehensive solution provided by Parallels RAS.
In times of uncertainty, Parallels RAS stands out as a stable option, offering MSPs a robust platform to deliver managed desktop and application services without interruption.
Parallels RAS simplifies the complex landscape for MSPs by providing a unified solution with a single license model.
This not only streamlines the licensing process but also ensures that MSPs clearly understand their operational costs, offering financial stability and control.
One of the standout features of Parallels RAS is its ability to manage and administer customer environments across on-premises, cloud environments, and/or hybrid scenarios.
MSPs using Parallels RAS are empowered with the flexibility to provide services from their platform(s) of choice, adapting to the diverse needs of their customers without compromising efficiency or security.
Parallels RAS excels in providing a user-friendly experience for both MSPs and their customers. Its seamless integration capabilities enable MSPs to effortlessly incorporate Parallels RAS into their existing infrastructure, reducing the technical learning curve and minimizing disruptions to ongoing operations.
In an era where multi-cloud strategies are growing in popularity, Parallels RAS can be delivered across a mix of public cloud vendors like AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud.
You can select the best cloud platform to deliver your solutions of choice and avoid vendor lock-ins.
Parallels simplifies management and administrative aspects for MSPs.
With centralized management and monitoring tools, MSPs have granular control over their clients’ environments, facilitating efficient administration, troubleshooting, and performance optimization.
The Parallels MSP Partner program provides free technical training and certifications to ensure your technical staff is equipped with the latest knowledge and expertise.
The free 24/7 technical support also alleviates the pressure on internal staff, providing a safety net for troubleshooting and problem resolution.
As MSPs navigate uncertainty, adopting Parallels RAS offers a unified, flexible, and comprehensive solution.
Parallels RAS equips MSPs with the tools and technical training they need to confidently approach the future, ensuring the continuity of services for their clients while maintaining the financial stability crucial to building an MSP business model.
Sign up for the Parallels Partner program and learn how Parallels RAS can help your MSP business.
The post Potential disruptions for MSPs in the wake of VMware’s acquisition by Broadcom appeared first on Server and Cloud Blog.
]]>The post Unleashing the power of Parallels RAS: Elevating your Microsoft RDS deployments appeared first on Server and Cloud Blog.
]]>However, as technology evolves, so do the demands of modern workers and IT managers.
In this blog post, I’ll explore the pain points of traditional Microsoft RDS deployments and unveil the top-notch benefits that Parallels RAS brings to the table, revolutionizing the landscape of remote application and virtual desktop delivery.
Since its initial release with Windows Server 2008, Microsoft RDS has been a cornerstone of remote computing, bringing together various server roles like Remote Desktop Session Host, Virtualization Host, Licensing, Connection Broker, and Web Access.
While the original RDS solution has facilitated remote collaboration, it may no longer meet the evolving needs of IT managers and the workforce.
Hybrid and migration | Complex configuration | Security
concerns |
Lack of
innovation |
Limited user experience |
Limited support for remote working practices and phase-out migration plans. | Setting up and configuring RDS can be complex, especially for unfamiliar users. | RDS is complex with aging technologies, requiring extensive configuration for cybersecurity protection. | Managing RDS deployments can be cumbersome due to the manual and unintuitive process involved. | Insufficient features to support or boost the productivity of the workforce. |
Organizations are increasingly embracing adaptable frameworks, enabling employees to operate remotely and in physical offices. This shift towards hybrid and remote work signifies a fundamental change in the traditional workplace and compounds the challenges for RDS business users.
According to the 2023 Parallels hybrid cloud survey, a substantial number of respondents—77%—have embraced a hybrid working model with teams seamlessly transitioning between on-site and remote work.
64% of survey participants have already adopted a hybrid cloud strategy, effectively utilizing both on-premises and cloud infrastructures.
The flexibility it provides is the primary motivation for 49% of respondents to adopt hybrid virtualization technology.
This transformative evolution is propelled by advancements in communication tools, a heightened awareness of the importance of a healthy work-life balance, and the resilience demonstrated in the face of global disruptions. Collectively, these factors prompt a reassessment of conventional work structures.
For RDS environments, the inability to cater to evolving business demands and shifting employee work habits is exacerbated by limited hybrid capabilities.
However, Parallels RAS can help overcome this challenge.
With its support for hybrid deployments and a diverse set of features facilitating work-from-anywhere practices, businesses with RDS environments can move forward and align with the dynamic landscape of modern working habits and practices.
Parallels has been pioneering virtualization solutions for businesses and users around the world since 1999, enabling access to critical data and applications for millions of customers.
Parallels has a range of different solutions that can address the different business and IT needs and complexities of RDS customers.
Parallels RAS is a versatile virtual application and desktop delivery solution, enabling secure remote work for organizations of all sizes.
It provides an agile, cloud-ready foundation with end-to-end security and a centralized management console.
Support on-premises, hybrid, or public cloud deployments and seamless integration with platforms like Azure Virtual Desktop and Amazon EC2.
This solution offers flexibility, scalability, and IT agility to swiftly respond to evolving business requirements under a comprehensive, single licensing model that includes 24/7 technical support plus access to free training sessions and other learning materials.
It is a delivery solution.
It’s not the hypervisor, but we support many different hypervisors, including VMware ESX, Microsoft Hyper-V, Scale, Nutanix, and other popular options.
Parallels RAS is not the content host or the “back end,” though we offer the flexibility to connect to various infrastructure types.
Parallels RAS is the delivery management and customer experience side of a virtual desktop infrastructure. It sits on the hypervisor between the end user and the content, servers, and the back-end VDI solution.
Parallels RAS can not only deliver on the same core use cases that lead many customers to opt for an RDS environment in the first place but also mitigate the typical pain points many customers are currently dealing with.
RDS offers limited support for remote working practices and phase-out migration plans like moving to a cloud environment.
However, Parallels RAS supports on-premises, cloud and multi-cloud, hybrid, and native support for cloud technologies like Azure Virtual Desktop.
All infrastructure is deployed and managed directly within the administration portal, offering a much-improved administration experience working with multiple environments.
Unlike RDS, which introduces complexity to the process of setting up and configuring an RDS environment, Parallels RAS offers a streamlined and user-friendly experience.
Thanks to its intuitive management console, wizard-based guides, and extensive automation features, the entire process of setting up, configuring, and managing your environment becomes exceptionally straightforward.
This simplicity not only saves valuable IT administration hours but also eliminates the need for costly training sessions.
As an aging technology, RDS demands intricate configuration to meet modern cybersecurity standards, yet there are instances where this alone may not suffice.
In contrast, Parallels RAS excels in enhancing security throughout crucial phases of application and desktop delivery.
For instance, it employs cutting-edge TLS 1.3 security protocols that ensure robust protection. Moreover, Parallels RAS extends security measures to end users through multi-factor Authentication (MFA).
The inclusion of thorough auditing, user monitoring, and forensics adds a layer of detailed security analytics that sets Parallels RAS apart in the cybersecurity realm.
Ineffectual solutions that fail to align with your evolving needs can significantly hinder productivity, a common challenge faced by numerous RDS users.
Parallels RAS addresses this issue by prioritizing innovation in areas of security, flexibility, user experience, and cost optimization. Noteworthy capabilities include autoscaling to empower IT admins to efficiently manage costs, especially in cloud-based environments like Azure Virtual Desktop.
Furthermore, features like FSLogix profile and container management and image templating effectively enhance user profile and image management with Parallels RAS.
Limiting features designed to support workforce productivity can have a significant impact on the user experience—something that current RDS users are likely familiar with.
Fortunately, Parallels RAS supports a range of features to help increase productivity and improve the experience of end user professionals. Features like universal printing, AI-driven session prelaunch, and accelerated file redirection are all aimed at boosting productivity and efficiency within a work-from-anywhere strategy.
Parallels RAS supports a broad spectrum of endpoint choices, with client support for Windows OS, MacOS, and even a dedicated Parallels client for web. The Parallels client enhances user experience with modern and intuitive UI design, featuring customizable options including light/dark settings to allow users to adjust their environment to suit their needs and ultimately work more productively.
Parallels solutions are crafted to address the diverse challenges RDS customers encounter, catering to their specific circumstances and requirements.
Remote working | Application publishing | Dynamic scaling | Meet government compliancy | Graphical workloads |
Support modern organizations that work and collaborate remotely — at home, in the office, or on the go. | Enabling the delivery of key applications to end-users without the need to install them locally on their devices. | If contractors or seasonal workers are necessary, then Parallels can help dynamically scale resources to support this requirement. | Organizations engaged in government contracts necessitating stringent security compliance, such as FIPS 140-2 measures. | Businesses with design, video editing, or animation teams that require the support of professional graphics apps and content. |
Ready to try Parallels RAS for yourself? Get your full-featured free trial here and start your journey towards an improved RDS environment.
The post Unleashing the power of Parallels RAS: Elevating your Microsoft RDS deployments appeared first on Server and Cloud Blog.
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