MacDonald Training Center Has Chosen Parallels RAS
“A perfect solution for providing MacDonald trainees and employees with quick, easy application and desktop delivery from any location, allowing worker productivity to soar.” Scott Dollar, Data-Tech, hosting provider for MacDonald Training Center, Inc.
MacDonald Training Center Company Overview
MacDonald Training Center (MTC), a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, offers people with disabilities living in and around Tampa, Florida key services to allow them to improve their everyday lives. This includes vocational skills training, community living and employment services. The availability of these services allows over 500 individuals annually to receive top-notch assistance to help them lead improved lives. The critical nature of MTC’s mission of empowering people with disabilities to lead the lives they choose means that facilitating technologies must be simple and easy to use, with unparalleled reliability.
The Challenge
Needing a trusted, reliable hosting provider, MTC considered Data-Tech, a Florida-based Parallels hosting provider and value-added reseller. Data-Tech provided a powerful, yet cost-effective solution, given the organization’s budgetary limitations. Scott Dollar of Data-Tech explains that the company “wanted to provide MTC with an extremely reliable application and desktop delivery solution, hosted in our datacenter, that met the organization’s needs in an extremely affordable way.” While Citrix was initially considered as a possible choice, Dollar notes that both Citrix XenApp and XenDesktop were “far beyond the price point for their budget.” Having recommended Parallels to other customers in the past, Dollar was pleased to use Parallels Remote Application Server (Parallels RAS) as “a perfect solution for providing MacDonald trainees and employees with quick, easy application and desktop delivery from any location, allowing worker productivity to soar.” MTC staff have since found Parallels RAS to be a great fit due to its ease of use and simple, intuitive interface, while its unparalleled affordability allowed cloud computing benefits to become a workplace reality.
The Solution
For simple, secure application and desktop delivery and remote access for MacDonald Training Center users, Data-Tech chose Parallels RAS, an all-in-one platform for access to published applications and desktops, as well as published virtual desktops, through virtually any hypervisor. The product was utilized on five terminal servers in the Data-Tech datacenter, achieving optimal server performance with Parallels’ resource-based load balancing. Constant uptime is guaranteed by Data-Tech datacenter redundancy, with MTC using its terminal server resources for Microsoft Office and financial accounting software, along with payroll and donor management applications. MTC staff note that they strive to “run everything through Parallels,” with users “easily able to understand how to use Parallels to access any remote application they need.”
Mobile Access and Ease of Use
Although MTC staff also benefited from Parallels RAS’ high affordability, Susan and Adelisa noted Parallels RAS’ biggest strengths to be its ease of use, and its compatibility with mobile devices.
Ease of Use
There’s no question that the move to Parallels RAS has allowed MTC to enjoy much greater ease of use than continued reliance on their existing solution. MTC staff note that when using standalone desktops, updates and upgrades were laborious, with technicians having to work individually on each standalone desktop. As the Parallels pricing model allowed the organization to enjoy cloud computing benefits at an extremely affordable price, the organization has now been able to centralize application and desktop delivery in a seamless, secure way, using Data-Tech’s datacenter. While Data-Tech has long trusted the “extremely reliable” Parallels RAS as a trusted Parallels Partner, MTC staff know that all that is required to access the applications and desktops they need is to use the Parallels Client on their desktops and mobile devices. As a result, Susan and Adelisa report that for accessing their core applications and desktops, “the process couldn’t be simpler!”
Mobile Access
Using the Parallels Client for remote access has greatly increased productivity and given more flexibility to MTC staff. The organization is currently using the Parallels Client on a Samsung Galaxy Tablet device and it is working seamlessly. A critical goal of the organization is to roll out the client to more mobile devices in order for coaches to complete tasks in the field and at individuals’ homes. These tasks include signing documents and translating case notes, which will dramatically increase productivity. Susan and Adelisa explain that while in-house application and desktop delivery has proven effective, the ability to access such functionality on mobile devices will “dramatically improve our capacity to serve our individuals,” so the Center can “be confident in Parallels’s commitment to provide clients for every major device on the market.” In short, Scott Dollar of Data-Tech notes that the benefits for both MacDonald Training Center and Data-Tech are “simplicity, efficiency and affordability…Parallels RAS just works!”
About Parallels
Parallels acquired 2X Software in February 2015. The synergy between the two companies will ensure provision of the best technology and expertise to businesses and individuals, enabling access to and use of any applications and files on any device, at any time, wherever the user is located.
Parallels is a global leader in virtual desktop, application delivery and mobile device management solutions. Thousands of organizations worldwide trust in the reliability and scalability of Parallels products. Parallels offers a range of solutions to make every organization’s shift to cloud computing simple and affordable. The company’s product line includes the award-winning Parallels Remote Application Server (Parallels RAS), providing platform-independent virtual desktop, application delivery and integrated thin client management from a single software package to any modern operating system, as well as to mobile devices including smartphones and tablets. Parallels Mobile Device Manager (Parallels MDM) offers a complementary (or standalone) solution that enables Parallels’s customers to monitor and manage corporate and employee-owned mobile devices. With Parallels MDM, customers can track their devices and remotely lock or delete data if a device is lost or stolen. In addition, organizations can monitor mobile devices for malware and remove inappropriate apps. For additional information, visit www.parallels.com or contact Giorgio Bonuccelli by email (Giorgio.Bonuccelli@parallels.com) or phone (+356 2258 3800).
About MacDonald Training Center
MTC is a private, non-profit organization committed to its mission of “empowering people with disabilities to lead the lives they choose.” MTC provides vocational skills training, life enrichment activities and community living services for adults with developmental disabilities. Additionally, MTC provides employment and placement services for people with a wide variety of disabilities. Business services to the community include packaging, sewing, and light manufacturing. MTC serves over 500 adults with disabilities in Tampa annually. Services are provided in both Tampa and Plant City. For more information, please visit: www.macdonaldcenter.org/.
About Data-Tech
Data-Tech is your technology solutions partner providing private datacenter hosting and managed IT services internationally. Our helpdesk is available 24/7/365 helping our clients solve their technology challenges in a quick and efficient manner. At Data-Tech our goal is to build partnerships with our clients and to supply them with cutting edge solutions at cost-effective prices. For more information, please visit: www.datatechitp.com and http://www.2x.com/data-tech/
