Joint Solution by NetApp and Desktone

NetApp, Inc. and Desktone, Inc. announced a solution that
simplifies the delivery of virtual desktops as a service (DaaS).

The solution helps service providers avoid the common challenges of virtual
desktop deployment by reducing startup costs, removing design and management
complexity, and improving performance.

With this solution, service providers can deploy a service that enables their customers to reap the benefits of
virtual desktops such as supporting mobile users, reducing the cost of desktop
support, helping to safeguard intellectual property, and supporting user demand
for ‘bring your own device policies’ policies.

The new service, built for cloud delivery
environments, features technology that enables a single infrastructure to be
scalable and cost efficient. Security is designed in at the application,
network, and storage layers to help maintain the privacy of customers’ data.

"Desktops as a Service
represents a high revenue opportunity. NetApp and Desktone’s enterprise-ready
desktops as a service solution enables service providers to deliver on-demand,
cost-effective solutions that allow enterprise IT to more easily meet their
end-user business objectives," said Brendon Howe, VP, product and solutions
marketing, NetApp.

The Desktone and NetApp integration takes advantage of NetApp
storage technologies, such as thin provisioning and deduplication,
to minimize storage requirements on a platform designed to use 50% less
storage. NetApp enables the near-instant provisioning of new virtual desktops
so that new customers and users can be up and running on the service fast.
NetApp Integrated Data Protection features allow service providers to deliver
enterprise data protection including point-in-time backups for user data,
self-restore, and data archiving.

The new solution supports deployment on FlexPod, a pretested and
validated data center platform for networking, computing and storage. The
FlexPod components include NetApp unified storage systems, Cisco Unified Computing
System servers, and Cisco Nexus switches. The FlexPod’s architecture can be optimized for mixed workloads with
scalability and it supports organizations with the move to virtualized, private
and public cloud environments.

This announcement
enables
the combined NetApp and Desktone solution to provide:

• 
  Multi-tenancy: Enables service providers to
  securely deliver desktops to multiple customers from one platform.
• Fast, low overhead provisioning:
  FlexClone technology enables near-instant provisioning of new desktops for
  users with little or no additional compute requirements.
• Administration self-service portal: Portal helps service providers or customers to manage desktop images, VMs,
  user assignments, and desktop support.
• Integrated reporting and billing systems:
  APIs support service provider-based business operations.
• Scale Out Architecture: Grid-based
  compute architecture tested to support up to 1,000,000 desktops from one
  platform and infrastructure.
• Complementary add-on services:
  Add home directories, group shares, and automated backup of user data
  with NetApp storage features.

Peter McKay, CEO, Desktone, said: "DaaS makes it easy for organizations to deliver virtual desktops by
eliminating cost and complexity issues. Service providers can take advantage of
this market opportunity by provisioning and deploying desktops on demand
through a scalable multi-tenant cloud platform. Today’s announcement by NetApp
and Desktone continues our commitment to delivering simple, flexible and
affordable cloud-hosted virtual desktops."

Tim Burke, CEO, Quest, said: "NetApp and Desktone’s solution provides a unique desktops as a service
offering for customers. Quest is able to deliver a robust DaaS solution to any
device at a lower price, helping our customers and partners realize significant
savings when compared to deploying a VDI internally."