Unisys launches desktop virtualization service
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Unisys’s desktop as a service offering is designed to help CIOs manage costs by mixing virtual desktops and managed services.
Unisys introduced a desktop-as-a-service (DaaS) offering that lets organizations purchase individual desktop services without needing to acquire larger service bundles.
The Unisys DaaS package combines Unisys services and VMware’s Horizon architecture. It eliminates the need to purchase and maintain expensive desktop infrastructure and software licenses and can be hosted and managed in a VMware or Unisys data center or on-premises at a client site, Unisys said.
End users can tap the catalog of services to customize a virtual desktop tailored to their job requirements, according to Unisys, which they can access from tablets, smartphones, laptops, PCs or thin clients. In addition, IT staff can use the catalog to access Unisys managed services to maintain and monitor the virtual desktops.
"Providing your employees with the latest, most powerful desktop resources doesn't have to be a break-the-bank exercise any longer," said Larry Dunn, vice president, solution portfolio management, Unisys Enterprise Services.
The DaaS package “combines the efficiency of the cloud with a full range of IT managed services and end-user support services to provide … a more flexible, cost-efficient way to keep their workers productive and informed in their jobs."
Unisys DaaS also includes development and maintenance of virtual desktop images as well as patching and monitoring of virtual desktop instances. Unisys will also coordinate with their customer’s service desks to support users of those services. Data at rest encryption and anti-malware services are also available as options.
Capabilities of the Unisys DaaS are available through an integrated version of Unisys’s VantagePoint solution, the firm said, which aggregates business and IT services from multiple enterprise sources.
VantagePoint can provide a unified view of endpoint resources, giving users a simplified way to obtain support, information and services for their workspaces, including virtual desktops, the traditional desktop and mobile-device environments.
Unisys said its DaaS solution is built to Federal Risk Authorization and Management Program security standards for cloud-based products and services. The company is in the process of seeking FedRAMP certification for key North American data centers.
The Unisys DaaS solution is scheduled for general availability in the fourth quarter of 2014.
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