Remote access to corporate resources is essential to ensuring business continuity. There are a variety of ways to provide this access.

While both give remote users access to an organization's resources, DaaS and VPN differ in user-friendliness, performance, security and manageability. IT administrators should examine the similarities and differences between the two services to determine which one best suits their goals.

Desktop as a service (DaaS) gives end users access to a virtual desktop that is hosted in the cloud. With this option, IT admins can manage virtual desktops while the DaaS provider handles the hosting infrastructure setup and management. When end users connect to the virtual desktop, the DaaS provider streams the screen of the virtual desktop over a network to the endpoint devices. The display signal of the desktop is the only data that goes to end users' personal devices.

End users might need access to a corporate application that requires a SQL database connection on the corporate network. With DaaS, the virtual desktop already has the application installed. The network the DaaS desktop is on has access to the SQL database. The only thing the end user must do is log into the DaaS offering, start the virtual desktop and open the application. The end user then has fast access to the SQL database because it's on the same network as the virtual desktop.

DaaS technology is also centralized, which means that organizations can manage all aspects of deployment from a single administrative interface. If IT administrators need to apply an update to desktops or business applications, they can easily do so and the update will immediately be distributed. Because DaaS gives IT the power to decide when a new version of the application is available to end users, with DaaS image management and virtualization software, the IT admin can run the update only once.

Popular DaaS offerings include Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop, Citrix Managed Desktops, VMware Horizon Cloud and Amazon Workspaces.

In addition to DaaS, VDI is another option for organizations to deploy virtual desktops. Both give an end user remote access to a virtual desktop and corporate resources, but there are some important differences between DaaS and VDI. With VDI, the organization creates, maintains and updates the virtual desktop environment. With DaaS, the DaaS provider handles these responsibilities for the back end and, in some cases, the front end of the deployment.

A VPN creates a tunnel, or agent, between two networks, allowing them to connect and transfer data. A business VPN enables end users to connect to corporate resources such as applications and data. A business VPN works via a client on end-user personal devices. The client can connect a private network over a public network -- such as the internet -- between that device and the corporate network. Users upload and download data over this connection. The virtual network is created with a secure sockets layer connection and is often end-to-end encrypted, enabling secure access between the networks.

Let's return to the example of an end user who needs access to a corporate application that requires a SQL database connection on the corporate network. The user signs into the VPN agent on the personal device, setting up the virtual network tunnel between the device and the corporate network. Because there is then a network connection through the VPN tunnel to the SQL database on the corporate network, the end user can start the corporate application locally from the device and it can reach this data. This makes VPN technology a decentralized approach.

Security is a significant consideration with VPNs. Users upload and download data when using a VPN, so data can end up on the end-user device.

With a VPN, every end-user device needs to have the corporate applications installed. The IT administrators must update every device when an application update is required as well. Because of this, VPN use is often combined with endpoint management tools such as Microsoft Endpoint Manager. With endpoint management software, IT organizations can distribute applications and updates to all devices, often through the internet. With its configuration, IT can also push the VPN agent updates with an endpoint management tool.

Security is a significant consideration with VPNs. Users upload and download data when using a VPN, so data can end up on the end-user device. In addition, a VPN gives end users direct access to a part of the corporate network. If the connection gets hacked, for example when using a weak or old digital certificate, the hacker has access to the company network. Network segmentation with VPNs is essential. Common examples of VPN software include OpenVPN, FirePass SSL VPN, NordLayer VPN and Cisco Systems VPN Client.

Both DaaS and VPN give secure remote access to applications and data, but the two options are rather different. VPNs are easy to set up on both the end-user side and the administrative side. They allow IT to onboard end users quickly. A new user downloads the VPN client, signs in and accesses the corporate network. With DaaS, the IT organization must give each new user a desktop, profile, home drive folder and other specific items, which might require more setup work than a VPN.

A VPN goes into the company network and, in doing so, provides access to applications and data. With the corporate data and applications at stake, security considerations include network segmentation, endpoint management and decentralizing applications. VPNs also rely heavily on internet quality for both the speed and the stability of the application. If, for example, an end user loses connection while updating a database, the database can get out of sync, with destructive results. Of course, VPNs require stable internet access as well, but if there are any network issues, a desktop running a VPN can still access local applications, documents and other aspects that don't rely on a secure internet connection.

With DaaS, the virtual desktop is in the corporate network, so data and applications do not leave the network. Users only receive the display from the desktop, making DaaS more secure than a VPN connection. This also means it's less reliant on internet connection. Protocols such as Citrix HDX, VMware View and Microsoft RDP are optimized, sending the user only the part of the screen that is updated, and they can scale in quality.

A disconnect while updating a database is not a problem with DaaS. The virtual desktop in the data center is talking to the database. Any disruptions in connectivity between the virtual desktop server and endpoint device will not affect the database update on the server side. When users sign back in after an interruption, they will be back at the same point where they left their sessions. This also allows users to switch between personal devices. Users can start a session on a PC, then disconnect in the morning and pick the session back up in the afternoon on a laptop.

The most significant factors in deciding between DaaS or a VPN are scale and security. If an organization needs to make one application on the corporate network available for end users from the internet, for example, DaaS might be too complex, as it creates an entire virtual desktop for each user. But if security is an organization's main concern, then DaaS might be the best option, even for just one application.

Organizations should also keep in mind that DaaS and VPN are both technologies for legacy applications and data. For example, if an organization migrates all of its data to a cloud platform such as SharePoint in Microsoft 365, users can automatically access the data through the internet without DaaS or VPN. This is also the case with SaaS applications. Additionally, web applications on the corporate network can be made internet-facing with an authenticated application proxy.

Read more from the original source:
What are the key differences between DaaS and VPN? - TechTarget

Matterport (MTTR -3.37%), a developer of 3D scanning software that creates "digital twins" of physical places, went public last July by merging with a special purpose acquisition (SPAC) company. After hitting an all-time high of $33.05 in November, its stock has since plummeted by more than 80% as investors fret over the company's slowing growth and widening losses.

I recently compared the bear and bull cases for Matterport and concluded that the bears would remain in charge until it scales up its business. But today, I want to focus on three lesser-known facts about this divisive company.

Image source: Getty Images.

In 2021, Matterport generated 71% of its revenue from its subscriptions, licenses, and services. The remaining 29% came from its products segment, which generates most of its revenue from its Pro2 3D Camera, which starts at $3,395.

However, Matterport also recently started to sell third-party 3D cameras alongside its pricey Pro2 3D, and it now provides 3D capture apps for iPhones and Android devices. It claims that selling cheaper third-party cameras and reaching more users with its mobile apps will drive increased adoption of its primary software solutions over the long term.

That might be true, but it also raises a troubling question about product cannibalization: Why would customers buy Matterport's expensive cameras when they can buy cheaper devices or simply use their phones?

Matterport's product revenue declined 2% last year to $32.5 million, but the segment's cost of revenue jumped 30% to $26.4 million. Those figures indicate that it might be smarter for the company to phase out its first-party cameras and let its mobile apps and third-party devices do the heavy lifting.

But opening up its platform to more devices could also erode its defenses against competitors like Zillow Group, which provides its own 3D scanning platform, and start-ups like EyeSpy360, Cupix, and Easypano. Therefore, while the gross margins for Matterport's first-party camera business could keep getting squeezed, it's unclear if it will ever exit the segment.

After a user scans a space with Matterport's software, the digital model is uploaded to its cloud-based platform, where it can't be accessed without a subscription. The growth of that platform at first glance looks impressive: The number of spaces under management rose 56% to 6.7 million in 2021, and the number of subscribers rose 98% to 503,000.

However, as of the end of the year, 448,000 of those subscribers were still using Matterport's free tier, which gives users access to one digital twin. That's a 113% increase from 2020. The number of paid users, who pay between $10 to $689 each month to access between five to 300 digital models, increased just 25% to 55,000.

Matterport believes it can convert more of those free users to paid users over time. But until and unless it demonstrates that to be true, it will be burdened with the cloud hosting costs for all of the free data associated with those accounts. That's probably why the company expects its adjusted net loss to more than double this year.

In its latest 10-K filing, Matterport admits that a lot of its smaller rivals in the spatial data market still suffer from "limited funding," and that "poor experiences" with those competing services could "hamper consumer confidence in the spatial data market and adoption or trust in providers."

At the same time, the company expects some of those competitors to be "acquired by third parties with greater resources." That strongly implies that tech giants like Apple and Alphabet, which have already integrated 3D scanning and augmented-reality features into their mobile operating systems, could threaten Matterport's long-term growth.

On the bright side for shareholders, Matterport could also become a takeover target.

Last year, Matterport made a longer-term forecast that it could generate $747 million in revenue in 2025. But in the wake of its slowdown in 2021, it would need to grow its top line at a compound annual rate of 61% from here to hit that target. Analysts expect its revenue to rise just 17% in 2022, and anticipate that it could accelerate to 49% growth in 2023 if it converts more free users to paid ones and overcomes its supply chain challenges.

But trading at 13 times this year's sales, Matterport's stock still isn't cheap enough to be considered undervalued. Cloud communications company Twilio (TWLO -5.97%), which expects more than 30% organic annualized sales growth over the next few years, trades at just 6 times this year's sales. Palantir (PLTR -5.02%), a data-mining firm, is targeting more than 30% revenue growth through 2025 and trades at 12 times this year's sales.

Simply put, Matterport's stock price could be cut in half again in this challenging market for growth stocks before it would be reasonable to consider it a value play. Investors should exercise caution and read the fine print before assuming that Matterport will permanently change how people virtually visit real-life places.

Excerpt from:
3 Things About Matterport That Smart Investors Know - The Motley Fool

PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The growing importance of data sovereignty, scrutiny of data access and control, and increasing geo-political friction is leading governments and regulated industries to closely analyze their cloud strategies and evaluate whom may have access to their data. The VMware Sovereign Cloud initiative helps customers identify and engage with trusted national or regional cloud service providers to meet their unique sovereign cloud requirements. Today, VMware, Inc. (NYSE: VMW) is announcing the expansion of the initiative with new partners, as well as new cloud-native developer-centric capabilities that bring more value to all VMware Cloud provider offerings.

The newest VMware Sovereign Cloud designated partners are IONOS SE, Saudi Telecom Company (STC), Sopra Steria AS, and TDRA. This brings the total to 14 participants in the VMware Sovereign Cloud initiative in distinct sovereign regions covering Canada, Mexico, Sweden, Norway, United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Italy, New Zealand, Australia, Saudi Arabia, UAE, India, and the United States.

We are pleased to welcome new partners to our Sovereign Cloud initiative and see existing partners demonstrate momentum in meeting the sovereign cloud requirements of customers around the world, said Rajeev Bhardwaj, vice president of product management, cloud infrastructure business group, VMware. New data services from Tanzu will enable all our VMware Cloud Provider partners, particularly, sovereign cloud-focused partners, to expand their data and application transformation portfolios and accelerate cloud adoption. This will allow customers to remain within sovereign regions and jurisdictional control while achieving cutting edge transformation at scale.

Customers Worldwide Turn to Sovereign Clouds built on VMware

VMware Cloud providers offer Sovereign Cloud solutions for customers in regulated industries, such as banking and finance, healthcare, local retail and ecommerce, energy, government services, defense, intelligence, regional telecom, and public sectors.

Hummingbird, an Australian IT services company providing a range of business enhancing services across government and the private sector, partnered with AUCloud as a sovereign cloud provider. Providing digital and managed services solutions across a broad range of industries, it is imperative that we meet the constantly evolving challenges of data protection, availability and governance, said Andrew Thomlinson-Munn, Solutions Architect, Hummingbird Solutions. Hummingbird Solutions choose to work with AUCloud as an IaaS provider for their strength in delivering hosting solutions on a proven platform with VMware and their ability to provide a sovereign cloud solution to conform to our customer's internal and regulatory compliance requirements. Working with AUCloud, which is part of the VMware Sovereign Cloud initiative, provides Hummingbird with the confidence that we are backed by a best-in-class infrastructure solution, with a partner that has the skills and expertise to complement our own.

Nimble, a leading Canadian supplier of document imaging products, services, and solutions, teamed with ThinkOn to meet the companys cloud sovereignty requirements. The success of any digital mailroom or document digitization solution relies heavily on the accuracy, security, and accessibility of the digitized documents, said Daryl Stott, VP Digital Transformation, Nimble Information Strategies Inc. Not only does that extracted data need to be highly accurate but the authority, control, and accessibility of this data must reside within Canadian Federal and Provincial boundaries to meet the data residency obligations of Nimble Information Strategies customers. Nimble partners with ThinkOn to align our data residency and security business needs with the strict data sovereignty demands and expectations of our clients.

Geoff Smith Associates (GSA) is a leader in supplying cloud-hosted IT solutions for Information Management, Covert Systems, Criminal Justice, and Case Management. Working extensively with the UK public sector requires GSA to operate within certain guidelines for cloud security and data privacy, said Geoff Smith, Managing Director, Geoff Smith Associates. GSAs ability to deliver our SaaS offering on UKClouds sovereign cloud technology has helped transform information management for some of the many UK Policing customers. With GSAs CycFreedom fully hosted cloud solution on UKCloud, we serve customers with agile, efficient, and cost-saving solutions for more secure and compliant management of their data.

New Developer-Ready Cloud Services Powered by VMware Tanzu

With VMware, cloud providers can extend beyond basic infrastructure and platform as a service and offer managed app modernization services for cloud-native workloads. Cloud providers can offer fully managed developer-ready clouds on the customers premises; hosted private clouds in partner data centers; or as a managed service on leading hyperscaler clouds. VMware is now offering VMware Tanzu Application Platform and VMware Tanzu Data Services portfolio for cloud provider partners to expand their developer-ready cloud services.

Tanzu Application Platform provides a rich set of developer tooling and a fast and simple path to production for developers to build and deploy software quickly and more securely on any compliant public cloud or on-premises Kubernetes clusters. Developers can start quickly with preconfigured templates, gain access to best-in-class tools in the application development pipeline, and create and maintain a more secure, sustainable, and reusable pathway for modern applications throughout their lifecycle. Importantly, customers can establish a clear separation between developers and operations for seamless app handoffs from development to production.

Tanzu Data Services is a portfolio of on-demand caching, messaging, and database software for development teams to use while building modern cloud-native applications. With Tanzu Data Services, which include Greenplum, SQL, Gemfire, and RabbitMQ, developers gain on-demand self-service access to these critical data services. Automated provisioning supports rapid development, testing, and continuous delivery practices for a consistent developer experience within Sovereign Clouds. Customers can bring legacy data into the cloud native model and more reliably run data services at web scale.

Data Protection and Security Offerings from Ecosystem Partners

VMwares large technology ecosystem helps ensure that sovereign cloud providers have a wealth of solutions to augment their offerings. Through VMware Cloud Director, VMware Cloud providers can easily leverage ecosystem partners to deliver integrated services, creating a robust platform to meet many Sovereign Cloud principles. VMware is working within this connected ecosystem to provide new capabilities in the following areas:

About VMware

VMware is a leading provider of multi-cloud services for all apps, enabling digital innovation with enterprise control. As a trusted foundation to accelerate innovation, VMware software gives businesses the flexibility and choice they need to build the future. Headquartered in Palo Alto, California, VMware is committed to building a better future through the companys 2030 Agenda. For more information, please visit http://www.vmware.com/company.

VMware, VMware Sovereign Cloud, and Tanzu are registered trademarks or trademarks of VMware, Inc. in the United States, and other jurisdictions. This article may contain hyperlinks to non-VMware websites that are created and maintained by third parties who are solely responsible for the content on such websites.

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VMware Helps Cloud Providers Globally Capture the Demand for Sovereign Cloud Services - Business Wire

Google and Pick Clouds partnership continues to benefit members of the MultiValue community by investing in the planet and reducing carbon footprints.

Google data centers are already carbon neutral. Each Google data center is twice as energy efficient as a typical enterprise data center. They deliver six times as much computing power for the same amount of electrical power, compared to five years ago, according to the vendor.

Some techniques they use are raising the temperature to 80F, using outside air for cooling, and building custom servers.

Virtual machines help to increase utilization and reduce energy emissions. Google has also added clean energy such as wind and solar. Machine learning algorithms can tell which tasks could be done in the day and which tasks could be done later (aka demand response).

Their goal is to run on carbon-free energy, 24/7, at all of their data centers by 2030. Not only that, but Google is sharing technology, funding, and methods to enable organizations around the world to transition to more carbon-free and sustainable systems.

Every single product in the Google Cloud is carbon neutral, from large businesses running on Google Cloud to Google Search.

There are many reasons why moving MV applications to the cloud makes sense being green and helping the planet is just one added benefit, according to Pick Cloud.

Not only are users helping the planet by hosting servers in the cloud, they gain all the benefits the cloud has to offer including but not limited to, saving money on energy costs.

For more information about this news, visit http://www.mypickcloud.com.

Read more:
Pick Cloud and Google Make it Easy for MV to Go Green - Database Trends and Applications