A hosted desktop is a product set within the larger cloud-computing sphere. The product set commonly involves a browser-based connection to a desktop environment which includes an office productivity suite alongside other desktop applications. The desktop is hosted, run, delivered and supported from a central location, usually a secure data center with high-quality and resilient connections to the Internet/cloud. Cloud Desktop is a term often used to refer to a container of a collection of virtual objects, software, hardware, configurations etc., residing on the cloud, used by a client to interact with remote services and perform computer related tasks[1] .
Connecting clients run pre-installed or downloaded viewer applications via one of many remote desktop protocols. Clients can include thin clients, PCs, workstations, mobile and handheld devices running a variety of operating systems such as Windows, Mac OS X, Linux and others.
The move towards hosted desktops, of which Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) is a subset, is predicted by Gartner to account for 49 million business desktops by 2013[2]equal to more than 40 percent of the worldwide professional PC market.The development of applications by service providers such as Google and Microsoft have accelerated this process, as has the evolution of new licensing schemes which allow fee-paying based on a subscription rather than on purchase.
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The centralized nature of hosted desktops can overcome common issues with mobile working, delivery of a common infrastructure across physical sites, disaster recovery, cost control and scaling up/down in timely fashion. The limitations of available bandwidth can be an issue in some deployments but where a suitable network connection is in place the hosted solution works well.
Hosted desktop services can be a comparatively simple method for applying outsourcing principles within a business although care is warranted in ensuring service provider quality to ensure compliance, data security and data protection standards meet requirements.
A Canadian provider describes its hosted desktop on its website as: "[...] a combination of IT infrastructure, applications, email, and data storage provided through a subscription model where you will only pay based on what your IT requirements are. With hosted services, you no longer have to worry about managing hardware or software; you eliminate capital investments through the convenient pay-as-you-go subscription model, and experience the benefit of IT solutions that are deployed quickly, on demand and can scale with your business needs."[3]
A UK provider describes its hosted desktop on its website as: Hosted Desktop replaces the “traditional” office network environment with a hosted desktop, “Desktop in the Cloud”. This will look and feel exactly the same as a normal Windows desktop PC. [4]