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How to Grow Cloud MRR with Managed Remote Desktop Services

MRR

The pace of new remote desktop services has accelerated in recent years, with the latest services focused on providing customers more flexible and affordable ways to provide virtual workspace environments.

Typically, this means moving from traditional VDI environments, where many managed service providers (MSPs) have their own legacy, on-premises infrastructure, to a cloud-based desktop solution. Despite the proliferation of new desktop-as-a-service (DaaS) offerings where the virtual workspace is hosted in hyperscale cloud environments, not all MSPs believe that’s the best approach.

Some MSPs prefer to offer a more dedicated solution. And with increased demand for remote desktop solutions in wake of the pandemic, many MSPs that haven’t focused on offering them may not have the resources or expertise to provide them at scale.

Hosting provider US Signal recently rolled out an offering called Virtual Workspace that addresses both of those issues. The cloud-delivered desktop environment includes all applications, storage of data, managed backup, remote monitoring and management, managed firewall and anti-malware protection. Delivered with monthly, per-user subscriptions, individuals can access their workspace from any web-connected device. 

MSPs are seeing increased demand for remote virtual desktop and application services, according to Jerry Clark, director of cloud development at US Signal.

“With COVID last year and businesses scrambling to enable their employees to work remote, it's been explosive,” Clark said. “Every business now needs a remote strategy.”

Clark believes US Signal’s approach to offering remote desktop services is more secure and reliable than public cloud options. Among the advantages are no egress fees, he explained. Also, he said that US Signal can provide 100% service-level agreements because of its network topology.

“Our fiber network has low latency because we're peered with over 100 ISPs around the country,” he said.

US Signal's Jerry Clark

Clark will discuss how partners can grow cloud MRR by offering managed DaaS in a session at the MSP Summit, collocated with the Channel Partners Conference and Expo, on Nov. 1. In the session, Clark says he will share how to provision cloud desktops (RDS or VDI) in minutes without the need to log in to VMware. Nor does it require a manual domain controller, application server or terminal servers.

In addition, Clark will also show how MSPs can manage all of their managed DaaS customers, users, applications and security from one portal. According to Clark, a college intern can deploy a 50-user environment in 15 minutes.

Clark said MSPs can go to market with their own branded cloud desktops for $45 per user, per month. The price includes remote monitoring, management, patching, updating and remediation of all servers, antivirus and managed backup, antivirus monitoring — and to a US Signal geo-diverse data center. It also includes the Windows and remote desktop license, multifactor authentication, the 100% uptime SLA.

Tags:
MSP Summit, RMM, VDI