Parallels RAS

In the dynamic landscape of Managed Service Providers (MSP), Vyon Technology stands out. Founded in 2012 in Phoenix, Arizona, Vyon Technology has carved a niche in offering specialized managed application and desktop services to sectors like medical, financial services, and construction. Mike Tatar, the visionary behind Vyon, recognized early the shift towards cloud-based solutions, steering the company to innovate and grow in this direction.

Find out how Vyon used Parallels RAS to build three core cloud-based solutions that complimented their toolbox of offerings. 

The issue

As Vyon Technology expanded, they faced the daunting task of managing a cloud platform efficiently while keeping costs in check. They needed a solution that was secure, scalable, and easy to manage. Initial ventures with Microsoft Remote Desktop Services proved complex and costly. A Citrix-based solution was robust but required dedicated administration, an expensive proposition.

Vyon Technology built their own cloud platform from the ground up and established two data centers. As part of their growth, they needed load balancers, dual factor authentication, and reporting.

The solution

Enter Parallels RAS. Its simplicity and built-in load balancing solution appealed to the team at Vyon. Parallels RAS stood out during a 30-day testing phase for its ease of setup and robust performance. Key users, especially CPAs, tested it in rigorous scenarios like printing tax forms. The positive outcome led Vyon to integrate Parallels RAS into their service offerings.

Vyon Technology leveraged Parallels RAS to develop three core cloud-based services: Application Cloud, Business Cloud, and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS). They catered to diverse client needs, including white-label solutions for unique branding. Parallels RAS’s features like Multi-Factor Authentication, multi-tenancy, and built-in redundancy enhanced Vyon’s service efficiency and reliability. This adaptability was particularly beneficial during high-demand seasons like tax periods.

Adopting Parallels RAS resulted in an impressive 30% growth for Vyon Technology. Key benefits included cost efficiency, savings on external consultants, an efficient administrator console, increased uptime, and customized reporting capabilities. The ease of managing the hosting environment, even from a smartphone, highlighted the flexibility of Parallels RAS.

Read the complete case study or trial Parallels RAS today at your organization.

More and more companies are considering a hybrid cloud approach for better control and customization over things like security and costs.  Hybrid clouds offer the benefits of a public cloud with the agility of a private cloud and/or hosting workloads on-premises.  Although public have quickly evolved from new-fangled fringe technology to far beyond the perimeter and into the mainstream, they aren’t without potential detractors and complications. For one thing, cloud migration can be intimidating. And second, there’s a shortage of skilled IT staff with the necessary cloud-specific skills.  A recent Parallels Hybrid Cloud Survey revealed more about how organizations and IT leaders are engaging with the hybrid cloud.   

Not everyone has their head fully in the cloud(s)—here’s why 

The survey found that, among those who say they aren’t getting enough value out of the public cloud, 41% cite migration complexity as a significant concern.  

As if migration to the cloud weren’t challenging enough, it requires the availability of qualified staff for migration deployment and management. In case you haven’t heard, there’s a massive shortage of skilled staff in the IT space. IT recruiting challenges were another commonly cited concern. Even if IT roles are fully staffed, cloud-specific skills may still be lacking. One in three respondents struggling with cloud adoption says a lack of in-house expertise is a driving factor. 

This isn’t a benign issue. There’s plenty at stake. According to the survey, nearly two-thirds of IT professionals (62%) find a lack of cloud management skills to hinder growth. That’s an even bigger issue among mid-sized companies (those with 500 – 1,999 employees), where 72% think growth is stunted. 

But how can you overcome barriers to growth when you don’t have the resources to do so? 

For many, that’s where hybrid cloud comes in. 

Mind the gap 

There’s a reason hybrid cars are capturing so many headlines right now: consumers love blending the efficiency of electric vehicles with the familiarity and perceived dependability of gas-fueled cars. 

Hybrid is meant to deliver the best of both worlds, and many IT leaders are finding that the same goes for the cloud space.  

The hybrid cloud is a dynamic mix of public and private clouds with on-premises infrastructure. It’s helping organizations embrace digital acceleration while keeping a foot in legacy operations, and some IT leaders say it’s revolutionizing how they manage their data and applications. A hybrid approach allows for more gradual cloud adoption, bolstered by user-friendly software solutions incorporating automation and security measures.  

Using a hybrid cloud structure might help organizations balance a desire for growth and digital acceleration with a persistent lack of skilled expertise, enabling organizations to harness the full potential of the cloud, even without a full roster of specialized cloud management skills. 

The survey found that nearly two-thirds (64%) of respondents already use a hybrid approach. Almost one in four (38%) plan to ramp up focus on a hybrid cloud approach in the next year, whether starting the process or elevating their investment in the hybrid cloud. This surge signals a broader recognition of the benefits that hybrid solutions bring to the table. 

A hybrid approach for a hybrid world 

Perhaps not surprisingly, the hybrid cloud is most popular among companies that embrace a hybrid workplace model, with employees mixing in-office and remote work. A hybrid approach works well for organizations that still rely on existing infrastructure but need to support operations that extend beyond a perimeter. Among respondents, 83% currently work within a hybrid workplace model, and a whopping 82% of those use the hybrid cloud. 

Regardless of the workplace model, the hybrid cloud may deliver several attractive benefits compared to a 100% public cloud structure or a 100% on-premises structure. Respondents found the top five benefits of a hybrid approach to be: 

  • Increased flexibility (49%) 
  • Improved security (46%) 
  • Cost savings (45%) 
  • Increased reliability (44%) 
  • Scalability (40%) 

How to get the most out of the hybrid cloud 

Legacy applications remain the backbone of IT infrastructures, with 96% of professionals indicating an ongoing need for legacy Windows and Linux applications. Nearly half (49%) expect this need to persist for the next five years and beyond. A hybrid cloud approach can be instrumental in navigating legacy application challenges, enabling organizations to make incremental changes to their infrastructure needing a total application overhaul. 

In a dispersed workforce with an increasingly diverse range of devices (both company-owned and personal) being used, solutions like Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) are critical to the success of the hybrid cloud. Parallels RAS enhances automation and security for end-user computing in a hybrid cloud setting. This ensures cost efficiency and reduces administrative overhead, especially in environments like Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD). 

Avoiding storm clouds ahead 

The gap in IT professionals is expected to expand significantly between now and 2027, creating an urgent need for the industry to find new ways of driving innovation while maintaining security and productivity. An overwhelming 82% of respondents in large enterprises find value in the hybrid cloud, and that number is likely to rise with new releases of supportive technology like Parallels RAS. 

Parallels RAS can help facilitate gradual, user-friendly cloud migration while making it simple and cost-effective for businesses and individual customers to use the applications they choose, anywhere, anytime. 

The Parallels Hybrid Cloud Survey was conducted in July 2023 with data from 805 IT professionals using the public cloud to some extent in the U.S., UK, and Germany. Access the full report to learn how organizations and IT leaders are engaging with the hybrid cloud.   

Seamless remote software access has become a necessity for organizations striving to empower their workforce and maximize productivity. Discover how manufacturing company CCL Design Electronics leverages Parallels RAS to transform their virtualization infrastructure, simplify remote software access, and achieve significant cost savings while enhancing their employees’ productivity.

The issue

CCL Design Electronics had implemented a virtualization infrastructure using Microsoft Remote Desktop Services (RDS) as a standalone solution. However, they encountered difficulties in providing flexible virtualization to their 500 concurrent users who required access to shared applications. Additionally, the company had deployed virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) through VMware but desired a cloud-ready virtualization solution compatible with their cloud services.

The manufacturer needed a more workable framework that would enable instant and reliable access to their crucial Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software on remote devices connected to their hybrid cloud solution. Seeking a solution that would simplify remote software access and improve productivity, CCL Design Electronics conducted extensive testing of various remote applications. Among the competition, Parallels RAS stood out for its unparalleled capabilities and numerous advantages.

The solution

CCL Design Electronics seamlessly deployed Parallels RAS, granting their employees secure access to virtual applications across a diverse range of Windows and mobile devices distributed throughout their industrial space. With Parallels RAS, the company centralized their IT infrastructure and simplified access to manufacturing ERPs. This comprehensive solution not only improved infrastructure security and reduced costs but also empowered employees with enhanced flexibility and productivity-boosting tools.

With Parallels RAS, CCL Design Electronics gained instant access to the solution’s built-in server load balancing, ensuring smooth operations for machinery and manufacturing productivity. Moreover, the deployment of Parallels RAS was completed by the IT team within a few hours, resulting in substantial time and budget savings.

Read the complete case study or trial Parallels RAS today at your organization.

Managing excessive terminal servers and providing cross-platform support for their diverse user base was becoming a challenge for furniture retailer W.S. Badcock.  With more than 370 stores across eight states, the Virginia-based business needed a solution to streamline operations, minimize costs and deliver desktops and applications seamlessly to a range of devices. 

The issue

To help provide their 1,400 users access to corporate resources, Badcock had to leverage many terminal servers that published applications and desktops for remote users. While using Citrix as their virtualization platform, the retailer had to manage different group policies for different user groups. In addition, users were accessing resources from different operating systems, making cross-platform support challenging.

Badcock needed a solution that would provide adequate cross-platform support and minimize the number of terminal servers.  Enter Parallels RAS.

The Solution

Parallels RAS offers an all-in-one remote working solution that enables access to virtual applications and desktops on any device, anytime, anywhere. This centralized approach to managing their IT operations was just what Badcock was looking for.

Badcock was able to successfully transition to Parallels RAS and leverage the application publishing, load balancing and HTML5 gateway features to address their challenges.

By implementing Parallels RAS to deliver desktops and applications to their user base, Badcock was able to consolidate IT operations, and more importantly, provide unparalleled cross-platform support. 

Read the complete case study here or trial Parallels RAS today at your organization.

Scaling up and onboarding new clients was becoming more and more difficult for Texas-based ISV Spindlemedia.  With their tax collection software only accessible on-site, onboarding new clients was a time-consuming process that required purchasing and building new servers, shipping them to the client, and installing them on-site. The ISV needed a solution to help reduce onboarding time and limit the amount of manual labor to manage and install their software. 

The issue

In 2017, Spindlemedia was servicing only 20 of the 240+ counties in Texas. They were looking to quickly scale their business. However, the tax collection software provider was finding it difficult to scale due to cumbersome servers and the need for manual labor. 

These challenges made it clear to Spindlemedia that they needed a way to: 

  • Scale their business faster.
  • Improve and simplify the client onboarding process.
  • Streamline workspace management.

Spindlemedia put Parallels RAS to the test. They used Azure, Microsoft’s public cloud computing platform, to host their data center and Parallels RAS to deploy their desktops and applications to their clientele. 

During the pilot period, Spindlemedia’s original data center was flooded due to the devastating Hurricane Harvey. If the flooding had happened before the Parallels trial, Spindlemedia would have experienced catastrophic effects on their business. However, their desktops and applications were being delivered virtually by Parallels RAS, and so their productivity was unaffected.

The built-in reporting and monitoring tools of RAS allowed Spindlemedia to identify changes within the environment and resource fluctuations easily. 

The solution

Spindlemedia successfully shifted their client base to the cloud using Parallels RAS. This seamless transition improved capacity and production for Spindlemedia.  It was clear—RAS was the tool Spindlemedia needed to shift their full client base from a classic on-premises model to a VDI set-up.

By moving operations to the cloud and using Parallels RAS as a VDI solution, Spindlemedia experienced an exponential increase in opportunity, productivity, and overall growth.

  • In just a couple months, they reduced the onboarding process time by 83%, and the company experienced a 37% increase in new clients and business.
  • Day-to-day tasks and processes were streamlined due to process simplifications.
  • The ability to operate via the cloud meant that Spindlemedia could reduce dependency external IT expertise and minimize the need for on-the-ground employees to support onsite customers for maintenance and installation, which lowered overhead costs.

Read the complete case study here or trial Parallels RAS today at your organization.   

The mission was clear: simplify medical service booking by offering citizens a user-friendly platform to quickly and easily book services. To do so, the Groupement Hospitalier du Territoire du Loiret (GHT du Loiret) needed to find an affordable VDI solution and eliminate unnecessary technical difficulties on their user-friendly platform.  

Based in France, GHT du Loiret combines the expertise of health professionals with the technical platform of nine public hospitals in the Loiret Department and six nursing homes (EHPADs). GHT du Loiret was using a competitive solution for their medical service booking platform since 2004 but the complexity of the solution, the frequency of policy changes, and common price increases proved overwhelming.  

The issue 

GHT du Loiret was looking for:  

  • Simple implementation and workspace management. 
  • Elimination of external services. 
  • One solution for one price to avoid added costs for added features. 

Following yet another price increase from their previous solution, GHT du Loiret tested out Parallels RAS to see if it could offer them ease of use and provide cost savings. 

The solution 

Right off the bat, the team at GHT du Loiret were “were pleased to see that it took no time at all to put servers into production. The ease of use was undeniable since RAS’ automation enabled us to regenerate our servers in less than 3 minutes” explained David Fretault, Architect System Manager. 

After testing Parallels RAS in the pilot in 2019, GHT du Loiret found that it provides more value and seamless integration than their previous solutions. 

The success of the Parallels RAS pilot enabled them to move forward with the deployment, resulting in 550 concurrent users administering 40 applications. 

The main reasons for their decision to deploy: 

  • Simplicity: The ease of use was unquestionable. 
  • Device redirection: Universal printing and scanning capabilities were seamless. 
  • Cost savings: Parallels RAS licensing was more affordable than the competition and delivered more value with additional features. 
  • Performance: Switching to RAS was uninterrupted for the end user as it was perceived to be identical to the competition. 

Read the complete case study here or trial Parallels RAS today at your organization.  

Latest release, just announced, includes exciting new features—especially enhanced integration with Azure Virtual Desktop.

You already knew that Parallels RAS (Remote Application Server) plays well with others. After all, the entire point of Parallels RAS is to enable seamless work on the OS and the device of your choice. Now, we’re taking things to a new level with the just-announcedrelease of Parallels RAS 19.2—including a collaboration with Microsoft to rev up Azure Virtual Desktop integration.  As organizations move to the cloud, we perceive Azure to be a strategic hyperscaler in their digital transformation. Our hybrid cloud setup facilitates easy startup and scaling of Azure Virtual Desktop with hassle-free deployment and management.

Why is hybrid cloud important?

The cloud isn’t one-size-fits-all. Savvy companies are carefully evaluating their specific needs and requirements to determine the best approach for them. Hosting applications in the cloud should be used when it makes sense—think seasonal workloads, or disaster recovery to shore up a second data center for failover. Still, some applications might be better off on-premises, like legacy apps, or large data sets that require a lot of resources that could drive up cloud costs.

The demand for flexibility

The name of the game: flexibility. Flexibility has never been more in demand, and that’s why organizations are flocking toward a hybrid model that enables both public and private cloud options. That demand for flexibility is the same reason so many companies are embracing a remote and hybrid workforce.

Reduced cost and maintenance

Parallels RAS 19.2 allows for an unparalleled (sorry!) level of flexibility at all levels of business. Of course, flexibility is only part of what businesses and workers need right now. With economic uncertainty and a tight labor market, they also need as much streamlining and efficiency as possible. With this new release, Parallels RAS delivers even more of what customers have come to expect: reduced costs, optimized operations, an enhanced user experience, easy implementation, no need for specialized expertise—the list goes on. And the numbers back it up. This new enhanced Azure Virtual Desktop integration translates to up to 79%* Azure cost reduction, with up to 70%** reduction in time spent on maintenance and troubleshooting.

Total cost savings

With Parallels RAS 19.2, adopting a hybrid cloud model has never been easier.

Can’t get enough? Learn more about what’s new in Parallels RAS 19.2.   

*Based on unoptimized AVD native |**Estimate based on reduced time to deploy, no trial-and-error management, driven by intuitive and wizard-driven RAS management console (incl. FSLogix config and MSIX App attach) | More info at https:// https://www.parallels.com/products/ras/capabilities/avd/