The Best VDI Alternative for Next-Gen Remote and Hybrid Computer Labs
With Splashtop, thousands of schools are enjoying high performance, quick-to-deploy remote access to existing Windows and Mac lab computers and servers running Adobe, Autodesk, and other applications that are already licensed
An Affordable, Secure and High Performing Remote Access Solution That Will Effectively Support Your Hybrid Learning Program
On-premise Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) is known to be complex and costly to implement, scale, and maintain. Cloud-based DaaS (Desktop as a Service) from Amazon Workspaces, VMware Horizon Cloud, Microsoft Windows Virtual Desktop (WVD) on Azure, and Citrix Managed Desktops have emerged as the on-demand, pay-as-you-go computing platforms.
However, VDI and DaaS have many shortcomings that are magnified when entire organizations and educational institutions leverage them to continue their business and education remotely. Remote desktop solutions like Splashtop overcome these challenges and are better suited to today’s high performance, security and quick-to-deploy needs, especially those of K-12 and higher-education institutions looking to make existing on-campus computer resources available to their students who are learning from home or dorm rooms.
Thousands of schools and colleges across the world have adopted Splashtop as a superior alternative to VDI and DaaS
Splashtop Remote Desktop vs. VDI / DaaS for Remote Computer Labs
Splashtop | VDI / DaaS | |
Performance | Students get reliable, high-performance remote sessions allowing them to carry out tasks like video-editing, graphic design, creating animations, coding, and much more with low latency. Splashtop supports NVIDIA and AMD GPU acceleration. | DaaS and VDI infrastructure could be located many hundreds of miles away from schools resulting in laggy remote access experience, hampering productivity |
User Experience | In addition to high performance remote sessions, additional features like drag and drop file transfer, true multi-multi monitor support, 4:4:4 color mode, high-fidelity audio and ability to redirect usb devices like stylus pens/tablets, enable an immersive remote access experience, just as if you were in-person. | Lack a comprehensive feature set that increases productivity and enables a seamless user experience during remote sessions. |
Software Licensing | No additional software licenses are required. Students can access the lab computers and use existing licensed applications like Adobe Creative Suite, which includes Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Dreamweaver and After Effects; AutoDesk AutoCAD, Revit, 3ds Max, Fusion 360, and Maya; Avid Media Composer and Pro Tools; Vectorworks, ArcGIS, Rhino, SketchUp, SolidWorks, and many more, just as they would on campus. | Many of the existing apps would need to have different licenses that cover virtualization. In fact, some software vendors do not allow their software to be virtualized due to their inability to properly track licensing, and ones that do offer virtualization licensing often charge a premium. Engaging all the software vendors to relicense will expand license management complexity, cost, and time. |
Quick to Deploy | Up and running in minutes | VDI deployment can take months / DaaS can take weeks. Engaging different software app vendors to relicense for virtualization usage can take months. Some software vendors simply do not allow for virtualization. |
Scheduling Student Access | IT admins of educational institutions can schedule specific times, and manage permissions for students to access lab computers through a centralized admin console, giving IT admins tight control over access and usage. | No inherent scheduling capabilities |
Cost Incurred and Ability to Leverage Existing Investment | Pay for concurrent user licenses and utilize existing investment in computers. Physical computers (Capex) allow institutions to better manage and control their budget. | The operating cost (OpEx) can be very high especially when based on a metered or on demand bases. High student usage drives the price up significantly. Imagine many students forgetting to log off their VDI cloud instances that kept running. |
Data Security and Privacy | All data resides in labs. | With DaaS, careful review and monitoring are required to protect user privacy as data is stored in the cloud. There are additional data privacy compliance requirements overhead and risks. |
Mac Support | Many computer labs have Windows as well as Mac computers. Splashtop delivers a consistent user experience across Windows and Macs. | X |
Ability to Assist Students In-session | Faculty members can join any student’s remote access session to address questions and issues. | X |
Consolidated Platform for Remote Access and Support | Splashtop Enterprise for remote labs also offers remote support capabilities enabling IT teams to manage and monitor lab computers, as well as provide on-demand support to students and faculty members from anywhere. | X |
Best Suited for Hybrid Learning | A combination of in-classroom and remote learning is the future and Splashtop is the best-suited remote access partner. Students can work on the lab computers when on campus and can also get remote access to the same computers from home. IT can leverage the same platform to provide students and faculty remote support on any device, anywhere. | Not suitable for a hybrid learning environment. |
Splashtop is used by over 30 million people worldwide. Read more about Splashtop for remote computer labs.