Albatross Desktop-as-a-Service

Albatross Desktop-as-a-Service provides virtual desktop infrastructure, a hosted Windows desktop that staff can reach from the office, from home or from a coffee shop. The company describes it as a turnkey hosted desktop service for small and medium businesses and for enterprises, one that scales as a business grows and lets teams reach all their applications securely.

Desktops, operating systems and resources

Desktops can be delivered as Windows 7, 8 or 10 or as session-based desktops hosted in a secure cloud. Other operating systems can be installed on request, and a customer can receive a plain installation to configure personally or ask the provider to set it up. Memory and disk space can be added as needs increase, and as many hosted desktops as a business needs can be set up.

Microsoft Office and other licensed software

Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel and PowerPoint, can be preinstalled if the customer chooses it. Microsoft software is licensed by the provider. A customer with other software must check with that vendor that the license can be used on a hosted desktop. Database applications can be installed on the hosted desktops.

Managed services and backups

The provider handles backups, anti-virus protection, central and user management, desktop customization and software deployment, so the customer is not running the infrastructure. Whole machines are backed up every six hours, including attached drives and their content, and backups are kept for 14 days. Backups are not included in every plan, so the customer should confirm that they are. A lost file or a database can be restored on request, but a restore comes from the last backup, so work done after that point may not be recovered.

Setup and network protection

Setup usually takes up to 24 hours. The provider recommends placing each hosted desktop behind a firewall and can add one on request. The company says the desktop experience is quick and responsive, and that the service suits organizations with many employees that want a managed desktop without running the infrastructure themselves.

Albatross Desktop-as-a-Service is a hosted desktop offering that places Windows desktops in the cloud. Staff reach their desktop from the office, from home or on the move. The provider manages the desktops as a ready-made service for organisations of different sizes.

Features

• Hosted Windows desktops: Windows 7, 8, 10 or session-based desktops delivered from a secure cloud.
• Microsoft Office: can be pre-installed, including Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
• Backups: whole machines are backed up automatically, with a 14 day retention period.
• Managed services: backups, anti-virus, central and user management, desktop customisation and software deployment.
• Flexible resources: memory and disk space can be increased as needs grow.

Who it works with

Small and medium businesses and enterprises that want desktops for many employees without running the infrastructure themselves.

Key facts

• Setup time: usually up to 24 hours
• Licensing: Microsoft software is licensed through the provider
• Operating systems: other systems can be installed on request