GCI aggregates iIT’s Cloud Workspace Suite

The service aggregation movement continues apace, as service providers start to add both horizontal and market sector-specific applications and tools to the base level of IaaS and compute resources that they sell. One of the latest developments in this area is the announcement by UK-based information communications technology providers, GCI, that it has signed up for the Cloud Workspace Suite  from Boston-based independenceIT (iIT).

The agreement will allow GCI to deliver iIT’s Cloud Workspace Suite and DaaS (Desktop as a Service) as part of its Managed Cloud Solution portfolio, aimed at both end user customers and channel partners.

The Cloud Workspace Suite is a services enablement platform that allows IT departments, ISVs and service providers to rapidly deploy desktops, applications and entire corporate IT systems as cloud services. This means that users can then use their personal work environment from anywhere, at any time, on any device.

The Suite includes support for more than 600 business applications and its API permits integration with the majority of existing systems management and provisioning tools. Comprehensive security and audit tools provide compliance readiness.

GCI’s Managed Cloud Solution is a carrier-class managed computing platform that eliminates the need to maintain expensive servers or manage licensed versions of software. With this solution, users confidently access data from the Web, anywhere and anytime. By incorporating Cloud Workspace’s API, GCI is integrating the solutions management and provisioning functions into its service delivery platform to extend desktop and application service provisioning, deployment and support functions.

Based on the Ensim service delivery platform, GCI integration via the Cloud Workspace API enables an efficient and flexible transition to the secure and compliant cloud-enabled desktop. Ensim is a widely deployed and proven service delivery platform that allows service providers to centrally create, control, and deliver hosted IP and application services. It provides comprehensive service provisioning, wholesale and resale enablement and service metering/monitoring.

“This is looking like a good time to enter the Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS) market,” said Michael Coté, Research Director, 451 Research. “Demand should see growth from BYOD initiatives as employees look to use their own devices to access corporate applications and data. Virtual desktops have technically been a good answer for the delivery and security functionality needed there, but the reality of doing those installs pre-cloud has limited virtual desktop’s wide acceptance, especially for small and medium sized businesses. The fungibility and affordability of cloud infrastructure is primed to fix that limiting factor, creating an exciting window of opportunity for DaaS.”