In the wake of Windows 365’s arrival, Mac-as-a-service takes another step forward as Teradici adds macOS support to its Teradici Cloud Access Software (CAS).
Teradici CAS now provides high-quality remote Mac access that’s sufficiently robust to support computationally intensive workloads in a range of systems. I spoke with Ziad Lammam, Teradici’s vice president of product, to find out more.
Why does it matter?
Teradici’s solution is likely to be highly significant to some enterprises embracing remote work, as it will enable them to provide Macs to remote or externally based engineering, design, and development groups in a way that protects any content or data held on those machines.
“Teradici CAS users have even more flexibility to re-imagine their workflows post-pandemic and can now securely remote into their high-powered Mac wherever they may be, including from their home office,” David Smith, CEO at Teradici, said in a statement. The company also says that when users access a Mac remotely, the experience should feel the same “as if they were on a local machine.”
The solution should be of use across multiple industries, including the animation, VFX, broadcast, education, software development, government, healthcare, and CAD sectors. With it, users can remotely access a Mac as if they were on a local machine with high resolution and accurate color fidelity, as the below video shows.
A short chat with Teradici
Lammam explained why the time is right for such a service, saying:
“Many organizations have existing Macs in their environment and some users prefer to use Macs for their development use cases. Customers who currently enjoy the user experience of Teradici CAS asked us to extend support to macOS and we listened and delivered. We plan to continue enhancing Teradici CAS for Windows, Linux and now macOS in future releases.”
He sees three typical enterprise deployments for the tech:
- Remote access to high-performance design environments.
- Virtual desktop and desktop-as-a-service deployments for knowledge workers.
- Deployment through public cloud marketplaces and managed service providers.
The beauty of the solution is that it is possible to access the Mac to get things done using an iPad, tablet, or even Windows Surface — though you do need good (10Mbps to 100Mbps+) bandwidth.
“Teradici CAS for macOS can be remotely accessed from any endpoint including Windows Surface, Windows Laptops/PCs, Linux devices, Mac endpoints and thin or zero clients,” he said.
The actual Macs can be in the server room, anywhere in the office or even hosted in a data center. Apple doesn’t currently permit macOS to run as a virtual machine on non-Apple servers, so actual Macs are used; they connect to remote systems via the high-performance and secure PCoIP (PC-over-IP) protocol.
How robust is PCoIP?
“Teradici’s PCoIP protocol dynamically adapts to changes in network conditions and can absolutely be used in mobile environments,” Lammam said. “I have personally used [it] in mobile hotspots in cafes, on trains and even in the air. The better the network, the better the user experience will be. With the onset of 5G networks, we expect an even better mobile experience from any mobile access point.”
Mac-as-a-service expands
This is the latest in a recent wave of Mac-as-a-service offerings. Both MacStadium and Amazon offer Macs in data centers, primarily for developerment and app testing, and Teradici is working with MacStadium, AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud on the current offer.
“We absolutely see growth in the Mac as-a-service market,” said Lammam. “Making Macs just as accessible as Windows or Linux desktops will empower users to be more mobile, allow them to focus on creative design, productivity and enable secure, easy access to the latest hardware infrastructure.”
Who is it for?
The core market is likely to consist of Teradici’s existing customers in the graphic design and video editing industries.
Remote desktop software is an expanding segment, projected to grow at a 17% compound annual growth rate through 2028. And, of course, as hybrid work becomes the norm, 67% of the workforce is expected to work remotely at least three days a week.
“Support for macOS in Teradici CAS provides artists and producers with extraordinary flexibility to choose how they work, including on macOS,” said Raymond Thompson, senior director, partner and industry marketing, at Avid.
“A significant number of Avid Media Composer users prefer a Mac, and now with Teradici CAS macOS support, content creators can have the high-quality remote experience they need to work from anywhere using any OS they prefer.”
The news appears as we learn HP is to acquire Teradici.
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