A virtual machine operates like a software program running on a computer, simulating the behavior of an independent machine.

In essence, it establishes a computer within another computer.

When operating within a window on the host computer, a virtual machine offers users an experience that’s nearly identical to using a separate computer.

For many software developers, using a virtual machine is preferable for easy cross-platform compatibility purposes; they also offer greater security, flexibility, and scalability.

When setting up your virtual machine, you can access its graphic user interface (GUI) to interact with the virtual machine separately from the other machine(s) or operating systems on your physical computer.

However, relying solely on the GUI may not always be practical if you’re a software developer, especially if you need to access a VM remotely.

In such cases, you should use the Secure Shell protocol (SSH) to execute remote logins or commands securely over an unsecured network.

Parallels Desktop enables remote access to virtual machines with SSH and port forwarding.

By default, Parallels Desktop operates in shared network mode, which works “out of the box” and does not require any specific configuration.

Parallels Desktop will work as a virtual router for your virtual machines when you use this networking mode. However, it also means that the VMs cannot be accessed from external computers.

The port forwarding (also known as port mapping) functionality allows computers on your local network and the Internet to connect to any virtual machines that use the shared networking mode.

According to the port-forwarding rule, the connection to a specific port on your Mac will be redirected to a specific port of your virtual machine.

To gain remote access to a VM via port forwarding, you must first configure Parallels Desktop to accept the connection using a port forwarding rule.

This is achieved by following the process outlined below.

Establishing port forwarding rules

Note: Port forwarding is only available in Parallels Desktop for Mac Pro and Parallels Desktop Business Edition.

1. Open the Parallels Desktop Command Center

2. Select the VM you want to access remotely 

Then, click the Configure button.

3. Once the Configuration window opens, select the Hardware tab

Then the Network option on the left side, then click “Advanced.”

4. Click on the “Open Networking Preferences” button

5. Click the Add (+) button below the Port forwarding rules list

6. In the displayed window, perform the following actions

• In the Protocol field, specify the port type you want to establish network connections. You can choose between the TCP or UDP port types.
• In the Source Port field, type the incoming port number on your Mac.
• In the Forward to section, indicate the name or IP address of the virtual machine you want to connect to.
• In the Destination Port field, type the port on the virtual machine to which the data will be transferred.

  7. Click OK to add the rule

Checking port forwarding

To check that the rule works properly, enable, e.g., SSH on your virtual machine (some Linux distributions have it enabled by default).

As an example for SSH, use the following rule:

To make sure that port forwarding is enabled from your Mac inside a virtual machine, use one of the following scenarios (in these examples, port 8081 is redirected to a Linux VM, and port 8888 is to a Windows VM) :

Scenario 1: connect from the same Mac

In Terminal, type in the following command and press Enter:

ssh -l <your_VM_username> -p <source_port> 127.0.0.1

Enter the password for the user in the virtual machine and press Enter:

Scenario 2: connect from another Mac or PC in the same network

In Terminal (on Mac) or PowerShell (on Windows), type in the following command and press Enter:

ssh -l <your_VM_username> -p <source_port> <host_machine_IP_address>

Enter the password for the user in the virtual machine and press Enter.

To check that you logged into the virtual machine, execute the following command in Terminal:

uname -a

If you successfully log into the virtual machine, you will see a Linux kernel version.

The same method can also be used to set up an SSH port forward for a Windows machine by adding that to the port forwarding list:

You can run a “systeminfo” command to verify the system you are on.

Using SSH key pairs

Now we have the systems tested and working using password authentication, we can make them more secure.

SSH public/private keypairs offer a more secure, convenient, and scalable authentication mechanism than traditional password-based methods.

By leveraging SSH keypairs, organizations can strengthen their security posture and ensure secure remote access to their systems, eliminating the need to transmit passwords over the network.

With keypairs, the private key remains securely stored on the user’s computer.

In contrast, the public key is stored on the server, significantly reducing the risk of interception by malicious actors.

Because the keypairs are generated using cryptographic solid algorithms, they are much longer than passwords, making them highly resistant to brute force attacks.

Once SSH keypairs are set up, users can seamlessly log in to SSH-enabled systems without entering a password, adding convenience for automated processes and scripts.

Generating SSH public/private keys

The SSH key pair consists of two cryptographic keys: public and private keys.

These keys are mathematically related but are designed so that it is computationally infeasible to derive the private key from the public key.

The public key is shared securely with the server or system you want to access.

It can be freely distributed and stored on several servers or systems and is provided when you attempt to connect to a server.

The private key is kept securely on your local computer or device. It should never be shared with anyone else.

This key is used to decrypt encrypted messages with the corresponding public key, and when you attempt to connect to a server, your local SSH client uses your private key to prove your identity.

When you attempt to connect to a server using SSH, the server sends a message encrypted with your public key.

Your SSH client decrypts this message using your private key and sends back a response.

If the server can successfully decrypt your response using your public key, it knows you possess the corresponding private key, allowing you to access the system.

SSH keypairs are typically generated using cryptographic algorithms such as RSA or DSA.

Your local SSH client software can generate these keys for you. The keys are often stored in files (e.g., “id_rsa” for the private key and `id_rsa.pub` for the public key) in a hidden .ssh directory in your user’s home directory.

Creating SSH keypairs

To explain how to generate and use the SSH keypairs, I have three systems: a Mac, which is my local machine; an Ubuntu VM, which will be the remote machine; and a Mac VM, which will use the port forwarding rules.

Each system has a different theme for the terminal windows to make it easier to follow.

First, I will check my local machine to ensure no local keys exist, using the command:

ls ~/.ssh/id_*

As no matches were found, no keys were present on our local machine. If they are present, you should back them up in case they are accidentally removed or lost.

Next, we can generate our SSH key on the local machine.

To do this, type in the command:

ssh-keygen

The command replies that it is generating a public/private keypair using rsa as the default encryption.

If you wish to use a different algorithm you can use the -t flag to select from the following alternatives: dsa, ecdsa, ecdsa-sk, ed25519, ed25519-sk.

I will also add a comment using the -C flag so that I can quickly identify what the key is for.

My command line would look like this:

ssh-keygen -C "Test for SSH Keys on Mac & Ubuntu"

By default, the file is saved in my user directory in the .ssh folder, so I hit enter to accept that.

I also hit enter for the passphrase question, which adds an extra layer of security but also means I would have to enter it each time I connect. I am trying to avoid that in this example.

Retrieving the public key

If we rerun the ls command, we can see two files in the .ssh directory: the private and public keys.

Move into the .ssh directory, open the contents of the public file, and copy them so that we can add them to the remote machine in a file called authorized_keys.

cd .ssh 

ls -la 

cat id_rsa.pub

Adding the public key to the remote machine

To enable SSH access to a remote machine, you must upload the public key from your SSH key pair onto the remote server. This allows the remote machine to decrypt connections initiated by your local computer, which uses its corresponding private key for encryption.

On the remote machine, go to your home directory and check if the .ssh subdirectory exists:

cd ~

ls -al ~

If it does exist cd into that directory, and if it doesn’t, create the subdirectory, and then go into it and check to see if the authorized_keys file exists:

mkdir .ssh

cd .ssh

ls -al

If the authorized_keys file does not exist, create one using the following command:

touch authorized_keys

Then edit the file using your editor of choice to add the public key copied from the local machine.

If you already have an authorized_keys file in the directory with content, add your new key on a new line and save the file.

Putting it all together

Now that our private and public keys are created, we need to check that they work.

Check the IP address of your virtual machine from the Parallels devices-> networking tab

Now ssh into that system from your local host that has the private key installed on it:

ssh <user>@<ip address>

And as you can see, we are logged in without providing a password.

As we have set up port forwarding on our local host, we should also be able to access the Ubuntu VM from a different system, but going through the host machine and using the port that was assigned at the beginning of this article, that being 8081 of the Mac system.

If I go to my Mac VM running on the same host, I can copy a key to the Ubuntu box, but this time, instead of cut/paste, I will use the ssh-copy-id command to add to my authorized_keys file on the Ubuntu system, but using port 8081 of my host system:

ssh-copy-id -p <port> <user>@<ip address>

We can check the key was correctly added by going back to the Ubuntu VM, and checking the authorized_keys file:

The text highlighted in red is the new key from the Mac on the VM. If we return to that VM, we can execute the ssh command displayed at the end of the ssh-copy-id command message to access the Ubuntu VM system from my Mac’s VM system via my host Mac:

And as you can see from the command prompt at the end, I am back on the Ubuntu System.

Ready to try it yourself? Sign up now for a free 14-day trial to see how easy it is to implement port forwarding and secure key pairs using Parallels Desktop Pro. 

This iconic series invites players to traverse time by commanding powerful civilizations through the ages, from the humble beginnings of the Stone Age to the formidable heights of the Imperial Age.

Through meticulous management of resources, strategic planning, and diplomatic finesse, players shape the destinies of empires, leading their chosen people to glory or ruin.

https://www.parallels.com/blogs/age-of-empires/(opens in a new tab)

For loyal Mac users, the dream of commanding mighty civilizations once seemed a distant fantasy, hindered by the lack of availability for Mac and Windows exclusivity.

It’s no longer an epic battle to play Age of Empires games on your Mac, especially the popular Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition. This could be the pinnacle of the Age of Empires universe — at least according to fans of the beloved series.

With Parallels Desktop, players can weave together the olden times and the modern era on their hardware of choice.

Discover how you can step into epic tales of the past, equipped with your trusty Mac.

If you’re ready to embark on this legendary journey through the Age of Empires, let the gaming capabilities of Parallels Desktop Pro lead the way.

How to play Age of Empires on a Mac

It’s time to take command of your realm in the Age of Empires. Here’s how to get started conquering new realms in Age of Empires II with Parallels Desktop:

1. Install Parallels Desktop

If you don’t already have it, download and install the latest version of Parallels Desktop. The Pro or Business edition is recommended for the best gaming performance.

2. Create a Windows 11 Virtual Machine

Open Parallels Desktop and set up the Windows 11* virtual machine using prompts on the screen.

3. Adjust virtual machine settings on Pro or Business Edition

Access the Parallels Desktop Control Center and navigate to the “Hardware” section.

If you are using Parallels Desktop Professional or Business editions, you can adjust the virtual machine settings by allocating an adequate amount of RAM, CPU, and GPU resources to ensure a seamless gaming experience.

You can accomplish this by enabling the Gaming Profile.

When the Gaming Profile is enabled, Parallels Desktop provides more RAM and CPU to Windows, enters full-screen view for greater immersion, and toggles the mouse mode for better compatibility with games.

To enable the Gaming Profile:

1. Shut down Windows via the Start menu and open its configuration. 

2. Click “Change” and select “Games only”. 

*Note that you’ll need to purchase a Windows license if you don’t already have one.

Can I run Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition on Mac?

Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition is primarily designed for Windows but can be run on Mac using virtualization software like Parallels Desktop.

As a Mac user, you can experience the excitement of building empires and leading armies in this legendary game if your Mac meets the minimum requirements:

Does Age of Empires work on an M-series Mac?

Yes, you can transform your Mac into a formidable stronghold for playing Age of Empires on an M1, M2, or M3 chip Mac.

This video guide covers everything from setting up your virtual machine to improving its performance, getting you ready to play Age of Empires II: Definitive Editions as if you were playing on a Windows machine.

What versions of Age of Empires work on Mac?

The Age of Empires franchise has journeyed through time, with nine games released since 1997. Each chapter adds new lands to conquer, civilizations to develop, and challenges to overcome. As the series progresses, it brings more sophisticated gameplay, diverse cultures, and deeper historical narratives.

The Age of Empires universe encompasses:

• Age of Empires (1997)
• Age of Empires: The Rise of Rome (Expansion – 1998)
• Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings (1999)
• Age of Empires II: The Conquerors (Expansion – 2000)
• Age of Mythology (2002)
• Age of Mythology: The Titans (Expansion – 2003)
• Age of Empires III (2005)
• Age of Empires III: The WarChiefs (Expansion – 2006)
• Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties (Expansion – 2007)
• Age of Empires: Definitive Edition (2018)
• Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition (2019)
• Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition (2020)

With the release of Age of Empires IV in October 2021, the series achieved new heights, offering advanced graphics, refined mechanics, and an even broader historical scope.

The good news? You can play any of the Age of Empires games that are available on Windows on your Mac, provided your Mac meets the minimum game requirements.

Playing Age of Empires on Mac

The barriers that once prevented Mac users from partaking in the grand sagas of Age of Empires have been dismantled — if you use Parallels Desktop.

Embrace the challenge of strategy, conquer distant civilizations, and relive pivotal moments of history, all from sleek platform of your Mac.

Whether you’re strategizing the construction of your empire from the ground up, leading your armies into battle, or negotiating peace treaties, Parallels Desktop + Age of Empires provides an immersive gaming experience.

Ready to start your conquest and claim your place in history?

If your heart is set on this legendary odyssey, Parallels Desktop is the gateway to this epic voyage through time. 

Secure Service Edge (SSE) emerges as a proactive approach to safeguard digital assets while enabling seamless connectivity and productivity. 

A recent study posted on Gartner’s Peer Community showed the top three challenges for the future of cybersecurity attack sophistication (56%), greater resources for cyber-attacks (44%), and hybrid work models (43%). In addition, the same group of more than 300 IT/engineering/infosec leaders reported the three emerging cloud security tools they’re most excited about are cloud-native application protection platforms (CNAPP) (39%), SSE (38%), and SaaS management platforms (SMP) (37%).

Another Gartner study calls out the business priorities for Zero Trust, with protecting customer data (63%) topping the list.

Evolution of Secure Service Edge

The traditional network perimeter, once a stalwart defense against cyber threats, has become obsolete in the face of modern challenges such as cloud computing, mobility, and the proliferation of internet-connected devices.

As organizations embrace digital transformation and adopt cloud-based services, the concept of a secure perimeter shifts from a static boundary to a dynamic, distributed model that extends to wherever users and data reside.

This shift in perspective gives rise to the Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) framework, which converges networking and security capabilities into a unified architecture.

SASE combines the scalability and flexibility of cloud-native architectures with the security and performance required to protect modern digital environments.

SASE, in its simplest form, is a combination of software-defined WAN (SD-WAN) and SSE, as shown in the figure below.

Central to the SASE model is the concept of SSE, which is based on Zero Trust network access (ZTNA), secure web gateways (SWG), cloud access security brokers (CASB), firewall as a service (FWaaS), and remote browser isolation (RBI).

At the heart of the SSE paradigm lies RBI, a ground-breaking technology that promises to revolutionize how organizations defend against web-based threats.

But to appreciate the significance of RBI within the broader context of SSE, it’s essential to understand the journey that led to its emergence and the transformative impact it holds for cybersecurity professionals and businesses alike.

Built ground up on Zero Trust architecture, which means, it assumes that no entity, whether inside or outside the network, should be trusted by default, emphasizing continuous verification and least privilege access.

SASE = SSE + SD-WAN

Remote browser isolation: Foundation of Secure Service Edge

At the core of the SSE architecture is remote browser isolation (RBI), a revolutionary technology that decouples web browsing activity from endpoint devices, effectively isolating potential threats in a secure, remote, and sandboxed environment.

Unlike traditional web security approaches that rely on detecting and blocking malicious content at the endpoint or network perimeter, RBI ensures that web content is executed and rendered in a disposable container outside the corporate network, preventing malware from ever reaching the endpoint.

Key principles of RBI include:

Isolation: RBI creates a secure air-gap barrier between users’ web browsers and potentially malicious content, preventing direct access to corporate resources and sensitive data.

Zero Trust: By treating all web content as untrusted and isolating it in a remote environment, RBI aligns with the Zero Trust model, minimizing the attack surface and mitigating the risk of web-based threats.

Scalability: RBI offers virtually unlimited scalability, allowing organizations to support growing user populations and fluctuating demand without sacrificing performance or security.

Seamless user experience: Despite the robust security measures in place, RBI ensures a seamless and responsive browsing experience for end users, eliminating the need for cumbersome security controls that impede productivity.

The impact of RBI on cybersecurity:

The adoption of RBI as a foundational component of the Secure Service Edge has profound implications for cybersecurity practitioners and organizations seeking to fortify their defenses against web-based threats. It shifts the focus from reactive threat detection to proactive threat prevention.

RBI empowers organizations to:

• Enhance security posture: RBI reduces the risk of web-based attacks such as phishing, ransomware, and drive-by downloads by isolating potentially malicious content away from endpoints and critical assets.

• Improve compliance: With RBI’s ability to enforce granular access controls and prevent unauthorized data exfiltration, organizations can achieve and maintain compliance with regulatory requirements such as GDPR, HIPAA etc.

• Enable secure remote work: As remote work becomes increasingly prevalent, RBI enables organizations to extend robust web security protections to distributed workforces, ensuring consistent protection regardless of users’ locations or devices.

• Optimize resource utilization: By offloading resource-intensive web browsing activities to remote isolation environments, organizations can optimize endpoint performance and reduce the strain on network infrastructure.

The future is brightly secured

As organizations navigate the complex cybersecurity landscape and embrace the principles of Secure Service Edge, remote browser isolation emerges as a cornerstone technology that empowers them to adapt and thrive in an ever-changing threat landscape. By embracing RBI as a proactive defense against web-based threats, organizations can strengthen their security posture, enhance user productivity, and maintain compliance in an increasingly interconnected and dynamic digital world. RBI serves as a one-stop solution for any organization that has an appetite for, and the attack surface, encompassing access, network, and end-point security.

We at Parallels, are constantly striving to collaborate and enable our partners and customers on their journey to a secure future. As a commitment to this vision, we are excited to introduce our own in-house offering, Parallels Browser Isolation (PBI)!

Parallels Browser Isolation: See it in action

Parallels Browser Isolation provides a secure way to access web applications, including Software as a Service (SaaS) and other cloud-based applications, right from your favorite web browser on your laptop or desktop.

Parallels Browser Isolation stands as a beacon of innovation and resilience, guiding organizations towards a future where security and productivity are not mutually exclusive, but rather complementary pillars of success.

This bolsters the Parallels pedigree as a leader in cross-platform solutions spanning, desktop-server-cloud capabilities, all seamlessly integrated. Our solutions provide a seamless plug-and-play experience, combining different Parallels suite of products into one holistic platform, enabling access to on-premises or cloud-based apps and desktops via any device, any browser, or any operating system.

Microsoft recently announced the end of support for Windows 10, and users are encouraged to make the transition to Windows 11 sooner rather than later.

From the official statement on the Windows 10 product page, “Windows 10 will reach the end of support on October 14, 2025. The current version, 22H2, will be the final version of Windows 10, and all editions will remain in support with monthly security update releases through that date.”

After October 2025, however, computers running Windows 10 will become increasingly vulnerable to security threats and may encounter compatibility issues with new software and hardware releases.

Naturally, if you’re an IT admin or just a long-time Windows user, developing a plan of action prior to Windows 10’s official end of life is a priority. That plan could include upgrading your device(s), finding a virtualization solution that makes things relatively painless, or some combination of the above.

Read on to learn more — and if you’re ready to get started, get your free trial of Parallels® RAS or Parallels DaaS now.

Transitioning from Windows 10 to Windows 11 successfully

Windows 11 is the most secure version of Windows ever created, leveraging hardware security to complement software defenses against modern cybersecurity threats. It is also faster, enhancing productivity with an improved user interface, tighter integration of Microsoft Teams across apps, and snap layouts.

However, this push towards Windows 11 comes with challenges.

It could result in millions of perfectly functional PCs being discarded because Windows 11 mandates the presence of a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) chip, potentially rendering many devices obsolete.

This is a relatively new component in modern PCs and laptops, and as a result, there are millions of devices that will be left unused or thrown out as they do not have the TPM and, therefore, the Windows 11 OS cannot be installed.

Newer enterprise and consumer devices will meet the criteria. Starting in 2016, Microsoft mandated that OEMs integrate TPM 2.0 into devices for Windows 10 and Windows Server 2016 to obtain Microsoft’s endorsement.

Older devices lacking TPM 2.0 or equipped solely with TPM 1.2 (which cannot always be upgraded), will fall short of Windows 11’s minimum system requirements.

This could force users to replace their devices prior to Windows EoL, potentially resulting in a substantial increase in electronic waste and necessitating businesses to reinvest or repurchase hardware. And with Windows 10 at nearly 70% usage, that’s potentially a lot of devices!

Before taking on the significant expense of replacing your fleet of laptops and PCs, why not explore the option of virtualizing your IT systems?

Virtualization offers the opportunity to extend the lifespan of these devices while unlocking a range of benefits and ultimately increasing security —one of the main improvements on Windows 11.

Extending the life of your Windows 10 devices post-EOL with virtualization

Virtualization technology has proven invaluable for many enterprise companies that manage extensive fleets of workforce devices. It streamlines and automates device management at scale.

A virtual migration to Windows 11 can also be a cost-effective choice since costs for virtual PCs start at $110 USD per user annually and go up to $1,600 USD for high-end virtual PCs. On the contrary, new hardware that’s Windows 11-compatible is rarely less than $1,000 USD per user.

Instead of upgrading to new Windows 11 devices, organizations can maximize their existing hardware by virtualizing their IT environment. This allows users to run Windows 11 on a virtual machine on an older device.

How to upgrade your virtual machines from Windows 10 to Windows 11

You may already use virtual machines for Windows applications or desktops. If that’s the case, you can migrate those to Windows by following these steps.

Note that a virtual TPM chip is required for upgrading to Windows 11, and you need to ensure that your virtual machines meet the system requirements for Windows 11.

Once you are sure that your virtual machines meet the requirements, you can follow the instructions in this Knowledge Base article to upgrade.

The Parallels ecosystem of virtualization solutions

Here at Parallels, we have a host of application and desktop delivery solutions that can be tailored to your needs and requirements, whether you are upgrading to Windows 11, extending the life of legacy Windows 10 devices, or solving a different challenge.

Parallels® RAS

Parallels RAS is a flexible virtual application and desktop delivery solution that empowers organizations of all sizes to work securely from anywhere, on any device.

The platform offers an agile, cloud-ready foundation and end-to-end security, controlled by a centralized management console. Leverage on-premises, hybrid, or public cloud deployments and integrate with existing technologies like Azure Virtual Desktop and Amazon EC2.

With Parallels RAS, you gain the flexibility, scalability, and IT agility to quickly adapt to changing business needs. Best of all, Parallels RAS offers a single, full-featured licensing model that includes 24/7 support and access to free training.

Parallels DaaS

Parallels DaaS is a cloud-based app and desktop delivery solution that offers flexible and secure access to critical data and apps from any internet-connected device.

This Desktop-as-a-Service offering uses a unique, cloud-native architecture that isolates the management infrastructure (which is managed by Parallels) and leaves critical business data where it belongs, in the business environment. This dramatically improves security and offers incredible scalability.

For IT admins, Parallels DaaS simplifies the onboarding and management process with intuitive administration controls and real-time dashboards, allowing all types of businesses to deliver and use enterprise-grade IT solutions.

Desktop as a Service (DaaS) exemplifies the cloud option, where infrastructure is handled by the cloud provider, allowing IT managers to focus on aspects like VM provisioning, applications, and data management.

While on-premises virtualization emphasizes control and security, cloud solutions prioritize scalability, cost-effectiveness, and convenience through redundant infrastructure and flexible pricing models.

It is time to virtualize Windows 11?

Upgrading to Windows 11 via a virtualization solution means that organizations do not need to buy new PCs and laptops before the Windows 10 end-of-life.

Rather, businesses can recycle or extend their existing fleet of devices.

For example, if a company has decided to move to Windows 11 and refresh its fleet of endpoint devices, that company could face compatibility issues or other growing pains as its IT department adjusts existing apps and needs to adapt to the new OS. Virtualization can also help with this!

By decoupling the applications from the device — or virtualizing them — users can migrate to the latest OS (Windows 11, in this case) and enjoy their new devices without worrying about whether their essential applications will still work.

End users can access their applications via the Parallels Client while on their new device. This can accelerate the adoption of Windows 11 or other new operating systems among the workforce, as IT managers can upgrade their teams’ devices at their own pace, without being hindered by application compatibility concerns.

With virtualization, users can enjoy the same great security and user experience expected with a Windows 11 device, but instead of the operating system being installed “on-device,” it is virtualized and does not require the latest TPM chip.

Ready to get started with a virtualization solution? Get your full-featured trial of Parallels RAS and/or Parallels DaaS.

Even those companies that rushed their customers to the cloud are now offering those same customers more options to take a step back from the cloud; including hybrid and on-premises options for their IT environments. However, these options come at a higher price to the customer.

At Parallels, we have always believed in offering choice and flexibility for customers, as they should be able to take their cloud journey at a pace that best suits their needs. Customers vary in their requirements for public cloud services. For some, it is a fundamental requirement to realize the benefits that public cloud services bring, such as agility and ever-green architecture. For others, it’s not a core part of their IT strategy at all, at least not today. There are many in between, as surveys continue to show.

Why hybrid cloud deployments?

The options for deploying your IT environment are diverse, ranging from on-premises, single-cloud and multi-cloud configurations and various combinations of these. In July 2023, the Parallels team conducted a survey aimed at gaining deeper insights into businesses’ choices of IT environments, the infrastructure types they employ, and the motivations driving these decisions.

Of the 805 IT professionals we surveyed, 64% were actively using a hybrid cloud approach within 2023. Of the respondents spanning North America and Europe, 38% intended to increase their hybrid approach throughout 2024. This suggests there is a clear understanding of the benefits of making use of both on-premises and cloud deployments. Within the same survey, 89% believed that the public cloud offers significant value for their business.

Furthermore, many of our respondents cited flexibility, security, and cost savings as their primary reasons for choosing the hybrid cloud over 100% public and 100% private clouds. Of this group, 49% chose the hybrid cloud because of increased flexibility, 46% for improved security, 45% for cost savings, 44% for increased reliability, and 40% for more scalability.

For businesses using a hybrid approach, flexibility is important because it offers them the time needed to navigate their cloud journey at their own pace.

The emphasis on security in choosing hybrid cloud solutions is understandable. With cyberattacks on the rise, security concerns weigh heavily on IT leaders, causing significant worry. Sensitive data or information subject to regulations is best-kept on-premises rather than in the cloud, reflecting a cautious approach.

Cost considerations also drive organizations toward hybrid cloud solutions. While cloud adoption promises lower initial costs by eliminating the need for physical infrastructure like data centers, long-term operating expenses (OpEx) must be carefully evaluated.

The study also explored the primary cost benefits expected from a hybrid approach. Among participants, 31% noted that a hybrid strategy helps manage expenses associated with transitioning to the cloud by implementing the shift gradually.

Based on the findings from this survey, it’s clear that the value of the cloud is almost unanimous, offering near-instant access to key resources and the ability to scale up or down depending on the business needs. However, it’s clear that many IT organizations also intend to retain an on-premises environment to combat concerns with data security and cost predictability. Furthermore, the hybrid model offers many businesses flexibility in when and how they transition to the cloud.

A gold rush…to the cloud

Several years back, a plethora of companies advocated for a significant shift among businesses, urging them to abandon their VDI and on-premises setups in favor of embracing a cloud-first strategy. The rationale behind this push was that these advocating companies stood to gain the most from such a transition. By leveraging the vast array of cloud resources and enjoying the flexibility of accessing cutting-edge technologies, businesses were promised a multitude of benefits. However, for many, this migration came at a hefty cost.

Citrix was a keen advocate of this move as well as Microsoft and Amazon Web Services. These companies made significant investments in products and solutions to support businesses moving to the cloud and had reason to encourage them to completely move to a public cloud model.

Many businesses that eagerly embraced the call for a cloud-first approach found themselves grappling with unexpected challenges. The transition unfolded at a pace that often outpaced their accustomed rate of change, causing significant struggles. Some of the hurdles these businesses faced in the transition to a cloud-first approach included effectively managing IT costs, skills, and the organizational culture changes that came with it.

Additionally, some businesses hesitated to fully commit to a single delivery model, recognizing the potential drawbacks of locking themselves into one approach. Nevertheless, they still felt pressured to follow the prevailing trend towards cloud adoption.

The cost of moving at a pace different from your own

Moving towards a public cloud approach at a speed that is not befitting to your competencies can have a significant impact on the performance of your business. Here are some concerns to be aware of:

Costs

Embracing the public cloud is often seen as the most financially savvy approach to establishing an IT infrastructure, as it eliminates the need for substantial upfront capital expenditures on hardware such as servers. Instead, it necessitates only lightweight client and endpoint devices to access applications and data from the cloud.

However, over time, the costs associated with configuring, deploying, and managing public cloud instances can escalate compared to the predictable costs of owning and managing servers over a 5–10-year lifecycle. These costs are contingent upon usage, and any usage spikes result in additional expenses. Furthermore, price increases contribute to additional costs. Without meticulous management, automation, and analytics, businesses may find themselves paying for resources that remain underutilized.

Skill shortage

Skill shortage emerges as a critical, albeit potentially short-term, concern for numerous businesses transitioning entirely to the public cloud. This shortage often stems from hasty migrations undertaken without adequate preparation. Shifting applications and data across platforms essentially entails a full reset, introducing new processes, software, and systems that demand a heightened level of understanding. This understanding can only be cultivated through extensive training of existing staff.

In instances where businesses rush their migration to the cloud, the existing team may not have sufficient time to undergo training and formulate a comprehensive migration plan. Consequently, companies may resort to recruiting individuals with the requisite skills to expedite the migration process, albeit at inflated costs.

While this skill shortage may self-correct over the next five years, it remains a critical consideration in the present landscape. Organizations must carefully assess their readiness for cloud migration, ensuring adequate preparation and resource allocation to mitigate the impact of skill shortages on their transition to the public cloud.

Limited control

The public cloud serves to relieve businesses from the burden of configuring and maintaining the infrastructure needed for a virtualized IT environment. However, this transfer of responsibility can lead to a loss of control. Public cloud services often provide standardized configurations and services, which may not fully align with your specific needs. This limitation can hamper your ability to customize the environment to suit your exact requirements and may result in reduced visibility into the underlying infrastructure supporting your applications and data. Consequently, troubleshooting issues, optimizing performance and ensuring compliance with internal policies or regulatory requirements may become more challenging.

Additionally, despite public cloud providers typically offering high availability and reliability, service disruptions can still occur due to factors beyond your control, such as outages or maintenance activities. These disruptions may limit your ability to mitigate their impact on your IT operations.

Vendor lock-in

Transitioning to the public cloud can lead to vendor lock-in, where your applications and data become closely tied to specific cloud provider services or technologies. This entanglement can complicate and raise the cost of switching providers later on, exacerbating the limitations on your control over your IT environment.

Moreover, migrating to the public cloud means relying on the cloud provider for many facets of your IT infrastructure, such as hardware provisioning, network configuration, and software updates. This dependency diminishes your direct control over these crucial components.

Back peddling from cloud to on-premises

Even companies that initially encouraged the move to the wholesale cloud have started to recognize this was not the best course of action for many customers or that these customers want more flexibility in their own cloud journey.

Hyper-Converged Infrastructure (HCI)

Hyper-Converged Infrastructure (HCI) is a software-defined IT infrastructure framework that integrates compute, storage, networking, and virtualization resources into a single, unified system. In traditional data center architectures, these components are often managed separately, leading to complexity and inefficiency.

Leading companies like Nutanix and Scale Computing have been offering this type of framework to customers for many years, which in essence, offers the advantages of a cloud model but within your own data center. This integrated approach not only simplifies infrastructure management but also provides scalability and agility, helping organizations meet their evolving IT needs with ease.

Microsoft is now following this type of framework with its own HCI offering, which hosts Windows and Linux VMs or containerized workloads and their storage. It’s a hybrid product that connects the on-premises system to Azure for cloud-based services, monitoring, and management. Microsoft Azure Stack HCI offers the security of an on-premises server located within your company’s office walls but is managed through the Azure subscription and based on virtualization principles.

The key difference here is that the business is not purchasing the initial hardware. Microsoft is providing it as part of the service at a monthly cost, which includes the flexibility of both cloud and on-premises, loaning of hardware and cloud resources, and the management and analytics of the environment.

Universal licensing

Another example is Citrix and its Universal Licensing model. Before the introduction of Universal Licensing, Citrix offered two main pathways for delivering its digital workspace solutions. Firstly, customers could opt for Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops (CVAD) to run on virtual resources in a location of their choice, traditionally purchased as a perpetual license with annual maintenance, but now available solely through a subscription model for new customers.

Furthermore, customers seeking the flexibility to operate across both public cloud and on-premises environments require Universal Licenses. This newfound flexibility, however, comes at a higher cost for customers and depends on the size of the organization. Therefore, limiting this option to organizations with more than 250 user licenses and to those customers wanting to stay away from the more costly Universal Licensing model and remain on their existing afraid cannot. Learn more in our blog post that asks: “Does Citrix Universal Licensing provide simplicity — or not?”

Many leading cloud-centric companies are acknowledging the importance of allowing customers to transition to the cloud at their own speed, with hybrid solutions emerging as a valuable option for many on this migration journey. However, these companies have also effectively leveraged this gradual transition and customer preference for hybrid environments to develop more profitable business models for themselves. So, what is the solution? Find out how Parallels® RAS can help.

Parallels RAS: A simplified hybrid deployment for app and desktop delivery

Parallels RAS has always offered a universally licensed approach, with a simple subscription model eliminating complexity for businesses. Parallels RAS grants access to all features, including secure gateway access, across various deployment options such as on-premises, public cloud, or hybrid environments.

This flexibility extends to optimized Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD), VDI desktops in the public cloud or data center, and remote access to physical workstations. Parallels RAS emphasizes avoiding vendor lock-in, prioritizing customer choice, and maintaining simplicity in its offerings.

With a focus on meeting customer needs, Parallels RAS continues to deliver on its promise of simplicity, empowering users to consume resources where they are most effective. Consider evaluating your current or potential virtual apps and desktops vendor to ensure alignment with your requirements and preferences.

Making your move to the cloud

A scenario for many customers could involve retaining the current on-premises infrastructure while transitioning away from Citrix to Parallels RAS or adopting a hybrid model. Many organizations have said it is easier to migrate to Parallels RAS rather than moving to the next version of Citrix. With this approach, organizations can utilize Parallels RAS to manage Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) deployments alongside their existing on-premises systems. This strategy offers the flexibility to carefully plan and execute change management strategies at a pace that suits the organization’s needs.

It allows for thorough testing and gradual migration of specific workloads or departments to the cloud while maintaining stability and continuity with the on-premises infrastructure. This method enables organizations to leverage the benefits of cloud technology while mitigating risks and ensuring a smooth transition for users and IT operations.

Final words

The cloud presents tangible benefits that many companies can swiftly access. An on-premises infrastructure remains essential for providing security and cost predictability to businesses. By embracing a hybrid approach, companies can leverage the strengths of both environments. Contrary to common belief, achieving a hybrid deployment doesn’t necessitate an increase in costs; instead, it allows organizations to tailor their cloud journey according to their unique pace and requirements.

Parallels champions choice and flexibility through its universally licensed Parallels RAS, empowering organizations to seamlessly manage virtual desktop deployments across on-premises, public cloud, or hybrid environments. This approach ensures a gradual transition to the cloud while preserving stability and control over IT operations.