Virtual application delivery platform Cameyo Inc. today announced that it now supports Linux apps in order to reduce the cost of providing cloud desktops for workers during a time of remote and hybrid workforces.

Cameyo’s existing platform already permits the delivery of Windows and software-as-a-service and internal web apps to any device. The new product, called Cameyo for Linux, offers the ability to remotely launch Linux and web apps that don’t require a Windows server.

That can be important for organizations looking to reduce costs due to the costly nature of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services Client Access Licenses. At the same time, the addition of this new capability allows organizations the added flexibility to deliver apps from Linux, which opens up new opportunities to approach app delivery.

“Every organization is working hard to ensure their people have access to all of the critical tools they need to do their jobs from anywhere,” said Eyal Dotan, founder and chief technology officer of Cameyo. “But especially in this economic climate, most organizations are trying to balance that anytime, anywhere access with the need to reduce costs.”

Cameyo’s platform allows organizations to easily deliver cloud desktops either in their own self-hosted environments or on fully managed infrastructure. Using its solution, companies can now deliver a multitude of apps anytime anywhere to almost any device, this allows organizations to streamline their own infrastructure.

For example, using Cameyo’s solution, it is already possible to deliver Windows apps – and now Linux apps – to Chromebooks, which only feature web browsers and Android apps as their primary interface. As a result, workers can use these “thin” hardware clients and still get the full experience of using a full PC.

“We’re always looking for ways to make our operations more secure, efficient, and cost-effective,” said Mario Zúñiga, digital workplace information technology director at American manufacturing services provider Sanmina. “This is what originally brought us to Cameyo, and we’ve used Cameyo for several years to give our employees secure access to all of their apps on Chromebooks. Now with Cameyo for Linux, we’re able to deliver several of our internal web apps on Linux servers instead of Windows servers.”

As for costs, Linux server costs can be dramatically cheaper than Windows servers, with an hourly cost of almost 50% less to operate, according to a cost comparison by Parquantix. This goes even beyond the up-front price of Microsoft licensing and other considerations.

The adoption of Linux also provides organizations the opportunity to avoid becoming locked in with Microsoft products, Robb Henshaw, co-founder and chief marketing officer at Cameyo, told SiliconANGLE. By enabling enterprise customers to choose which apps they want to deliver to what devices, they can more readily have a preference as to their app delivery strategy.

“We’ve always believed that virtualization should help organizations become more flexible while increasing their flexibility — not just in terms of enabling people to be productive from anywhere, but also when it comes to enabling them to use whatever technologies they prefer,” Henshaw said. “In our work with large enterprises, we’re seeing an increasing number of organizations who are actively looking to protect themselves against vendor lock-in.”

With the pandemic, there has been an ever-increasing rise in remote and hybrid work, which has been increasing the need for secure delivery of desktops and applications for remote workers. A recent Gallup poll estimated more than 70 million workers in the United States can do their jobs remotely, with at least half working hybrid and three in 10 working exclusively remotely. Although exclusively remote workers are expected to decline in 2023, it is still the current situation for many enterprise businesses.

“As organizations continue to adopt SaaS apps, there are an increasing number of use cases that don’t require Windows and instead only require a browser,” said Gabe Knuth, senior end-user computing analyst at Enterprise Strategy Group. “Coupled with an increased demand for remote access to Linux apps driven by the shift to remote work, Linux support can be an important component of a hybrid workplace strategy.”

Photo: Cameyo