The Frugal Networker

Raleigh, N.C. – March 25, 2015 – The Sixth Flag, Inc. (TSF), an emerging new technology firm, today released its web-based, HTML-rendered Desktop-as-a-Service that requires no dedicated hardware. The offering provides a unique solution specifically designed to address the increasing challenges faced by today’s distributed workforce. With nothing more than a browser, users can access their cloud-based corporate desktop, whether from a laptop, PC desktop or tablet.  Because user data is not stored on the local device, loss of a device does not represent compromised sensitive company data.

According to Pete Kofod, co-founder and CEO at TSF, “Our solution targets mobile users, contract, seasonal and temporary personnel as well as select employees that are targeted for corporate espionage.”

“Taken together, those groups of corporate technology users consume disproportionate resources to prevent security breaches and mitigate data risk. When you include the compliance requirements and  capital costs associated with asset management, organizations of all sizes face serious challenges when dealing with the complexities of managing the desktops of a globally distributed work force.”

“The prevailing ‘solutions’ today are limited to one-offs,” Kofod explains. “Corporate technology departments need to be flexible in resource allocation, yet a significant part of the overall budget is the capital outlay towards corporate desktops, forcing IT staff to continuously support one-off solutions for these emerging requirements, which are neither practical nor cost effective.”

Unlike other vendors offering Desktop-as-a-Service solutions, The Sixth Flag is specifically designed to serve the remote enterprise user.   “What we do is pretty straight forward,” Kofod continues. “we offer secure, easy-to-manage desktops to remote users without breaking the bank.”

According to David Kinghorn, co-founder and chief technology officer, by using TSF’s solution, organizations can manage the configuration and software installed on the desktop, including popular office productivity and line of business applications. TSF supports a complete Microsoft-based desktop user experience, including print and file management and more.

“With our offering, all you need is a current web browser,” he says. “This includes all desktops as well as tablets, because we do not rely on any plugin or download.”

At the end of every computing session, all user information is encrypted, stored and the desktop is, in effect, destroyed. Subsequently, every time a user logs in, they receive a fresh desktop with their data and settings intact. Kinghorn points out that any persistent threat that has found its way on to the desktop is deleted along with the desktop at the session’s end.

Exclusive to the TSF offering is a patent-pending “watermark” function. The unique pattern is overlaid on the screen session, discouraging users from leaking sensitive data by photographing or capturing desktop screen shots.  “We received requests for this feature from firms that have been significantly harmed by unauthorized leaks,” says Kofod.

TSF supports Active Directory authentication.  System administrators can implement traditional desktop group policies.  Additionally, the administrators can also restrict uploads/downloads, Internet access, printing, copy and paste, as well as other functions using the TSF administrative console.

In its most restrictive configuration, TSF is comparable to a “clean room” in biotech. What happens on that desktop cannot leave. It can’t be sent via email or saved to cloud-based file storage.

“When high-risk groups collaborate using The Sixth Flag, they are in essence fenced off, without any meaningful drop-off in productivity,” he says. “Even if they pick up malware, it disappears when they sign off.”

No capital investment or long-term commitment is required.  From service costs, to desktop licensing, TSF rolls all those costs into a monthly fee.  For organizations that have seasonal, temporary or contract workers, there is no need to make a long term investment to meet short term requirements.

With today’s increasing demand for “bring your own device” (BYOD) working environments, IT departments face the challenge of maintaining internal controls through a standardized corporate platform. TSF enables full BYOD, eliminating the need to provide and manage end-user physical desktops, while facilitating standardization and significantly reducing capital expenditures on desktop hardware.

“Best of all,” Shane Yocum, Vice President of Business Development notes, “TSF can be deployed for an organization in as little as 20 minutes.  A recent use case is a customer wanting to set up a disaster recovery environment.  There is no way to do that cost effectively using traditional DaaS licensing,” he notes, “but we have a DR licensing model that allows organizations to maintain a Desktop DR environment very economically.”

About The Sixth Flag, Inc.

The Sixth Flag Inc, is a Raleigh, North Carolina-based  Desktop-as-a-Service firm for global teams and organizations in need of Remote Desktop Management solutions.  Launched in 2015, TSF provides a web-based, cost effective and secure throw away desktop for today’s global, mobile teams. Its cloud-based, HTML-rendered Desktop-as-a-Service requires no dedicated hardware, thereby eliminating the need for organizations to spend on capital outlay. With nothing more than a browser, users can access their corporate desktop from anywhere in the world, whether from a laptop, desktop, or tablet.  Because user data is not stored on the local device, loss of a device does not represent compromise of sensitive organizational data. For more information, visit www.thesixthflag.com