Two MSPs can run identical virtual desktop services and take home very different margins. The difference often is not effort, pricing, or client mix. It is what the desktops are built on, and how much that software takes before anything reaches profit.
When the virtual desktop software is Citrix or Omnissa Horizon, the licensing cost is significant, and for many providers it has climbed steeply over time. Nothing about that is an operational failure. It is simply a cost that, for a lot of MSPs, has grown into one of the biggest costs eating into your profits. Add the vendor lock-in, especially with Horizon, where hypervisor options are limited, and it creates a perfect storm.
Why the software you run decides your margin
Citrix and Horizon licensing is expensive on its own, but there can be more drag in what sits underneath it. Both rely on Windows Server and SQL Server licensing, and none of it is visible to your client. The virtual desktop software you choose can have a large effect on margins that are already under pressure as you compete against the big players like Azure and Amazon WorkSpaces to retain your customers.
This is not a call to change how you operate. You keep your clients, your infrastructure, your delivery model. The one thing that can change is your virtual desktop solution.
What switching actually changes
Moving your virtual desktop delivery to a Citrix alternative built for MSPs changes your cost base without touching your client-facing service. A few things drive the savings.
Concurrent-user, pay-per-use licensing.
OVD Enterprise uses an SPLA monthly model billed on concurrent users rather than named accounts. That makes our pricing often more than 67 percent less than Citrix pricing for MSPs and CSPs, because you pay for simultaneous users instead of every named account, active or idle, and our subscription price is lower from the outset.
Fewer Windows licenses.
Because OVD Enterprise is Linux-based, it eliminates most Windows and Microsoft SQL Server licensing that incumbents assume, which is often a hidden multiplier on the headline cost.
Higher user density.
Our Linux resource containerization lets you host up to twice as many users per server as Citrix or VMware, so the same hardware serves more billable clients.
White-label as your own service.
OVD Enterprise can be white-labelled with your brand or your customer’s, so you deliver desktops-as-a-service under your own name rather than reselling someone else’s.
Runs on the infrastructure you already operate.
OVD Enterprise is hypervisor and cloud agnostic and works with any Active Directory or LDAP directory, so it runs on what you already have, on-premises or in any public or private cloud. There is nothing new to build. And if you also need to escape the VMware Broadcom price surge, OVD Enterprise will run on whatever hypervisor you choose.
Premium device redirection.
OVD Enterprise works with virtually any USB device, including printers, scanners, cameras, and biometrics, going well beyond what a standard RDS-based solution can deliver.
Endpoint savings you can pass on or keep.
Our ResoluteOS thin client operating system lets you repurpose existing hardware and extend its life, which is either a cost saving for your customer or a margin you keep, depending on how end-user devices are managed.
The margin math
The savings break into five lines: lower subscription fees, no Microsoft SQL Server license (replaced with Linux-based MySQL), built-in multi-factor authentication, our ResoluteOS thin client, and premium device redirection, which add up to roughly $34 of extra margin per user per month versus a Citrix or Horizon stack. Your client’s price does not have to change and your delivery does not necessarily have to change, so that difference in margin can be kept for every user, every month, just by replacing Citrix or Omnissa Horizon. For a provider with a recurring base of managed desktops, that compounds fast.
Where Inuvika fits
Inuvika OVD Enterprise is a Linux-based virtual desktop and application delivery solution that runs on the infrastructure MSPs and CSPs already use, on the hypervisor of your choice, including lower-cost options like ProxmoxVE, VergeOS, and KVM. It offers the easiest multi-tenancy on the market, white-labelling, Zero Trust security with built-in MFA, and concurrent-user monthly SPLA licensing. And very soon, the entire solution will be containerized on Docker, making migration and updates far easier. Our MSP Program has no upfront fees, no minimum user commitment, guaranteed pricing for the first 3 years, technical training and certification, and co-marketing with lead referrals. You keep more margin on the clients you already serve while delivering desktops-as-a-service under your own brand.
As with most customers on Citrix or VMware, if your virtual desktop licensing has become one of your biggest margin drags, that is the line worth attacking first. Large MSPs and CSPs including DTS, Swiss Private Cloud, US Signal, Corporate Technologies, SIMNET, Trupoint, Insoltec, and Opus Interactive already deliver DaaS on Inuvika. See why service providers switch to a Citrix alternative purpose-built for MSPs and CSPs, or look at the Inuvika MSP and CSP solution to see how it fits your stack.
Frequently asked questions
Do we have to change our infrastructure to switch to Inuvika?
No. OVD Enterprise is hypervisor and cloud agnostic and runs on the infrastructure you already operate, on-premises or in any public or private cloud. You are replacing the virtual desktop delivery software, not rebuilding anything underneath it. And in September 2026, OVD Enterprise will be containerized on Docker, meaning you can use any OS you wish.
How much margin does switching actually add?
Our worked example runs through five lines, subscription fees, Microsoft SQL Server licensing, built-in MFA, the ResoluteOS thin client, and premium device redirection, that total roughly $34 of extra margin per user per month versus a Citrix or Horizon stack. And that is before factoring in a change of hypervisor to something more favourable if you wish. OVD Enterprise can often reduce your TCO by up to 60 percent versus Citrix. Those savings are margin you can keep.
Can we deliver the service under our own brand?
Yes. OVD Enterprise can be white-labelled with your brand or your customer’s, so you deliver desktops-as-a-service as your own service. Our MSP Program has no upfront fees and no minimum number of users, and includes technical training, certification, and co-marketing with lead referrals.