V2 Cloud Review: Is it the Right Virtual Desktop Solution for You?

What is V2 Cloud?

V2 Cloud is a cost-effective desktop-as-a-service (DaaS) solution. It simplifies the deployment of cloud-hosted virtual machines (Windows-powered) to provide infrastructure with remote accessibility for small to medium-scale businesses (SMBs). Using V2 Cloud, SMBs get custom-tailored integrated solutions utilizing cutting-edge cloud technologies.

The IT company has its headquarters in Quebec, Canada. It was founded by Mathieu Feland in 2012 to provide SMBs with remote IT infrastructure accessible through any device, anywhere in the world.

To ensure strategic lag-free accessibility, V2Cloud offers 20 data centers worldwide, including Montreal, Portland, Paris, London, Mumbai, and Singapore. These are Tier III data centers (powered by OVH) offering 7.5 Terabytes per second (Tbps) network capacity. The data centers are HIPPA, ISO/IEC 27001, PCI DSS, STAR self-assessment, and SOC1 type II & SOC2 Type II compliant.

V2 Cloud’s virtual desktop solution benefits industries such as finance, education, healthcare, or any small business capable of using virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) services. It offers customizability, better reliability, improved security, and flat-rate pricing.

The platform supports multiple task-specific applications, including QuickBooks, Tally Cloud, Sage Cloud, AccontMate, and MetaTrader 4 VPS. These apps are optimized to work in V2 Cloud VDI environments.

What Does V2 Cloud Offer?

V2 Cloud DaaS solution primarily provides Virtual Desktops (VDI) and Application Hosting services, as discussed below.

• Virtual Desktops (VDI): V2 Cloud’s core offering is Virtual Desktops. These run on Windows architecture with a focus on usability and accessibility. The Virtual Desktops have multiple use cases, including desktop virtualization, digital workspace, secure remote access, and more. Users can spin up VDIs in 20 minutes with V2 Cloud.
• Application Hosting: V2 Cloud also offers cloud-based application hosting, enabling businesses to access the app, similar to how it’s accessed on a physical desktop. Teams can install and use multiple applications, as one physical server can be divided into multiple user sessions through separate virtual servers. Some of the business applications that V2 Cloud supports include Microsoft Access Database, Quickbooks Cloud Hosting, and AccountMate.

All V2 Cloud solutions are accessible anywhere in the world through the V2 Cloud Client for Windows, Mac, Linux, Raspberry PI 4, Android, and iOS.

V2 Cloud Features

V2 Cloud has 8 main features, which are discussed below.

• Intuitive Management Console: V2 Cloud has an intuitive dashboard – which is also your management console. Here, the administrator (the actual owner of the V2 Cloud account) can perform multiple tasks, including:
  • Manage cloud resources
  • Add/remove new local/administrator user accounts
  • Setup and restore backups
  • Add new VDIs with new locations, accounts, and other settings
  • Set and change security settings
  • Add, remove, and manage Active Directory (AD) such as Azure AD. It supports password hash caching (securely storing passwords for quick connections). 
  • Add, remove, and manage Single Sign-On (SSO) connections with several popular providers, including Google SSO, Azure AD, and V-Key.
  • Expand limited cloud desktop storage with high-performance unlimited storage buckets. It also allows you to manage extended backup retention for data security.
  • Create and manage pools (an effective way to use VMs to avoid overloading)

• Published Applications: The administrator can serve any Windows program (through the browser) to the end user by using published application features. This approach ensures that only selected programs are displayed to the browser without providing full desktop access. This is a unique feature that other VDI providers such as Citrix, VMware Horizon, or Google Cloud Virtual Desktops lack. However, this feature is different from Application Hosting.
• Malware Protection: Each V2 Cloud Business account includes managed Malwarebytes Pro antivirus. It provides real-time protection and does nightly scans to ensure malware-free operation. It is enabled by default on Business accounts. However, Admins must upgrade to the Business plan to get malware protection.
• Daily Backups: Business plans come with daily virtual machine snapshots. These snapshots help restore the system to a working desktop environment if there are any operation issues.
• Apps: V2 Cloud offers desktop, web, mobile, and Raspberry Pi apps for easy accessibility and connectivity.
  • Web and Mobile App: VCloud uses a secure SSL connection to offer desktop virtualization software. These provide features such as screen sharing, file transfers, and printing. Moreover, you can seamlessly transit to the desktop app if needed. The mobile app is available for Android and iOS.
  • Desktop App: The VCloud desktop app provides users with a secure, high-performance environment to access the cloud infrastructure. It comes with additional features, including cameras, printers, and microphone support. Additionally, you can utilize multi-monitors through the app itself. The desktop app is available for Linux, Windows, and Mac.
  • Raspberry Pi App: The Raspberry Pi app brings V2 Cloud to low-cost hardware. The app supports a microphone, printer redirection, cameras, and dual monitor.

• Active Directory (AD) Integration: Administrators can integrate V2 Cloud with cloud-based directories such as Azure AD and JumpCloud. It also supports on-premises Windows Active Directory.

• Single-user Desktops: V2 Cloud offers a single-user desktop for applications that don’t run on server instances. 
• Multi-user Desktops: These multi-user desktops support up to 250 users and use Windows server architecture. Each user has their own private space (private folder and desktop).

V2 Cloud Data Security

V2 Cloud provides robust data security to ensure smooth business operations. This security thwarts any malicious attempts, including data breaches, ransomware, and system hacks.

To achieve a high level of security, V2 Cloud deploys multiple layers of protection. These include:

• Tier III Data Centers: V2 Cloud utilizes Tier III data centers by OVH. These data centers have controlled access points, ensuring only authorized personnel with verified credentials can access the premises. Additionally, they include the following:
  • 24/7 video surveillance to monitor any unauthorized activity.
  • Regular compliance audits to match regulatory requirements, such as HIPAA (for healthcare), PCI (for payment gateway), or SOC (for service agreements).
  • 99.982% uptime, thanks to multiple cooling and power paths for peak performance.
  • Latest Hypervisor technology to offer better security, portability, and logical isolation between users.
• Advanced Firewalls: V2 comes pre-equipped with advanced wirefalls, including an Uncomplicated Firewall (UFW) for all its customizable cloud desktop virtual machines. It is secure but lacks customizability, as you can only change a few settings, such as restricting access to specific websites. However, for dedicated IP cloud computers, users have more freedom in setting up and configuring the firewall, but it is less secure than the V2 server’s firewall.
• Network Configuration: Businesses can customize the network communications between virtual machines based on their needs, without compromising overall security.
• RAID-1 Replication: V2 Cloud offers another level of data protection by using RAID-1 replication. It copies and duplicates data in real-time, so the data can be replaced instantly if there is a failure.
• SSL/TLS Encryption: All the data that moves across the network is encrypted with SSL/TLS encryption. It ensures that no data is tampered with during transmission.
• Daily Backups: V2 Cloud’s business plan offers daily backups (7-day retention period). This provides ransomware protection and helps in disaster recovery, minimizing downtime and data loss. Furthermore, V2 Cloud offers file recovery through its file storage system. You can recover individual files, when needed, rather than opt for complete system rollback.
• Managed Antivirus: To keep VDIs malware-free, V2 Cloud’s business plan comes with MalwareBytes Pro. It offers real-time managed protection that proactively blocks potential threats. As it is managed, you don’t have to worry about updating/configuring the antivirus or updating it.

Note: Managed antivirus and daily backups are only available through V2 Cloud’s Business plan.

V2 Cloud Pricing

V2 Cloud offers two pricing plans: Team Desktops and Individual Desktops. All plans include a 7-day trial with credit card information.

Each Team Desktop plan offers:

• Free onboarding
• Live chat and video call support
• 99.95% uptime SLA
• A one-admin account (additional users cost an extra $11.5/month)

There are 7 Team Desktop Plans, as shown below. 

• The Founder (1 user) – $46/month
• The Startup (up to 4 users) – $80.5/month
• The SMB (up to 8 users ) – $161/month
• The Firm (up to 16 users) – $322/month
• The Company (up to 32 users) – $644/month
• The Enterprise (up to 64 users) – $1,288/month
• The Bespoke – Custom Pricing

The difference between these plans is the number of users. Also, you can upgrade each plan to a Business plan that gives you access to Daily Backups and Professional Antivirus. On average, the Business plan adds 50% more cost to the selected plan. For example, The Founder plan becomes $69/month, whereas the Firm plan increases to $483/month (both 50% increase). Each plan also lets you choose a dedicated IP with a charge of $5/month on the yearly plan and $5.75/month on the monthly plan.

The Individual Plans are single-user and run on Windows 10 and 11. Each Individual Plan offers enough resources to carry out tasks based on requirements.

• The Intern – ideal for light multi-task, supports word-processing and data entry – $40.25/month/user
• The Doer – ideal for medium multi-task, supports business applications and Photoshop Design – $69/month/user
• The Workaholic – ideal for heavy multi-task, supports intensive apps and software development – $138/month/user
• The Magnate – ideal for ultimate multi-task, supports heavy apps – $276/month/user

Like Team Desktop plans, Individual plans also support Business plan upgrades where prices jump 50%. Furthermore, you can also upgrade both Team Desktop and Individual Plans to Enterprise.

To understand what Basic, Business, and Enterprise upgrades offer, check the table below.

V2 Cloud Performance and Reliability

V2 Cloud performs excellently out of the box. For testing, we selected the closest server to our location (i.e., Mumbai) to ensure the lowest latency. As for the plan, we chose The Startup team cloud desktop with 2 CPU cores, 8 GB memory RAM, and 50 GB storage. We also upgraded to Business to utilize its backup and malware protection features.

The few things we noticed, include:

• It took roughly 20 minutes for V2 Cloud to create our VDI instance.
• Time taken to connect to an already-running VDI via:
  • Web interface: 15.585 seconds
  • Desktop app: 18 seconds (has more steps to connect)
  • Android app: 9.925 seconds (the fastest)
• Rebooting the VDI: 22 seconds 

These numbers indicate that V2 Cloud offers excellent performance, including faster boot-up time through web, desktop, and mobile apps.

Apart from that, I tried running basic applications, such as a browser and Office 365, on the VDI, and they were snappy and ran without any issues. 

V2 Cloud’s excellent performance is attributed to the use of Tier III OVH servers. These servers use NVMe drives that ensure fast connectivity and reboot times. They can also handle heavy apps with ease.

To provide reliability, V2 Cloud offers the following:

1. Properly cooled infrastructure to minimize downtime. They offer 99.95% SLA uptime.
2. RAID-1 replication to copy data in real-time. This helps manage failures better, as fresh data can always be replaced instantly.
3. V2 Cloud pools to achieve optimal resource utilization. This protects VMs from overloading/slowing down due to load.
4. Daily backups with a 7-day retention period (can be extended to 21 days).

Who Should Use V2 Cloud?

V2 Cloud is primarily designed for small to medium-sized businesses. Anyone with remote requirements can use V2 Cloud as it provides a secure environment.

This cloud service solution is helpful for the healthcare industry, educational institutions, and Financial sectors. 

• Educational institutions: Use VDI to allow students and educators to learn remotely, bypassing infrastructure constraints.
• Healthcare and medical industry: Enables healthcare professionals to securely access (HIPAA-compliant) patient records and other medical applications.
• Financial sector: Provides data security and compliance to financial institutes when accessing financial analytics tools and trading platforms.

Additionally, anyone with application hosting requirements (such as hosting accounting software) can take advantage of the V2 offerings. It is also beneficial to business owners, IT managers, independent software vendors, and Managed service providers.

Who Shouldn’t Use V2 Cloud?

V2 Cloud provides VDI with multi-user desktops, making it an ideal choice for most use cases. However, V2 Cloud must be avoided in cases such as:

• End users with limited internet access
• Businesses with specific hardware requirements or highly customizable requirements.
• Industries with stringent compliance and data security that are not covered by V2 Cloud.

V2 Cloud Customer Support

V2 Cloud offers excellent support through 24/7 live chat, 24/7 toll-free phone, and email. To ensure that users become familiar with their platform, they provide proper onboarding.

During my interaction, I found them very responsive as they replied to my queries in minutes.

V2 Cloud Use Cases

V2 Cloud is a versatile DaaS desktop provider with different use cases, including:

• Virtualization Solutions: Reduce IT costs and improve productivity using virtual desktops, applications, and servers.
• Desktop Virtualization: Seamless access from anywhere, anytime, to desktops and applications from the cloud.
• Desktop as a Service: V2 Cloud can be used as a DaaS desktop, with benefits such as enhanced data security, compliance standards, and increased productivity.
• Digital Workspace: V2 Cloud provides a digital workspace with better collaboration, cost efficiency, scalability, and centralized security and management.
• Cloud VDI Solutions: Businesses can use V2 Cloud VDI solutions to lower costs, improve performance, and simplify deployment and management.
• Secure Remote Access: Build a zero-trust network remote access with multi-factor authentication (like two-factor authentication) and Single Sign-On (SSO) for critical apps and data transfer.
• Windows Server Solutions: Lower IT infrastructure costs and shift to a modern work environment with benefits like secure remote access, disaster recovery, and easy scalability.
• Remote Work Solutions: Use V2 Cloud’s high-end VDI to set up remote work solutions, which offer benefits such as enhanced BYOD security, seamless remote collaboration, and device flexibility and independence.
• Application Virtualization Software: Virtualize high-performance applications to meet business needs, with benefits such as lower IT costs and robust security.
• Server Virtualization Software: Run multiple virtual servers on the cloud with simplified management, enhanced security, and the ability to scale when needed.

V2 Cloud Data Centers

V2 Cloud uses Tier III OVH data centers with features like:

• 7.5 Tbps network capacity
• 24/7/365 RFID access and video surveillance
• Built-in Anti-DDoS infrastructures
• Fully redundant power and network offer a 99.99% SLA guarantee

They offer 20 data centers, which are strategically placed for the lowest latency. These locations include Montreal, Santiago, Johannesburg, Mumbai, and Sydney, among others.

Moreover, V2 Cloud data centers also have the following certifications:

• HIPAA
• PCI DSS
• SOC 1 Type II and SOC Type II
• STAR self-assessment
• ISO/IEC 27001

V2 Cloud Pros and Cons

The advantages and disadvantages of V2 Cloud are provided below.

V2 Cloud Pros

There are 7 significant advantages of V2 Cloud.

• Easy connectivity options, including web, mobile, desktop, and Raspberry Pi.
• Offers plenty of use cases, such as digital workspace, remote access, windows server solutions, etc.
• Powerful Tier III data centers capable of handling most requirements.
• Works well with strict compliance industry standards, including HIPAA, PCI DSS, STAR self-assessment, ISO/IEC 27001, SOC 1 Type II, and SOC 2 Type II.
• Offers Application Hosting for easy, pre-configured access to certain applications such as AutoCAD, Revit, Drake, AccountMate, etc.
• Excellent performance with an average of 15 seconds (web, mobile, and desktop app) to log into a Windows instance. It also has an impressive reboot time (in our case, 22 seconds).
• Quick and knowledgeable customer support.

V2 Cloud Cons

There are 6 disadvantages of V2 Cloud, and they’re discussed below.

• Dual-monitor setup is only supported via the desktop app.
• Not all software, such as O365/E5/Apps for Enterprise, might be supported.
• Difficult to set up a few software, like Teams.
• The knowledge base is a work in progress.
• Fixed monthly pricing – not ideal for businesses that don’t use their VDIs 24/7. A pay-as-you-go pricing model would have benefited such organizations.
• Once increased, the size of the primary disk cannot be downgraded later.

V2 Cloud is an impressive DaaS solution provider. It promises fast yet configurable desktop environments with the option of scalability. Besides ease of use, V2 Cloud shines in its customer support department. They are available 24/7 through live chat, phone, and email. For organizations, this means dealing with issues promptly without minimal productivity or efficiency loss.

They also offer plenty of solutions, including application hosting, virtualization, digital workspace, and so on. However, this doesn’t mean that V2 Cloud is for everyone. Businesses with strict compliance or data security might want to choose on-premise infrastructure.

A significant disadvantage of V2 Cloud is the inability to use dual-monitor setups through web apps. Moreover, not all software is seamlessly supported by V2 Cloud and requires technical prowess to install or use it. I also found their knowledge base lacking, with massive scope for improvement.

V2 Cloud Alternatives

Some of the notable V2 Cloud alternatives include:

• VMWare Horizon
• Amazon WorkSpaces
• Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop
• Google Cloud Virtual Desktops

Let’s discuss each one of them in comparison to V2 Cloud below.

VMWare Horizon

VMWare Horizon by VMWare is a great alternative to V2 Cloud. It offers similar features, including application or desktop hosting. 

However, the main difference is the ability to use VMWare Horizon for on-premise and hybrid deployment. It uses a Just-in-Time management platform, which makes deployed virtual desktops fast, flexible, and configurable.

VMWare Horizon vs. V2 Cloud

The points below compare VMWare Horizon’s features with those of V2 Cloud.

• Pricing: VMWare Horizon is cheaper than V2 Cloud, starting at $4.67/month/user.
• Performance: Similar performance with the use of VMware Software-Defined Data Center Infrastructure.
• Features: Some of VMware Horizon’s features include multi-monitor support, location-based pricing, Horizon Persona management (which retains data and user sessions between sessions), security features (2FA, SSL/TLS), scalability, and integration options with other VMware products (such as vSphere).
• Customer Support: 24/7 customer support via a ticketing system (no live chat support option).

Amazon WorkSpaces

Amazon WorkSpaces is a managed DaaS enterprise solution that supports both Linux and Windows. It lets businesses serve single or multi-user VDIs, with a pay-as-you-go model. Like V2 Cloud, it also offers apps to access the personal desktop environment, including apps for Fire, iOS, Android, Chromebook, PC, and Linux. With AWS as the infrastructure provider, you reap the benefits of solid security, quick provisioning, and cost-effective cloud desktops.

Amazon WorkSpaces vs V2 Cloud

The points below discuss the differences between Amazon WorkSpaces and V2 Cloud.

• Pricing: Amazon WorkSpaces offers Personal and Pools plans with pay-as-you-go pricing starting from $7.25/month. Overall, it’s decent value compared to V2 Cloud. They also offer a free trial.
• Performance: High-tier performance due to underlying AWS infrastructure.
• Features: Provides enterprise-ready features, including persistent storage, secure access, BYOL, multi-region resilience, audio-video optimization, and easy provisioning.
• Customer Support: Amazon WorkSpaces offers free basic support (access to documentation, support forums, and technical papers) and paid support.

Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop

Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop lets Azure users create affordable virtual Windows 10 and Windows 11 desktops on Azure cloud. It offers full control and you only pay for what you use. In comparison to V2 Cloud, Azure Virtual Desktop is more cost-effective, but lacks the level of support offered by V2 Cloud.

Microsoft Azure vs V2 Cloud

The points below compare Microsoft Azure’s offerings to those of V2 Cloud.

• Pricing: Pay what you use; contact them for pricing. You can try Azure for free before making the purchase.
• Performance: Enterprise-ready infrastructure with pool management and flexible network options for maximum performance.
• Features: Offers plenty of features for smooth remote desktop deployment, management, and use, including secured virtual machines, complete control, multi-session capabilities, and cost-efficient cloud migration. 
• Customer Support: Microsoft Azure offers free essential support with the ability to contact support via tickets. They also have paid support options.

Google Cloud Virtual Desktops

Google Cloud Virtual Desktops offers virtual desktop solutions to its users with benefits like reduced costs, improved security, streamlined operations and more. One of its key features is the Cameyo Virtual Application Delivery (VAD), which delivers Windows desktop applications from the browser to any device without the use of VPNs. Additionally, they have other delivery partners, including Citrix, VMWare, and Workspot.

Google Cloud Virtual Desktops vs V2 Cloud

The points below are crucial to consider if you compare Google Cloud Virtual Desktops with V2 Cloud’s offerings.

• Pricing: Google Cloud Virtual Desktops provide pay-as-you-use pricing, in comparison to V2 Cloud’s fixed monthly pricing.
• Performance: Offers excellent performance with varied options for choosing the closest Google Cloud server.
• Features: Provides many features, such as advanced access control, data recovery, centralized data, scalability, and access to leading virtual desktop solutions, including Cameyo, Citrix, VMware, Dizzion Frame, and Workspot.
• Customer Support: Only offers paid support, starting at $29 monthly 3% of monthly charges.

V2 Cloud Verdict

V2 Cloud is an excellent option among cloud desktop solutions. It has comprehensive use cases, especially for varied industries with different requirements, such as healthcare and education. It delivers ready-to-use Windows VDIs, which can be customized for secure remote access, digital workspace, Windows server solutions, and other similar requirements.

Furthermore, it offers application hosting, which allows businesses to deliver the app to the user without giving full access to the VDI.

Performance-wise, V2 Cloud performs well and can handle medium to heavy tasks with ease (depending on your plan). For some users, it might seem sluggish compared to on-premise computers, due to the expected latency.

One aspect that makes V2 Cloud a clear winner among VDI providers is its customer support. It is exceptional, as knowledgeable agents provide resolutions in minutes through live chat, phone, and email. They also offer free onboarding to familiarize users with the platform.

However, it does have some disadvantages. For example, I found its fixed pricing limiting. They don’t offer any pay-as-you-use model, which means businesses with flexible requirements will have to overpay. Moreover, their knowledge base needs improvements, with a focus on providing seamless support for different software.

Overall, V2 Cloud receives the Geekflare Innovation Award for offering versatile, intuitive virtual cloud desktops with robust security measures. Its flexible and comprehensive use cases make it ideal for most businesses with scope for growth.