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Faronics Deep Freeze: On-Premises vs Cloud Deployment Comparison

Adam Davis Oct 7, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user is looking for a comparison between Faronics Deep Freeze on-premises and cloud deployments to determine the best solution for their organization.

Faronics Deep Freeze: On-Premises vs. Cloud Deployment

Product: Faronics Deep Freeze
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Evaluating administrative, security, and connectivity requirements before purchasing and deploying endpoint restoration software.
Observed behavior: Needs to evaluate the goal state of centralized endpoint control to decide between managing local on-site servers or utilizing cloud-based remote administration.

Before you start

Before selecting a deployment model, map out your organization's network topology, remote work policies, and whether your IT team has the capacity to maintain local management servers.

Solution 1Recommended

Opt for Deep Freeze Cloud for Flexible Remote Management

Best for distributed networks, hybrid work environments, and IT teams that need to manage endpoints from any location.

Faronics Deep Freeze Cloud offers a web-based console that allows IT administrators to manage, update, and secure endpoints without requiring local server hardware. This model operates on a subscription basis and provides excellent flexibility.

Assess Remote Administration Needs

Determine if your IT administrators need to freeze, thaw, or run maintenance tasks on computers from outside the corporate network via a web browser.

Evaluate Infrastructure Costs

Calculate the savings of not having to purchase, secure, and maintain a dedicated on-premises server for the Deep Freeze Enterprise Console.

Check Cloud Connectivity

Ensure your managed endpoints have reliable internet access to communicate with the Deep Freeze Cloud agent for policy updates and status reporting.

Opt for Deep Freeze Cloud for Flexible Remote Management

Cloud Advantage: The Cloud version often includes integrated modules for patch management, software deployment, and antivirus, simplifying overall IT operations.

Solution 2

Select On-Premises Deployment for Maximum Local Control

Ideal for highly secure, air-gapped networks, or organizations with strict data compliance that require all management infrastructure to remain in-house.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Deploy WPS Office on Your Managed Endpoints

Whether you choose on-premises or cloud deployment for your Deep Freeze environment, equipping those machines with a reliable productivity suite is essential. WPS Office is a lightweight, fully featured alternative to Microsoft Office, perfect for computer labs, libraries, and enterprise workstations. It deploys quickly and saves significant licensing costs.

1. Thaw Your Endpoints: Use your Deep Freeze Console to temporarily 'Thaw' the target computers or golden image.
2. Install WPS Office: Run the WPS Office installer on the thawed machine and configure any necessary shortcut preferences for your users.
3. Freeze to Lock Configuration: Reboot the endpoints into a 'Frozen' state so that the pristine WPS Office installation is preserved after every restart.

Highly compatible with Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint file formats.Lightweight installation footprint, ideal for deploying on frozen workstation images.Free and cost-effective, drastically reducing software expenses for large scale endpoint deployments.Familiar tabbed interface minimizes the learning curve for new users in lab environments.

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I migrate from on-premises Deep Freeze to the Cloud version later?

Yes, Faronics provides migration paths. It typically involves uninstalling the local Deep Freeze client, removing the endpoint from the Enterprise console, and then deploying the Cloud Agent to those machines.

Does Deep Freeze Cloud require a constant internet connection to keep computers frozen?

No. While an internet connection is required to receive new commands or policy updates from the Cloud Console, the actual freeze state is enforced locally by the kernel-level driver and remains active even if the endpoint goes offline.

Which Faronics Deep Freeze deployment model is more cost-effective for a small business?

Deep Freeze Cloud is often more cost-effective for small businesses because it eliminates the need to buy and maintain a dedicated local management server, operating instead on an accessible per-endpoint subscription model.

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