Virtual Desktops
A governed computer, one click away.
Slate gives people a whole Linux or Windows computer the moment they need one and destroys it when the work is done. A person picks a governed template and clicks Launch; the desktop opens in the browser already signed in, with nothing installed locally and no VPN. Desktops run on hosts you already manage, under policies for clipboard, printing, internet access and lifetime, and the template and the record remain.
Contractors, labs, and short tasks rarely justify a permanent desktop or a shipped laptop. Slate launches a governed Linux or Windows desktop from a template in one click, opens it in the browser with no VPN, runs it on hosts you already manage, and destroys it when the work is done, keeping the template and the record.
- Launch governed desktop templates in one click, with nothing installed locally and no VPN
- Use ready-made Linux desktops, or bring your own Windows image and licensing
- Run desktops on hosts you already manage, with caps on lifetime and size
- Control clipboard, printing, lifetime, and AI-agent access with Desktop Policies
- Open any desktop from one chooser, and see exactly why a policy applies
What you get
What Slate gives your team.
Governed desktop templates
Build Linux and Windows templates from your own images and licensing, or pick the platform's own Linux desktops. Templates are versioned, promoted and shared like any governed resource.
One-click launch, hard expiry
Pick a template and provider, see the lifetime your policy allows, and launch. Every desktop carries a countdown, and idle desktops end after their owner is warned.
Run on hosts you already manage
Add your own machines as providers with caps on lifetime, processors and memory, and drain a host before retiring it.
Desktop Policies
Control clipboard direction, printing, sound, file transfer, running commands, internet access and agent entry, bound to people, teams, roles or organizations. A Why this policy view explains each value.
Warm desktop pools
Keep ready desktops of a template, more in busy hours and fewer overnight, so a launch takes one at once without skipping any permission or policy check.
Persistent profiles
Keep a person's files and settings between desktops in the organization's own encrypted storage, or choose a temporary desktop that keeps nothing.
How it works
- 1
Add a provider host
Add a machine you manage as a provider. One script installs the container engine and platform agent on common Linux distributions, or Prepare host builds one inside Windows 11. Set lifetime, processor and memory caps.
- 2
Publish a desktop template
Pick the platform's Linux desktops or supply your own image and licensing. Import the prepared Windows disk, checked against its hash, then version, promote and share the template like any governed resource.
- 3
Bind Desktop Policies
Set clipboard direction, printing, file transfer, internet access, maximum lifetime and AI-agent entry, bound to people, teams, roles or organizations. Why this policy shows what applies to anyone.
- 4
Launch, work, destroy
Pick a template and provider, see the lifetime your policy allows and launch. The desktop opens in the browser with a hard expiry; launch, connect and destroy become attributed evidence.
Ask AI about Slate
Every Slate page has an Ask AI button. It opens a chat that already has the page, its rows, and your selection. Try asking:
- Which desktops are running right now, and when does each one expire?
- Which provider hosts on this page are closest to their capacity?
- Which warm pools here have no ready desktops left?
How teams use it
- Give a contractor a locked-down Windows desktop for one afternoon, with clipboard and internet restricted.
- Spin up a clean Linux desktop to test a change, then destroy it with a full record.
- Offer a pool of ready desktops that is larger during business hours and smaller overnight.
Frequently asked questions
See Slate in action
Join the early-access list, or talk to our team about your environment.
Talk to us