How Physical Desktops Can Tie Your Business Down
Work doesn’t just happen at work anymore. It happens on the road. It happens where remote workers live.
And it happens after business hours – especially when your clients and colleagues are in different time zones.
It happens wherever and whenever your team needs it to happen. It’s why they need all of their files and applications easily accessible across all of their devices.
The thing is, the more devices that your team uses to get work done, the more complex your IT becomes. And if you allow your staff to use their own devices at work – also known as a bring-your-own-device-policy (BYOD) – that complexity is compounded.
- You have a harder time updating and managing all of those devices.
- Your team has a harder time switching between devices.
- And all the data and apps on those devices end up being less secure.
Those are big problems. The good news is there is a solution.
It’s called desktop virtualization (aka Desktop-as-a-Service).
And it makes your desktops more flexible, easier to use, easier to manage and easier to secure. It also lowers your IT costs.
Desktop virtualization technology separates your desktop from the physical hardware, which enables your users to access their virtual desktop from anywhere, on any device.
In practice, that leads to a lot of great things.
- People get to use their desktop on any device.
- You get to manage everything centrally, instead of manually updating devices individually.
- All of your apps and data are secured on your virtual desktop hosted in the cloud and ready for action, at any time.
If you’re on a journey to the cloud, desktop virtualization is a big win. It brings all of the benefits of the cloud to your users.
The 4 Big Benefits Your Business Gets From Desktop Virtualization
You make security more scalable
Updates are an essential part of the best security strategies. One of the big benefits of the cloud is that as soon as a new vulnerability gets detected, you get the latest patches and fixes delivered to you.
With desktop virtualization, you’d get rapid updates to protect your desktops from new threats (like the WannaCry attack). Except, you wouldn’t need to run from one desktop to another to install them. You could do it all centrally.
The other really big way that desktop virtualization simplifies security is through back-ups. If someone loses their laptop, you can get that user back up and running with exactly the same desktop set-up, on a new device. The apps and data become easier to rescue. And the security issue causes a lot less damage.
You Lower Your Costs in a Big Way
Maintaining distributed desktops is very expensive. There’s also a massive opportunity cost when your staff are stuck on outdated PCs but you can’t afford to get them an upgrade.
Then there’s the cost (and headache) of migrating to a new operating system (OS). The average cost of a migration from Windows XP to Windows 7 is $835. The move to Windows 10 is going to cost even more.
Desktop virtualization drastically reduces the time and cost of migrations because it lets you roll out the new OS centrally. You get more control. And your users get the new OS faster than they would have the old way.
How much would you save? It depends on your business. But some businesses have reported savings as high as 70 percent by switching to desktop virtualization.
You Make Remote Access and Mobility a Lot Easier
Remote working isn’t going away any time soon. In fact, more people need more mobile ways to work. Even if they aren’t full-time road warriors, they need access to their desktops wherever they are, whenever they need it.
Desktop virtualization lets you give them access to their own desktops – with all of their settings, preferences, files – on any device.
You can even deliver real-time access to 3D professional graphics apps used by designers and engineers. Again, on any device.
That’s a big win for remote work. Especially if people are bringing their own devices to work.
It Makes Your Life Easier
Desktop virtualization makes your business more secure and your users more mobile. But it also makes your life a lot easier.
For starters, you don’t have to manage migrations one desktop at a time. Even bigger, you don’t have to worry about migrations at all – your IT service provider can make them happen without interrupting your users.
In terms of security, you can apply updates and patch security issues centrally, again without the hassle of going one user at a time.
And in terms of compliance, your desktops will all be hosted in environments in strict compliance with the highest regulatory standards.
What about performance?
Your team needs the freedom to get work done wherever they are. To make that happen, they need to be able to access their files, apps and desktops wherever they are.
Desktop virtualization gives you an easier way to manage complexity and continuously improve the security of your business. All for a lower, more predictable cost.
If you’re already on your journey to the cloud, this is a huge opportunity to free yourself from unnecessary IT administration and free your users from their desks. Let’s talk.
About Plow Networks
Headquartered in Brentwood, Tennessee, Plow Networks is a Total Service Provider (TSP) with several distinct business practices that, when consumed together, offer our clients a unique, best-in-class experience. We give organizations peace of mind, valuable time back and the economies of scale that come with having one technology partner that is focused on exceeding their expectations with every engagement.
