Much of the software being used by businesses in Sudbury, Canada and around the world has become cloud based. The flexibility of being able to access your data and apps from anywhere, on any device, has opened up a whole new world of mobility at work as well as a remote workforce. This is one of the reasons Microsoft just launched their new Windows Virtual Desktop worldwide.
Now that our programs are free from being tied to a single physical workstation and companies are experiencing the benefits of cloud computing, the next logical step is to take our computer desktop environment and make that virtual as well to support an increasingly remote and mobile workforce..
Over 50% of people work outside the main office 2.5 days per week or more (Magazine Canada)
Windows Virtual Desktop is a comprehensive desktop and app virtual infrastructure that basically allows you to access your “computer” from anywhere, untethering that last connection to a physical location for your work. A virtual desktop allows you to access your operating system, programs, files… your entire desktop workstation environment… from any device and any location.
The freedom of accessing your workstation from any place not only helps improve office productivity, just like cloud software has done, it also helps small and medium-sized businesses lower costs.
Let’s first take a look at the Windows Virtual Desktop, then the benefits it can bring to your business in helping to transform the way you work.
After initially completing a pilot program with thousands of customers, the Windows Virtual Desktop was released globally September 30, 2019. It allows you to deploy and scale your Windows desktop and applications on Azure and access them from anywhere.
Virtual desktops host in a cloud environment everything that you would normally have on the hard drive of your desktop computer. This means that you can login to your desktop from any physical computer or mobile device and it’s as if you’re sitting in front of your main workstation.
There are several different virtual desktop infrastructures (VDI) out there, but of course Microsoft brings their skillset and incredibly popular Office software to the table to offer what promises to be the premiere VDI on the market. Their Windows 10 is already the number one operating system in the world and Office 365, the top cloud computing platform by user count.
Here are some of the features you get with Windows Virtual Desktop:
While it may seem like a major change to move from keeping your workstation contents in the cloud rather than on a single physical computer, it’s one that will help improve efficiency and mobility and lower costs.
With employees already used to accessing their applications from cloud-based platforms, it’s a pretty fluid experience to have the ability to access your entire computer the same way. Here are the benefits you can expect when moving to Windows Virtual Desktop.
When you’re using a virtual server to host all your desktop files, you no longer need to invest in physical computers with a lot of hard drive space. This reduces your hardware costs when new employees are brought on board or it’s time to upgrade.
If you have teams that work more than one shift, they can securely share the same physical workstation to access their unique virtual desktop space.
Many companies use cloud storage and backups to reduce their risk should something happen to their physical office that damages their devices. By working in virtual desktops, you ensure that all office computer workspaces are secured in a cloud environment. So, whether a laptop gets stolen or a pipe breaks and floods your office, your data and working environments are protected and accessible.
Your corporate data stays protected from security breaches or loss when your team uses Windows Virtual Desktops. Rather than having things like emails and files spread out over multiple hard drives, all your data is contained in one virtual space and easily recoverable and accessible when you need it.
The virtual environment also ensures that security updates and patches are being deployed in a timely manner, rather than hoping your staff remembers to apply them.
If you’re deploying a new corporate software or updating password protocols, you no longer need to have someone go computer to computer to update physical devices. In a virtual desktop environment, deployment of a new program or updates to security protocols can be done in seconds throughout multiple virtual workspaces.
It can be expensive and time consuming to onboard new employees, especially when it comes to provisioning them a computer.
Is it someone’s “old computer” that needs to be cleaned? Does it have the newest company app installed? Did all the sensitive files get deleted? These are questions you won’t have to ask when working with Windows Virtual Desktops, because employees can easily be provisioned new virtual workspaces that are all set up consistently and ready to go.
If you’re not comfortable with the hosting of all your desktops by a third party, you have the ability to host your Windows Virtual Desktops on-premises. You can also choose cloud-based or hosted deployments. So, you get the flexibility to control where your virtual workstations reside and how your team accesses them.
Would you like to see what it looks like to log in to a virtual desktop environment? You may be surprised at how similarly they look to your usual desktop experience and how easy they are to use.
Book a complimentary Windows Virtual Desktop Session with us today! Questions? Call us anytime at 705-222-8324.