Posted: September 18, 2014
Discover how moving to a virtual hosted desktop provider can improve your business.
What is hosted desktop?
Virtual desktops are difficult to explain, but very simple to use.
Think of the PC desk at work:
- It runs Windows and various applications.
- You go on the road and your PC stays at work.
- You cannot use the PC without being physically present in the office.
A hosted desktop also runs Windows and various other applications, BUT...
- The computer exists in a remote datacentre.
- You connect to the virtual desktop over the Internet.
- You can access the virtual desktop using any computer or tablet from anywhere in the world.
What’s in it for me? – Offsite storage
Relying on virtual hosted desktop providers for PC-based computing:
- Improves data security – desktop sessions and data are stored in high security datacenters.
- Improves data resilience – When stored offsite, your business is less likely to be affected by local disasters and associated outages.
- Improves data availability – Enterprise-grade server systems are more fault tolerant than your own systems, reducing the risk of server crashes and lost productivity.
35% of US companies indicated that they had benefited from higher levels of security since shifting to the cloud. –Some SMBs Adopting Cloud for Security Benefits - IT Pro Portal.
What’s in it for me? – Remote access
Virtual hosted desktop providers can boost your productivity by:
- Making your desktop session available even when you are out of the office.
- Helping you use your desktop from any device – including tablets and smartphones.
- Allowing you to get up and running quickly if your office is ever out of action.
- Removing any need to reconfigure your current network security to facilitate remote access.
60% of businesses believe they have a user case for remote desktop access
What’s in it for me? – Reduced costs
By moving your PCs to virtual hosted desktop providers you can slash costs through:
- A reduction in the number of physical PCs you need to buy.
- Lengthening the upgrade cycle, thereby helping to spread capital investment over more years.
- Reducing IT support demands for desktop PC support – the provider is responsible for keeping the machines running.
- Providing an effective route to Bring Your Own Device, which is a new government policy allowing staff to bring their own devices to work.
Organisations that have fully or largely migrated to the cloud save, on average, more than 15% in IT spending as a percentage of revenue. Savings come not only from a reduction in data center spending, but also from lower IT personnel costs. –The Economic and Strategic Benefits of Cloud Computing – Computer Economics.
So what do virtual hosted desktop providers offer you?
- Improved data security and availability.
- Any time, any place, any device access to data.
- A way to reduce IT operations costs.