Rewind a year ago and many businesses were hardwired in their offices. Virtual desktops were viewed as an optional luxury, adopted only by enterprises and businesses for whom remote working was non-negotiable. A year on, and not only has the adoption of cloud solutions like virtual desktops increased unprecedentedly but so has the belief that these solutions can save businesses in tough times.
Virtual desktops allow your users to access their familiar office desktop computers and applications from anywhere. With desktops in the cloud, users can work from home, on the train, or even at 30,000 feet. The Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated the need for the ‘work anywhere’ flexibility and virtual desktops indeed provide that, but it’s not the only benefit. Virtual Desktops, and in particular Microsoft’s Windows Virtual Desktop (WVD), can offer a range of benefits conducive to improving the happiness of your employees:
1. A secure and familiar working environment
Windows Virtual Desktop (WVD) provides Windows 10 and Windows Server desktop and application virtualisation from any internet-connected location. With the full Microsoft security wrap around, your employees can rest assured that they are protected from risks even when away from the office.
WVD users can also use any device and enjoy seamless integration with Microsoft 365 apps like Teams, giving your staff the office desktop experience that they are comfortable with.
2. Reduced costs that can be invested in employee training
With Windows Virtual Desktop and Microsoft 365 licences, you only pay for what you actually use as a business. Gone are the days of paying a huge flat fee, allowing decision-makers to invest the extra money in important areas like security awareness training for employees.
You can also maximise the use of your virtual machines by using the Windows 10 multi-session capability to support multiple concurrent users.
3. More consistent productivity time
With a WVD subscription, you can leverage built-in Azure Site Recovery and Azure Backup technologies. This means that you can minimise downtime and prepare in advance for planned maintenance, so your employees spend little if any time waiting for systems to get back up and running. Less downtime equals more efficient operations and ultimately greater revenue!
4. Simplified IT management and processes
WVD manages the virtual desktop infrastructure for you, so your IT department can focus on users and applications. You can get users up and running quickly and securely, with limitless scale and fully controllable automation. A seamless, simpler, and more efficient process means your IT team will be less stressed and spend less time on draining projects.
5. Secure apps and data
With the ability to apply access controls to users and devices at the click of a mouse, you are in full control. WVD can help reduce vulnerabilities and instil confidence in your workforce that they are protected against cyber threats at user level. Coupled with awareness training on the risks, your employees will be much less likely to fall victim to cybercriminals.
With the Covid-19 pandemic, it’s so important that businesses are looking at more permanent and less temporary ways of working remotely.
