Even so, virtual desktops offer firms a host of compelling benefits. Read on to learn more.

Benefit: Cost Savings

Virtual desktops run on servers located in third-party facilities. For this reason, local hardware requirements are minimal. Firms don’t need to buy expensive desktop computers with powerful onboard graphics and multithreaded CPUs. Terminals that offer basic computing performance and connect to third-party servers will suffice.

Because of this, the cost savings are tremendous. A study by the International Data Corporation found that virtualisation could reduce IT outlays by as much as 56 percent.

Benefit 2: Workplace Flexibility

Virtualisation also offers workplace flexibility for the obvious reason that employees can access documents, files and data wherever they are, on any device.

With more than 87 percent of organisations now relying on employees to use their personal devices, virtualisation is essential. Companies need to be able to offer workers enterprise-level performance on consumer-grade devices for both security and productivity purposes. And that’s what virtualisation brings.

Benefit 3: Centralised Troubleshooting

Legacy IT network administrators used cumbersome methods to troubleshoot software. Employees would encounter a problem and then submit a ticket. Admins would then fix the problem on a local level, only solving it for their part of the network.

Unfortunately, under this scheme, large organisations wound up replicating work. IT professionals at different sites would encounter and fix the same problems over and over again, wasting valuable time and costing the business a lot of money.

Virtualisation deals with this issue by centralising the network. Any changes made at the top filter down to all end-users. Network maintenance is global, not piecemeal so a fix for one, is a fix for all.

Benefit 4: Improved Disaster Recovery

According to estimates from Managed 24/7, workplace technology failures cost UK companies more than £35 billion per year. However, virtual desktops may partially solve this problem.

How? It’s simple. When businesses no longer rely on static on-premises computers, they can more widely distribute their data across cloud servers. Even if one system fails, there’s always another available to step in and provide backup. In some cases, disaster recovery systems can be so efficient that there is no downtime at all and users may not even be aware that a failure has occurred.

Benefit 5: Hassle-Free Updates

Lastly, virtual desktops facilitate hassle-free updates. Organisations can roll out changes to all user endpoints at the same time, instead of having to do it terminal by terminal, desk by desk.

Desktop as a Service from anywhere.tech

Anywhere.tech offers desktop as a service (DaaS) which gives you all the benefits described above and many more. Such systems make it possible for employees to work anywhere securely (as the name implies), reducing your overheads and improving business agility.

Pease drop us a line or give us a call and we can arrange a demonstration of our lightning fast desktop as a service.

But what’s driving this shift, though? Why is cloud usage growing so dramatically? And what are the drawbacks? Let’s take a look. 

The benefits of moving to the cloud

The benefits of moving to the cloud are tremendous. 

Reduced costs

Perhaps the biggest economic driver of cloud adoption is reduced costs. It’s often just so much cheaper than using traditional in-house services. 

There are four main reasons for this: 

• Economies of scale – it’s cheaper for cloud computing companies to make efficiency improvements because they have so many servers in comparison to a single business.
• Greater utilisation rates – most cloud service providers are running at between 30 and 40 percent (not the usual 10 to 15 percent of regular in-house systems).
• Greater flexibility, particularly when installing and updating new software.
• Reduced management and organisational costs of making IT network changes as these are spread across many customers not just one.

More support

Firms are also switching to the cloud because of improved support. They want to have people on the phone immediately who can help them resolve technical issues, without having to wait for engineers to travel to them and fix problems. Most cloud service providers give customers the ability to file tickets with them and get quick responses often more or less instantly and certainly within an hour or two. 

Greater Scalability

The cloud is also scalable. It’s easy to add new accounts or storage space because the physical capacity to do so already exists in a large server farm. It’s also easy to go the other way and reduce the number of licenses needed and keep costs closely aligned to your needs.

Access

Then there are the access benefits. Employees can get into their accounts no matter where they are in the world, so long as they have an internet connection. They don’t have to go into the office and sign in via a legacy portal. 

Real-time collaboration

Lastly, the cloud facilitates real-time collaboration. Staff can log and work on projects together in real-time, including spreadsheets, documents and even building designs. More and more applications are being developed that enhance the way dispersed teams worth together. 

The downsides of using the cloud

Unfortunately, there are some disadvantages of using the cloud. These include: 

• Losing the ability to fully control your data as at some point you are storing it with another company (the cloud provider).
• Vulnerabilities in shared environments, particularly if people connect using their private devices remotely. You will need to have control over a wider range of devices and ways that people access the data.
• The need to protect yourself against poorly designed or insecure APIs and user interfaces.

What a good cloud IT provider should offer

There is considerable variation in the quality of cloud IT service providers. A good one should offer the following: 

• A consultative approach to tailor the cloud infrastructure closely to your business needs rather than taking a “one size fits all approach”
• Certifications and standards confirming their expertise with a wide range of software and hardware providers
• Support for migration from legacy systems over to the cloud
• Service level agreements (SLAs), spelling out precisely what they will offer you
• Good reliability and performance
• A backup strategy to protect your data in all circumstances
• Growth and future planning to ensure your systems track your development

We have a wide range of clients of all shapes and sizes and would welcome the opportunity to discuss your cloud plans with you. If you are completely new to cloud computing, then we can talk you through the main benefits for your organisation. Please give us a call or drop us a line.