Information technology has made the leap to the cloud. More and more businesses are supporting tools that, rather than being located on their equipment or servers, can be found in the cloud. Virtual desktops are one of the cloud solutions that have taken off in recent years, thanks to improved connectivity and technology. But what is a virtual desktop and what are the advantages of uploading it to the cloud?
What is a virtual desktop?
A virtual desktop is a desktop that isn’t physically inside the device being used. In other words, the desktop is stored on a central server and the user accesses it remotely. Therefore, users always have virtual access to their information and their work space, no matter what device they’re using.
The experience is the same as if you were working on a desktop installed on a physical computer. But nearly all processes are done remotely and centrally. Previously, virtual desktop tools required you to have your own central servers and a VDI (virtual desktop infrastructure). However, thanks to the cloud, businesses’ ability to access the benefits of the virtual desktop has been democratized.
Advantages of employing cloud-based virtual desktop technology
Working on virtual desktops has countless advantages for businesses. These range from improving cybersecurity to flexibility, passing through cost reduction or hassle-free implementation of updates.
- Reduction in support, infrastructure, hardware and deployment costs. Having a remotely-accessible, centralized infrastructure reduces business costs on many fronts. Support staff can resolve incidents virtually, without having to travel. The hardware and infrastructure requirements of staff working on virtual desktops are greatly reduced. And software and operating system updates or new applications can be implemented virtually and centrally, without needing to be installed individually on each device.
- High scalability and flexibility. The market is constantly demanding higher speeds that can cope with peaks in demand, as well as the flexibility to adapt to drops in the volume of work. The use of a cloud-based virtual desktop infrastructure allows you to easily increase the number of desktops in order to meet the needs of new staff, wherever they are located.
- Greater storage space. The cloud’s capacity isn’t infinite, but it’s close. By using virtual desktop technology, each user will have access to a much greater storage space for applications and files than they would have on a hard drive on their device. This is particularly important if you work with mobile devices, such as smartphones or tablets, as they don’t tend to have large storage capabilities.
- Increased information security. Working on a virtual desktop means that the data is not on the device, it’s stored in the cloud. Therefore, in the case of a fault, theft or cyberattack on the physical device, the information is safe and backed up by one or various copies in the cloud.
- Increase in productivity and flexibility for employees. Individual workspaces become available at all times, regardless of where the employee is or what access device they’re using. This allows them to maintain their rhythm of work, without interruption, during a journey or from home, if necessary.
- Protection of business continuity. Whatever happens, data is backed up in the cloud and the virtual desktop infrastructure can be accessed remotely. In this way, companies reduce the possibility of interruption to their business to practically zero.
In addition to the six major advantages of using a virtual desktop that we’ve just gone over, having a cloud-based virtual desktop infrastructure allows you to achieve a more efficient energy use, improve the centralized management of the company or improve employee mobility. In conclusion, remotely working on virtual desktops increases flexibility, savings, security and company productivity.
Images | Unsplash/freddie marriage, Domenico Loia
