How Hosted Desktops Can Benefit Your Business

Hosted desktops are desktops environments that run on a server which you access via an internet connection from your local machine. This is different from a standard desktop which runs directly on your local machine itself.

Hosted desktops are sometimes referred to as Desktops as a Service (DaaS).

An Azure Virtual Desktop (formerly known as a Windows Virtual Desktop) is an affordable and scalable solution for businesses that may not be able to afford a full suite of new hardware PCs. They also have major benefits for businesses with team members working remotely.

Here are just a few of the reasons that small businesses are choosing virtual hosted desktops.

Hosted Desktops Reduce Costs and Provide Great Value For Money

The initial IT setup for a small business has typically required a significant amount of time and money to be invested up front in expensive equipment and expertise. Add to this the cost of continuous maintenance, upgrade, and eventual replacement of hardware; and the costs become too much for many smaller firms.

Because there is no need to upgrade hardware with a hosted desktop, small businesses save a lot of money both upfront and over time. Most of the hard work is performed in the cloud using hosted desktops, so small businesses do not need to purchase expensive new hardware.

Hosted desktops operate on a subscription basis, with organisations paying a monthly or annual price to access the service. The service provider covers the hardware and maintenance fees. Hosted desktops allow enterprises to spend their available finances on other elements of their IT infrastructure by reducing their hardware spend.

Hosted Desktops Facilitate Remote Working

In the last year, the business landscape has evolved dramatically, with more employees working remotely than ever before. Small firms that need to manage a team that isn't in the office may find this tough, but hosted desktops can help.

Employees can access their hosted desktop from anywhere in the world - their home, a co-working space, a café, or even a tropical beach! Basically, anywhere with a WiFi signal. As the world evolves towards remote working becoming the norm, hosted desktop services can help small businesses give their employees more flexibility in how and where they work.

Hosted Desktops Are Secure

The connection between your local machine and the hosted desktop is made using Microsoft’s Remote Desktop Protocol Gateway (RPD Gateway). This uses SSL encryption to ensure that data is not exposed to the open internet during transmission.

Your data is also more secure using a remote hosted desktop. As your data is not stored locally, but instead stored in the cloud, you will not lose any data if your employee’s device is damaged or stolen.

Hosted Desktops Are Scalable

Many firms' IT requirements change over time. Small businesses experience this the most, their IT systems are frequently upgraded and reconfigured as their business grows. However, these upgrades can be costly and disruptive. Hosted desktop services, however, are highly scalable, allowing organisations to change their service as needed. It is quick and straightforward to add additional hosted desktops or deploy new programmes to current ones.

Hosted Desktops Are Reliable

Microsoft recently increased the service level agreement (SLA) of their Azure-hosted desktop service. It now operates on what they call the “four nines”, this refers to having a 99.99% uptime guarantee per month. This is an industry leading SLA.

These are just a few of the reasons that businesses are transitioning to a hosted desktop environment. If you are considering deploying hosted desktops, whether through Microsoft Azure or another platform, it is recommended that you contact a managed IT services provider who specialises in hosted desktops.