Remote Working and Azure Virtual Desktop

Remote working technology has become a big topic of discussion over the past 18 months. The shift in the way that businesses are operating, and remote working has become the way many businesses have stayed in business.  

When it comes to remote working and more specifically, hybrid work environments, the right technology goes a long way to ensuring a smooth transition from on-premise to work from anywhere scenarios. Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD), formerly known as Windows Virtual Desktop or WVD, a relatively new remote working technology allows businesses to provide desktop infrastructure to employees, no matter where they happen to be working from. 

For businesses that are looking at remote working solutions that provide their employees the same desktop experience as on-premise with the flexibility to take that desktop anywhere and work from any device, it is worthwhile to have a look at AVD. 

What is AVD? 

AVD is a fully cloud-based comprehensive desktop and application virtualization service provided by Microsoft and powered by Azure. With built-in security and compliance features, AVD provides a secure virtual desktop infrastructure, allowing employees to work from a cloud-based platform that they can sign into from any device. 

Why is AVD an important remote working technology? 

Virtual desktop platforms, such as AVD, are changing how people do work. Not only do they provide employees with a convenient and secure way to access the data they depend on to do their work, but businesses are realizing that the flexible and scalable option of having virtual desktop infrastructure in place can significantly reduce their overall costs, both capital and operational. 

So, what are the benefits of this technology?  

Here are four ways that AVD can provide your organization with a solid remote working technology: 

1. Security 

We have all heard stories of businesses who are being crippled by ransomware, malware, and other local security attacks. A virtual solution, like AVD, can help you to create an extra layer of security, which doesn’t rely fully on the device that your employees are using and whether or not they are secure. Since all data is held and worked on in the cloud, AVD removes the need for employees to have any business related data on their devices.  

Azure Virtual Desktop, as the name implies, is hosted in Microsoft Azure, a trusted and secure platform. By implementing the solution, businesses take advantage Microsoft’s investment in security infrastructure.  

2. Support 

Virtual desktop integration, like with AVD, means that policy-based applications and rules can be pushed to any linked device. This allows a user who may be experiencing hardware trouble to access their data and applications by logging into another linked device.  

3. Widen the recruitment of talent pool 

Since the location of the physical device is no longer a consideration, attracting qualified resources has no borders thereby widening the talent pool. In addition, getting new hires up and running is faster and easier. 

A virtual presence allows for the versatility to be able to provide desktops that can be accessed from anywhere, and from any device.  

These technological capabilities don’t just help widen your talent pool. By implementing AVD, businesses can also provide current employees with more flexibility in the way they work. With the versatility and agility to do their work from anywhere, from any device, businesses can help ensure that their day-to-day tasks can still be accomplished efficiently, no matter where they are working from.  

4. Costs 

On-premise equipment, like servers, complex switching, or other hardware requirements become obsolete when you switch to virtual infrastructure. Switching to virtual desktops, like AVD, will provide a more cost-friendly option for your organization, and helps you save on hardware costs, software licensing costs, and long-term maintenance and replacement costs for your on-premise equipment. 

Conclusion 

There are, many compelling reasons to look at virtual desktop solutions such as AVD especially given the changes in the way people work and businesses operate. To learn more about Azure Virtual Desktop, contact us to learn more.