Is a Hosted Desktop Right for Your Business?

As important as it is to keep your technology up-to-date, it can sometimes be prohibitively expensive to do so throughout your entire business. If you have found yourself in this position, one option you may consider is to resort to hosted desktop solutions. Here, we’ll go over what a hosted desktop is, and how it can serve companies well.

Defining a Hosted Desktop

A hosted desktop is more or less what it sounds like - a system that is more or less indistinguishable from the typical desktop, but is actually operating via cloud-based virtual machines. Sometimes referred to as a virtual desktop or a Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS) solution, a hosted desktop resides in a centralized location and is deployed to special workstations called thin clients. With a hosted desktop, a user can access all the software they need to be collaboratively productive, as well as secure, all in a familiar format.

Some Benefits of Hosted Desktop Solutions

Using a hosted desktop can provide a variety of benefits, including:

• Efficient deployment - Since all of a hosted desktop’s resources are centrally stored, any software to be added only needs to be added to the server.
• Centralized storage - All data used and produced by a hosted desktop is kept in a central storage facility, protected by regular backups.
• Improved mobility - As a cloud-based solution, applications can be accessed from anywhere an Internet connection can be established.
• Scalability - As a month-to-month subscription service, your DaaS subscription can easily be adjusted to meet your needs.
• Cost savings - Not only does a hosted desktop diminish the need to invest in new hardware, it is billed on a per-user basis, meaning you will never spend money purposelessly.

What Businesses Can Use Hosted Desktop?

Some of the most common use cases for hosted desktop solutions are for jobs where your users may not necessarily need a dedicated workstation of their own; or, do a lot of work remotely. Many of the businesses that see the most utility from hosted desktops are classified to be in the professional services industry, or hospitality, or tech-centric endeavors, although nonprofits will commonly use them as well to avoid excessive hardware investments.

If you are searching for a way to reduce the impact that replacing hardware can have on your business without hindering your employees, give Directive a call at 607.433.2200.