What is a Hosted Desktop and why do I need one?
In recent times, the adoption of cloud technologies has seen the deployment of Hosted Virtual Desktops or simply Hosted Desktops. Faced with the challenges of remote working conditions brought on by the pandemic, businesses now believe that hosted desktops are a business-critical process that kicks in both significant savings and optimal workforce efficiency. Small and medium enterprises, in particular, have adopted hosted desktops to make the most out of a globally distributed workforce. We will see how hosted desktops have become a secure means to ensure firm-wide productivity with better workload management. But first, let’s get down to the basics of what hosted desktops are.
What is a hosted desktop?
A hosted desktop is a virtual instance of a physical desktop that are created using VDI and made available to end-user devices in the form of managed virtual desktop services. Hosted desktops are designed to offer the benefits of mobility and flexibility users being able to access these out of office and at any time of the day. As a matter of fact, anytime-anywhere access is the primary selling point of desktop hosting because it enables employees to use remote desktops services via personal devices connected to the internet such as laptops, tablets, and smartphones. By means of a process called application virtualization, these virtual desktops run platform-independent applications letting users work on Windows-based applications on Linux- or macOS-powered devices.
Managed hosted desktop services by third-party providers ensure that these desktops along with the data and applications they contain are securely stored in a cloud environment under their expert management. Apart from eliminating the cost of IT management related to physical desktops, virtual desktop hosting outsources all IT operations to a Hosted Desktop provider so that businesses run at lower operational costs and on a higher productivity curve.
Why do I need Hosted Desktops for my Business?
Undoubtedly, the notion of hosting virtual desktops on third-party cloud servers sounds risky. That is why, reputed cloud service providers offer the highest security services as part of managed hosted VDI services. In fact, assured security is one of the most advertised features of virtual desktop hosting. The truth is cloud hosting is infinitely more secure than storing data on in-office infrastructure because most network breaches originate in office. Hosted Desktops come with stellar features designed to make any business succeed.
Following are the reasons why you need hosted desktops for your business:
1. Top-notch Security Measures
Virtual desktops offer a solid alternative to physical desktops that are prone to thefts and wear and tear. Ensuring the security of virtual desktops is no easy task. Given that security is the foremost concern of most businesses, third-party hosted desktop providers adopt measures to guarantee physical security as well as a multi-layered digital security. While physical security includes securely located isolated data centers under 24X7 CCTV surveillance, digital security entails SSL (Secure Sockets Layer), firewalls, antivirus software, ransomware best practices, protection against DDoS (denial-of-service) attacks, MFA (multi factor authentication), OS-hardening, OS-patching, IP restrictions, TLS 1.3 and 256-bit data encryption and continuous system monitoring. Whether in storage or transit, data protection is a must in every form of desktop virtualization.
2. Zero IT Hassles
Virtual desktops are hosted in a robust and multi-redundant cloud infrastructure by the provider. With the latter being responsible for the functionality and security of cloud servers as well as the virtual desktops made available, clients have no need for purchasing or maintaining expensive office infrastructure. Instead, the provider comes in with their own batch of IT experts for care and support of the virtual hosted desktops.
For many businesses, outsourced IT facilitates the ability to do away with an office space altogether, thus enabling them to go all-remote.
3. Cost-effective
Most hosted desktop providers offer pay-as-you-go pricing that enable businesses to take advantage of a flexible pricing model. By this model, customers pay only for the number of desktops allocated or system resources being utilized. Thus, capital expenditure for expensive office-infra is substituted by operational expenses in the form of monthly/annual bills. The plans are also scalable and move up or down in response to the needs of the hour, with providers further offering the benefit of switching between plans in real time. Additionally, Hosted Desktops make it easy for businesses to realize firm-wide BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) goals, bringing down costs substantially. With nominal base offerings and flexible prices, virtual desktop hosting works wonderfully even on a very tight budget.
4. On-demand Scalability
Traditional desktops pose a challenge to enabling workplace flexibility. This is because, the implementation of elaborate physical infra for running an extended workspace can take a massive toll on budget. In contrast, hosted virtual desktops from reputed providers utilize fast servers and consistent networks to deliver reliable performance across any number of resource-intensive applications. These desktops also come with the option of complete customization to accommodate changes in the number of users and applications. In line with the constant evolution in business needs, providers make sure that their hosted VDI solution is scalable and up to the task.