Does it make sense to keep replacing PCs as they age, or should you migrate to a Hosted Desktop solution? What is a Hosted Desktop anyway? In this week’s blog post we’ll attempt to answer those questions and help you come to a conclusion as to why your business should consider a hosted desktop solution.

First, let’s explain what a Hosted Desktop is. A “Hosted Desktop”, is a virtualized desktop environment hosted in a central location such as a data center, and accessed through a web browser based connection. This means that the workstation you use every day, isn’t the PC sitting on your desk, but rather it’s a desktop environment hosted on a server somewhere other than your office, but accesses using any device that you have (PC, Mac, tablet, etc.). Before I explain the benefits of a “Hosted Desktop”, let’s look at the traditional model of procuring, installing, updating and replacing PCs.

The average lifespan of a PC is between 3-5 years. So, your machine is starting to show its age, and you place an order for a new PC which typically ranges anywhere from $700-$1,000. It arrives at the office, and then you or someone else has to unbox it, and set it up. Now that it’s setup, you need to configure it for an end user (setup a new user or migrate an existing user profile, install needed applications, setup printer, etc…). Starting to get the picture? By the time all is said and done, you could be talking a couple days before it’s in working order. You have just lost precious time and money. What happens to that hardware as the size of your company changes? As you grow, you have to purchase more hardware and software, and if you downsize, you are now stuck with hardware you no longer need.

Now that we’ve reviewed the traditional method of replacing aged PC’s, let’s look at the benefits of a Hosted Desktop solution. Your hosting provider builds out a “golden” image which is used as a template for all users. That image can be updated and modified easily without interfering with your day to day operations (no effect on workforce productivity). This takes the lengthy process of ordering and setting up a new PC, and converts it to a nearly instant setup. Not only does that save you time and money, but since these are often virtualized environments, Hosted Desktop solutions offer a flexibility that can be adjusted on the fly. So as your business growth fluctuates, it’s much easier to adjust to your needs. Ease of deployment and operational flexibility are only a few reasons why Hosted Desktops might be a better solution for your company.

Other highlights of Hosted Desktops are seamless and consistent access to your desktop, applications and data anytime, from anywhere. We’ve all dreamed of working from the beach, or from our home, and with Hosted Desktops that dream can become a reality.  No more VPN’ing int the office or ‘remoting’ into your office PC.  Since Hosted Desktops are centralized, you have the same, simple experience every time you login, regardless of which physical device you are using.

Hosted Desktops also offer improved security and performance over standard PC setups. Virtualized desktop solutions offer improved IT control and a more secure working environment –  with locked down systems, your users only have access to your company’s business critical applications, while limiting their access to applications and web sites that could be a security risk or time suck. All that being said, Hosted Desktops also have the potential to reduced monthly IT operating costs by up to 50%!

Are you interested in moving over to a Hosted Desktop solution? Do you still have questions or want to learn more? Reach out, we’re happy to help!