When the first computer was invented in the 1940s, it opened new doors for technological progression. A few decades later, it became the blood and bone of this modern digital world.
However, today’s generation requires more than a traditional desktop. They need something that is readily accessible, offers better security, and is also economical. And thanks to the continued improvement in the technology over time, we have the right solution – VDI or Virtual Desktop Infrastructure.
This means, that instead of physically accessing a desktop system – you can easily access it over the Internet.
It holds immense value for businesses, especially for SMBs that always have a tough time dealing with their IT needs. Using VDI allows SMBs to procure better IT services and also enhance their organizational efficiency.
You can use VDI in two ways – setting your server or opting for virtual desktop services from a solution provider. You can choose your preference according to your business needs.
So, if you are a small business looking to capitalize yourself using the VDI, here are their top five benefits:
1. Anytime, Anywhere Accessibility
Just like we need oxygen to survive, having a computer system is a must-have for all businesses. When you consider the value that round-the-clock accessibility brings within an organization, it becomes crucial. This is not available with conventional desktops because you cannot be present in the office during non-business hours.
Virtual desktops are accessed through cloud servers. Hence, you can readily access them with the help of an internet connection. All you need is the required authorization, and voila! You are good to go.
VDI also enables an organization to free themselves from geographical and timezone-based restrictions as their employees can enjoy anywhere, anytime accessibility.
This as a utility is greatly beneficial for SMBs that look to expand themselves and their base of operations but have been constantly hindered by either the limited geographical and time-restricted access or lack the resources to hire skilled workers who are only remotely available.
2. Better Security
What is the world’s most important asset in this modern era? If your answer is data, then you understand the critical importance of it. Data has greatly shaped today’s world.
Its continuous in-depth analysis and reporting have allowed us to devise new technologies, learn from our past, create more efficient plans, and project enhanced growth. From healthcare to the automotive industry, having access to an extensive database and the necessary computational power to interpret it has significantly revolutionized the way they function accurately.
But there is something that is way more critical than just analyzing and processing the data – having definite measures to protect it.
Digitizing the data is one way to secure it, as information stored on paper is easily prone to environmental degradation. However, with a cyber-attack happening every 39 seconds, many businesses must also have credible cyber defenses to secure their data efficiently. And that’s where using a VDI can give them the much-needed defensive capabilities.
Reputed VDI providers have up-to-mark Intrusion Detection and Prevention systems, multiple hardware/software-based firewalls, modern anti-hacking tools, and even round-the-clock security for physically guarding their data servers. This also saves the SMBs from the hassles of setting up these measures in the first place.
3. Continuous Business Availability
Imagine turning up to your office only to see it engulfed in a fire or waking up one morning and witnessing a natural calamity affecting the region where your office was. Quite terrifying, isn’t it? A sudden disaster has multiple ways by which it can severely affect the business continuity of an organization – just like COVID-19 last year.
The lockdown measures meant to contain the virus affected many businesses. It also caused them to shut down their organization and lead to considerable economic losses. Even if SMBs could have managed their business operations remotely during the stringent lockdown conditions, employee productivity was still affected as they lacked advanced remote working options.
However, with VDI, you can make your organizational operations disaster-proof and keep your business running. Since virtual desktops are remotely managed, you don’t need to be necessarily at your office space to access your data. Any device with an internet connection will do. This, in turn, provides you the much-needed workplace mobility if you want your employees to work from home.
Also, since the data stored in the cloud servers is maintained at several places, even if a sudden disaster damages a data server, your VDI provider can quickly provide you with data from other servers to ensure the continued availability of data. This, combined with remote accessibility, makes VDI an excellent choice for SMBs that wish to enjoy continuous business availability.
4. Impressively Cost-Effective
One of the major factors limiting the growth of SMBs is their operational costs. They have to cover various expenses like buying/renting an office space, maintaining it, ensuring optimum working conditions for their employees, and other office-related expenditures.
They even have to invest substantially in setting up their IT infrastructure, which in the long run requires continued maintenance for its smooth functioning. And this is where the real problem lies. SMBs lack enough resources to manage all of their organizational expenditure efficiently. This, in turn, affects their overall output and impedes their growth.
Usage of VDI helps SMBs eliminate the bulk of their IT expenses and get a better return on investment. From set-up to maintenance, any upgrades, and any configurational error, the VDI provider takes care of everything. They have a team of IT professionals who constantly monitor the IT infrastructure and are available round the clock.
This way, you don’t even need a team of your own. And, as people are steadily inching towards BYOD (bring your own device), you can avoid providing the office systems as well. All you need is a VDI subscription, and your desktop needs are done.
Also, using VDI means having more freedom for remote working options; you can shift a significant part of your employees to a permanent ‘work from home’ basis and significantly save up on the office-related expenditure.
5. Enhanced Productivity
Productivity is an essential parameter for growth. Hence, it is mandatory to have a certain level of productivity and efficiency in the organizational operations to reach the desired growth levels. However, many factors can halt your progress and drastically impact, for example, the requirement for high-end graphics-intensive applications.
Many organizations require such applications for their operations, which enhances their proficiency but may call for significant capital investment for setting up the systems.
However, with VDI, you can kill two birds with one stone and significantly boost your productivity. Since a virtual desktop is remotely available, the base configuration of your system doesn’t matter much. This means you can contact your service provider and have them install the required applications on the virtual desktop.
This way, you can easily access high-end software without worrying about the base configuration of your system. Also, since working from home means a major part of your employees being more productive, you automatically get a self-motivated workforce, morally boosted, and show higher levels of productivity.
Conclusion
Round-the-clock accessibility, better security measures, profitable capital investment, and a higher working efficiency level are some of the benefits of a VDI for small businesses. The usage of VDI has allowed organizations to scale their IT needs as per their demands.
This way, they can spend their resources more efficiently and project higher growth rates. It has allowed SMBs to transcend the traditional limitations of desktops and be better equipped with solutions that are way more economical and beneficial for their business.
