Let’s start by defining cloud PCs, also referred to as virtual desktops or Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS). As you may have guessed, cloud PCs deliver desktop environments hosted in the cloud rather than on local devices. This allows workers to access apps, data and settings from any internet-connected device.
With over 60% of U.S. workers operating remotely, cloud PCs provide flexible and secure solutions to support expanding distributed workforces. Keep reading as we explore the top 10 motivations for deploying cloud PCs.
1. Work from Anywhere Accessibility
Enabling employee mobility is a top priority for 78% of IT leaders according to Salesforce’s 2021 State of IT report. Cloud PCs empower seamless roaming by allowing workers to access apps and data from laptops, tablets, thin clients etc. By untethering from physical devices, professionals can stay productive despite travel, lockdowns or power outages. Whether working from home offices or makeshift desks, the experience stays consistent.
2. Bolstered Security
High profile cyber attacks like the Microsoft Exchange breach expose millions of customer records and cost companies over $4 million on average according to IBM.
With cloud PCs, no data ever touches endpoint devices, protecting information even if machines are lost, stolen or compromised. Multi-factor authentication prevents unauthorized access by verifying identities. Restricting access to virtual apps also reduces malware risks by over 60% per Nutanix.
3. Increased Cost Efficiency
Imagine swapping CapEx investments in desktop hardware and software with flexible OpEx spending aligned to business needs. This transition from fixed to variable expenses unlocks major cost optimization potential.
Per device costs for physical PCs run over $2,000 accounting for hardware, Windows licenses, antivirus and productivity software based on Gartner analysis. Scaling requires additional expenditures. Cloud PCs via DaaS provide bundled solutions including licensing and management for under $30 monthly per user. Scaling up or down is effortless, avoiding resource overprovisioning.
Built-in backup and recovery functionality also reduces spend compared to maintaining on-prem infrastructure. According to ESG, DaaS slashes outage costs by nearly 90% while cutting downtime by over 60% over on-prem VDI.
4. Centralized Device Management
Supporting remote work means IT teams lose the convenience of managing desktops in one physical office. Cloud PCs consolidate control into unified dashboards facilitating device monitoring, troubleshooting and configuration changes across the enterprise.
Administrators also gain visibility into resource utilization trends helping optimize licenses and inform upgrade decisions. Automating patch deployment eliminates delays waiting for employees to manually install updates locally.
According to Gartner‘s DaaS Competitive Landscape report, over 75% of providers offer monitoring with alert capabilities for performance management. Leading solutions deliver robust automation functionalities covering provisioning, backup and recovery.
5. Superior Teamwork Enablement
Simply providing access leaves productivity on the table. Collaboration is how teams reach full potential by sharing insights, strategizing improvements and sparking innovation. Cloud PCs incorporate functionality facilitating cooperation despite distributed footprints.
Features like screen sharing, virtual whiteboards, annotations and integrated audio/video communication foster productive sessions. Team members coauthor documents in real-time more smoothly than traditional remote desktop protocols which Gartner notes often lead to sluggish performance.
Strengthening collaboration ultimately drives stronger engagement and job satisfaction critical for retaining top talent. Best-in-class solutions even support connectivity across platforms enabling iOS, macOS, Windows and Android users to work together seamlessly.
6. Enhanced Business Continuity
Between natural disasters, conflicts like the war in Ukraine and events like the COVID-19 pandemic, risk preparedness is imperative for organizational resilience. Legacy DR plans leveraging secondary sites are complex and costly – not ideal for supporting remote workforces. This approach also exposes limitations when needing to recover thousands of distributed endpoints.
Cloud PCs centralized in the cloud simplify restoration allowing IT administrators to instantly reboot images should outages strike. Backups captured allow quick rollback to previous known good states minimizing downtime.
According to an ESG report on DaaS and BCDR, leading solutions deliver RTOs under 30 minutes and RPOs between 24-48 hours. Protecting access better sustains today‘s digitally powered remote operations.
7. Simplified Software and Update Management
Each new SaaS subscription and locally installed application complicates environment management for IT teams. Mismatched versions contribute to compatibility issues frustrating end users and draining help desk resources. Legacy solutions lacked integrated mechanisms to uniformly push updates enterprisewide.
With cloud PCs, IT administrators publish authorized apps into centralized inventories accessible through self-service portals. Control stays firmly in IT’s hands regarding what gets deployed yet employees can easily access resources on-demand. Security teams expediently roll out critical patches knowing all desktops instantly inherit protections without depending on users to manually install updates.
According to Gartner‘s 2022 DaaS report, the top solutions ensure over 90% of hosted apps maintain the latest releases. This uniformity delivers superior experiences to users while easing troubleshooting.
8. Streamlined Regulatory Compliance
From HIPAA in healthcare to PCI DSS in e-commerce and SOX in finance, regulatory pressures weigh heavily on distributed organizations. Non-compliance risks steep fines alongside reputation damage and lost business.
Legacy solutions lacked controls to uniformly enforce policies across decentralized endpoints and users. Cloud PCs centralize data within audited infrastructure, greatly simplifying governance. Integrated usage analytics aid reporting to demonstrate controls for standards like ISO 27001.
According to Nutanix Government Cloud research, over 50% of federal IT decision makers upgraded infrastructure to improve security compliance related to standards like FedRAMP and NIST 800-53. Cloud PCs ranked among the top planned initiatives.
9. Increased Employee Productivity
Employees get back 1.2 weeks annually from eliminating frustrations over technology problems according to The Future of Jobs Report from Word Economic Forum. Cloud PCs help realize these productivity gains.
Centralized resources mean users spend less time managing disparate apps, updates and files across devices. Unsynced versions which previously hindered mobility are eliminated. Instant access from anywhere prevents workflow interruptions. Investing in the employee experiences drives enterprise success.
According to an IDC study of Workspace ONE customers, over 70% of respondents indicated improvements in employee efficiency, collaboration and training/onboarding.
10. Scalability to Support Growth
Mergers, expanded product lines and new markets are all scenarios where business needs rapidly outpace existing personnel and technology investments. Pressure falls on IT teams to spin up new resources quickly. Gone are the days where acquiring and setting up devices took weeks.
Cloud PCs built on hyperconverged infrastructure are inherently designed for elasticity making scaling painless. IT administrators simply assign new users to access privileges according to dynamic needs. Additional storage and compute gets provisioned instantly from the cloud.
The global DaaS market is forecasted to grow over 17% CAGR between 2022-2026 per Mordor Intelligence fueled by flexible consumption models capable of sustaining volatile environments.
Finding the Best Cloud PC for Your Team
Now that we’ve covered the main drivers propelling organizations to embrace Cloud PCs, how do you select the right solution for your unique needs? Key considerations include:
- Data security approach including encryption and access controls
- End user experience polish and application compatibility
- Breadth of client platforms supported like iOS, Android, ChromeOS
- Built-in collaboration tools for remote teamwork
- Multitenancy support if managing multiple customer environments
- Hypervisor flexibility for example to support intensive graphics applications
- Integrations with existing IT ecosystem including directory services for simplified user lifecycle management
- Monthly pricing models aligning spend directly to value
Leading solutions include options like:
- V2 Cloud – simple, affordable cloud workspaces great for SMBs
- Shells – Mac-focused personal cloud computer to access Windows seamlessly
- Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop – SaaS solution highly integrated with Microsoft 365 and Azure management stack
- Amazon WorkSpaces – PaaS from AWS leveraging proven secure infrastructure
- VMware Horizon Cloud – Enterprise-grade solution supporting on-prem, public cloud and hybrid use cases
I recommend consulting with Managed Service Providers operating cutting edge demo labs. They will happily provide tailored guidance mapping various services against your technical requirements, compliance needs and budget constraints to reveal the ideal fit.
The bottom line is supporting seamless digital experiences for distributed teams tops today‘s business priorities. As this guide covered, migrating from traditional PCs to Cloud PCs empowers workforces with the tools needed to excel despite geographic barriers. The 10 motivations presented demonstrate how Cloud PCs solve the most pressing IT challenges facing leaders. I urge you to use the insights here to start planning your rollout or expansion to take your organization into the future!
