What if you didn't have to be in the office to work?
Virtual desktops are operating systems that can be accessed via the Internet. In practical terms, they allow you to open your Windows session from any device, anywhere, using your login details and an Internet connection. On several levels, they respond to the changes in working conditions and usage that have taken place in recent years. Read all our advice on the challenges and use of virtual offices.
Your work tool always with you
Continuous access
Virtual desktops are also known as VDI (Virtual Desktop Infrastructure) or DaaS (Desktop As A Service). Based on Cloud technology, it can be accessed from anywhere at any time, simply via the Internet. The user is freed from :
- physical: they can work from anywhere
- hardware: they can work from another workstation or terminal (computer - tablet - smartphone).
Desktop virtualisation allows you to recreate your working conditions in any context.
A mobile solution
The proliferation of public WIFI access and the growing presence of 3G and 4G connections are contributing to the democratisation of Internet access. As a result, with the virtual office, you can take your workstation with you wherever you go. In concrete terms, for employees and managers alike, the impact in terms of working comfort is real. Whether you're :
- on a business trip,
- with a client
- travelling
- or even at home,
you can access all your work tools.
More flexible working conditions
This is an invaluable possibility. You can now, at any time :
- reply to an urgent e-mail
- prepare for an appointment at short notice
- or finish a file on time.
No need to stay up late at the office with the imperative to finish before you leave, you can take your office with you wherever you go. At the weekend, on holiday. To the countryside, the seaside or the mountains. Without going overboard, of course: too much work can damage your health. But knowing that you can work from wherever you are opens up new possibilities and greatly eases the constraints of everyday life.
A familiar tool for better work
Using your personal devices
A very strong trend is gradually taking hold: that of BYOD - Bring Your Own Device. In French: Apportez Votre Equipement personnel de Communication (AVEC). This acronym describes the use of one's own devices (phone, tablet or computer) in the workplace. While employers are obliged to provide employees with the equipment they need to carry out their tasks, BYOD is tolerated to a certain extent. And this is all the more desirable as it meets employees' expectations: being able to access email from your smartphone, even if it wasn't supplied by the company, is an obvious operational advantage.
Finding your bearings
BYOD without an associated virtual office is possible, but it reduces efficiency. The advantage of a virtual office is that it guarantees continuity of User Experience (UX) across different media. We all have our own little habits, our own ways of doing things and of configuring our work tools:
- the operating system: Windows, Max OS or Linux,
- the web browser: explorer, chrome, safari, firefox...
- the logins and associated passwords for the sessions or accounts used,
- the location of our applications within the tool,
- the folder hierarchy,
- our user preferences,
- whether or not notifications are enabled,
- pop-up reminders,
- the presence of shortcuts,
- visual colour coding,
- and so on.
These are all habits that go hand in hand with the way we work. They save us time on operational mini-tasks. And they represent a real cognitive gain: navigating in a familiar environment, our brain identifies and orders information more quickly. The virtual office, by recreating this identical working environment, enables us to be up and running instantly. Productivity is maintained from one medium to another.
Technical extras to make day-to-day life easier
More efficient technical management
For the company, the virtual office is a way of managing and standardising the work interfaces used by all staff, while allowing everyone to personalise it according to their preferences. With Virtuel Bureau, each employee has access to the business software they need. The administrator manages the granting of access rights, and can also take charge remotely and automatically of :
- updates
- version compatibility
- subscription renewals,
- data storage and backup,
- data protection: Virtuel Bureau is equipped with BitDefender anti-virus software.
That's a real plus when you consider that, in the workplace, most support queries relate to these points. Employees who come up against these problems find themselves blocked and temporarily unable to work. By the time support arrives - often on site, and therefore necessarily during office hours on a working day - the employee's work will have been interrupted. This is a source of stress for the employee and a potential delay, as well as a deadweight loss for the company as a result of this momentary drop in productivity.
Lightening the load to avoid overload
Given that employees install their work desktops on their various devices, particularly personal ones, it is important to have an on-demand work environment: operating system, applications, settings and user preferences. You only use what you need according to the medium you have chosen. This avoids unnecessary overload on the dedicated server.
Dematerialisation means real productivity gains for your business. Desktop virtualisation here is more practical both for employees in their day-to-day work, and for the company in the administration of its IT estate.
Article translated from French