What if you didn't have to be in the office to work?
Virtual desktops are operating systems accessible via the Internet. In concrete terms, they allow you to open your Windows session from any device, anywhere, using your login and an Internet connection. In many ways, they respond to changes in working conditions and usage over the last few years. Find out all our advice on the challenges and uses 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. Users are freed from physical constraints:
- physical: they can work from anywhere,
- material: they can work from another workstation or terminal (computer - tablet - smartphone).
Desktop virtualization lets you 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 democratization of Internet access. As a result, with the virtual office, your workstation follows 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,
- at a customer site,
- on the road,
- 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 leaving, you can take your office with you wherever you go. At the weekend, on vacation. To the country, the sea or the mountains. Without excess, 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
Use 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 your e-mails 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 setting up our work tools:
- the operating system: Windows, Max OS or Linux,
- the web browser: explorer, chrome, safari, firefox...
- logins and associated passwords for sessions or accounts used,
- the location of our applications within the tool,
- folder hierarchies,
- our user preferences,
- whether or not notifications are enabled,
- pop-up reminders,
- the presence of shortcuts,
- visual color coding,
- etc.
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 instantly operational. Productivity from one medium to another is thus preserved.
Technical extras to streamline day-to-day operations
More efficient technical management
For the company, the virtual office is a means of managing and standardizing the work interfaces used by all staff, while allowing each person to personalize it according to their preferences. With Virtuel Bureau, each employee has access to the business software he or she needs. The administrator manages the granting of access rights, and can also remotely and automatically handle :
- updates,
- version compatibility
- subscription renewals,
- data storage and backup,
- data protection: Virtuel Bureau is equipped with BitDefender anti-virus.
A real plus when you consider that in the corporate world, most support requests concern these points. When this happens, employees find themselves blocked and temporarily unable to work. By the time support intervenes - often on site, and therefore necessarily during office hours on working days - the employee will have suffered an interruption in his or her workflow. A source of stress for the employee and possible delays, and a deadweight loss for the company as a result of this momentary drop in productivity.
Lighten up to avoid overload
As employees install their desktops on their various devices, particularly personal ones, it's important to have an on-demand working environment: operating system, applications, settings and user preferences. You use only what you need, according to the medium you've chosen. This avoids unnecessary overload on the dedicated server.
Dematerialization brings real productivity gains for the company. In this case, desktop virtualization is more practical both for employees in their day-to-day work, and for the company in the administration of its IT assets.
Article translated from French