If you are in an office environment, and especially if your business relies on Computers and Software to function, then you may have heard the term “hosted desktop”. Like a lot of other people, you may well have gone along with the conversation without knowing exactly what it is!

Let’s change that, right now! We’re going to give you a little insight as to what it is, what it can do for your business, and the considerations you may need to pause before you make the decision to haul your IT into the Cloud.

In a nutshell, a Hosted Desktop is just that; a version of a Desktop screen (that you will be used to right now on your computer) that is accessible via an icon on your machine, but which is stored and managed on a different server in the Cloud (an internet location). In many cases the Desktop that you see once you have entered your username and password will look like a normal Microsoft Windows desktop and have all the software and documents you need to do your daily work. The benefit of this will be that your “stuff” is available from multiple locations and devices. You don’t need to go into the office to get to “your office”.

Here are some of the benefits of having a centrally Hosted Desktop:-

• easy to manage and roll out updates
  
  
• ensures consistency across software and licensing versions
  
  
• perform software upgrades for all users, quickly and easily
  
  
• run centrally managed spyware and virus checkers
  
  
• ability to work from different computers with the exact same Desktop
  
  
• centrally managed backup
  
  
• fail-over support meaning, if the server your Desktop is on fails, another one takes its place with little or no downtime

Now all this sounds smashing and lovely but there are some things you would need to consider before you sign on the dotted line;

• the monthly costs can be prohibitive
• setup costs can be expensive, depending on the complexity of your current Network
• costs increase monthly as you take on new staff (but equally, lower if staff leave)
• The Hosted Desktop, being Cloud based, is reliant on you having a reliable internet connection (although you can connect to it from home also!)
• compliance with relevant bodies about data capture and security

Hopefully you’re a little clearer now, and the above has sparked your interest! If you would like to know more about how a Hosted Desktop solution could benefit your business please feel free to contact us on 01302 540280 or hit the Contact Us page.