Azure Virtual Desktop Could be your Post-Covid Key to Flexibility
WatServ
June 15, 2022
Hybrid work is becoming an expectation for workers all over the world, but North America in particular has seen a strong wave of people ready to leave their job if their employer does not maintain the flexibility that arrived during the Covid pandemic.
This has even affected executive level employees at well-known brands. The director of machine learning at Apple resigned rather than accepting that he had to return to the office for at least three days a week. Academics have been calling this ‘The Great Resignation’ as employees refuse to switch back to the less flexible working arrangements they were used to before the pandemic.
One of the most important data points supporting the view of the employees is that productivity has not been impacted in most companies. In fact, this data from Texas A&M University suggests that corporate resilience can be dramatically increased by embracing flexibility over where employees work and the productivity of workers with more control over their time actually increases.
But there are some really fundamental changes that companies need to make if they are going to support flexible remote working going forward. First, they need to create a culture that embraces team members in various locations all contributing to the same goals. This can be supported by technology and tools, but it really requires a mindset change away from the idea that a team is a group of people inside an office.
Second, they need the tools to actually make it happen in a secure way. If those tools can also offer a familiar environment for most people, then this will also make the cultural adaptation easier – because everyone will already be up to speed on how the systems work.
Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) from Microsoft checks all the boxes. In can be deployed in minutes and allows the user to work remotely with the confidence that they are secure. Users familiar with Windows 11 will know immediately how to navigate through the AVD experience and companies that have existing Windows licenses can use them in the AVD environment.
Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies are now common for many remote workers which can create a security headache for the network manager that has to enable access, with guaranteed security. The AVD solution allows a completely virtual system to be created on the remote device so security is guaranteed.
There are several tools on the market that claim to offer a secure remote work environment, but in our experience, none come close to the opportunity offered by AVD – for many reasons:
- Familiarity with Windows means that your team can be productive immediately – there is no need for detailed training or a decline in productivity as they get used to the ‘new system.’
- AVD automatically comes with MS365 – so you can access the world-leading suite of business management tools right out of the box.
- All devices are supported – almost any device can connect so your team can use phones, tablets, laptops, or a combination of all of them when working remotely.
- A secure environment is guaranteed because of the consolidated security management design in AVD.
If you are not sure about how best to support a future that includes remote and hybrid working then WatServ can help. We can review your current technology needs and requirements and work with your team to design the ideal solution.
Although AVD is powerful and beneficial for many organizations, getting up and running takes time and consideration. With many moving pieces, it’s helpful to choose a partner who has proven experience managing seamless AVD deployments.
As a Microsoft Advanced Specialization partner for AVD, we have helped many companies implement and continue to manage AVD. For more information on our managed services, Â download our solution brief.
About
WatServ is an IT solutions provider that helps organizations digitally transform through cloud technologies and managed services.
Serving clients as a trusted advisor since 2006, WatServ provides experience-tested, strategic solutions across all stages of the digital transformation journey. Clients choose WatServ to migrate infrastructure and applications to the cloud, secure critical data, implement disaster recovery, deploy virtual desktop, enable data-readiness for productivity solutions and manage IT environments.
Our clients span a broad range of industries, and we’re a global supplier of IT services for many Brookfield Portfolio Companies. To help our mid-size clients, we provide scalable offerings that simplify cloud adoption and drive business optimization. For enterprise clients, we co-create cloud solutions that enable stability and efficiency for complex IT tools and processes.
With more than 15 years of experience, WatServ has a track record of delivering quantifiable business results and a superior client experience. Ranked as one of Canada’s Top 100 Solution Providers for the last three years in a row, WatServ is always on.
