It’s no secret that happy workers are better workers – although if you want proof, check out what IDC says about how a positive employee experience breeds positive customer experiences.
Yet, it has become harder than ever for IT departments to keep workers happy. With more and more employees working remotely, ensuring that workers have access to the computing infrastructure, software, and support services they need to remain productive has become a core challenge for IT teams across the world.
One way to address this challenge is to embrace Desktop-as-a-Service, or DaaS. Because DaaS eliminates many of the friction points separating employees from a positive experience in using IT systems, DaaS helps workers to feel engaged and supported – even when they aren’t physically in the office.
Let me explain by elaborating on the user-experience issues that plague many workforces today, and how DaaS helps solve them.
In many respects, desktop computers are the essential link between employees and the companies they work for. No matter which role they play in the business or which systems they need to access, employees rely on desktop computers as their portals into the rest of the organization.
For that reason, desktop computers that result in a clunky experience can easily lead to underproductive, under-engaged, and demoralized employees. And the risks have only become greater as more employees have shifted to hybrid and remote work models since 2020.
Not only are situations like these bad for the business because they reduce productivity and increase the burden placed on IT teams. They’re also bad for employees, who are likely to become frustrated with their jobs and feel under-valued by their employers when they run into desktop computing issues that get in the way of their work.
Let’s also look at some of the most mundane yet significant limitations of traditional desktops:
Added to this, there is the very real threat of data loss associated with hardware failure. According to research, hardware failure contributes to 35% of data loss in organizations. If employees have to look over their shoulder every time they handle a piece of corporate equipment for fear of damage or loss, it will not create a very happy work situation.
DaaS helps businesses avoid end-user computing problems that can impact employee experience. With DaaS, on-site and offsite employees are constantly connected by default to the systems that they need to be productive. Employees always have access to critical resources and applications.
DaaS also ensures that the desktop environments employees work from are lean and mean. Any “cruft” that employees install on local devices remains isolated from virtual desktops, so it won’t slow down business critical applications.
IT support, too, is much faster and more efficient when employees have access to virtual desktops. IT can monitor and connect to virtual desktops from anywhere, regardless of employee’s home network configurations. Software updates and OS patching are accessible to IT from any location when managing virtual desktops. Additionally, a VDI environment allows seamless software rollouts with a guaranteed 100% compliance from day 1 for every user.
If employee’s devices fail, they can easily switch to another device to continue working. All necessary data, programs, and settings are accessible from any device.
Added to these advantages, DaaS provides the freedom to work from anywhere with its location and device-agnostic infrastructure. The strong security of virtual desktops prevents data theft or corruption.
These benefits are from a digital employee experience perspective. For employers, DaaS empowers their hybrid workspace in other ways:
DaaS ensures that desktop computing infrastructure supports employee efficiency and engagement, instead of hindering productivity. Virtual desktops improve employee satisfaction and protect business needs by providing a smoother end-user computing experience.