When you virtualize a software solution, you are essentially storing it in an online environment where it can live. In other words, it remains in the cloud and is accessed through the Internet. This approach is helpful for many businesses, so why not flip this concept on its head and give hardware virtualization a shot? You might find that virtual workstations, for example, offer many benefits that can help your company be more productive and efficient.

What Are Virtual Workstations?

When you virtualize software, the application itself is hosted on a central infrastructure set up and maintained either by your IT department or by some external, third-party provider. In much the same way, workstation (or desktop) virtualization is when your business’ desktop infrastructure is hosted in a central location and deployed through the cloud.

Basically, your team’s desktop infrastructure lives in this online environment. As long as your employees have Internet access, they can access their desktops on any approved, secured, and connected endpoint. This also goes for any applications located on these virtual desktops, too.

Virtual machines can be run locally on your workstation, allowing you to host multiple operating systems or desktops on a single device, but we will mostly be discussing the benefits of desktop-as-a-service offerings for businesses.

What Benefits Do They Offer?

One advantage you can expect from virtual desktops is an increased level of security. Since the data for these virtual desktops is stored in one location rather than on the endpoint itself, the threat surface is dramatically reduced, meaning that there are far fewer opportunities for the data to be stolen or put at risk.

Due to this enhanced level of security, virtual desktops are also perfect environments for application testing or for running isolated versions of operating systems. If you want to see the impact that an application, patch, or update has on your computing infrastructure, a virtual environment is a low-stakes place to put it to the test. Similarly, you can run legacy applications that might not be the most up-to-date tools out there in secure, isolated environments through the use of desktop virtualization.

Finally, virtual desktop infrastructures can be extremely cost-effective for businesses looking to eliminate unnecessary costs. You might suspect that all of this processing requires a ton of computing power, but this is mostly done by the provider in their data centers, so you are saving on operational costs by implementing virtual desktop infrastructures.

Get Started with Virtual Workstations Today!

Apex Technology can help your business get started with virtual workstations today. To learn more about how this technology can save your business time, resources, and headaches, reach out to us at (704) 895-0010.