[oc_spacer height=”10″]Computing has made an enormous change to the way many business processes and tasks are completed. One trend which the rise of computing in the late 80s inevitably led to was a reliance on expensive computing technology to keep up with demands. Business which required powerful machines, for example graphics design, multimedia editing or engineering, often had relatively high spend on hardware. Today, virtual workspaces are helping to reduce the liabilities of depreciating IT assets, helping to make expensive computing a thing of the past.
Traditionally, organisations required a high level of capital expenditure to stay up to date with the latest computing trends and technology. Staying competitive in an industry like professional design often meant having access to the fastest and most powerful machines, which meant a big spend. This cost has been factored into the fees which companies charge their clients, leading to a disconnect between the labour and hardware costs of a job. Services reliant on powerful IT end up costing a lot more because of the high spend on tech.
High capital expenditure also hampers a business’ ability to be flexible. Mobile technology, even high end laptops, simply don’t have the power to be able to perform the necessary tasks. This has an impact on a tech-reliant company’s ability to embrace efficiency driving trends like mobility and flexible working environments. As well as an inability for businesses to be flexible, it also has to house and power all this technology and staff. In a high-rent area like London, the business rates, rent and energy costs to simply keep all staff under one roof are another financial burden on organisations.
Luckily, virtual workspace technology is able to provide some relief for businesses that are reliant on secure high powered IT hardware. With a virtual workspace, the heavy lifting is taken away from the end user’s device and is instead managed remotely by server-side hardware. The end-user essentially views an interactive, real-time stream via the internet, which allows them to accomplish their tasks without having a powerful computer physically anywhere near them.
Benefits of virtual workspaces
There are many benefits for the use of virtual workspaces in companies which need powerful IT. Firstly, the cost benefits are huge. The virtual workspace can be accessed through any device which is connected to the internet. This includes low-cost hardware like Chromebooks and laptops, as well as mobile devices like tablets and smartphones. The saving potential is big and this can either be used to help a company stay profitable or even be passed down to the client.
Another key benefit is the ability for agencies and firms to become more agile, which is essential in today’s business ecosystem. The efficiency benefits of a mobile workforce are well documented, and being able to offer off-site working for employees will help organisations to become an attractive prospect for the best talent.
Downtime and security are also key considerations for creative operations. Relying on high-end computing can mean that when the hardware is not working or has been compromised, the entire business comes to a halt. Unlike other organisations which can still run the primary function of their business despite an IT outage, companies reliant on state-of-the-art or specific technology are often unable to find an equivalent replacement at their local IT store.
Security is also a key benefit of using virtual workplaces. Through secure logins, employees are able to access securely hosted documents which adhere to industry standard compliance thanks to current sophisticated cloud offerings. Businesses are also able to minimise downtime as the latest disaster recovery and backup technology is integrated into the workspace.
The implementation and introduction of virtual workspaces is a relatively straight forward process. A simple migration of data and software is often all that is needed to get up and running, with the vendor’s servers taking over the heavy lifting instantly. Many organisations already use cloud technology for file sharing so it’s usually just a simple case of connecting the right wires and then you’re up and running with minimal downtime.
Ultimately, hardware reliance should be viewed as a thing of the past. Businesses, regardless of their IT needs, can overcome any obstacles to embracing modern workplace trends, like mobility and shared working. Virtual workspaces are a great way to help organisations ease the burden of IT hardware costs and inflexibility. They are set to be instrumental in helping any business to take advantage of modern and the most effective ways of working.
