What You Need to Know About VDI and DaaS to Make Remote Work Easier

April 4, 2022

In recent years, the way we work has undergone a significant transformation, with remote work becoming the new norm for many organizations. This shift has been accelerated by advancements in technology, particularly in the fields of Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) and Desktop as a Service (DaaS).

According to Upwork, by 2025, an estimated 32.6 million Americans will be working remotely, with 98% of workers want to work remote at least some of the time. While VDI and DaaS offer promising solutions for remote work, they also bring their own set of challenges. In this article, we will explore the top challenges of working remotely with VDI and DaaS and discuss strategies for IT who manage these virtual environments to overcome them.

Security Concerns

1. Data Breaches and Cyber Threats: Working remotely often involves accessing sensitive company data from various locations and devices. This increases the risk of data breaches and cyber threats. Implementing robust security measures, including encryption, multi-factor authentication, and regular security audits, is crucial to mitigate these risks.
2. Authentication and Access Control: Managing user access and authentication becomes more complex in a remote environment. Organizations must ensure that only authorized personnel can access sensitive data and applications by implementing strong access control policies.
3. Compliance and Regulatory Issues: Remote work can introduce compliance challenges, especially in industries with strict regulations. Companies need to navigate these complexities by staying informed about compliance requirements and implementing measures to adhere to them.

Performance Issues

1. Bandwidth Limitations: Insufficient bandwidth can lead to slow application performance and frustrated remote workers. Companies should invest in adequate bandwidth and optimize network configurations to ensure a smooth remote work experience.
2. Latency and Network Congestion: High latency and network congestion can hinder the performance of VDI and DaaS solutions. Employing content delivery networks (CDNs) and network optimization techniques can help alleviate these issues.
3. Scalability Challenges: Scaling VDI and DaaS solutions to accommodate a growing remote workforce can be challenging. Organizations should plan for scalability and consider cloud-based solutions that offer elasticity.

User Experience

1. End-User Productivity: Remote employees may face distractions and disruptions at home, affecting their productivity. Companies can support their teams by providing the right tools, promoting work-life balance, and establishing clear communication channels.
2. Application Performance: Slow or unreliable applications can hinder productivity. Ensuring that applications are properly configured and optimizing virtual desktops can improve the user experience.
3. Personalization and Customization: Remote workers often miss the personalized work environments they had in the office. VDI and DaaS solutions should allow for personalization to create a more comfortable and efficient workspace.
4. User Training and Support: Effective training and ongoing support are essential for remote workers to maximize the benefits of VDI and DaaS. Providing comprehensive training materials and accessible support channels is crucial.

Cost Management

1. Infrastructure Costs: Implementing VDI or DaaS solutions can involve significant upfront infrastructure costs. Companies should carefully evaluate the total cost of ownership (TCO) and consider cost-saving strategies such as cloud-based solutions.
2. Licensing and Subscription Expenses: Licensing and subscription fees for VDI and DaaS can add up. Companies should negotiate favorable terms and regularly assess their licensing needs to avoid overpaying.

IT Management and Support

1. Remote Troubleshooting: Diagnosing and resolving IT issues remotely can be challenging. Investing in remote support tools and empowering IT teams with the necessary skills is essential.
2. Patch Management and Updates: Ensuring that VDI and DaaS environments are up-to-date and secure requires effective patch management. Automated patching solutions can streamline this process.
3. Resource Provisioning and Deprovisioning: Managing virtual desktop resources efficiently is critical. Implementing automated resource provisioning and deprovisioning can help optimize resource usage.

Integration and Compatibility

1. Legacy Systems and Applications: Compatibility issues with legacy systems and applications can hinder the adoption of VDI and DaaS. Companies may need to update or replace outdated systems for seamless integration.
2. Compatibility Issues with VDI/DaaS Solutions: Different VDI and DaaS solutions may have compatibility challenges. Careful evaluation and testing of solutions before deployment are essential.
3. Data Migration Challenges: Migrating data to VDI or DaaS environments can be complex. Comprehensive data migration strategies and backup plans are essential for a smooth transition.
4. Vendor Lock-In and Interoperability: Avoiding vendor lock-in and ensuring interoperability with other IT systems should be part of the decision-making process when choosing VDI and DaaS solutions.

Change Management

1. Employee Resistance to Change: Employees may resist the transition to remote work and new technology. Effective change management strategies, including communication and training, can help overcome resistance.
2. Training and Onboarding: Comprehensive training and onboarding programs are essential for helping employees adapt to remote work and new VDI/DaaS solutions.
3. Cultural Shifts in Remote Work: Remote work can bring about cultural shifts in an organization. Leaders should foster a remote-friendly culture that values flexibility and trust.

See how the National Health Service Enabled a Large-Scale Shift to Remote Work

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the NHS swiftly transitioned 95% of its staff to remote work. With 1.6 million employees serving over 60 million UK residents, the NHS needed a solution that allowed primary care workers to access patient data on their own devices without costly VPNs or new hardware.

Partnering with Orange Business, they utilized Login Enterprise to validate a cloud-based secure workspace for line-of-business applications. Time was critical, given the pandemic’s urgency, and a rapid deployment was essential to maintain uninterrupted patient care.

Orange developed a virtual desktop prototype within two weeks, integrating NHS applications on VMware Horizon Cloud. This secure connection enabled employees to log in using their own devices with multi-factor authentication, and Login Enterprise monitored the user experience, aiding in issue identification and resolution.

Ensuring legacy NHS applications functioned effectively on the new virtual desktops, Login Enterprise automated validation checks using synthetic users and application workloads, adjusting to real user activities for optimal performance.

The VDI solution was successfully onboarded for the initial 1,000 users after fine-tuning performance through pilot hospital environments. Continuous monitoring allowed immediate assessment of user experience with each change.

For more details on how the NHS used Login Enterprise to balance quality and speed during this time-sensitive transition, check out our full case study.

Make Remote Work with VDI and DaaS Enjoyable for End-Users

By addressing security concerns, optimizing performance, enhancing the user experience, managing costs, and adopting best practices in IT management, organizations can unlock the full potential of remote work while minimizing its challenges. As the landscape of remote work continues to evolve, VDI and DaaS will play an increasingly vital role in enabling flexibility and productivity in the modern workforce.

Want to learn more about Login Enterprise helps organizations create high-performing, cost-optimized virtual workspaces? Get a your custom demo today!