Millennials are the largest share of the American workforce, according to the Pew Research Center analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data. One of the top requests of Millennials in the workplace is for an improved work/life balance. These workers would like to take additional parental leave, spend more time with their children, live in a less expensive area, avoid long commutes to work, take care of their home, travel, and pursue hobbies. Technology provides employees an opportunity to complete their work duties away from the office.
What is Desktop as a Service
Desktop as a Service meets the demand for workplace flexibility. The service provides a virtual desktop through the user logging into a browser-based service. Then, your IT company will install software and operating system updates on a remote server, instead of the local PC.
How do you use the virtual desktop?
A traditional desktop limits a worker to a single computer. With Desktop as a Service, workers can access their desktops from the devices of their choosing, whether it’s a work or home computer. They would need to open a web browser, and then log in to the service. Afterward, the workers will see a standard computer desktop, complete with the Windows operating system, office productivity software, and unified communications functions. They can personalize the desktops with preferred settings from wallpapers, icons, shortcuts, and more. Furthermore, workers can use their existing software licenses on the desktop or download an application from the service’s marketplace.
Where can you use the virtual desktops?
- PC
- Mac
- Chromebook
- iPad
- Kindle Fire
- Android
What are the benefits of Desktop as a Service?
- Supports work/life balance efforts
- Anywhere access on any device
- Encourages growth of branch offices
- More frequent and comprehensive desktop management
- Reduced need to purchase additional devices
- In the event of a malware attack, the desktops will not contaminate other devices on a company network
As a side note, there is an ongoing debate among Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964) and Gen-X (born 1961-1980) versus Millennials (born 1981-1996) and Gen Z (born 1997 and beyond). This is whether employees should do their work in the office under a supervisor’s watch versus completing their work on their own at home. While Baby Boomers and Gen-Xer supervisors may favor working in the office, employers need to take workplace flexibility into greater consideration. A key reason for Millennials and Gen Z-ers looking for new jobs is the desire to improve their work/life balance, and they are willing to take a pay cut or relocate for the opportunity. Like it or not, the demand for workplace flexibility will increase as new Gen Z-ers enter the workforce and more Millennials move up the ranks. Supervisors would need to judge if flexibility and productivity will mix with certain employees.
SwiftTech Solutions can set up Desktop as a Service for your remote employees. We will run updates to the operating system and application software on an ongoing basis. For more information about our Desktop as a Service, please contact us by calling 877-794-3811 or emailing info@swifttechsolutions.com.
SOURCES
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