Azure Virtual Desktop could benefit your law firm

Microsoft’s Azure Virtual Desktop seems to be just the right fit for the flexibility, efficiency and security needs of today’s law firm, according to Nick Hayne, head of professional services at Quiss.

As law firms emerge from the pandemic with renewed optimism for a less challenging working environment, thoughts in the boardroom will undoubtedly turn to making permanent some of the temporary changes that ensured clients were satisfied, despite lockdowns and social distancing.

At the heart of any modern robust remote working strategy should be Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD), which proved an invaluable asset for those firms having to quickly switch from an almost exclusively office-based environment to secure remote working.

While a quick return to full time office working may have been expected, two years has been long enough to ensure most employees are hoping to spend some of the working week at home, which makes AVD worthy of consideration for the long term.

Some key benefits to consider

Legacy applications supported. Some firms may have more catching up to do, and AVD can virtualise Windows 7 desktops with extended security updates until January 2023. This ensures firms currently slowed by legacy app compatibility have the time to transition to Windows 10.

Cost-effective flexibility. AVD allows users to connect via the internet to a full Windows 10 desktop through any device, from anywhere, at any time. Chances are you already have licenses available within your Microsoft 365 subscription and will only pay for those you use. Also, Windows 10 multisession can cut costs even further, as it allows multiple users to access one virtual machine simultaneously to save on consumption and maintenance costs.

Effective and efficient. AVD provides all the necessary computing power, which means you can slow the rate of hardware replacement and instead of upgrading every three to five years, your people can work productively on any device, even older less expensive machines.

Ease of management. Moving to AVD removes the costly, complex configuration and management issues associated with traditional virtual desktop environments. Microsoft manages the service infrastructure and once configured, adding and removing users is simple. AVD frees up your IT team to focus on business-critical improvements, not managing a multitude of desktops.

Compliance and security. For law firms, security and strict compliance are critical given the highly confidential data being handled and stored. With AVD, the operating systems, data and apps are all hosted on a remote virtual machine, which ensures no confidential information is stored on the local device, reducing the risk of data being compromised following the loss or theft of any device.

These five key benefits, make AVD a compelling case for law firms seeking a competitive edge. However, the final consideration is choosing a partner with a wealth of experience, not only in delivering secure, flexible and remote working solutions that leverage AVD effectively, but one with a thorough working knowledge of the demands of forward-thinking law firms.