Why Windows Virtual Desktop is the way forward

Nick Hayne, head of professional services at Quiss, says Windows Virtual Desktop (WVD) may not be new, but it will be the modernisation SME law firms will need to see them through the pandemic and into a new normal.

Despite the constant reminders that we are not out of the Covid-19 woods yet, for most it feels as if the worst is behind us and localised spikes aside, the focus is now on the future of business – in what will be a challenging economic climate.

There were law firms happy to have survived and plenty that appear to have thrived, but these were mostly those smaller, agile firms that had appreciated the benefits of a business model underpinned by IT’s ability to keep people working remotely and remain close to clients in lockdown.

Strangely, what this intense period of disruption appears to have given many firms is a bit of quiet time for contemplation and a re-evaluation of their business model, their approach to selling their services, how they deliver their services and what the successful post-Covid-19 law firm looks like.

Desktop virtualisation must be a consideration

Firms grew fat in the good times and the number of roles not directly related to delivering high quality legal advice jumped as ‘people’ appeared to be the solution to problems of data management, collaboration, communication, compliance and security.

However, with a serious regrouping taking place, many firms are now focusing more on their core activities – the reason their clients need them in the first place, and the ability of new technology to not just fill in the gaps but improve a firm’s services – which is attracting a lot of attention.

One solution worthy of serious consideration by any firm moving from survive to thrive mode is Windows Virtual Desktop (WVD), which allows a virtual, portable version of a Windows desktop to be created for every user in the firm and not tied to a specific physical device like an office PC.

For everyone in the business, from marketing support to partner, their personal Windows environment with their selected Microsoft applications, SageOne, Adobe and so on, along with everything else on their desktop can be cloud-based, not device-based.

Virtual desktops are not new, so why is WVD a game changer?

The cloud infrastructure is robust, the required connectivity is available to almost everyone, applications are now compatible, and the user experience is better than on physical devices – WVD is the start of a radical shift towards virtual desktops.

And WVD sets a high bar with:
• Multi-user Windows 10 designed to reduce infrastructure costs
• Integrated FSLogix profile containers for a personalised user experience
• Licensing at no additional cost for products businesses already use
• PaaS offering for WVD management service, which reduces the complexity of managing virtual desktop environments.

Firms that recognise the opportunity, will benefit from increased user productivity at a time when it’s needed most, to say nothing of reduced IT support and maintenance costs. Much has changed for the worse in the last six months, but WVD might be the silver lining to Covid-19’s dark cloud.