Updated: Dec 31, 2020
As many are keenly aware, pandemics can wreak havoc to businesses, especially traditional office environments that require staff to be on-site and present. This is where telework options can help your business maintain operations as close to normal as possible. But how to approach telework when you lack the resources to manage hardware and licenses? This is where a fully managed, cloud-hosted virtual desktop service can be a huge boon to your operations. Zephyr Cloud has been in the virtual desktop business for many years, and understands that not all VDIs are created equal. We know first-hand that many providers will promise low cost options, but fail to actually deliver on performance by cutting numerous corners to get their prices down. Companies that have tried to offer virtual desktops to their staff also realize that it requires more than just IT skills to deliver and manage a VDI environment. It requires a much larger set of knowledge to ensure that virtual desktops can perform like real PCs from anywhere in the world, all the while maintaining installed software and operating systems, as well as ensuring security and encrypted communications are maintained. This is why if you’re looking for a telework option that requires no investment in physical hardware or software, Zephyr Cloud can be your partner in delivering world-class virtualized environments on an OPEX model. Reach out to us if you have questions on how we can help your business today.
Updated: Dec 31, 2020
As an IT service provider, we get asked this question quite often. There are several reasons why a company might look towards virtualizing their environment.
For our customers, the biggest case is Mobile Productivity. All our customers want to offer their users the ability to work in a dedicated enterprise environment from anywhere at any time. This is especially critical for companies who have employees who work from home, or in remote offices.
In the Washington DC metro area where Zephyr Cloud is based out of, commuting is one of the biggest challenges for employees and employers. So much time is wasted on the road, and for many the stress of commuting leads to loss of productivity. Employees who are given the option to work from home, have time and again shown to be happier and more productive, and this is where a virtualized desktop environment can play a huge role.
When we migrate users to our virtual desktop environment, users get access to a fully featured enterprise Windows environment, that runs all the essential tools such as MS Office, Outlook, Skype for Business, and much more. The best part for companies that migrate to this platform, is the standardization that comes with the desktop, the assurance of data security, and the ability to access work tools from anywhere, at anytime.
Virtual desktops also open the door for a Bring Your Own Device environment, where companies no longer need to furnish costly equipment. An employee can simply run their office desktop from any HTML5 enabled browser. This also means having the ability to access their office environment from any modern smartphone, or tablet.
For clients where security is important, the use of virtual desktops brings several benefits. Logging on to the virtual desktop happens only through an SSL encrypted website. This ensures that user data is protected from theft, and man-the-middle attacks. In addition, data that a user accesses is not stored on their personal machine. This means that if their device is lost or stolen, that information is already protected and stored in the data center, with several layers of data-protection in place. Finally, access to data can be granted to, or restricted to users depending on their roles or permissions.
Finally, the simple act of deploying virtual desktops to users enables companies to simplify their IT needs, and at the same time save significant costs. Companies typically need to manage hardware, software licenses, as well as on-boarding (adding) or removing users. Zephyr Cloud handles all of that for companies by deploying desktops to the exact number of users without a company having to deal with new hardware or software. The best part is knowing that all this happens with a simple monthly fee, that grows or shrinks as needs change.
To give an idea on the potential cost savings that a company might see with a virtual desktop deployment, Citrix offers a savings calculator. Check it out, and see if migrating makes sense. Zephyr Cloud is both a Microsoft and Citrix service provider, and can offer several options when it comes to virtual desktop deployments.
Servicore Ground Support.
Services used: IP/PBX, VoIP
Servicore Ground Support is a company dedicated to ground support equipment, dealing with a large number of multi-national companies in South Florida, and Latin America.
SGS approached Zephyr Cloud with a need to help manage their telephony expenses, and help them communicate with their branch office in Colombia at a lower cost than they were currently paying
The Solution:
Zephyr Cloud helped SGS migrate their entire phone network, including phone extensions, phone numbers, and toll free numbers over to Zephyr Cloud's IP/PBX.
Zephyr Cloud's team built for SGS virtual extensions that by default allow their US offices to communicate with their Colombia offices for a simple monthly rate, avoiding all international toll charges.
In addition, Zephyr Cloud setup SGS with a low cost telephony plan, allowing all outside calls to be made within North America at a fraction of the cost of their old provider, saving them over 50% in monthly phone charges.
Because SGS was using a Zephyr Cloud's IP/PBX and VoIP service, they gained additional abilities with their phone system including features such as IVR/Auto-attendant, voice-mail integration to their e-mail, find me/follow me with extension dialing forwarding to their desktop phones or cellphones, full encryption on extension dialing, and much more.
