Technology is supposed to make life easier, but that’s not always the case. The rapid advancement of technology has allowed humanity to accomplish what was once unimaginable. Still, from time to time, technology can make life more complicated, especially if you have not chosen the right solution. I can’t count the number of times I have heard customers complain that what they purchased, ending up being the wrong solution. It can be frustrating spending time and money on technology that is supposed to make things easier, only to have that technology complicate things further. The question then, is, how do we make sure that what we are buying is the right solution? The last year and a half has shown that technology can help us adapt to an ever-changing world. As the professional world was forced to shutter offices and turn to remote work, many began working from home. In this blog, we will discuss Remote Workplace Solutions and how they fit into the modern office.
What remote workplace solution is right for you?
After realizing the need for a remote workplace solution, one must decide what technology best fits their budget. There are many vendors that offer a variety of remote technologies. Some offer a connection to your work PC, some offer connections through technology such as VMWare or Citrix, and some offer connections through RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol). So, ask yourself this, what am I using a remote workplace solution for? Do I need to access my applications or just my files? Clients who only need access to their files might end up wasting money on one of the previously mentioned options when they just need a VPN to the machine where your files are located. When searching for a remote workplace solution, you must consider what the technology and vendor can provide that supports and fits what you are trying to achieve.
What do I want to achieve with a Remote Workspace Solution?
If you have already answered the question above and ruled out either remote access to your PC or a VPN, you must then address why you need a remote workplace solution. Ask yourself, What do I want my Remote Workplace Solution vendor to do for me?
Are they going to provide technology that simply provides a connection to your work network, PCs, Servers, and Files systems or do you want the vendor to provide a turn-key solution that is essentially a private cloud where they manage and maintain all your applications on their servers or a third party’s servers?
I have always said if there is no business case, then there is no solution. Getting a Remote Workplace Solutions can cost anywhere from a couple of hundred dollars for a VPN setup to twenty-thirty dollars a month for remote access into your PC, all the way up to two-three hundred dollars a month (per user) for a fully managed private cloud-based solution. Naturally, the higher-end solutions are for companies with twenty or more employees. These larger companies usually have multiple applications that are being supported along with tablet, phone, and other, device support across multiple offices.
In the next blog, we’ll take a closer look at the different technologies so you can try and navigate to the best solution for you and your business.
