Prepping Your Workplace for Millennials: Desktop as a Service

Generation Y, known more commonly as the Millennial generation, are those who are born between 1982 and 2000. Today there are nearly 80 million Millennials in this country and chances are you have or will have several working in your organization. This group is the only generation who enters the workforce without knowing what life was like without the Internet. They’re highly technical and used to self-service.

The Mobile Workplace

For over 30 years, I’ve been helping businesses use technology to make them more efficient and effective. The past decade I have been devoted to working with the cloud. DaaS is cloud-based access to all your apps and desktops on any device, which empowers a mobile work style. Mobile and Millennial go hand in hand and as a dynamic business owner or IT manager, you will recognize the trends this presents to your company. 

Desktop as a Service providers grant secure access to all the databases, networks and apps needed to successfully navigate work in today’s evolving world. Technology providers, like Marco, come into the picture with customized applications, administration and support for hosted desktops that fit your company’s work styles. DaaS allows remote provisioning and maintenance of either virtual or actual desktops including the operating systems, productivity solutions including Microsoft Office and the company’s independent business solutions. This cloud solution may help you streamline your business operations while also accommodating the productivity preferences of Millenials.

The Millennial Influence on Technology

Born into the age of the PC and the Internet means the Millennial demographic is more technologically proficient and demanding of devices, apps and IT services than any generation you’ve previously had in your operation. This sector has an ever-increasing influence in driving IT strategy. It’s important to take Millennials’ influence into consideration when making your IT decisions. Here are some ideas to keep in mind:

1. Personal device selection. Millennials are brand-loyal, and early adopters of technology. They won’t be satisfied with cumbersome, locked-down laptops or mobile devices they can’t customize with their own apps. If you allow your employees to use their own devices, that doesn’t mean you’ve lost control. It’s possible to grant safe access from personal PCs, Macs and tablets. It’s a BYOD (bring your own device) world.
2. Mobile workforce. Millennials crave the freedom to work from anywhere. While this desire doesn’t have to translate to your entire workforce being remote, the option to provide flexibility and the right IT tools will ensure your Millennial employees achieve work/life balance while getting their work done.
3. User experience. Millennials have a low tolerance for bad user experience. If your IT needs don’t meet their expectations or what they’re accustomed to, it can lead to job dissatisfaction. If that sounds dramatic, it’s not; it’s simply the experience and exposure this generation has with technology and those needs won’t change. DaaS allows you to offer end users a more seamless experience.
4. The future. The days of endless rows of cubicles with drab lighting and stationary desktop workstations are evolving. Progressive companies are building new workplaces that are digital, dynamic and include space for collaboration. More and more, differing levels of job function mean different devices, too. DaaS delivers virtualized desktops that can be customized for groups of workers.

Desktop as a Service

With virtual desktops, you can extend your software’s shelf life and eliminate the need for costly hardware. Consider the landscape of your current company. How many employees do you have? Now consider all the tools they have to do their job including laptops, desktop computers, mobile phones and tablets or other devices. Managing the software updates could be a nightmare. Rather than individually upgrading all those devices, virtual desktops mean one update across the board for every member of your team.

DaaS helps your organization reduce operating costs. Manual upgrades will be a thing of the past. Streamlined desktop management means control will be centralized to one location where upgrades and changes occur. You’ll also provide the convenience and security of virtual desktops to your mobile employees or partners from any device, any location. As a Cloud Computing Specialist, my mission is to make sure you understand how cloud computing, including DaaS, can help your organization meet its business goals and appeal to the ever-growing population of Millennials who fortify your workforce. Let me know how I can help.