15 Mar What are virtual desktops – Making virtual desktops simple for schools

So, what are virtual desktops?

A virtual desktop is a way of doing remote access, but without your teachers or admin team having to lug a heavy laptop wherever they go. When your school has a Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) a teacher can log in from any device and see their usual apps and files there waiting for them.

For teachers and other school staff, virtual desktops are a huge time saver. If they know there’s a laptop in every classroom, there’s no need to mess about untangling charging cables at the start of each lesson of each lesson – or stuffing everything away at the end. It means there’s no valuable teaching time being lost.

When your school is set up with VDI, if hardware gets damaged or broken it’s quick and easy to switch to another device and carry on with teaching as usual.

Are virtual desktops worth it for schools?

The answer to that question is unequivocally yes, in our view.  There are many reasons:

• Virtual desktops are easy to use:
  • VDIs mean teachers can use their time more efficiently. It’s a no-brainer for schools who need smart options to deliver their busy timetable.
  • More flexible for remote working. When snow days or school closures prevent teachers from being in the classroom, they can still deliver lessons from home without missing a beat.
  • Even if your school is already using SaaS, there’s still a lot of tech to be provisioned to every device, like security software. That can mean laptops being taken away by the IT team for updates, leaving teachers without their resource. Virtual desktops enable schools to get around this need – IT support can roll out updates remotely, so lessons aren’t disrupted by the lack of their device.
• Virtual desktops add another layer of cybersecurity for schools:
  • When your school uses virtual desktops, files aren’t stored on individual devices. Instead, a desktop is generated each time a teacher logs on, and the files are accessed from secure servers. The virtual desktop is destroyed when the teacher logs off, so there are no security vulnerabilities that leave your school open to attack.
• Virtual desktops are hugely cost efficient for schools:
  • Schools have limited IT resources relative to their demand, so it’s important to make choices that help your school make clever budgeting decisions and stay up to date in the long run.
  • With all the files and processing taking place remotely, each teacher has minimal hardware requirements. That means schools can choose cheaper, thin clients, or even continue to use older, lower spec devices. When there’s lower need for processing power and memory, schools can make big savings on hardware.
  • VDI also brings administrative benefits for overstretched on-site network managers – who can utilise VDI to roll out system software and applications faster and more easily.

Read more about how Simply IT makes virtual desktops simple for schools.

Ready to find out how our VDI desktops can benefit your school? Book a call