The following article is a guest post. If interested in submitting a guest post, please read my guest posting policy and then contact me.
It would be fair to say that Remote Access has been one of the most useful advances in computer technology. Though Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) clients have now been around for well over 20 years, their popularity has come to the fore relatively recently as capabilities and performance have dramatically improved. In the age of mobile computing, with increased focus on telecommuting and home businesses, the technology not only broadens the horizons of the modern workplace but saves businesses money. Want to know how? Read on.
Save Money on Hardware
As an example of a typical scenario where remote access can save you money, we’ll take a typical desktop/laptop set-up in many businesses. Each employee will have a computer (desktop or laptop) which has an operating system and a variety of applications installed on it depending on the individual’s requirements. These PCs may have access to files and applications on a server, such as Microsoft Exchange or SQL Servers. If you were starting a business in this scenario, you might have to shell out for a lot on expensive hardware. In a Remote Desktop scenario however PCs are replaced by “thin client” devices which are cheap systems with very little software installed on them, sometimes just a screen, keyboard and mouse. It can even be a mobile phone. Thin client devices then use remote desktop software to access a terminal server which will often have an OS on it and various applications. The Ericom remote access solution for example has software available that works on thin client devices like Chromebooks as well as Android and iOS devices.
Save Money on IT Maintenance
From the IT support side of the business, running all the applications or desktops on a terminal server (RDS) makes deploying, configuring and managing them that much easier. For instance, if you need to update software on all your company’s PCs in a non-RDP (remote access) set-up, you’ll need to go from computer to computer installing it – which can take a significant amount of time (and thus money) depending on how many employees you have. In an RDP scenario, you would log on to the terminal server and be able to access all the machines connect to it, in or out of the office. From there you can simply install the new version of the software then automate updates across all the computers. Remote Access programs also allow searches to be done across multiple PCs and for support staff to fix problems from a centralised location.
Save Money on Office Space
Some might see this as a stretch too far but a well-run remote access solution can save on money spent on office space. By hiring freelancers and implementing telecommuting for a large proportion of your business you can get away with renting a small office and also leverage employee devices – if you’re running a small start-up that can end up saving you a lot of money initially and going forward.
Track All Your Accounts With Personal Capital
Personal Capital lets you see all of your accounts in one convenient place. Sign up now for free.
Leave a Reply