More and more SME businesses are making the switch to an online workplace. But what exactly is it, what are the benefits and what should you look out for? In this whitepaper we explain it clearly and give you all the information you need to make an informed decision.
What is an online workplace?
An online workplace is a complete digital work environment that you access via the internet. Instead of programs and files being on your own computer, they run in a secure data centre. This means that the heavy computing power is no longer provided by your laptop or desktop, but by powerful servers that have been specially set up for this purpose.
The concept is similar to how Netflix works for films: you no longer need to download the film to your own device or have a DVD at home. Instead, you stream the content from servers located somewhere in a data centre. With an online workplace, it works exactly the same way, but for your complete Windows environment with all your programs, files and settings.
In practice, working with an online workplace feels no different from working on a traditional computer. You open your laptop, log in with your username and password, and there is your familiar Windows desktop with all your programs exactly as you left them. It does not matter whether you are sitting in the office, working at home at the kitchen table, or at a client's premises. As long as you have an internet connection, you have access to your complete work environment.
You will come across the same solution in the market under different names: Hosted Desktop, Desktop as a Service (DaaS), Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI), Cloud Desktop, or the well-known Microsoft variant Windows 365 Cloud PC. Although there are technical differences between these solutions, the basic principle is the same: your work environment does not run locally, but in the cloud.
How does it work technically?
Behind the scenes, a virtual machine runs in the data centre specifically for you. This machine has its own processor, memory and storage allocated and runs a complete Windows installation with all your programs. When you log in, a secure connection is established between your device and this virtual machine. Everything you see on your screen is actually images being sent to you from the data centre. And everything you type or click is forwarded to the virtual machine.
Modern protocols such as Microsoft RDP and Citrix HDX are so optimised that this process runs extremely fast. With an average internet connection, you will hardly notice any difference from a local computer. Even playing video and video calling work smoothly because the protocols handle bandwidth and latency intelligently.
The benefits of an online workplace
The switch to an online workplace brings a number of important benefits. For many SME businesses, these benefits far outweigh the disadvantages, especially when flexible working and security are high on the agenda.
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1. Work anywhere, with any device
The most direct benefit of an online workplace is the freedom to work anywhere. Whether you are in the office, working from home, sitting at a client's table, or on the train - you always have access to exactly the same work environment. This goes beyond just being able to open your files: you have access to all your programs, your email history, your browser history and all your settings.
This flexibility is not only pleasant for employees, but also strategically valuable for businesses. You can more easily attract talent that does not live nearby, you are better prepared for situations such as a pandemic or extreme weather conditions, and your employees can better organise their work-life balance. Research shows that employees who can work flexibly are more productive and stay with their employer longer.
Moreover, you are no longer tied to specific hardware. An employee can log in from a Windows laptop, a MacBook, a Chromebook, a tablet or even a smartphone. This means you can purchase cheaper hardware because the heavy computing power comes from the data centre. A laptop costing a few hundred euros will suffice, where you might otherwise have spent a thousand euros or more.
2. Predictable, fixed monthly costs
With traditional IT, you have to deal with large, unpredictable investments. Every few years you need to purchase new laptops and servers, renew licences, and pay for unexpected repairs. These spikes in expenditure make budgeting difficult and can put a significant strain on your cash flow.
With an online workplace, you pay a fixed amount per user per month. This amount includes everything: the hardware in the data centre, software licences, maintenance, updates, and often also helpdesk support. You know exactly where you stand and can easily budget your IT costs. Is your business growing? Then you add users. Is it shrinking? Then you scale back. You only pay for what you actually use.
For many SME businesses, this also means cost savings in practice. When you add up all the costs of traditional IT - hardware depreciation, software licences, maintenance, power consumption, IT staff or external support - you often end up higher than the monthly costs of an online workplace. Moreover, with an online workplace you have no more surprises: a broken server or a ransomware attack is your provider's problem, not yours.
3. Better security
Data security is a growing concern for many businesses. Cyber attacks are becoming increasingly sophisticated, laws and regulations such as GDPR impose strict requirements, and the reputational damage of a data breach can be disastrous. An online workplace offers significant advantages in this area.
Firstly, all your data remains in the data centre. There is no sensitive information on your employees' laptops. Is a laptop stolen from a car or forgotten on a train? Annoying, but there is no data breach. The laptop is merely a window to the work environment; the actual data is safely located in the data centre.
Secondly, a professional data centre is far better secured than an average SME business could achieve itself. Think of physical security with access control and surveillance, redundant power supply and internet connections, professional firewalls and intrusion detection systems, 24/7 monitoring by security specialists, and regular security audits and certifications. This level of security is simply not achievable for an individual SME business.
4. Always up-to-date software
Software updates are a necessary evil. They often contain important security patches that close vulnerabilities, but rolling out updates across all computers in a business is time-consuming and error-prone. In many SME businesses, updates are therefore postponed or forgotten, with all the associated risks.
With an online workplace, updates are centrally rolled out by your provider. Windows updates, Office updates, updates for your industry-specific software - everything is tested and rolled out without you or your employees having to do anything. You always work with the latest, safest version of your software. No more outdated systems that are an easy target for cybercriminals.
5. Easier management
Managing a traditional IT environment costs time and requires specialist knowledge. New employees need to receive a laptop that needs to be configured. Departing employees need to hand over their data and their access needs to be revoked. Hardware breaks down and needs to be repaired or replaced. Software needs to be installed and configured.
With an online workplace, all this becomes much simpler. A new employee? A fully equipped workplace is available within an hour. Leaving? Disable the account and the data remains safely on the server for transfer. Broken laptop? The employee logs in on another computer and simply continues working. This saves not only time, but also frustration and productivity loss.
6. Professional support
Many SME businesses do not have their own IT department. IT problems are solved by "the one who knows the most about it" - often the director or an employee who does not really have time for it. This leads to suboptimal solutions, frustration and productivity loss.
With an online workplace, you have access to professional IT support. Questions about software? Problems logging in? Need help with a specific task? The helpdesk is there for you. Your employees can focus on their actual work instead of figuring out IT problems themselves.
Considerations for an online workplace
Although an online workplace offers many benefits, it is not a perfect solution for every business and every situation. It is important to also know the considerations so that you can make an informed decision and know what to look out for.
Dependence on internet
The most obvious consideration is the dependence on an internet connection. Without internet, you cannot access your work environment. For most businesses in Europe, this is no longer a major problem: internet connections are stable and coverage is excellent. But it is something to keep in mind.
If your business has locations where the internet connection is unreliable, or if your employees regularly work in places without internet (for example on construction sites or in remote areas), this could be an obstacle. A possible solution is a backup connection via 4G or 5G. Modern smartphones can function as a hotspot, allowing you to continue working in emergencies.
It is also wise to think about what happens if your provider has problems. Choose a provider with a proven track record and ask about their uptime guarantees and what happens if they are not met. A good provider has redundant systems and can guarantee uptime of 99.9% or higher.
Less suitable for graphically intensive work
Although modern online workplaces are surprisingly powerful, there are situations where a local computer is still the better choice. Video editing, 3D rendering, CAD work and graphic design often require a lot of graphical computing power and are sensitive to latency - the small delay that occurs because signals have to go back and forth between your device and the data centre.
For regular office work such as word processing, email, browsing and even video calling, this latency is negligible. But for precision work where you need to position the mouse very accurately, for example, even a small delay can be annoying. If your business does a lot of graphical work, it is wise to do an extensive test first before switching.
Incidentally, there are solutions for this problem. Some providers offer special workplaces with dedicated GPUs for graphical work. This is more expensive, but can be a good solution if you have a few employees who do this type of work while the rest can manage fine with a standard online workplace.
Monthly costs versus one-off investment
With an online workplace, you pay a monthly amount per user. In the very long term - we are talking about five to seven years - this can add up to more than what you would spend on buying hardware and software once. This is a trade-off you should consciously make.
On the other hand, the monthly costs of an online workplace include much more than just hardware and software. You also get maintenance, updates, security, monitoring, backups and support. If you were to add these costs to traditional IT, the comparison often works out more favourably for the online workplace. Moreover, you do not need large investments upfront and you can scale up and down flexibly.
Vendor lock-in
Once you have switched to an online workplace, you are dependent on your provider. Switching to another provider can be complex and time-consuming. That is why it is important to make good agreements in advance.
Ask your provider what happens if you want to switch. How do you get your data back? In what format? What are the costs and lead time? A reliable provider will be transparent about this and ensure that you are never "trapped". Also make agreements about data ownership: your data always remains yours, regardless of what happens to the provider.
Who is an online workplace suitable for?
An online workplace is not the best choice for every business, but for many SME businesses it is an excellent solution. Below we discuss which industries and situations an online workplace is particularly suitable for, and when you might be better off choosing a different solution.
Ideal industries for an online workplace
The online workplace is ideally suited for knowledge workers: people who mainly work with documents, email, software and data. These are industries where flexibility and security are important, but where there are no special hardware requirements.
| Industry | Why suitable |
|---|---|
| Accountants | Work with sensitive financial data, often at client locations |
| Lawyers and notaries | Files available anywhere with maximum security and compliance |
| Estate agents | Constantly on the move, working from the car or at viewings |
| Consultants | Changing work locations, need access to all documents |
| SMEs without IT department | No desire to deal with servers and backups? Everything is taken care of for you |
Accountants and accounting firms are a classic example. They work with very sensitive financial data from their clients and must comply with strict regulations. At the same time, they often work at client locations and need access to their complete accounting system. An online workplace offers the perfect combination of mobility and security.
Lawyers and notaries have similar needs. They work with confidential files, must comply with professional rules regarding confidentiality, and need access to their systems from the court, from home, or from the office. The online workplace ensures that files are always available, without sensitive information being on vulnerable laptops.
Estate agents are perhaps the most mobile professional group. They are on the road all day for viewings, valuations and meetings. Between appointments, they need to answer emails, draft documents and update their CRM. With an online workplace, they can do this from their car, from a cafe, or wherever they are.
Less suitable situations
Although an online workplace is an excellent choice for many businesses, there are situations where it is less suitable. These are the main exceptions.
If you are unsure whether your specific situation is suitable for an online workplace, it is wise to request a demo and test your specific software. A good provider always offers the opportunity to try out the environment before making a final decision.
The transition: a practical step-by-step plan
The transition to an online workplace does not have to be a large, risky operation. With good planning and an experienced partner, the transition runs smoothly and you will hardly notice it as a user. Below we describe the steps that are typically followed in a migration to an online workplace.
Step 1: Inventory
We fully map out your current IT environment. What applications do you use? How many employees are there? What are the wishes and requirements? This inventory forms the basis for the design of your new environment.
Step 2: Design
Based on the inventory, we design your ideal online workplace. We determine what resources are needed, what applications need to be installed, and how the environment will be configured.
Step 3: Setup
The environment is built in the data centre. All applications are installed, configured and thoroughly tested. We ensure everything works before going live.
Step 4: Migration
Your data, documents and emails are transferred to the new environment. This happens outside working hours so you are not inconvenienced. We check that all data has been transferred correctly.
Step 5: Go-live
The moment of truth: your team logs into the new environment for the first time. We are ready to answer questions and immediately resolve any problems.
Step 6: Aftercare
In the first weeks after go-live, we keep an extra eye on the environment. We monitor performance, collect feedback from users, and fine-tune where necessary.
What happens in the inventory phase?
The inventory is a crucial first step. In this phase, we fully map out your current IT environment. We look at what software you use - from Office packages to industry-specific applications. We inventory how many employees there are and what their specific needs are. We map out how your current data is organised and where everything is located.
In addition, we discuss your wishes and requirements. What problems do you want to solve with the switch? What are your expectations? Are there specific functionalities you need? By mapping this out well in advance, we prevent surprises later in the process.
How does the actual migration work?
The migration of your data is often the most exciting moment. We always plan this outside working hours - often at the weekend or in the evening - so that you do not lose any production time. All files, emails and data are copied to the new environment. We use automated tools to speed up this process and minimise errors.
After the migration, we carry out extensive checks. Have all files been transferred? Do all applications work correctly? Can all users log in? Only when everything has been checked and approved do we go definitively live.
Checklist: does an online workplace suit your business?
After reading this whitepaper, you may be wondering whether an online workplace is the right choice for your business. Use the checklist below to determine this. The more items in the first list you can tick, the greater the chance that an online workplace is a good fit.
