Hybrid work has been our reality for more than two years. What started as a temporary solution in response to lockdowns has evolved into a long-term strategy helping companies stay flexible and resilient amid changing conditions. Now, 50 percent of employees want to work from home at least three days a week. And 75 percent believe hybrid or flexible work will be standard practice within their organizations in the coming three years.
Let’s look at the top hybrid work challenges and learn how combining VMware Horizon virtual desktops and apps with Chrome OS devices can address them.
Companies are making compromises due to hybrid work challenges
To enable work from anywhere, organizations have had to face hybrid work challenges and make some uncomfortable compromises.
Increased capital expenses
Global supply chain shortages are impacting the availability of desktops, laptops, and workstations — and the price increases for raw materials that make up these machines is inflating prices even further. PC prices are increasing 5 to 8 percent for typical corporate laptops, and up to 35 percent on some non-standard models and configurations.
Security risks
In a work-from-home world, organizations are now dealing with a much broader threat plane in which hackers can gain entry to your systems and data. It’s also much more difficult for IT teams to keep devices in a remote workforce secure and updated with the latest security fixes. At the same time, cybercriminals are using methods that are more sophisticated than ever, and it’s becoming much harder to stay on top of all the latest threats. Some 91 percent of surveyed security professionals reported an increase in cyberattacks since shifting to a remote work model.
Poor employee experiences
When employees are relying on devices and apps that aren’t designed to support a distributed workforce, they inevitably encounter problems that result in a poor experience. This could result in slow or unreliable access to corporate resources, a poor desktop experience that doesn’t allow personalization, and the lack of flexibility to work where and how they want.
Lost productivity
Many organizations lack the infrastructure that provides seamless access to the business-critical apps and systems workers need to do their work, as well as the collaboration technology to continue working productively as one team. More than half of HR leaders say poor remote work infrastructure is the biggest barrier to a distributed workforce.
Complex management
Managing the complex infrastructure and operations of a hybrid work environment has become a huge challenge for organizations. Many lack the visibility and control to see how devices are being used, to ensure they’re meeting company policies, and to roll out security fixes as they become known.
VMware Horizon on Chrome OS doesn’t compromise
Employees require consistent and secure access to business-critical systems and collaboration apps to continue working — no matter where they are — while management teams need oversight on how and where devices are being used.
That’s why we’ve combined the personalized virtual desktop of VMware Horizon with the enterprise-grade features of Chrome OS. Together, they deliver better employee experiences and boost productivity by pairing simple, powerful devices with consistent, secure access to business and collaboration apps. The solution simplifies management with centralized control of operating systems and virtual desktops from the cloud. It also strengthens security with built-in safety features like Verified Boot, Google Safe Browsing, and automatic background updates. VMware Horizon on Chrome OS also reduces costs across the device lifecycle, including lower hardware and management costs, and reduced support demands.
5 ways VMware Horizon on Chrome OS overcomes hybrid workforce challenges
1. Reduces costs and increases sustainability
Horizon virtual desktops and apps accessed on Chrome OS-enabled devices reduce the burden for the entire lifecycle by offering lower cost endpoints that require less management and support.
Chrome OS allows savings up to $482 per device, reducing security breach costs by $656 thousand per year. It also consumes up to 46 percent less energy than other devices through efficient charging, low power load states, and optimized device performance — so you can achieve your sustainability goals. To extend the life of your existing devices, there’s Chrome OS Flex. It converts your Windows PC and Mac devices into functioning Chrome OS machines and modernizes the devices you already own.
2. Strengthens security for a modern IT team
Together, Horizon and Chrome OS protect your end-users and data. With built-in security features like Verified Boot and Google Safe Browsing as mentioned previously, Chrome OS helps prevents ransomware. Devices also protect user identity and maintain system integrity with the built-in Titan C security chip, while security updates happen automatically in the background so you’re always protected with the latest and greatest. Horizon delivers additional security with multi-factor authentication and intrinsic security built into the Horizon infrastructure from the device to the cloud.
3. Provides better user experiences
Put employees first by pairing simple, powerful devices with secure access to all their business applications. Employees get fast access to all the tools they’re familiar with — including Windows desktops and apps — directly through the browser. The seamless remote desktop can also be personalized for a consistent experience with every log-in.
4. Boosts employee productivity — wherever they are
Employees will benefit from fast, high-performing devices that deliver business-critical productivity and collaboration apps to workers anywhere. Get employees up and working instantly with zero-touch onboarding and fast boot times, and also streamline workflows while maintaining control and visibility over devices and applications in any location.
5. Simplifies, streamlines, and modernizes IT management
Deliver virtual desktops across public and private clouds that scale on demand. Desktops and apps are delivered and managed centrally from the cloud, eliminating highly manual, time-consuming, and costly approaches to managing devices and end-users. When it comes to enablement, devices can be easily drop-shipped to employees with no IT touch.
To learn more about how VMware Horizon on Chrome OS can help you start working without compromise, visit our VMware Workspace ONE for Chrome site.
