How hosted desktops can underpin your Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy

By Your Office Anywhere

11 Dec 2015

Cloud hosted desktops make Bring Your Own Device a flexible, popular, cheap and secure option for many businesses.

Yes, I did say secure. I’ve listened to many heated discussions about BYOD over the years and while most people can see the benefits of flexibility, productivity and employee morale the concerns over security and manageability often shackle the business to the status quo.

However, hosted desktops or hosted applications can allay many of the data security officer’s worries and provide the user with a familiar working environment regardless of location or device.

Employees are becoming more mobile as connection speeds are increasing and expect to be able to work from hotels, trains and home just as they do in the office. They want their mobile device to be their primary one, very often opting to use their own phones and tablets in preference to the company desktop.

Forward thinking companies are embracing this new way of working, it has the potential to cut costs as they are not supplying users with multiple devices, there is also an increase in productivity as employees and company owners can effectively work during their daily commute, or at home in the evening, and on devices that they are totally familiar with. It is rare to find a small business owner who doesn’t at least work on his or her emails while on holiday, with hosted desktops they can work on any application.

Hosted desktops are part of the modern cloud portfolio. Working like a normal PC desktop, the business applications used by the company’s workforce are installed on a cloud based hosted terminal server and connect to the company’s databases and documents which are also on the same hosted server. This is a point worth re-emphasising; all the data, documents, and applications all reside on the cloud server, so there is no need to have any data or any applications on the user’s device. This provides a lot of benefits:

If a device is stolen the company’s data is not. Even if there was not a security password on the device, the hosted desktop user account can be disabled or password changed within minutes.

Lost or faulty devices can be replaced and the user back up and running very quickly, without the need to reinstall dozens of applications.

The desktop environment and applications are the same regardless of which device the user uses to run their hosted desktop If internet connection is lost, say while working on a train, the session continues to run on the server. As soon as internet is back the user can continue where they left off, even if they haven’t saved their documents.

Data is backed up regularly throughout the day, so even if a device was lost, stolen or broken, the presentation the user was working on all evening is still safe.

Companies adopting a BYOD policy do need to consider and implement corporate wide security policies, which may include ensuring devices are password protected, and users resist the temptation to copy data locally. They should also ensure their hosted desktop provider uses secure connections (https) as users will commonly connect on unsecure wi-fi networks.

All in all the hosted desktop tips the balance firmly in favour of adopting a BYOD policy and give modern, mobile companies, of any size, the flexibility and security demanded by the business.  

Enjoyed this? Read more from Your Office Anywhere

Latest news

1

New India branch campus on the horizon for Lancaster University Keir Starmer meets Indian PM and included Prof Simon Guy Lancaster University. Pic Simon Dawson

New India branch campus on the horizon for Lancaster University

09 Oct 2025

2

Best events and talented students complete finalists list for Lancashire Tourism Awards 2026 Best Events and Talented students on Lancashire Tourism Awards finalist list

Best events and talented students complete finalists list for Lancashire Tourism Awards 2026

09 Oct 2025

3

East Lancashire Learning Group named UK digital transformation leader in CIO 100 Awards Andrew Dewhurst with the award win

East Lancashire Learning Group named UK digital transformation leader in CIO 100 Awards

09 Oct 2025

4

PHX Training appoints new business leader in Blackpool Jason Davenport PHX Training

PHX Training appoints new business leader in Blackpool

09 Oct 2025

5

Velocity seals Airbus extension worth up to $54m Velocity Composites Has Announced Its Entry Into The Us Market

Velocity seals Airbus extension worth up to $54m

08 Oct 2025

Background image for hub sign up block

LBV Hub

Leverage Lancashire Business View platforms

Post your news
Post your events
Post your offers
Build your network
Improve your SEO
Gain coverage in the magazine
Sign-up
Events
CMI Level 5 Project Management Course
UCLanAerialCampus.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
21 Feb 2025 - 21 Feb 2026

CMI Level 5 Project Management Course

Preston Campus, Preston, PR1 2HE

08:00 - 17:00

CMI Level 5 Management and Leadership Course
UCLanAerialCampus.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
21 Feb 2025 - 21 Feb 2026

CMI Level 5 Management and Leadership Course

Preston Campus, Preston , PR1 2HE

09:00 - 17:00

Help to grow management course
Help to grow - barriers to growth.png.png
LBV Hub Seminars
26 Sep 2025 - 16 Dec 2025

Help to grow management course

Preston Campus , Preston , PR1 2HE

09:00 - 15:00

Advantage: AI – A Workshop for Business Leaders – Oct 10th
Ai 10.10.png.png
LBV Hub Seminars
10 Oct 2025 - 10 Oct 2025

Advantage: AI – A Workshop for Business Leaders – Oct 10th

Door4 Office, Burnley Wharf, Burnley, BB11 1JG

09:00 - 12:00

Unlocking major project opportunities in the North West
Lancs-cham-logo.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
15 Oct 2025 - 15 Oct 2025

Unlocking major project opportunities in the North West

Strathmore Hotel, Morecambe, LA4 5AP

08:00 - 10:00

The New Employee Rights Landscape: Day One Compliance Essentials
EventBrite NORi - 15th Oct 2025 Webinar.png.png
LBV Hub Webinar
15 Oct 2025 - 15 Oct 2025

The New Employee Rights Landscape: Day One Compliance Essentials

Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Teams, PR253XH

13:30 - 15:00

The Business Network Central & East Lancashire
LBV Header (26).png.png
LBV Hub Networking
16 Oct 2025 - 16 Oct 2025

The Business Network Central & East Lancashire

Stanley House, Blackburn, BB2 7NP

11:30 - 14:15

October Freelancer Meet-Up
LBV Hub Networking
16 Oct 2025 - 16 Oct 2025

October Freelancer Meet-Up

Society1, Coworking Space, Preston, PR1 3LT

10:00 - 11:30

The Autumn Re set - pour me a wine
LBV Advert_Autumn Reset 1200 x 630px.png.png
LBV Hub Networking
16 Oct 2025 - 16 Oct 2025

The Autumn Re set - pour me a wine

The Artistry House , Preston , PR1 3JJ

17:30 - 19:30

HR Essentials for pubs, bars and licensed venues
EventBrite NORi - 22nd Oct Webinar.png.png
LBV Hub Webinar
22 Oct 2025 - 22 Oct 2025

HR Essentials for pubs, bars and licensed venues

Online - Teams, Leyland, PR253XH

13:30 - 15:00

RISE - Lancashire's unique leadership programme for women
thumbnail_Emma Weston Illustration WENDY BOWERS RISE Illustrstion.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
22 Oct 2025 - 18 Mar 2026

RISE - Lancashire's unique leadership programme for women

East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce, Clayton le Moors, BB5 5JR

09:30 - 15:30

Women scaling up Blackpool Fylde and Wyre
LBV Hub Seminars
22 Oct 2025 - 09 Jan 2026

Women scaling up Blackpool Fylde and Wyre

The Small Business Academy, Blackpool, FY4 5JX

09:30 - 15:30

Advertise with us

Reaching 50,000 members, our print, digital and event platforms offer a fantastic way to raise your business profile and help you grow.

Find out more LBV124 Online Graphic
Subscribe now

Weekly news bulletin