How Virtual Desktops Are Transforming the Employee Experience
Macdonald and his colleagues considered their options and ultimately chose a combination of Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop and VMware Horizon Cloud on Azure. He says the VMware solution is the “orchestration engine and access-control mechanism” of the virtual machines running in Azure. Agero employees connect to their virtual desktops automatically through the VMware Horizon software, and once they’re in, they have access to everything they would have in the office.
“When agent sign in at the beginning of the day, it doesn’t matter where they are,” Macdonald says. “They have the same browser, they see the same applications, and everything looks and works just like they’d expect it to.”
For his team, the two platforms working together simplify IT management. With the help of built-in monitoring tools, Agero’s IT team can easily track its virtual desktops to ensure it has enough to meet the company’s varying needs in different parts of the country at different times of day.
“Our business being roadside services and accident scene management, our agents are busiest when there are more people on the road, and especially during the morning and afternoon commutes, when everyone’s driving to and from work,” Macdonald says. Azure’s cloud-based environment can scale up or down instantly, and the company only pays for what it’s using at any given moment.
“It’s cost-effective, it’s secure and it’s reliable,” he says, noting that he’s heard nothing but good reports from the call center agents the solution serves. “They’re happy about it, and so are our business leaders. It’s been a success for everyone involved.”