Hosted Desktop Services

At Metaphor IT we understand that every company works in a unique way and every employee has a very different work style and requirements of their IT systems. Business IT systems, however, have typically been very rigid and tend to dictate how and sometimes where employee’s work. This is where a Hosted Desktop is different.

Many large global corporations have invested heavily in IT systems that now allow users to work from any location, on any device, at any time, with any Internet connection and allow them to access all the information and applications they need to do their jobs. The challenge for many businesses is that they have not been able to invest in the technologies that allow this type of flexible working or they do not have the required skills to implement and manage the technologies that provide this type of solution. This is where Metaphor IT can help!

Hosted Desktop

What is a Virtual Workspace?

Our Virtual Workspace combines several technologies that allow users to create their own agile workspace. This means that depending on the tasks that they need to complete, they can decide how they want to access the information or applications they require.

Our Virtual Workspaces are are built across highly available, enterprise class datacentres in the U.K that deliver all your applications and data securely. Using any device, in any location, your workforce will have a plethora of options for home-working, ‘hot-desking’ and other flexible working environments, all proven to increase productivity and ultimately, the efficiency of the business.

Unlike many solutions on the market, we tailor our service specifically to meet the needs of each client, building a solution with dedicated infrastructure that isn’t shared with anyone else.

In terms of managing the solution, we can provide a Fully Managed IT service, enabling your business to focus on its core activities, without the distraction of running IT. Alternatively, we often work as an extension of the in-house team you’ve already built, so you can leverage the investments in people that you have already made.

We offer all this value at a competitive price, based on a per-user, per-month subscription cost, allowing your business to consume IT as efficiently as possible.

Key Features

  • Anytime, anywhere Access

    One of the major features of our Virtual Workspace is its flexibility. As there is secure Internet access to the system from almost any browser-enabled device, users can work from any suitable location, at anytime. This provides our clients with a wealth of options for home-working, ‘hot-desking’ and other flexible working environments, all proven to increase productivity and ultimately, the efficiency of the business. There are also options to work in an offline mode for users who travel where there is poor or no 3G or Internet coverage.

  • High Availability as Standard

    Our Virtual Workspaces are built on highly available platforms. This means that if there were a software or hardware failure then there will be no impact on the users at all. To reduce running costs many providers who claim to offer similar services, do not build in high availability or if they do it is only on part of their platforms. Uniquely we offer all services with full HA built in.

  • Built-in Business Continuity

    With our Virtual Workspaces, all IT equipment and business data is stored off-site in our purpose-built facilities, disasters at office premises such as fires, floods, or power losses no longer impact the business with the same levels of severity. And if staff are unable to physically get to the office, they can continue to work from alternative locations as business data and applications continue to be fully accessible.

  • System Updates

    Most companies typically ‘refresh’ their IT systems once every three years and as a result, operate with extremely outdated solutions. By contrast, the design of Virtual Workspaces allows us to continually upgrade our platforms with no user impact and more importantly no added costs to our clients. This means that not only is the system always running the latest versions of software used to maintain the service, but security patches, hot fixes and service packs are also being continually applied. This is highly important in maintaining performance and system security.

  • Uptime Service Levels

    Since the inception of our Virtual Workspace we have maintained 100% uptime availability across the platform. For clients who use our service desk to fully manage all aspects of their IT systems, we offer the highest available SLA’s.

  • Predictable Running Costs

    IT costs can sometimes be unpredictable with regular refreshes of hardware and software and continual investment. The Virtual Workspace offers predictable monthly pricing allowing you complete control and visibility of your monthly bill.

  • No IT equipment onsite

    As all of our systems are hosted in state of the art, secure data centres, there is no need to host servers and other equipment at your offices which allows you to recover floor space whilst reducing air conditioning and power costs.

  • Reduce IT Costs

    Our clients find that running their IT systems with our Virtual Workspace, significantly reduces their overall IT costs. So not only do we offer you more features, improved reliability and faster performance, we can also save you money too.

  • Easy growth

    With traditional IT systems, growth can be difficult as new IT equipment needs to be purchased for new staff or new offices. Our Virtual Workspace means that no new IT equipment is needed for a new office and new staff costs are predictable and lower than companies have previously paid.

  • Advanced Managed Security

    Our Virtual Workspaces are designed to be secure and our business operates to ISO:27001 and ISO:20000 standards. Our Advanced Threat Management platforms and our Managed Security Service can be fully integrated with our Virtual Workspaces.