Feeling the Strain: Remote Working in a COVID-19 World

Many companies today have remote working initiatives, but most are not adequately sized for large percentages or even entire companies to functionally work remote as we are seeing happen today. To compound this issue, remote work systems can be difficult and costly to manage at their maximal capacities and further scaling these systems– at speed and in the heat of a crisis– can be even more problematic.

With the current global response to COVID-19, many companies are experiencing these challenges in real-time. It is creating down-time, loss of productivity, expense, and anxiety. From a systems perspective, efficiency in global deployment and the ability to centrally manage and ensure security are business fundamentals.

Cloud-based workspaces create Desktop as a Service (DaaS) alternatives that can help companies navigate the current reality and shore up their business continuity plans and SAP project initiatives long term.

With DaaS, companies can:

  • Bring your Own Desktop – Or use one of our SAP proven system images from Power Users who need HANA Studio to lightweight users who need a simple GUI, or any other desktop application.
  • Ensure it’s Secure – The most secure cloud solutions ensure network, storage, and local device protections, to help improve the security of user data and reduce overall risk.
  • Allow for Centralized Management – Modern cloud DaaS solutions enable you to manage thousands of workstations in a central console and rapidly scale, provision and de-provision in alignment with your workforce fluctuations.
  • Provide Global Scalability – Cloud DaaS solutions have access to cloud infrastructure located where your teams are working. This ensures high-performance of the desktops and a more stable user experience.
  • Cost Management – With great flexibility can come great cost risk, with our Lemongrass Cloud Platform (LCP) solution, you can track costs down to the minute, set budget alarms and detect cost increases as they happen.

Some common use cases we are seeing today include:

  • Rapid provisioning and scaling of desktops in the face of the current global health crisis: A managed, secure DaaS solution is essential for a business continuity plan. It can be implemented rapidly, keeps data secure in remote environments and allows businesses to react quickly to workforce location changes. Lemongrass recently helped a $4B Hospitality company that runs their SAP systems on AWS, scale 230 desktops for their employees in a few hours enabling them to get back to work running remotely.
  • BYOD programs: To deliver on the promise of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) initiatives, companies must ensure employees can easily and securely access their applications and data across a large and constantly changing number of devices. BYOD programs do not have to be complicated or cumbersome to deploy. DaaS ensures all personal and enterprise mobile apps and data are properly segregated and protected so that you get the productivity gains and cost savings from your BYOD program.
  • Scale desktops for test and development: Developers and test teams need access to a secure, high-performance WorkSpace for completing tasks without the expense and inventory that comes with a lot of over-provisioned physical hardware. DaaS includes all the tools your developers need to build applications quickly and ensures the source code is not stored on their devices, helping to safeguard intellectual property.
  • Provide secure desktops for remote, mobile and contract employees: DaaS enhances remote and mobile productivity while bolstering data security. Employees are no longer tethered to physical computers in fixed locations. Instead, they can securely access their files from any computer or mobile device, anywhere in the world. Also, when an employee or contractor leaves the company, their virtual desktop can immediately be retired and new machines can be provisioned quickly as needed.

Related Content

total cost of ownership (tco) timeframes for sap on cloud

Calculating Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) Timeframes for SAP Cloud

Efficient software and hardware procurement involves considering more than just initial contract costs. Progressive businesses factor in all direct, indirect, hidden, and unknown expenses throughout the software lifecycle, known as Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). TCO is a crucial but often overlooked component in ROI calculations.

Read More »