FAQ, flexiDesk

Virtual desktop pricing – why does it vary so?

I felt the need to write this blog as there is a need to clarify the difference in product quality and relative pricing for Virtual Desktops . This is a non-techy article as I am proudly non-technical.

The need arose since clients have asked us to justify why our pricing on the flexiDesk is significantly dearer than (perceived-to-be) the same product from elsewhere.  We’ve also had prospective clients show us what they are using, and thinking is a full Microsoft experience and it’s not – they think they’re driving an Audi but they are on a pushbike. We want to bust a few myths here…

Coming from a design manufacturing background, we used to get asked why our chair cost 400% more than a seemingly similar chair. I loved that question and I would love to explain what makes the flexiDesk  different to other “virtual desktops”.

Right, if you are working now in a  Microsoft “experience”, that is EXACTLY what it will feel and look like with the flexiDesk. Just faster, and with the added benefit that you can access that experience from any device (any! Without any pre-enabling – and that is key!) using an Internet connection. So yes, you can literally be staying over at friend’s and need to access a folder and you can hop on their machine and get it.

And without calling a technician. This is fundamental. If you cannot do that, then you are you’re using an old technology (VPN) requires pre-enabling the device. The most common virtual desktops operate on this technology which is cheap to set up, cheaper to the client and ultimately serves a purpose.

Well, you may ask, as long as it works, who cares. And if it’s cheaper, even better.

The fact is THIS is how it will be worse:

•  The technology used for the cheaper desktops (RDS) is getting better but still not a great user experience over the internet (WAN).
•  The apps to use this on mobile devices are clunky and the experience, although getting better, is still considered poor.
•  Users are limited in the devices they can use and where they can work and need IT support to enable the devices.
•  The look and feel is not windows 7 it feels like an alternative desktop.
•  These systems are often not built to scale and don’t have the management tools to ensure performance at all times.

So if speed, smoothness, nothing new to learn, no change of experience (if anything, an enhancement) matter to you, then give us a call. We’d be pleased to expand.

Jo Radcliffe

Co-Founder of 404 team Ltd who is passionate about bringing colour, clarity and budget-ability to businesses' experience of IT.