Leveraging virtual desktop technology for educational institutions in 2024

Increasing digitisation and emerging technologies have changed the way the education sector operates today. There is a heightened focus on virtual desktop technology and online classes, with digital mediums taking precedence across the education landscape

While virtual learning enhances the learning experience of students, it also provides educators with a number of benefits, such as practical teaching, quick lesson delivery, personalisation, resource scalability, and much more. Yet, schools, universities, and other educational institutions struggle to effectively manage digitalisation in the face of increasing demand for distance learning and e-learning. This requires robust IT infrastructures and data processing as well as data protection.

With networks and infrastructures extending beyond the safe walls of educational institutions nowadays, cyber threats against schools, colleges and universities are on the rise. According to the Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2023 by the UK government, nearly 50% of higher education institutions in the country experience some form of cyber breach or attack on a weekly basis.

A lack of sufficient resources, budget constraints and inadequate cyber policies can easily leave institutions exposed and vulnerable to cyber threats. Education institutions need to be more vigilant, leveraging the latest tools and innovations to safeguard their digital and physical assets.

Improving the learning experience

Educational institutions sometimes struggle to realise the full potential of virtual desktop technology. Students can benefit greatly from new options such as bring-your-own-device (BYOD) models, enabling safe distance learning by accessing cloud desktops and applications via a browser. This approach not only ensures accessibility for all students, regardless of their device or location, but also promotes equality by providing access to the same educational resources and tools.

Furthermore, by integrating existing physical workstations and enabling remote access, institutions can extend the reach of education beyond the confines of the classroom, offering flexible learning opportunities for students with diverse needs and circumstances.

Investing in remote access software empowers education institutions with greater access and control over their devices, enhancing flexibility and cost-effectiveness while ensuring a secure and seamless learning environment.

Classes and curriculums can also be supercharged by combining cloud-based desktops with an integrated learning management system (LMS). By harnessing an LMS, education vendors can facilitate seamless interconnectivity and interoperability from anywhere. Cloud technology can also enable educators to create flexible and personalised learning experiences for students, allowing them to offer specialised courses.

Simplifying administration and saving budget

Managing IT resources can be a drain on labour and budgets. It gets much easier and less time-consuming using centralised deployment of individual virtual machines, applications, or cloud desktops via an uncomplicated management console. The rapid delivery of turnkey standardised workplaces for groups, such as teachers or year classes, greatly reduces technical overhead. Similarly, the automated execution of software installations, updates, and patches frees up admin time and simplifies processes.

On the operating cost side, scaling reduces the monthly spend on cloud resources, as it consumes resources based on actual needs instead of paying off a high initial investment. Education institutions, particularly those with constrained budgets, can benefit from a centralised server infrastructure, minimising the need to purchase and maintain individual devices for each student.

The adoption of virtual desktops prolongs the lifespan of older end devices, enabling users to access a modern, high-performance cloud environment through them, postponing the need for costly hardware upgrades. Moreover, virtual desktops offer operating system independence by providing centralised, intuitive, and consistent access to both single software applications and workspaces, irrespective of hosting location or the device’s operating system in use.

Addressing cybersecurity challenges: Key steps educational institutions must take

As the education sector embraces the future of work, it’s imperative to address the cybersecurity challenges inherent in cloud technology. Educational institutions face a critical need to safeguard sensitive data against evolving cyber threats. To meet this challenge, institutions must adopt innovative solutions that prioritise data localisation and encryption, ensuring that sensitive information remains secure within hosting locations. Traditional security measures such as multi-factor authentication (MFA) alone are no longer sufficient these days, so a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy is essential.

Educational institutions must implement robust security solutions based on zero trust architecture (ZTA). ZTA requires every user, internal or external, to go through the same authentication procedure. Using ZTA technology, institutions can continuously monitor user activity and revoke access in the event of suspicious activity. As a result, they are able to react more swiftly and effectively to threats.

The education landscape is rapidly evolving, with institutions turning towards the latest technologies to enhance learning experiences for their students. Virtual Desktop Technology offers a flexible way of adapting to changing requirements, giving educational institutions the agility to provide the latest in learning experiences. At the same time, it provides them with the tools to operate their IT landscape cost-efficiently, reduce IT staff workload, and offer their students safe and scalable online classes.

This piece was written and provided by Dominik Birgelen, CEO of oneclick AG