Early attempts to make high-performance software applications work over the internet did not go well, and it’s not hard to understand why. The computers and graphic systems need to be state-of-the-art, the files are huge, and you often need to have more than one person collaborating on the project at once. Trying to make all of this happen vitually was dodgy at best, and usually ended up just wasting everyone’s time.
Fortunately, we’ve learned a lot over the years, giving architects, engineers, designers, and even media professionals a viable path to effective remote collaboration, without having to shell out a ton of cash to buy everyone a high-end computer for their home office.
Making Secure, Remote High-End Applications A Reality
For most businesses that utilize high-performance software, the cost of these tools can represent a significant line item in the annual budget. Licensing fees for tools like AutoCAD, Adobe Premier Pro, and even Power BI can add up, but the costs can easily skyrocket if you need to buy and maintain a top tier computer with fast CPUs, dedicated GPUs, a bunch of RAM and hard disk space for every team member. The obvious solution is to centralize the computing horsepower in one place, either in the office or in the cloud, and let the team access the applications from anywhere with lower-end equipment. Making this happen takes effort, but the end result can be well worth it.
Pulling The Pieces Together
Here are the three components that need to work together to make a centralized solution fast and secure.
- The Server: How much power (and money) needs to be invested in the server obviously varies with each use case. The good news is that since your team will share this resource, you are probably going to need to spend much less on the office-based or cloud server than you would have to if you bought everyone a high-end workstation. Still, this is where the majority of the money will be spent, and you don’t want to cheap out since servers typically have very long lifetimes in an organization.
- The Workstations: Here’s where the ROI comes in. Because the server is doing the majority of the work, you can lower the specs of the client computer substantially. Depending on what you are doing, you’ll probably be able to save at least 50% on each workstation compared to what you would need to invest if the applications were being run natively.
- The Connection: Getting the connection right is the part that a lot of people mess up, and it can be a real problem. Cheap routers or the wrong VPN tool can slow down connection speeds and make your company an easy target for cyberattacks. Ubiquiti, Netgate, Cisco, and many other companies make very good, reliable routers that provide excellent speed and security, but you do have to make the investment and then use their built-in performance and security features.
Do I Want A Cloud Or Office-Based Server?
The key tradeoffs between a cloud and an office-based server often boil down to overall cost and scalability. An office-based solution requires more upfront spending, but if your business is not growing or seeing rapid changes in software, you may be better off with an office-based solution since it will usually be cheaper in the long run. In contrast, if you need a server that can scale up or down to meet a changing business environment, or don’t have the upfront capital to spend, then the cloud may be the way to go.
Regardless of the server choice, finding the sweet spot for the overall package in terms of performance, security, storage, and collaboration will take some time, but the productivity improvements can more than make up for the investment. When it’s done right, the team can work remotely without compromising the overall user experience.
What’s The Budget For All This?
I wish I had a simple answer. Building a solution for any one business has a lot of different parameters, but some generalities tend to hold. For complex applications like CAD, video, or analytics, it is usually true that a cloud or office-based server will be a better option than buying everyone a high-end workstation, provided that the connections to the client workstations are made in a way that does not compromise speed or security.
If you are interested in talking to a subject matter expert about your tech environment, feel free to book a consultation with me, and I’ll be happy to see what we can do to help.