Virtual Desktops for Small Firms: 2025Q1 Update
The information below is based off the activity of small and mid-size firms when it comes to virtual desktops. CGP talks to several firms every week, often evaluating long term strategy decisions such as migrating practice management software or how to better support remote staff.
Virtual desktops (often called VDI - virtual desktop infrastructure) have been a cyclical trend in the legal world. Many firms will use them to meet client compliance requirements or support legacy applications for remote offices and staff.
The downside to VDI is it often is expensive and cumbersome. Should your firm consider virtual desktops? Or if your firm is on virtual desktops, is it time to make a change?
In my opinion there is one wrong answer when it comes to virtual desktops. Some IT providers will offer a "private cloud" option where they host multiple firms in their own datacenter. I am not talking about Microsoft or Amazon, these are small companies. While this is often a cheap and fast option, it is extremely high risk. Don't take our opinion - insurance views this as one of the riskiest tech businesses, and the news is filled with stories of catastrophes such as the Rackspace attack which resulted in weeks of downtime and both stolen/lost data. This is speaking from experience - I previously owned a business offering this model and would never do it again due to the liability.
- Dustin Bolander, Managing Partner at Clear Guidance Partners
Driving factors for VDI consideration and deployment:
Legacy applications that cannot run over the internet such as PCLaw or Juris
Remote offices and attorneys/staff
Higher security
Scalability
Now let’s break each of these down.
Legacy applications are the best use case for VDI hands down. If you are running an application that cannot function over the internet, you will have very limited options. In most situations, CGP advocates for migrating to a more modern software, which can also solve other headaches for the firm (a recent example was migrating from PCLaw to LeanLaw allowed a firm to save money from VDI but also fixed multiple major reporting headaches.)
Remote offices/staff are a poor fit for VDI due to the costs. A VPN or zero trust networking solution will provide more flexible and secure access versus an internet facing VDI service. One of the big downsides on a VDI is the reality of a user effectively having to work off multiple devices - the virtual desktop and their local computer. Although VDI advocates will say to do 100% of your tasks in the virtual desktop, in reality that rarely happens. A remote connection that allows a user to work seamlessly on one device results in more productive users, less friction, and a more realistic IT policy.
Higher security is touted by VDI, but for small businesses, the reality is often the opposite. A VDI platform can be heavily locked down, but often is not. A partner complains they need to print, now all users at the firm have the ability to print. File transfers, screenshots, and clipboards all provide an opportunity for data to leave the firm’s secure perimeter, directly onto a personal device that is not actively being managed by the firm’s cybersecurity.
Scalability is a powerful argument but is usually negated by poor contracts. While most VDI providers will let you add a new user the same day, what about when someone leaves the firm, are you able to downsize as quickly, or stuck waiting for a contract renewal? Desktops and laptops can usually be sourced and delivered within a few days, making scalability a poor argument.
What if our firm does want/need virtual desktops?
Leverage a robust public cloud provider such as Microsoft Azure (either Azure Virtual Desktops or Windows365) or Amazon Web Services’ Workspaces. Microsoft’s platform will immediately tie into the existing Office 365 tools you already use, and can quickly and cheaply be setup, including downsizing instantly when needed.