A hosted desktop is your Windows desktop, files and business software running on a secure server that your team reaches from anywhere, on almost any device. For a security or M&E contractor with office staff and engineers on site, it means everyone works from the same systems and the same data, securely, whether they are at head office, at home or on a client site.
Hosted desktops, sometimes called remote desktops or RDS, are a popular fit for contractors. Here’s why.
1. One shared system for everyone
Your finance software, files and line-of-business tools all live in one place. Office and site staff log in to the same desktop, so everyone sees the same up-to-date information rather than working from scattered local copies.
2. Work from anywhere
Because the desktop runs on a server, your team can reach it from the office, from home or from site, on a laptop, tablet or even a phone. For a firm with engineers in the field, that flexibility is a big advantage.
3. Data stays central and secure
With everything on the server rather than on individual laptops, your data stays in one controlled, backed-up, protected place. A lost or stolen laptop is far less of a worry when the real systems and files are not on it.
4. Easier to support and scale
A managed hosted desktop is quick to support and easy to add people to as you grow. New starters get access fast, and the whole environment is maintained and secured in one place rather than machine by machine.
A real example: scaled as the firm grew
We support a security and M&E contractor whose office and site staff all work from a hosted desktop running their finance software. We have scaled it as they have taken on people, adding capacity and licences on demand, and made sure a licence change completed before the old one expired so finance staff never lost access.
For a security, fire or M&E contractor, this is part of managed IT and security that usually costs about £45 to £100 per user per month, scaling with your headcount, how many staff work from site, and the finance and security software you rely on.
Why security and M&E contractors choose First Stop IT
First Stop IT has supported businesses since 2002, including security, fire and M&E contractors and building-services firms with office and site-based teams. We know how these businesses run: hosted desktops for staff on site and in the office, QuickBooks and payroll, secure remote access for field engineers, Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace, and the layered security that protects a firm handling client sites and payments, from MFA and application allowlisting to managed threat detection. We support contractors in Harlow, Bishop’s Stortford and across Essex, Hertfordshire and London. Our credentials include:
- Cyber Essentials Certified
- IASME Cyber Assurance (Gold)
- NCSC Assured Service Provider (Cyber Advisor for Cyber Essentials)
- Microsoft Partner
- Crown Commercial Service Supplier (G-Cloud)
- Quality Principles Certified
We look after more than 2,000 endpoints across 50 companies, we’ve been named a Top 50 UK MSP for three years running, and we support organisations with 10 to 100 employees across Essex, Hertfordshire and London, including Harlow and Bishop’s Stortford.
Book a free IT and cyber security review
Wondering if hosted desktops are right for your firm? Book a free IT and cyber security review with First Stop IT and we’ll advise honestly.