Remote work is a feature of the modern business world that isn’t going away. In fact, research says we are likely to increase our reliance on remote and virtual solutions. For business, the shift has been quickly adopted but financial service providers have been slow to move fully into the cloud.
In the mortgage industry, the adoption of remote work practices has been slow due to the heavy regulation of financial data. The real needs in relation to cyber security development eclipsed the excitement over remote technology possibilities. With the introduction of Virtual Desktop Technology designed specifically for mortgage companies, it’s finally time for lenders to join the remote workforce. Here are 5 ways that Virtual Desktop for mortgage companies offers the full office productivity experience.
The main benefit of implementing a Virtual Desktop is the ability for lender workspaces to be virtualized in the cloud. Essentially it cuts the tether between the lender and their physical work desk.
Today’s Virtual Desktop goes beyond clunky portals to integrate applications into the remote start menu such that the Virtual Desktop looks and feels just like a local app. All the typical business applications (like mail and office) are supported even though it remains connected to the centralized cloud system. Though these apps have traditionally had a persistent storage issue, they have been enhanced for virtualization so that office and application data to roam with the user. This, coupled with cloud storage, means that employees can access their desktops anytime, from anywhere, using any device.
The crucial benefit of having a Virtual Desktop is that lenders who work remotely don’t have to sacrifice workplace experience based on device. In fact with a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse handy, the light run load of Virtual Desktop allows mortgage lenders to work in the full office environment on a cabled monitor or display. The interoperability means that mobile devices are not merely supported, but comparably ideal in this environment. Lenders can make the choice between remote apps and remote desktops but run the same exact session in geographically different locations and using the hardware of their choice. For lenders on the move or in hot desk environments, the mobility of getting a full office experience and only having to carry a mobile phone is unmatched.
Just as lenders shouldn’t have to sacrifice the desktop workspace experience by being virtual, the parallel issues of speed and performance are also solved by Virtual Desktop. With old technology there was a clear difference between remote and local app load times. With Virtual Desktop there is no hosted cache. This means no waiting to pull app information. The Virtual Desktop offers immediate hydration. Lenders aren’t limited to initial access points but can even use deep search functionality across the entire operations support tool (OST). High speed networking infrastructure means the system sets up small user profile disks so cloud storage caches frequently used files and simultaneously runs immediate hydration of any files that aren’t in the cache.
Mortgage companies with this technology are succeeding in giving their lenders persistent data and file access so fast that it appears like it’s running from the hard drive. The sync client also assists with cloud storage to make speed a priority in the system and erase time delays.
Going mobile is a strategic financial move too. With the cloud desktop environment, mortgage companies can scale costs according to workforce. When lenders have the freedom to work from anywhere, alternative work norms like virtual offices and “Bring Your Own Device” convenience reduces expenses related to office space, overhead, and hardware. The centralized OS stays updated without the periodic computer purchases that a traditional office required.
The benefits mentioned describe Virtual Desktop technology applicable to any industry. The unique requirements of the mortgage industry require a mortgage-specific product.
Thanks to award-winning mortgage software developers ABT, that solution is now available. The integration of Virtual Desktop alongside MortgageWorkSpace means that lenders can access Loan Origination Software (LOS) with the applicable access, speed, performance, and mobile device support typical of Virtual Desktops without taking on data risk. Though companies have struggled in the past to maintain complex loan origination systems in virtual environments, ABT’s strategic partnerships with Microsoft, Ellie Mae, Calyx Software, Byte Software, and others enable this system to work. With all these benefits, ABT takes the mortgage industry into the virtual environment and finally allows lenders to join the modern, remote workforce.
The benefits of Virtual Desktop offer a level of productivity that you can’t get with traditional environments. To assess this tool for your company, schedule a free demo today.