For Sydney businesses with 5-100 staff, VPNs are slowing you down. Move to secure remote work with Microsoft Intune device management or Windows 365 Cloud PCs. Fixed pricing, no lock-ins.
For many Sydney businesses, the remote work setup of 2020 has quietly become the permanent standard. The scramble to get staff online is over. It works. People are logging in, files are being accessed, and business continues.
But for companies with 5 to 100 staff, the cracks are showing.
Your team can connect, but the experience is often clunky. Staff complain about slow file speeds, the helpdesk is getting hit with "I can't connect" tickets, and onboarding a new employee has evolved into a logistical nightmare.
Smart businesses are moving away from simple connectivity (VPNs) and toward a strategy built on secure remote work and true device management.
So, how do you ditch the VPN? You generally have two strategic choices. You can either secure the hardware itself, or you can secure the desktop environment.
When you rely on a VPN, you are often forcing traffic to tunnel back through your office internet connection to access files on a server.
You are essentially trying to funnel say 50 people's traffic through one office NBN connection. If that connection hiccups, your entire remote workforce slows down. It turns simple tasks, like opening a PDF, into a frustration.
VPNs rely on perimeter security.
The logic is that once someone is "inside" the network, they are trusted. The danger is that if a hacker compromises a single user's credentials (maybe through a phishing email), they are in. They can move across your network because the VPN has granted them access to your internal network.
This is the biggest risk for small to medium businesses. A VPN connects a device to your network, but it doesn't manage that device. If an employee's home laptop is infected with malware or hasn't been patched in six months, the VPN lets that virus walk right through your front door. You need better device management than just a secure tunnel.
VPNs were designed for a different eraâone where 90% of staff were in the office and only a few dialed in occasionally. Using this technology as the backbone of your remote workforce creates these three specific bottlenecks.
You can either secure the hardware itself, or you can secure the desktop environment. Both eliminate VPN bottlenecks.
This is the most common path for Sydney SMEs. You still assign laptops to your staff, but instead of "trusting the connection," you "manage the device."
Intune is a cloud platform that controls your company's hardwareâlaptops, mobiles, and tabletsâregardless of where they are. It doesn't require a physical server in your office; it lives in the Microsoft cloud.
Think about the last time you hired someone. It likely involved shipping hardware back and forth, manual configuration, and hours spent installing apps one by one.
With Intune "Autopilot," that friction disappears. The laptop arrives at the employee's home, and when they turn it on and log in with their work email, Intune takes over. It automatically installs your security policies, email profiles, and apps like Teams. The manual "setup day" becomes a simple login.
Intune allows you to enforce strict rules. You can block a device from accessing company data if it doesn't meet your standards.
If a staff member tries to access SharePoint from a laptop that doesn't have an active antivirus or is running an outdated version of Windows, Intune denies access immediately. It protects your data before the connection is even made. That is secure remote work in action.
For some businesses, managing physical hardware is a headache they don't want. Or maybe you have a mix of Mac and PC users and want a consistent experience for everyone.
This is where Windows 365 (Cloud PC) fits in. Instead of managing the laptop, you stream a powerful, secure Windows 10 or 11 desktop to any web browser.
This is popular for businesses with high security needs or a fluid workforce (like contractors). You don't need to buy them a $2,500 company owned laptop.
You simply license a virtual desktop Cloud PC. They log in via a browser on their own device (even an iPad or home computer), do their work in a secure bubble where data cannot be copied out, and when the day is done, they close the tab.
Because the desktop is streamed to you like a video, you don't need to install clunky VPN software to connect. It is always on and always updated.
Your IT team never has to worry about whether a contractor's home PC has the latest security patchesâthe Cloud PC they access is managed centrally and automatically.
You don't have to pick just one path to the Modern Workplace. Many mature businesses use a hybrid approach: Managed Devices (Intune) for full-time staff, and Cloud PCs for contractors or casuals.
Need guidance on which path fits your business? Our Managed IT Services Sydney team can audit your current setup and recommend the right mix.
Whether you choose Option 1 (Intune) or Option 2 (Cloud PC), moving to a Modern Workplace shifts your IT function in three ways:
You eliminate the constant stream of "My VPN dropped out" tickets. This frees up your IT resources to focus on things that actually grow the business.
If a company laptop is left on a train, Intune allows you to wipe that device remotely in seconds. With Cloud PCs, there's no data on the device to lose in the first place.
You gain a real-time inventory of exactly how many devices access your data and whether they are compliant. This is device management done right.
| Scenario | VPN-Only Setup | Modern Workplace (Intune/Cloud PC) |
|---|---|---|
| New employee onboarding | Ship laptop to office, manual setup, 4-8 hours IT time | Ship to home, employee logs in, automatic setup (30 mins) |
| Lost or stolen device | Panic mode: data exposed, manual credential resets | Remote wipe in seconds, zero data loss |
| Compromised credentials | Full network access grantedâlateral movement possible | Device compliance checked before any access granted |
| Remote worker file access | Tunnels through office NBNâslow, unreliable | Direct cloud accessâfast, always available |
| IT visibility | Can see connection, not device health | Real-time compliance dashboard, patch status, inventory |
I've had the pleasure of working with internacious, and I can confidently say that their IT support services are exceptional. Internacious brings a wealth of experience across all major IT platforms, and their deep knowledge extends to cybersecurity, making them a true experts in the field. Whether it's troubleshooting complex software issues, configuring hardware, or providing advice on securing our network, Dale handles it all with professionalism and efficiency.
Dale's ability to break down technical concepts in a way that's easy to understand is especially valuable. Dale has been an invaluable resource, and I highly recommend internacious IT support services to anyone in need of top-tier technical assistance.
VPNs were a necessary bridge to get us through 2020, but they are not the destination.
For a Sydney SME with 50 staff, the expectation has moved beyond simple connectivity. The standard is now verifying the user and the device, not just the network tunnel.
If you are still shipping laptops back to the office to be re-imaged, or if your team is still battling connection drops during client calls, it is time to look at your infrastructure. The technology has evolved to now get out of the way and enable the way you work. Your IT strategy should too.
Our Sydney-based Modern Workplace team will audit your current setup, recommend the right mix of Intune and Cloud PCs, and deliver a fixed-price migration plan. No lock-ins. No surprises.
Free assessment ⢠Fixed pricing ⢠Sydney local support
The foundation for your Modern WorkplaceâM365 migration, security, and optimization.
Full cloud migration services including Azure infrastructure and hybrid setups.
Essential Eight-aligned security to protect your Modern Workplace.
Complete managed IT supportâdevice management, security, and helpdesk.
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