Atkore Leverages Windows Virtual Desktop to Enable an Efficient Remote Work Environment

Located in Harvey, IL, manufacturing firm Atkore delivers electrical raceway solutions that protect structural electrical circuitry from source outlet. With the mandated remote work policy due to COVID-19, Atkore needed a cost-efficient, remote work strategy within a matter of days to keep their productivity levels high and ensure the safety of their employees. 

Before the start of COVID-19, Atkore already had a remote work infrastructure in place using a traditional VPN for anyone equipped with a company laptop. However, the challenge was with employees who did not have a company laptop to take home and needed to come into the office to work on desktop computers. A number of these employees were also in the high-risk category, and by coming into the office their health and safety may have been at risk. With employee safety top of mind during these unprecedented times, Atkore needed a secure and reliable solution that would allow employees without company laptops to utilize their personal computers to access Atkore at home. 

Atkore did not consider granting VPN access to personal computers because of the risks and supportability and buying additional laptops was impractical to acquire, provision, and distribute in such a short time. Therefore, the most secure and efficient solution would need to come from the cloud. In the months before COVID-19, Atkore had been tracking Microsoft’s progress on their Azure Windows Virtual Desktop environment and determined that it was the best solution to safely and securely offer remote access to anyone that had a personal PC or laptop. However, the proper set-up of a Windows Virtual Desktop environment is complex and there was no time for experimentation or set-up mistakes. Recognizing the urgency, Atkore’s management team enlisted the help of their trusted advisor at BDO Digital to pull in the necessary strategic and technical professionals to build Windows Virtual Desktop solution that could be deployed with reduced complexity.

From the first conversation, BDO Digital organized a well-integrated strategic plan that could be implemented quickly. Working alongside Atkore's management team, they examined the needs of the organization, focusing on accounting, IT, and auditing to implement a solution using Microsoft Azure Windows Virtual Desktop. BDO Digital exceeded Atkore’s expectations by executing the plan from conception to implementation in just 4 days.