Remote desktops and VDI

Yes, a few Mbit/s will do, because only screen images travel over the link. What spoils the experience is an unstable connection that keeps dropping, not low bandwidth. Teams meetings should run directly on the laptop using the optimisation Microsoft provides for exactly this purpose.

Then nothing works, and that is a fundamental limitation. Someone who has to work offline, say on a building site or on a train, is better served by a laptop protected with BitLocker and managed through Intune.

Over three years the totals are comparable. The virtual platform costs more, but the end devices can be cheaper and last longer. The real gain is data security, control over personal data under GDPR and how quickly a new employee becomes productive.