A traditional desktop environment and a virtual desktop environment function in a lot of the same ways. The main difference lies in how you access them. A traditional desktop environment is accessed by logging onto the local, physical machine where your data and applications are stored. With a virtual desktop, you log into the desktop environment via a web browser, allowing users to access their desktop on virtually any device via an Internet connection. Not only does this offer immense flexibility, but it also provides a secure way for employees to access corporate data.