Are Virtual Desktops The Next Big Thing?
Virtualization has been around for a while now. Back then, adoption rates were fairly low, contrary to expectations of analysts and experts. This is because of the costs and complexities associated with using the technology in companies and organizations. Luckily, recent developments and improvements in service delivery have made virtual desktops affordable and easier to implement. Hence, a virtual desktop environment is steadily gaining ground as it fulfills the professional interests of small and large businesses alike.
Questions revolving around what VDI stands for are common in the IT community. A Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) deployment allows businesses to facilitate and manage user desktop sessions from a centralized infrastructure. It refers to a desktop OS that runs inside a virtual machine on a server in a data center. There are many benefits of VDI which make it a powerful technology.
Firstly, it delivers personalized desktops to users and helps businesses easily manage their entire IT landscape, resulting in simplified management. This leads to resource optimization which minimizes operational expenses. Furthermore, users have the freedom to access applications and desktops anywhere, anytime, and on any device. Desktop horizontal scaling becomes a piece of cake, enabling you to respond rapidly to your company’s needs at any moment. All this can be implemented in a very secure environment.
What’s In It For You?
Why choose VDI? According to RapidScale, RnR Market Research expects the virtualization market to expand at a CAGR of 27.35% between 2016 and 2020. This is largely on account of the rising trend of BYOD. Also, as per research analyst John Abbot, the growth is driven by the wish to reduce desktop support management.
A report by Cision predicts similar results where the international VDI market is expected to touch $15.3bn by the year 2023. It is believed to increase at a market growth of 12% CAGR during the forecast period. Such statistics justify the move to VDI. In fact, the idea makes even more sense if we examine the following scenarios in which administrators should implement virtual desktops. This section will also answer another oft-repeated question of who should use VDI.
- Provision and Handle PC Hardware
Administrators have their plates full when it comes to ensuring IT efficiency and that systems deliver top-notch performance. So, imagine a distributed fat client setup where they deal with clutter and constantly find themselves repairing or replacing machines. Preparing PCs for new users and visiting every device when an urgent upgrade or patch is needed can be lengthy processes. Monitoring device update schedules and investing in powerful computers can be stressful and a potential source of revenue drain. Also, compared to newer technologies, PCs require more updates and refreshes and they have a relatively shorter lifespan. In the worst-case scenarios, such factors distract enterprises from performing innovative or time and mission-critical functions.
Quick action must be taken if provisioning and supporting hardware burdens IT. Why not centralize computing infrastructure to reduce IT pain and anxiety? Backing up files, patching applications, and rolling out software upgrades or updates can be done en masse. Moreover, the client solutions that support virtual desktop environments offer easy manageability and dynamic performance. This is where the beauty of VDI comes in as it offers extensive resources and solutions to fit all circumstances.
Recommendation: choose the flexible thin client computing model that offers a PC-like user experience in virtualized deployments. For instance, an industrial ClearCube Thin Client supports Cloud Desktop OS, Linux, and Windows® 10 IoT operating systems. This establishes dynamic user interfaces, facilitates enhanced security, and promotes better resource management. These devices are also optimized for major remote networking protocols. On a basic scale, we provide standard options for SMBs and task workers such as the low-cost Raspberry Pi configuration.
- Specialized Uses and Growth
Technological innovation has changed the way we work and it can be overwhelming to keep up with at times. Companies are always introducing new products and services to address new initiatives. Hence, they demand competitive internal solutions to aid in the research, design, development, deployment, sales, and customer service stages.
VDI offers features and efficiencies that streamline processes and improve workflows. For example, it enhances communication, decreases security vulnerabilities, and promotes remote collaboration among teams. The last benefit is crucial. Considering that employees are increasingly working remotely, VDI helps IT manage all desktops for an entire enterprise from a single interface. This is regardless of how widely distributed the desktops may be geographically. In turn, you simplify and reduce desktop management which further saves time and money that can be reinvested elsewhere. Moreover, adding or removing virtualized desktops is simple. You can address expansion needs wherever and whenever necessary, and without any hassle.
Different sectors have unique needs that can only be accommodated effectively by implementing VDI. Let’s consider a common example. Banks and trading floors have strict security and compliance demands that must be met at all times. Virtualization provides solutions such as PCoIP Zero Clients that offer optimized configurations to fulfill these security mandates.
- High Capital Costs
In this digital era, nearly every business runs on a computer network. It can be an SMB with a limited number of PCs or a large enterprise using multiple private and public networks. In both cases, businesses usually incur high costs on PCs and their associated peripherals. Maintenance and support present even more of an issue in terms of the overwhelming bills they bring.
Virtualization dynamically reduces costs as the number of desktops and networks needed to support businesses goes down. There are fewer independent computers in this scenario which means that software problems become almost non-existent. Furthermore, any technical gaps or issues that do arise can easily be resolved from a centralized server. This minimizes downtime and increases employee productivity.
Final Remarks
VDI works differently for every company as it is not a ‘one size fits all’ solution. In choosing the right model for your initiative, you need to answer a few questions first. How many end users do you have? What type of applications do you require? How much CPU performance, memory, and storage do your applications need? Last but not least, are there any industry-specific compliance demands that must be met?
ClearCube’s team of experts is ready to assist you with any queries or concerns you may have. Connect with us to get started.
