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Is VDI Right
Save on Computer Cost ...4
IT Costs Savings...5
Can VDI Save on Energy Costs ...6
Go Green with VDI ...7
Solution for Multi-Site Companies ...9
How Does VDI Answer BYOD Challenges?...10
CONTENTS
Introduction ...3INTRODUCTION
The emergence of Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) is one of the most exciting events in computing in recent years. VDI is a novel architectural model in which an operating system -- typically a Windows client -- runs on a server-based virtual machine (VM).
Instead of running on a physical PC, a virtual desktop that duplicates all the functions of a normal desktop computer runs on a VM located in a data center. Users access their virtual desktops through a client.
This can be a regular PC running limited software; however, since the client only needs to have sufficient resources to connect to the server, a slimmed-down device called a thin client or zero client can be used.
VDI presents a wealth of opportunities for small and midsize businesses to reduce hardware and software costs, improve efficiency and support data security, as well as providing staff with a more streamlined and less frustrating computing experience.
SAVE ON COMPUTER COST
A midsize firm may have anything from 80 to 300 separate desktop computers. That’s a huge expense – especially when you consider all the inevitable upgrades, the costs of software licensing and ongoing IT support. By contrast, thin clients and zero clients offer great value. They cost very little when compared to expensive desktop PCs.
Standard desktop PCs need frequent upgrades if they’re to run the latest software. Even the most reliable PC will eventually become sluggish and unusable, simply because it can no longer cope with the demands that the current software is placing on it.
Because they don’t contain complex logic processing or large amounts of RAM, thin clients don’t need to be upgraded to keep pace with changes in software; software installation and configuration happens on the server side so only the servers need to be upgraded or replaced. Thin clients seldom need to be replaced, as they are very robust and are not as prone to hardware failure as standard PCs.
In the event that there’s a major disaster that results in the loss of many users’ clients, the consequences are far less dramatic than if a similar number of desktop PCs were lost. All your users’ data is stored remotely
and can be backed up in multiple locations. Their desktops are also saved, meaning that they can simply log on from another client rather than having to spend time installing and configuring software as on a desktop PC. The clients themselves are cheap and easier to replace than costly PCs.
IT COSTS SAVINGS
High IT costs can represent a significant drain on a firm’s resources. VDI allows you to centralize your computing. Thin clients and zero clients themselves are extremely robust – there’s very little to go wrong, resulting in a huge drop in call-outs for IT staff.
Since users’ desktops “live” on a virtual machine in your data center, any issues affecting desktops can be handled centrally without any need for IT staff to visit another office or travel offsite.
The reduction in demand on your IT staff enables the streamlining of your department, cutting down on overtime and allowing for a possible reduction in staff numbers. IT staff can be redeployed more effectively if they’re not wasting time by rushing between the data center and different offices.
Your IT department also faces an uphill struggle when it comes to keeping all the software that your company needs to run updated and patched. New
patches need to be installed on a regular basis and it’s hard to ensure that this happens for every computer.
If patches and upgrades are installed during the working day, this can disrupt the normal functioning of the company; yet if installations are rolled out overnight or on weekends, many computers will
be switched off. This can mean that patches don’t get installed, potentially creating security issues.
With a VDI installation, all virtual desktops can be patched or upgraded at once as they are run from a single central location.
There’s no question about missing a user because their machine was turned off. Upgrades are streamlined and unobtrusive.
CAN VDI SAVE ON ENERGY COSTS?
With the global cost of fuel and electricity rising, high-energy costs can eat into a company’s budget.
Standard desktop computers require prodigious amounts of electricity to run; their internal processors are very energy-intensive; they also generate a lot of heat, meaning that fans and cooling systems must be
deployed inside the computer’s case to prevent overheating.
In contrast, thin clients and zero clients consume very little electricity as they lack the energy-hungry processors of standard desktops. It’s estimated that VDI could save your company approximately $250 per
computer per year in electricity. When multiplied by every desktop you use, that’s a huge savings.
This figure doesn’t even take into account the cost of air conditioning and other cooling measures that you need to put in place to cope with the extra heat generated by your computers. Thin clients and zero clients don’t put out a significant quantity of heat, meaning that you could save on climate control too.
GO GREEN WITH VDI
Going green is the latest buzzword for many businesses today. In fact, it has been for the last several years. When it comes to technology, however, how can you go green? Virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) can go a long way in helping your company go green.
VDI is a computing model that adds a virtualization layer between the actual server and desktop computers. By installing a VDI instead of a traditional OS, network administrators can provide users with the ability to access the system anywhere. Additionally, data remains safe because all
sensitive data is kept in the corporate data center.
Use Less Power
Businesses throughout the globe understand that going green means lowering their carbon footprint. That, in turn, means to ultimately use less electricity. A full-blown desktop computer uses a great deal of electricity; a thin client VDI session will not. In fact, the thin VDI clients take up less space and have less heat output, which means the fan doesn’t need to work as frequently.
With the fans not working as frequently, if at all, the power used by the business itself drops, which ensures the company is greener than previously thought. By using VDI, your business ultimately reduces its carbon footprint, and in the long run, cuts your company’s power bill considerably.
Use Fewer Resources
By implementing thin clients, there is less material wastage when the resources need to be refreshed or modernized. In addition, the thin VDI clients last nearly twice as long as the traditional desktop models, which means they don’t have to be replaced as frequently.
There is likely to be less breakage of material as well, as there are no moving parts in the thin VDI clients. Because of the desktop virtualization, there is less of a need for the actual desktop computer, and therefore a lower need for the production materials used to create the computers in the first place.
SOLUTIONS FOR MULTI-SITE
COMPANIES
VDI is very good news for companies with multiple offices. Instead of running separate desktops on individual
computers, all computers can be run from a single central unit in a specific location.
Centralizing your hardware in this way makes troubleshooting much easier; there are fewer hardware issues to track down and software problems are easier to resolve. A user’s desktop exists as a single file on the central server; in the event of a major crash, this file can simply be restored from a backup copy.
It’s also worth noting that a virtual desktop can be accessed from a range of different clients; users can log onto their personal desktops from a different office, their home PC, even from a tablet or a smartphone.
This is very useful if you have staff members who need to travel between different locations. Instead of toting an expensive laptop – a tempting target for thieves and vandals – your staff can carry a zero client and log onto their desktops remotely.
HOW DOES VDI ANSWER
BYOD CHALLENGES?
The BYOD Movement..
Instead, the movement has been toward BYOD, or “Bring Your Own Device.” This seems simple enough. Many people use their Smartphone for both business and pleasure. They have the luxury of using the same
phone, while the business doesn’t bare the burden of constantly updating the handheld device. However, BYOD is not without it’s challenges. IT Departments still need to instill software technology that can act as Mobile Device Management (MDM) to make sure phones are properly connected. So what’s the missing link? Virtual Desktop Infrastructure or VDI.
How Does VDI Intergrate with MDM?
Think of VDI in terms of the Outlook Web Express application that is found on a PC. IT personnel are not worried about which browser or server an employee or client is using. They simply manage the server environment from the backend to ensure everything works properly, thus managing it as they would Outlook Web Express. VDI solutions are the link that allows the
IT department to manage MDMs from a single location. This saves your business a lot of time and especially headache for the IT department.
How Does VDI Compliment BYOD?
Challenges Associated with BYOD & The Solutions VDI Offers
What are the challenges associated with BYOD? Namely Wi-Fi setting, certificates and applications native to a particular Smartphone might not work when they are all placed on a network without VDI integration. Once VDI is implemented, a user only needs to go to a link, click on it and in a matter of seconds, the phone has been correctly configured because the IT department has utilized VDI to create a singular platform that works with everyone’s device.
In conclusion, VDI can save your company time,
resources and money. It’s right for your staff and right
for you.
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