Knock down the barriers to desktop virtualization

Virtual desktop infrastructure returns IT control to your business. VDI also makes it easier to manage and protect user data and applications, because those resources live on servers in a datacenter, not on your employee’s PC or device. Mobile and remote workers are free to go anywhere and still get access to their virtual desktops, but those resources never leave the secure datacenter. Some companies have seen a five- to 10-percent boost in productivity as a result of the convenience desktop virtualization affords for their employees.

Barriers to VDI entry
Great stuff, right? Then why has VDI has penetrated just 1.5 percent of the total enterprise desktop market? Because the path to desktop virtualization hasn’t been easy.

Not like server virtualization
VDI isn’t like server virtualization/consolidation. Server virtualization offers instant gratification in the form of immediate, tangible IT and cost benefits. By definition, server virtualization consolidates many servers onto just a few, which reduces energy consumption, frees floor-space, improves load balancing, and drives up utilization rates all within weeks of installation.

  • What you can do: Don’t go it alone. Consult with experts and attend a free workshop to learn how your organization can benefit from VDI. Most vendors also offer VDI assessment that helps you choose the right solution for your environment. Dell World 2012 offers a breakout session, Taking desktop virtualization from pilot to production, that would be a great place to start.

Complex to set up and run
The same cannot be said about desktop virtualization. To start with, you have to seamlessly integrate VDI with your networking, storage, authentication, and client IT to get it right. You have to decide which endpoints — thin-clients, zero-clients, full functional desktops/laptops, smartphones, tablets, or some mix of all — have access to your network, and ensure provide them with the proper network bandwidth, switching, transmission protocol, etc.

  • What you can do: Look for a dedicated, pre-integrated solution that simplifies configuration. Or, eliminate those complicated tasks altogether with services that deploy and manage your solution for you. You can keep your IT, data, and applications on your side of the firewall without building or maintaining the solution yourself. Look for help at Dell World 2012, where the breakout session, Taking desktop virtualization from pilot to production, would be a great place to start.

Steep upfront IT costs
One of the biggest roadblocks to desktop virtualization entry has always been the initial IT costs. This includes virtual machine host servers, storage arrays, switching network and management/monitoring tools, a VDI solution, end-points, operating system licensing, and labor to build it and keep it running.

  • What you can do: Swap your VDI investment — and management — for a cloud-based solution. Manage only your virtual desktops with a monthly subscription service. Or, host your entire solution and let someone else do the heavy lifting. You don’t have to buy the VDI or spend a minute on maintenance. You can choose a subscription-based cloud solution and pay only for the compute cycles you actually use.

One size doesn’t always fit all
Maybe you want to incorporate existing IT into a custom VDI solution, or deploy more than one VDI option in your client environment.

In today’s business environments, where BYOD (bring your own device) is becoming a fact of life, desktop virtualization is becoming a must-have. Don’t let the old barriers hold you back.

Gain a better understanding of desktop virtualization at Dell World 2012. Learn from expert discussion and take a hands-on workshop for cloud computing and VDI to better understand it can help your organization. Register now by clicking the previous link, or by clicking on the image below.

Dell World 2012 Registration

About the Author: Ann Newman