Lately it seems like our data storage customers all want to talk about desktops. They’re seeing virtualized desktop infrastructure (VDI) as a way to do more with less – a cost-effective way to manage multiple desktops centrally. Along with converged infrastructures and cloud deployments, VDI is one of the evolving compute models facing IT. From the desktop to the data center – customers need a flexible technology foundation that’s designed to support where business is going. And storage has everything to do with it.
To meet the performance requirements of VDI for example, and make provisioning manageable, you need a storage solution that’s designed to be agile, responsive, and always seek your best interests. In fact, choosing the right storage architecture is such an important part of a successful VDI implementation that we’re seeing customers take money that was historically spent on laptops and desktops, and investing it in their enterprise data infrastructure instead.
Winton Woods City School District
Take Ohio public school district Winton Woods. Like many schools, they faced shrinking budgets and growing technology demands. VDI was a natural choice, but the IT team had to make it budget neutral. Director of Technology, Rhonda Hobbs had a plan: “I said, ‘If we can do this for the same amount as our desktop replacement cycle dollars, we can convert the PCs we have and get the same number of virtual desktops as we would have replaced with traditional hardware."
Hobbs knew that the best way to enable continued growth at Winton Woods was to invest in the right storage solution. She chose a storage platform that provided the flexibility and scalability to meet the future head on. “In the past I’ve had to forklift different pieces of equipment when they’ve reached their end of life,” Hobbs says. “That’s one thing that really sold me on the Dell Compellent: it can grow when we’re ready to grow.”
Here’s the video where you can hear Rhonda Hobbs and Matt Jones, Winton Woods Network Supervisor in their own words:
Also, if you want to see even more detail, see the Winton Woods case study by clicking the image below:
Storage designed to adapt to the future you want? That’s what we’re delivering with the Dell Fluid Data architecture. Learn more.