What is Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)?

What is Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)?

What is Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)?

Over the past few years, we’ve seen a surge in devices, a shift in how end-users consume IT, and a growing preference for remote work among the mobile workforces. This has led enterprises to devise a strategy that accommodates the growing needs of the mobile workforce. Enterprises are now faced with the challenge to strike a balance between windows-only and platform-agnostic applications, enterprise network and public internet, enterprise owned devices and user-owned devices. However, achieving a balance while addressing the needs of end-users is a challenge and complex process.

Enterprises are increasingly looking at virtualization technologies to provide the right answers to these issues.

What is Virtual Desktop Infrastructure?

Unlike traditional desktop setups where data and applications are stored and run locally, a virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) delivers virtual desktops to end-users. These users access data and applications stored remotely on a central server, using thin or zero client devices.

The VDI environment segregates desktop operating system, applications, and data from the hardware, and offers a robust, secure, flexible yet affordable desktop solution. The virtualization software creates desktop images and enables access to end-users over a network.

VDI environments provision virtual desktops based on user-group profiling, ensuring that end-users have uninterrupted access to role-specific applications and data via a customized interface. Since data and applications reside on a central server, management becomes simple. All bug fixes, policy and software upgrades are applied only on the centrally stored golden images ensuring security and compliance adherence for all end-users. The ability to provide consistently high application availability in an anywhere, anytime, and across any device improves end-user experience and productivity.

Why should Enterprises adopt Virtual Desktop Infrastructure?

Enterprises should adopt Virtual Desktop Infrastructure for the following reasons.

  • Anytime, anywhere, any device access to data and applications –Centralized storage of applications and data allows end-users to access them anytime, anywhere, and on any device, ensuring flexible and secure application availability.
  • Simplified managementCentralized data storage and applications enable IT to manage desktops efficiently. Since user profiles are also stored centrally, rolling out OS, application and bug fixes are simplified.
  • Secure accessEnd–users only have access to applications and data specific to their roles due to role–based user profile creation and policy adherence. This also enables enterprises to provide contract employees and partners with secure access to relevant data and applications.
  • Rapid disaster recovery and business continuity – In the event of a disaster, virtual desktops can be provisioned from the centralized backup, thereby ensuring business continuity.
  • Reduced costs – If properly designed and implemented, VDI are often lower in cost than PCs on a total cost of ownership (TCO) basis.

Some of the use cases/ business requirements where Virtual Desktop Infrastructure is particularly suited,

  • Supporting remote users who need access to core applications
  • Temporary/makeshift offices
  • Flexibility to rapidly ramp-up/ramp-down
  • Simplify licensing and compliance
  • Looking for next generation infrastructure at PC/hardware refresh cycle
  • Implementing a BYOD policy
  • Providing uninterrupted connectivity to remote branch offices that have poor bandwidth connectivity
  • Require a versatile setup for Developers, Contractors and Training requirements
  • Need high security to protect customer data or proprietary intellectual properties
  • Not wanting to invest in large internal IT team with specialized skills

The versatility and flexibility of VDI helps enterprises in addressing the demands of their end-users while ensuring security, compliance and ease of management. Some of the technologies used require specialized skills and enterprises often work with specialized partners. They can design, deploy and manage virtual desktops and deliver high quality end user experience.

As a recognized specialist in cloud and virtualization technologies, Anunta helps enterprises address today’s application delivery challenges. And this is done by migrating them from traditional client-server architecture to a unified desktop and application services environment. We focus on simplifying IT and maximizing user-end performance, availability, and cost-effectiveness.

With decades of experience and a proven track record of successfully transforming and managing over 80,000 endpoints for 120,000+ users. We’re the trusted virtualization partner for leading enterprises across industries.

Learn more about our virtualization solutions and domain expertise on anuntatech.