By Dominik Birgelen, CEO of oneclick AG
A Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) is not a new concept. The term was first coined in 2006 as the replacement of physical PCs and stationery workspaces through virtual solutions has since been gaining ground. Using VDI provides businesses with the opportunity to centralise almost all administrative tasks on one virtual server in a data centre. The past year and a half has proven the need for organisations to provide more flexible, resilient and scalable infrastructures to support their teams. In the post pandemic society, where virtual has become the need as well as trend, VDI can facilitate businesses with a secure solution.
Pandemic response
As the world first went into lockdown in March 2020 and businesses across the globe needed to work remotely, many companies woke up to the reality that their IT infrastructures were rigid, outdated and lacked the flexibility to support their remote workforce. As a result, many companies had to adopt new technologies that helped their staff do their jobs and enabled them access to critical files, applications and data.
Consequently, more organisations rolled out VDIs to enable workers to run a desktop operating system within a virtual workspace. In fact, according to a report from Market Research Future, “Global Virtual Desktop Infrastructure Market information by Type, by Application and Region – forecast to 2027” the VDI market is projected to reach USD 25,496.3 Million by 2025, equaling a 16% growth rate.
1.Simplifying IT management
The first business benefit of investing in VDI is that it helps organisations to simplify their IT management by freeing up end users from tethers of their desktop computers and instead enables them to access corporate desktops anytime from any device, including tablets and mobile phones. The result is a more agile, responsive and secure computing environment that scales quickly, creating real market advantages in today’s fast-paced business world.
A virtual infrastructure also leads to a relief of administrators. If a separate PC experiences failure, the device can be easily replaced and users can log in just as quickly as with the previous device. This way, admins no longer need to be on site to conduct trouble-shooting, a time-consuming task. Other defect vulnerable components, such as fans and hard disks are also omitted.
2.Reduced IT spend
The second benefit for businesses when investing in VDI is its impact on IT spend. VDI offers cost effective benefits by eliminating the need for price-intensive, complete PCs. Lean and cost efficient ‘thin clients’, this refers to generally less powerful computers, use the resources of the server, which means that they also experience more efficient utilisation. Another advantage of VDI is that the life cycle of the hardware and software is no longer interconnected. New operating systems or programmes don’t require procurement of new desktop PCs. What’s more, with cloud-hosted solutions, pay-as-you-go subscription models help to save money for companies that will pay for what they use.
3.Layer of cyber security
A third benefit for businesses when integrating VDI is its added level of cyber security. A VDI platform provides a separation layer between all users and enterprise resources, no matter where they are located and who is providing them. The security architecture reliably shields critical systems from external attacks. Certain solutions are designed to work with any server location and any type of application hosted on-premises or in the cloud, as well as internal and external web applications.
What’s more, companies can look to implement VDI solutions that have encrypted streaming assets. This way, there is no risk of lost, stolen or defective end devices because applications and data never leave the secure hosting location.
In a post-pandemic landscape, businesses can no longer afford to rely on out-dated, physical PCs and stationery workspaces to support a hybrid and remote workforce. Organisations can look to modern IT solutions like VDIs to support this new model. With advantages in their masses, such as simplifying IT management, lowering IT spend as well as adding a layer of cyber security, VDIs offer a lifeline for businesses experiencing this change.
Using VDI, powered by cloud technology, provides businesses with the opportunity to centralise an entire workforce on one virtual server in a data centre. Accessible from anywhere, with any device, collaboration within the workforce is only set to benefit where location is no longer hindrance.
