First, what is VDI Management and how does it work?
Virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) management is the process of hosting desktop environments on a central server. It is a form of desktop virtualization, as the specific desktop images run within virtual machines (VMs) and are delivered to end clients over a network. Those endpoints may be PCs or other devices, like tablets or client terminals.
What are some of the benefits of VDI Management?
VDI Management offers easy access to all files and applications from any location to make working remotely more convenient. It also allows your IT team to use their own device while keeping personal data separate. VDI also streamlines IT Administration tasks by making it easy to patch, update and configure all virtual desktops in a system.
Because your data is stored on secure servers, it cannot be compromised even when an endpoint device is lost or stolen. Even if users utilize their own devices, your company data remains secure, again because data is stored on servers and not the endpoint. Your company has full IT control over company desktops, which prevents unauthorized software or users from entering the system. VDI is adaptable to many environments and can be the right solution to make organizational challenges.
Important factors to consider with VDI Management
VDI does have some potential risks if you’re going to implement it on your own, with the biggest one being complexity.
For example, if everyone needs customization in the applications they need to access, or if they use a lot of applications, VDI is probably not a good fit. Virtual desktop deployments involve a lot of different components, which tends to make troubleshooting more difficult than in a physical desktop environment. This can also mean high initial startup costs as you may need to purchase and deploy several components before it can provision the first virtual desktop.
VDI components vary by platform, but they can include virtualization hosts, load balancers and security servers. There are also licensing costs to consider, which can be high.
If your organization is small, the cost to implement VDI could be too expensive as it involves more than just setting each one up with their own desktop configuration. Users must utilize a physical device to access their virtual desktop and that physical device, whatever it is, will need a license for its native operating system. However, when you work with a technology partner such as WIN, these incremental costs and tasks are included within the scope of work, meaning you avoid surprise costs and budget overages.
Ready to learn more?
If you have questions or you’d like to learn more about VDI management, talk to a WIN Specialist today!