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How users access and interact with data and information is constantly undergoing change as traditional IT processes are being overthrown by new methods that increase efficiency and reduce spending. Formerly, speed of access was a primary issue, and currently how we access data and where it’s located are being reworked.
Virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) became one of the key components in this wave of new approaches by being able to provide users with greater flexibility and productivity. It provides an easier situation for IT staff in that their responsibilities are streamlined by maintaining one data center that employees access. On top of all that, implementing a VDI strategy results in savings in technology costs and IT support.
VDI Facts
Desktop virtualization provides a variety of different advantages, yet it may not be the best solution for all companies. As long as your company’s needs and requirements match up with VDI, this strategy will allow your business to reach new levels of performance. Law firms, the health care industry and sales teams are finding that VDI works well for them based on what they do and where employees might be at a given time. Over two years ago, VDI research found that 68 to 77 percent of businesses were using, testing or contemplating using VDI as part of their tech infrastructure. Today that amount of mid-level companies is over 80 percent. It’s clear that the advantages of VDI aren’t a secret and that the industries that find it advantageous are putting it to work.
VDI Benefits
VDI can provide multiple benefits, but the following are the main advantages that can apply to nearly any situation:
- Simple Management:
With one central database, your IT concerns are reduced in a major way. Your IT department is no longer managing individual hard drives since one virtual desktop instance is cloned for all employees. Any problems that occur will affect everyone, yet that means one solution solves the problem for everyone. VDI also means that upgrades are also a much quicker fix than in the past.
- Effective Security:
When a central server is established in one location, and virtual desktops are the gateways users have for accessing the server, security concerns remain, but they’re much different than those in a traditional system. Here a lost laptop means that data will still remain secure since data is stored in the central server, not on an individual basis.
- Lower Costs:
Reduced expenses have been one of the main reasons companies have embraced VDI, and IDC Research has reported that a VDI can save several hundred dollars per user per year. A smaller portion of your IT budget will go towards workstations, because the virtualized system is much less expensive than traditional, stand-alone workstations.
- Constant Access:
Users expect high availability around the clock without any downtime or slow access times. VDI offers constant access and the frequency of uptime is improved over the usual desktop systems.
- Flexibility for Users:
That constant access that VDI allows is available to users from any location. This also allows the chance for greater collaboration among colleagues who all have access to the same data and can make updates when needed to keep everyone on the same page instantly.
Choosing VDI for your Company
Any organization wants to have the best technology at hand to run its business and make its processes as efficient as possible. Selecting the right tools to bring all this about will come from doing some homework and balancing your findings with the requirements of your company. After assessing your needs and getting acquainted with what a VDI system can do, you can decide on how to implement it and begin taking advantage of what it can offer.