The performance of your business is more than ever based on data collection and information sharing. You benefit from working with reliable, flexible and extremely secure computer systems. This is where virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) could yield big business gains. While only 10 years ago, the costs associated with VDI implementation made it inaccessible to most organizations, today it is becoming more affordable.
What is VDI?
Virtual Desktop Infrastructure – VDI – is the implementation of virtualization that hosts a user’s desktop on a server in a data centre or in the cloud. It allows your business users to access their virtual PC image on the remote server from anywhere.
The virtual desktop is a copy of a physical PC: it includes the hardware and software of the server used. Your users can remotely access all of their programs, data, and applications from any IT medium.
This virtualization technology is ideal for vertical markets, such as:
• Digital Manufacturing (aerospace, automotive and engineering);
• Media and entertainment industry (special effects, 3D rendering, animation);
• Artificial intelligence and deep learning.
The benefits of virtual desktop infrastructure
Flexible, intuitive and secure, VDI offers undeniable benefits to today’s businesses. Here are five reasons to make the transition right now.
1. Increase productivity and agility
VDI allows you to centrally manage your computers much faster than using traditional imaging technologies. This is an essential for accelerating time-to-market.
Virtualization also improves business continuity and recovery. For example, if an entire site suffers a disaster, you will be able to access the virtual desktops from a backup platform.
2. Cost reduction
Because all of your employees’ PC images are stored and consolidated on remote servers, VDI can provide significant cost savings. You no longer have to invest in individual powerful and expensive devices.
Since your operating systems and data are also centralized, there is a reduction in technical support required, as well as the related maintenance costs.
3. Simple and flexible management
With the virtual desktop infrastructure, the deployment of new operating systems (OS), such as Windows 10, takes place in a smaller number of data centers locations, rather than throughout your multiple offices. As a result, the time and complexity to deploy the initial installation and subsequent updates are greatly reduced.
Because the virtual desktop configuration and interface change very little, users do not face a steep learning in transitioning to VDI.
Your employees can connect to their workstation from their computer, or – depending on the configuration – from a tablet or smartphone. This is a major advantage for time management, especially when they are traveling.
4. Enhanced security
Centralizing user files is also an important security advantage. Your company’s data are not a risk due to the negligence of an employee or the theft of equipment. Indeed, access to the data is secure and they cannot be extracted from the stolen computer since the data reside elsewhere.
5. Reduce Downtime
When a device fails to load, the user can immediately access the virtual desktop remotely from any connected device, greatly reducing downtime.
Is VDI suitable for your business?
To answer this question, consider the profile of your company and your remote users.
Large companies with multiple locations and regional offices may experience networking and connectivity issues. Indeed, the implementation of VDI for several regional offices can increase network bandwidth.
Transferring and downloading very large volumes of data requires high-performance network connections to ensure seamless operation. If this is a business need, you will need to see if the costs associated with increasing bandwidth capacity are justified.
VDI isn’t just for large companies. Smaller enterprises – even with only one office location – can benefit from transitioning from traditional PCs to VDI.
Source: Intel
Our advice
Virtualized desktop infrastructure generates very large business gains that could increase the competitiveness of your business. However, keep in mind that a fully cloud-based or data centre solution requires a high-performance network connection and fast, reliable, and efficient servers.
To move from traditional physical desktop infrastructure to VDI, we recommend the TITAN 2208-G4 with Intel® Xeon® scalable processors, designed to accelerate GPU computing.
Contact a Hypertec representative today and give your company the competitive edge it deserves.
This post is also available in: FR
