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January 25, 2019

VDI in 2019 - Where is it going and how can you get there?

It’s a New Year! At nearly the close of this year’s first month, our 10ZiG VDI Tips & Tricks is here to let you know that VDI is ever-expanding in 2019. As an integral part of today’s non-traditional, modern computing demands and work lifestyles – it is here to stay. Let’s take a look at how VDI is predicted to play an important role throughout this new year.

VDI

What is VDI as Desktop Virtualization?

On the off-chance you may not know, Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) is a form of Desktop Virtualization and is all about moving desktop management from a local environment to a virtualized one. It is an environment wherein desktop operating systems and applications are hosted within a virtual machine running on a centralized server. Desktops are easily centrally managed for different operations, updates, security, and troubleshooting with an endpoint management software program. Vendors like Citrix and VMware are a few of the major providers supplying desktop platforms and protocols for remote VDI connection and display.

What new role will VDI be playing throughout 2019?

These same key providers, Citrix and VMware, have recognized and addressed the ever-growing mobile workforce and workers needing to be able to access their data on multiple devices with Digital Workspace platform solutions. Specifically, Citrix Workspace App and VMware Workspace ONE.

These smart workspace app-based platforms revolutionize how end users access their data from multiple devices, even mobile – using a single sign in. Workers have immediate access to all apps, tools, and data – all in one spot – for multiple devices – at their fingertips. While IT support has the same, promoting easy management and deployments. This growing revolution in the endpoint market keeps VDI in our futures. With easy access obtainable via desktops, laptops, thin clients, or phones, etc., VDI (as defined above) is a natural complement to these new Digital Workspaces.

What indicates that more IT professionals will choose VDI?

Aside from having a good forecasted fit in Digital Workspaces, VDI is also continuing to gain momentum with IT professionals and businesses who would have had to purchase server hardware and infrastructure in order have desktop virtualization. Fast-forward to Cloud! (Bam! There you have it.)

The likes of Citrix, VMware, and Microsoft are continuing to move closer towards Cloud. (Those VDI providers we talked about…) One of the limiting factors for VDI has been on-premise set up. Meaning, that in order to transition into VDI, businesses were required to purchase server hardware and infrastructure needed to run VDI. Due to Cloud transition, this is no longer the case. Customers can now select a Cloud platform of their choosing (Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, etc.) and take the required budget for their number of desktops purchased as a subscription service, and not a capital expenditure.

How do you know if you’re ready to transition to VDI?


The above is logical reasoning as to why VDI’s role will continue to be center stage in 2019, but is VDI something prevalent within your organization? Some argue that it is better not to put off a VDI transition in 2019. Some even say that right now – what with imminent Windows 7 end-of-life – there is actually never a better time to transition to Windows 10 IoT, using VDI. Perhaps, in Cloud. Perhaps on-premise, and with a Digital Workspace. But why now and why you?

Is your hardware failing due to aging? Is your infrastructure failing? Are you still spending those long hours administering individual desktops and applications? Are you not really ready for that mobility required by your company’s workforce? Or that accessibility from anywhere around the world? Are folks still not convinced of the security, ease-of-management, and energy-savings power that can come with a VDI environment and the right endpoints? Just look at what VDI can do – Benefits of VDI That Can Make A Major Difference in Your Computing Environment. From manageability, flexibility, and accessibility to user experience, increased productivity, and security & back-up to cost-savings, energy savings, and resources savings, there is very little argument left as to why not to “go VDI.